Anesthetize
Product Description
Last year Porcupine Tree released their latest album The Incident. The album marked another step forward in the incredible journey of the band from a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a Grammy nominated act and one of the world’s most revered live bands, currently selling out arenas across the globe and wowing fans with their incredible performances. “Anesthetize” is a DVD which captures the power of the band’s live show. Recorded on multi-cameras over two nights at 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland in October 2008, the concerts featured tracks from throughout the band’s career. “Anesthetize” collects the highlights from the two shows. It is only the band’s second ever DVD release. Includes: 2 Hour concert film with stereo & 5.1 sound,5 x Lasse Hoile `Live films’ from the show Photo gallery, “Anesthetize” is also released as a two disc package. The second disc is the Blu-Ray version of the concert. It contains the follo… More >> Anesthetize
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:47 am
I know this has not been released yet but after having just seen them perform live in Miami Beach I know this DVD is going to be excellent. If you ever get a chance to see Porcupine Tree live you need to do it as they are amazing. It’s unfortunate that more people are not aware of them but it also makes their concerts a very special event as you can experience them up close. Their first concert DVD (Arriving Somewhere But Not Here) is amazing (except for some of the special effects) and I expect this new release to be even better as it will be available on Blu Ray. Give them a try – you will be hooked like I am. Rating: 5 / 5
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:26 pm
For those who want a taste of this video, and haven’t already done so, go to their My Space page where “Way Out of Here” from the Tilberg show is linked. I was a little disappointed with the Arriving Somewhere video, not because it’s poorly done, far from it, but some of the songs presented where not my favorite. I’ve been a fan since Signify, and have their entire back catalog, and for me Fear of a Blank Planet is their best album to date, closely followed by The Incident. That said, this concert video contains many of their most powerful songs and I can’t wait for my pre-order to arrive. If you’re not familiar with the power and majestic beauty that is Porcupine Tree, you can’t go wrong starting here with this DVD/Blu-Ray. Rating: 5 / 5
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
I just got finished with the DVD portion of this release, (I do not have the blue ray as yet…)
The Fear of a Blank Planet and Nil Recurring materials play exceptionally well live…the video is mixed even better than that of Arriving Somewhere. The 5.1 sound adds a depth which is too largely missing in the materials available from most bands…
Their musicianship including the vocals, (live as well as recorded) continues to be stellar…They managed to pull me in with “Sleep Together”…a song that I’ve not been fond of to date, that is until I saw them perform it live via this DVD!
The venue in Tilburg played well for this DVD, and the fans were amazing there. If you’re a fan of Porcupine Tree, “Anesthetize” is a MUST for the library! Rating: 5 / 5
June 3rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm
This is what I mean: I was fortunate enough to attend two concerts from the same tour that the DVD is taken from. No question, PT is better enjoyed live; however, this DVD offers significant advantages that a live concert cannot provide:
1. You watch it when you feel like it.
2. You don’t have to drive to get to the concert.
3. The guy in front of you won’t block the view of the stage.
4. You can seat down and enjoy.
But the truly impressive aspects of this DVD are the camera work and the sound mix. During the credits I counted at least 9 camera operators. It is as if you’re on the stage with the band! You can watch Gavin Harrison playing from the left, the right, the top, and even from under the drums! I know now where he keeps the set list (down on the left side). You can even read the brand of the drum sticks that he uses.
Same with the other musicians: you can see the keys of the keyboard reflected on Richard Barbieri’s glasses; the chords that the under-rated, extraordinaire bass player Colin Edwin chooses so discretely; the craftsmanship of John Wesley’s guitar playing, and the artistry of genius composer/arranger/musician/producer/promoter Steven Wilson.
The sound, the mix and the production are of the most impressive quality. Even the PCM Stereo version is so good I hope they release the tracks on CD or as downloads to be able to listen to in the car.
They start out with the full Fear of a Blank Planet album, ala The Incident tour. Impeccable all; “Way Out Of Here” (which can be seen on YouTube) and “Sleep Together” stand out, this last one for the rage and energy that the band displays.
It is appreciated that for the second half of the show, they chose a number of songs, which are not that frequently heard on live material available. “What Happens Now”, “Cheating the Polygraph” and “Normal” (from Nil Recurring), “Dark Matter”, and “Sleep of no Dreaming”, among others, are simply spectacular. The show stealer, however, turned out to be a very low key piece called “Half-Light” from the Deadwing sessions, in which Steven Wilson plays his signature Video Guitar and John Wesley finishes the song with the most heartfelt vocal that I’ve heard in a long time. There is no question: John Wesley is the fifth Beatle!!!
If you’re still reading is because you already know Porcupine Tree. I don’t need to tell you about how good these guys are or that they play the most creative kind of progressive, hard and acoustic rock combination that can be found on this planet. If you’re a fan, you have to have this DVD.
This review is based on the first viewing of the regular version of the DVD made in England (not the Blu-ray).
Rating: 5 / 5
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Wow! I thought seeing them live was great…This is just another fine example of musical perfection from Maestro Wilson and the Boys. An all-star cast of musicians at the top of their game plus brilliant lighting, directing, and editing from Lasse Hoile make this a remarkable concert DVD. The set list is all FOABP and Nil Recurring for the first half of the show. The second half is old favorites, plus some not heard live before, really rounds the night out. The transfer is from all HD cameras and pops with color and life. No visible noise to these eyes. The DTS master audio sound will just blow you away! This, along with the phenomenal mix by genius SW, has me aching to throw away another 2+ hours of my life. I did only plop down $12 for the DVD version, but now I will go full bore and order the Blu-ray version (with all the bonus material) as well. The wait for this one (2 yrs) was long, but WELL worth it! *This review is from the DVD I purchased thru the pre-order from the PT website. Made in the UK!* Rating: 5 / 5