@@0909shaggy To the Bone is not bad. Wilson is one of those artists that i like every album he's made, but for me Steven works better in cold and sad atmospheres. TTB is danceable and pop, and while it is good is not nearly as immersive as Future Bites.
@@55jemmz5 Kendrick has hinted towards doing a sort of rock-rap album and a lot of people dont fw with that concept so I guess the joke is it will be "not bad" as a lot of people won't mess with the concept that much but its kendrick lamar so itll probably be alright
@@its_drez rock rap was huge af in like the 90s and early 2000s. Hell, rage against the machine is still one of the most popular bands ever so idk why people see that as a bad idea, unless it's because he's Kendrick and have no idea how he'll make that transition
@@ColombianThunder yeah dont get me wrong rock rap was huge back in the day and Im personally a fan of bands like limp bizkit and RATM it's just that throughout the 2010s rock rap has gained a lot of stigma because it just ain't as good as it was back then, also I might have misspoken, the album is apparently going to be "rock-influenced," not straight rock rap and I remember a lot of people werent messing with that idea as kendricks albums have always taken more taken more elements of soul and jazz so a lot of people think that straight rock sounds wouldnt mesh well with kendricks sound is what I'm thinking
i'm guessing that a NOT BAD means that despite all the negative circumstances, the album turned out to be surprisingly good. i like this rating. it's not bad.
Really. This album surprised me how good it sounded as an album when it came out, and I'm happy TFB is getting this rating if it means the way you put it.
@@nighttime4272 Not good is not a score, its anywhere under a 5 Usually Not Good is given to albums that are just obviously bad and don't really require an explanation while something like a 0 is terrible but theres more about it to analyze.
@@nighttime4272 I'd expect Fantano to give TFB a decent to strong 6 if he was gonna give a more standard review. So I guess it checks out. Well, judging from what he's saying about the album. For all I know, it could be closer to a 5/10.
@@ahmedrizk1223 Normally, if an artist who fantano had high expectations for releases a terrible project, or if the project is just too bad for a numbered rating, he’ll give it a NOT GOOD rating. Some started to joke that he might give a NOT BAD rating to an artist he had low expectations for, and now he has.
@@bruh-hl3er Considering what he's said against starting a family as an artist, and now he's married and raising a kid, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes down that path.
@@bruh-hl3er Same, I remember seeing an interview from the raven album talking about how the loss of his father left him without much close family. I'm happy to see that he's doing better and found people to be around.
@@bruh-hl3er I know this is a joke but it’s sad a lot of people feel that way. I guess Wilson’s lyrics are stupid and derivative but I suck ass with nuance so I like when someone just hits you in the face with lyrics.
@@Richerodt Fantano doesn’t like anything with emotional brevity unless it’s a mumbly shoe gazer millennial picking their thrift store bought acoustic guitar and lamenting about how their favorite bath towel got lost with a check in bag on a flight they took from New York to Austin. But the new Steven Wilson record skips the emotional brevity in favor of a good beat that you can dance to, and since Wilson’s not a shoe gazer millennial, he’s staying in his lane by Fantano’s standards.
I think "Not Bad" is a great idea. Rather than discussing the reasons why an album is less than a 10, you get to spend all your time explaining how the album excels.
there was an earlier person who suggested a series called "NOT BAD" in a Let's Argue, but it was a different idea and Anthony obviously forgot about it by the more recent one, lol.
Anthony, Hand Cannot Erase and Raven are among my favorite albums of all time, and while I see your point that they are flirting a lot with prog from the 70s, I really think they have some really humane emotional depth in them, and they also sound pretty modern to me. Both of the albums are very emotional experiences for me. It's certainly not just some entry level rock or prog. I mean, I listen to a lot of really obscure stuff from those genres as well but I still regard these two albums as timeless masterpieces. They are maybe not that groundbraking but they are just unbelievably beautiful, moving and soulful albums with some truly amazing composing work with lengthy and complex pieces still retaining their sense of movement and power, as well as amazing production work.
I haven't heard "Hand Cannot Erase" yet but I totally agree with you about "Raven" which is a brilliant album, deliberately and openly inspired by '70s prog but taking it to a whole new level, and the guitar solos are glorious!
Your review for _The Raven that Refused to Sing_ remains my least favorite review of yours, but I appreciate this new type of score and your willingness to give Wilson another try
As a big SW fan, I was actually quite impressed with this album. Prog jackoffs might be disappointed by the more straight forward / electronic direction, but the album is great for what it is.
Old comment but I 100% agree. A composition can be complex or nuanced without sounding like rush or pink floyd. This album also has the best sounding production of anything SW has done.
@@iDarby sometimes I think he's just hating for the sake of hating tbh, like his reviews on Raven and HCE are just laughable and almost objectively wrong Edit: typos
Steven is occasionally genius. I have to give him that. But yeah there’s just a little something missing for me with a lot of his music. The Raven is a sick album though. Fantano is on crack with that take.
I don't get how that album sounds "sterile" or derivative of older prog rock. It's not anymore derivative than anything else in the same genre as some other thing. How does something like "Luminol" sound like any old prog rock song? What does older prog even sound like? Yes and Gentle Giant are nothing alike. Is the album derivative because it does the flashy playing and it has a mellotron on a couple of parts? That's such superficial criticism.
As a Steven Wilson fan I also agree that alot of Prog fans really scream about anything that Steven releases that has a hint of pop in it. Guess it's prog rock elitism?
As a Wilson fan, and someone who doesn't enjoy this new record... there was always a subtlety to what he did, both in Porcupine Tree and in every project, most notably Bass Communion and Storm Corrosion, that listeners of prog couldn't get enough of. A texture or an idea that made you stop what you're doing and really listen, as the mood of the song or atmosphere totally changed (a good example with his solo work is the Watchmaker, which moves through melancholy and rage before settling on this sinister tone as revenge is carried out by the wife in the story). Those textures are entirely removed from this new project, and while I'm not denying the music is produced very well and sounds bang on for what he was aiming for, it doesn't carry atmosphere nearly as well as his earlier records. There's never a moment where you think 'wait, what the fuck is going on right now?' when a new concept is dropped like a lead weight into the mix. It might be labelled as progressive pop by a great many reviewers, but in that need to recreate the sound of his favourite 80's records, Wilson has created an album that looks back instead of forward, and that's the big reason why some of his fanbase, myself including, can't get on board with it. 74 releases in, from seven distinct projects, and this weird trilogy of pop records from his solo work, no-man and Blackfield is disappointing. I hope it's all just a stutter.
Thanks you very much for this comment. Honestly it’s been boring and slightly empty af. I mean I can’t complain, I have food and shelter, but it’s just undesirable. I take every chance I get to go to a place that is remote and alone, because I can’t stand to stay in my house cooped up. Looking forward to the summer though. Overall just managing like everyone else I suppose. How about you?
@@JorgeGomez-hx5uu Definitely understandable! Yeah I feel the same, lockdown has been putting pressure on my mental health which is already not that great, just getting fresh air and working on music are my main vices at the moment, my situation isn’t the best but it could be worse! hopefully we can have a good summer soon and just make memories with friends again, i’m here for you man
"Worst" :( -Metonia -Signify - Sky Moves Sideways - On the Sunday of Life - Voyage 34 - Up the Downstair - Fear of a Blank Planet - Stupid Dream - Lightbulb Sun - Recordings - The Incident - In Absentia - Deadwing Best! :)
@@TheAlibabatree Hmm I think it was the first album to feel a little derivative. The lyrics never had the same poetry I had absorbed in In Absentia and Deadwing. FOABP was also the first release that came out after having discovered them and I was in the 11th grade and probably hopped up on expectation. I actually like watching it live on the Anesthetize dvd more than listening to the album.
@@ghostlightinthegreenroom Fair enough. Yeah, Wilson has never been a great lyricist imo (with exceptions) and Fear was a particular low point for him.
It seems really evident Anthony hasn’t heard (or just forgot about) Wilson’s other projects. He’s been using electronic sounds and themes in his music since the early 90’s; specifically with his first band no-man, that released an even more poppy record in 2019 called “Love You To Bits”, which basically sounds like David Sylvian singing over a 35 minute Giorgio Moroder track. I for on am enjoying the record a lot. It’s not that unexpected: he’s been VERY vocal about him loving Prince, ABBA, Bowie, Tears For Fears, etc. For example, “Self” is unmistakably “Let’s Dance”-era Bowie + “Sign O The Times”-era Prince. And if you don’t think this is SW’s logical musical step after “To The Bone”, you haven’t been paying attention. Cheers everyone. Be safe FFS.
I can see why you would "dislike" the raven if you just aren't into instrumental music, soloy stuff but then again, there are some very somber songs like drive home and the raven... songs of which i have never encountered another person disliking, prog head or not. Then there's HCE. Even proggier in some parts, more poppy in others, more electronic in others, now with a structure, a concept and a tight flow throughout the whole record. It's not boilerplate prog tropes. It's distinctly steven music with all the good (or bad) along with it. Half of the album is not even prog. I can't take that criticism seriously.
Steven Wilson's material grew on me over the years. At first I thought that Porcupine Tree was too predictable and incapable of delivering anything new to my ears. It just did not grab my attention. Fast forward to 2022 out of the blue, I sat down and listened to all of Steven's work on repeat. My perspective had shifted from an idiot that looked for whatever reason to jump to conclusions, to a more seasoned reasonably depressed chair loving cigarette eater which had learned to appreciate the collage and effort Steven Wilson had put into his music. To summarize the entire journey, I would say that I grew the fuck out of my misery and adopted someone else's trauma. It feels like that loose brick that was somehow hanging from the facade had finally decided to land hard on my face and now I'm proud to wear the scars for the consequences for not being bothered to fix it up. Anthony, you're going a little too hard on his work. It's going to hurt eventually :)
"...If you told me this was meant to be the soundtrack to a forthcoming musical - or theatre piece - from David Byrne that has, uh, some industrial vibes to it, I'd have to believe ya" That is weirdly, *fantastically* specific of you
i can't believe i had the chance of being able to view melon's first "not bad" in under one minute of it's release. this is literally history. and i was a part of it.
Melon i am in complete and utter shock. Not only do you not loathe a Steven Wilson release, you also dedicate a new format to it. Please ring me in advance next time, my heart can't handle this
The fact that this is on an album I had no expectations for, knew melon didn't like SW's solo stuff much and also had a really bad day, I spent 5 minutes laughing uncontrollably at the thumbnail before clicking on the vid.
Next in the nondescript canon: Pretty good Not sure Not a classic It's fine Nice try So worthless I will now frisbee the vinyl copy across the yard into a tree
I actually really hope fantano moves away from the whole numerical scores idea and sticks to the "not good" "not bad" and other titles style. I think the vaguer categorization and lack of "score" shifts the focus onto what he actually says in his reviews instead of whatever arbitrary number he slaps on at the end
Love some of Porcupine Tree but I can't help agreeing with you about Wilson's solo work - I actually tried hard to dig the solo stuff, but it never seemed on par with the better of Porcupine's output
![ลองสั่งของจากแอพ temu ถูกจริงหรอ?? ( part : 1/2 ) [โกงไหมครับ ep.89 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RTcZSQTiDZw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Steven Wilson - What's In My Bag? [Home Edition]](/img/n.gif)
HE DID THE THING
Hi checkmark guy
@@MyBeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy6 hi 6/10
@@dizzee6089 hi yeet man
I give this comment a not bad
@@joesephsmith8057 I give this name a “generic as fuck”
Put it in the history books.
weirdest crossover
This is actually hilarious because it's a weirdly useful descriptor lol
Let us celebrate: the first ever NOT BAD😌
🎉🎉🎉
Does anybody wanna buy some crack
YAAAYYY!
yeah
Hey, your name's like my name!
OF COURSE YOU WOULD ENJOY THIS. OF COURSE THIS WOULD BE THE ALBUM THAT YOU LIKE.
This but unironic lol
At least we all agree it's better than To The Bone
@@jooree7696 1000% agree. I was really ready for this one to be the record to made me finally let go of Steven, but damn boy it's not bad!
@@jooree7696 we don't all agree. Not a fan of To The Bone but it has its moments, this is...... this one is boring.
@@0909shaggy
To the Bone is not bad. Wilson is one of those artists that i like every album he's made, but for me Steven works better in cold and sad atmospheres. TTB is danceable and pop, and while it is good is not nearly as immersive as Future Bites.
This is a historic moment in the Fantano-verse
Cardi B> Guns n roses
TNDCU
world *
Can someone enlighten me on why Not Bad is a big deal?
LETS GOOO
At this point, Kendrick’s album will be a “really not bad”
I don’t get it
@@55jemmz5 Kendrick has hinted towards doing a sort of rock-rap album and a lot of people dont fw with that concept so I guess the joke is it will be "not bad" as a lot of people won't mess with the concept that much but its kendrick lamar so itll probably be alright
@@its_drez rock rap was huge af in like the 90s and early 2000s. Hell, rage against the machine is still one of the most popular bands ever so idk why people see that as a bad idea, unless it's because he's Kendrick and have no idea how he'll make that transition
@@its_drez
the people who don't like that idea, have they listen to Rage Again The Machine?
@@ColombianThunder yeah dont get me wrong rock rap was huge back in the day and Im personally a fan of bands like limp bizkit and RATM it's just that throughout the 2010s rock rap has gained a lot of stigma because it just ain't as good as it was back then, also I might have misspoken, the album is apparently going to be "rock-influenced," not straight rock rap and I remember a lot of people werent messing with that idea as kendricks albums have always taken more taken more elements of soul and jazz so a lot of people think that straight rock sounds wouldnt mesh well with kendricks sound is what I'm thinking
Imagine how the dude who suggested "Not Bad" must feel right now.
Ikr
probably feels not bad
Anyone still remember which video it was from?
@@Ryank2150 ikr
@@Bobby_LSerunai the let’s argue of Kendrick not releasing this year
i'm guessing that a NOT BAD means that despite all the negative circumstances, the album turned out to be surprisingly good. i like this rating. it's not bad.
I think he’ll give it to the new Foo Fighters too. Bad singles, great album.
not exactly good but rather decent, if I were to interpret it numerically it's like a weird limbo between strong 5 and light 6
Really. This album surprised me how good it sounded as an album when it came out, and I'm happy TFB is getting this rating if it means the way you put it.
@@lnlonelyness6021 Like how your average "NOT GOOD" would be a 3 or 4 if it got a full review.
This not bad category, it's not bad *confetti noise*
LET’S ARGUE: anthony needs a green flannel for the NOT BAD series
Omg yesssssss!!!
That would mess with the green screen though
Nah he needs a steve jobs black turtle neck
This idea? It's not bad.
Lets agree*
NOT GOOD - An album that confirms negative expectations
NOT BAD - An album that exceeds negative expectations
Isn't NO GOOD is the second worst score after 0/10? If so, Not Bad should be the second best after 10/10. However I feel like it's more a 6/10
Melon with red lipstick on: “all I have... are negative expectations”
@@nighttime4272 Not good is not a score, its anywhere under a 5
Usually Not Good is given to albums that are just obviously bad and don't really require an explanation while something like a 0 is terrible but theres more about it to analyze.
@@nighttime4272 I'd expect Fantano to give TFB a decent to strong 6 if he was gonna give a more standard review. So I guess it checks out.
Well, judging from what he's saying about the album. For all I know, it could be closer to a 5/10.
I see a Not Bad as a 5 or below that Melon enjoys or appreciates in spite of himself
Oh my god I never would have expected that the joke would become real.
Lol can someone explain what the joke is? Idek what "Not Bad" is supposed to represent
@@ahmedrizk1223 something he expected to be bad but is actually mid tier
@@ahmedrizk1223 Normally, if an artist who fantano had high expectations for releases a terrible project, or if the project is just too bad for a numbered rating, he’ll give it a NOT GOOD rating. Some started to joke that he might give a NOT BAD rating to an artist he had low expectations for, and now he has.
@@shogan3243 ok ty!
@@cbrad_edits ok ty!
Wilson got tired of doing "Life sucks and I'm dying inside" so he switched over to "Life sucks so let's fucking party."
Talk about character development. Next thing you know, Steven makes an album about life being kinda' ok. Wouldn't that be a twist!
@@bruh-hl3er Considering what he's said against starting a family as an artist, and now he's married and raising a kid, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes down that path.
@@ThisNameIsVeryClever I hope he does. As much as I enjoy his "darker" music, I'm really glad to see him (at least seemingly) become a happier person.
@@bruh-hl3er Same, I remember seeing an interview from the raven album talking about how the loss of his father left him without much close family. I'm happy to see that he's doing better and found people to be around.
Wilson has always been kind of "Life sucks so let's fucking party while dying inside."
holy shit he actually made this a series
Not yet
@@ShowtimeAtWaco this series... it's NOT YET
This is history, people. We're living the first NOT BAD of all time.
This new series will be the closet thing NAV gets to a 10
HELP!!! Everybody at my school cyberbullies me because they say my videos are extremely BAD!!! Please help me, dear step
@@AxxLAfriku good
@@AxxLAfriku good
good
@@AxxLAfriku good
OF COURSE *YYOOUU* WOULD ENJOY THIS. OF COURSE THIS WOULD BE THE ALBUM YOU’D LIKE.
Read this as soon as he said it lmao
S P O O N
@@chrilborn4138 same
@@MyBeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy6 T R A N S F E R E N C E
@@logan4x6 M O D E S T M O U S E
HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT WHERE WE’RE GETTING “NOT BAD” REVIEWS
Shawn cee started it with his emergency tsunami review
He has a fanbase, so....you have to listen to what they have to say or you will probably fall into oblivion.
Simple, music industry has nothing too offer but "not bad" albums.
Patreon let's argue people from Twitter have gave him that idea
Abstract
Fantano actually liked Steven Wilson's album
The world is officially ending
finally, I can listen to Steven Wilson without cognitive dissonance, thanks Anthony!
I don't think calling something "tolerable" is the same thing as "liking" it.
@@bruh-hl3er I know this is a joke but it’s sad a lot of people feel that way. I guess Wilson’s lyrics are stupid and derivative but I suck ass with nuance so I like when someone just hits you in the face with lyrics.
Nice profile pic. Thomas Ruff was it?
I thought Melon would've reserved the NOT BAD score for Corey Feldman
weeeeeee were together weeeeeeeee wanted change
that would require corey feldman's music to not be bad
to me, what's more surprising than the NOT BAD thing being real is that Anthony actually doesn't hate a Steven Wilson album, who would've thought?
Or any progressive rock/metal release from the last decade for that matter.
That was my takeaway from this.
@@Richerodt
Fantano doesn’t like anything with emotional brevity unless it’s a mumbly shoe gazer millennial picking their thrift store bought acoustic guitar and lamenting about how their favorite bath towel got lost with a check in bag on a flight they took from New York to Austin.
But the new Steven Wilson record skips the emotional brevity in favor of a good beat that you can dance to, and since Wilson’s not a shoe gazer millennial, he’s staying in his lane by Fantano’s standards.
@@timothygregor9828 this need to be framed. it's so funny yet so true
"Who'd have thunk" Anthony Fantano on that one Macklemore vid
2016: NOT GOOD
2021: NOT BAD
2026: QUITE PERFECT
nah, in 2026 we'll get "NOT REAL" for when he reviews albums that are made up
@@fauster2850 yo when he reviews a leaked album
NOT OK -- for when an album is so offensive and reprehensible that it doesn't even deserve a review
NOT MAYBE ALRIGHT
I think "Not Bad" is a great idea. Rather than discussing the reasons why an album is less than a 10, you get to spend all your time explaining how the album excels.
For albums he went into with sub-par expectations, it's a really good format
You granted him immortality, thanks melon
The AFCU (Anthony Fantano Cinematic Universe) continues to expand
It’s actually the MCU (Melon Cinematic Universe)
@@ianakamrsilly123 best comment
To the guy who suggested this series, I'm proud of you.
there was an earlier person who suggested a series called "NOT BAD" in a Let's Argue, but it was a different idea and Anthony obviously forgot about it by the more recent one, lol.
I've witnessed history here ladies and gents
based pfp
Let's agree: melon's first "not bad" is as important as his 10/10 reviews
WHAT
Anthony, Hand Cannot Erase and Raven are among my favorite albums of all time, and while I see your point that they are flirting a lot with prog from the 70s, I really think they have some really humane emotional depth in them, and they also sound pretty modern to me. Both of the albums are very emotional experiences for me. It's certainly not just some entry level rock or prog. I mean, I listen to a lot of really obscure stuff from those genres as well but I still regard these two albums as timeless masterpieces. They are maybe not that groundbraking but they are just unbelievably beautiful, moving and soulful albums with some truly amazing composing work with lengthy and complex pieces still retaining their sense of movement and power, as well as amazing production work.
I haven't heard "Hand Cannot Erase" yet but I totally agree with you about "Raven" which is a brilliant album, deliberately and openly inspired by '70s prog but taking it to a whole new level, and the guitar solos are glorious!
HOLY SHIT WE’RE STARTING THIS SERIES HOLY FUCK I CANT BELIEVE IT
OMGZ!!!!!
Your review for _The Raven that Refused to Sing_ remains my least favorite review of yours, but I appreciate this new type of score and your willingness to give Wilson another try
This new format? It's not bad.
OF COURSE YOU WOULD ENJOY THIS. OF COURSE THIS WOULD BE THE ALBUM THAT YOU'D LIKE
Vocês por aqui! Muito bom o vídeo de vocês sobre o SW!!! Um abraço!
ah não tavos não creiokkkkkkkkkkkkkk
“Someone already said this!”
Fantano certíssimo sobre Steven Wilson, como sempre kkkkkk
Born too late to explore the world
Born too early to explore the universe
Born just in time to experience the birth of NOT BAD
As a big SW fan, I was actually quite impressed with this album. Prog jackoffs might be disappointed by the more straight forward / electronic direction, but the album is great for what it is.
Old comment but I 100% agree. A composition can be complex or nuanced without sounding like rush or pink floyd. This album also has the best sounding production of anything SW has done.
I've been going back to it recently and it really is neat. I like the empty, psychological vibe it gives off.
Same.... The more he wanders in this direction, the more I like him.
"King Ghost" absolutely fucking rules.
agreed, the synths on that song are so gorgeous!
eh
Yeah the synths are amazing. I love imminent sleaze.
I'll still never understand how he dislikes hand cannot erase but whatever WE DID IT BOYS
Or Porcupine tree in general?? One of my favourite modern prog bands
HCE is one of my favourite albums of all time. I don’t get how anyone can dislike that album lol
Different strokes for different folks at the end of the day.
@@iDarby sometimes I think he's just hating for the sake of hating tbh, like his reviews on Raven and HCE are just laughable and almost objectively wrong
Edit: typos
Steven is occasionally genius. I have to give him that. But yeah there’s just a little something missing for me with a lot of his music. The Raven is a sick album though. Fantano is on crack with that take.
I agree on the thing that's missing. Its just....not quite there
I don't get how that album sounds "sterile" or derivative of older prog rock. It's not anymore derivative than anything else in the same genre as some other thing. How does something like "Luminol" sound like any old prog rock song? What does older prog even sound like? Yes and Gentle Giant are nothing alike. Is the album derivative because it does the flashy playing and it has a mellotron on a couple of parts? That's such superficial criticism.
I loved that album first listen bit it actually got worse for me over time
@@Ignore14 Other way around for me. Found Raven boring and uneventful at first, but then loved it by the 3rd listen and it peaked around 10th listen.
Steven Wilson getting a "Not Bad" is a win in my book from Melon. Ladies and gentlemen......we got him! *fireworks*
[opens champagne] 🍾
I guess I can understand why his older stuff can sound derivative but dang I just love To The Bone so fricken much.
Let's Argue: the only reason this album is NOT BAD is because it has a red paperclip at the top of its cover
It's not on the cover. Fantano Has that as default on all his album reviews.
@@soundofominous4646 really? Ok, that makes sense now. He uses it to hold a printed album cover.
@@wojteksocha2002 I think it’s a green screen actually
@@wojteksocha2002 He's been doing that for half a decade now. Well... Better late than never.
@@GeometryDashpkat39channel the only green thing in this video is the "NOT BAD" text, not the screen…
As a Steven Wilson fan I also agree that alot of Prog fans really scream about anything that Steven releases that has a hint of pop in it. Guess it's prog rock elitism?
This changes everything Ant Tony, how am I supposed to attribute a number to this?
I get the feeling that in the future we are going to look back on this record and realize that the future does indeed bite.
Does this mean Steven Wilson can’t die now or what?
He’s dogged every Steven Wilson album yet loves this one..
Okay..
This was NOT the album I was expecting to start this segment with
As a Wilson fan, and someone who doesn't enjoy this new record... there was always a subtlety to what he did, both in Porcupine Tree and in every project, most notably Bass Communion and Storm Corrosion, that listeners of prog couldn't get enough of. A texture or an idea that made you stop what you're doing and really listen, as the mood of the song or atmosphere totally changed (a good example with his solo work is the Watchmaker, which moves through melancholy and rage before settling on this sinister tone as revenge is carried out by the wife in the story). Those textures are entirely removed from this new project, and while I'm not denying the music is produced very well and sounds bang on for what he was aiming for, it doesn't carry atmosphere nearly as well as his earlier records. There's never a moment where you think 'wait, what the fuck is going on right now?' when a new concept is dropped like a lead weight into the mix. It might be labelled as progressive pop by a great many reviewers, but in that need to recreate the sound of his favourite 80's records, Wilson has created an album that looks back instead of forward, and that's the big reason why some of his fanbase, myself including, can't get on board with it. 74 releases in, from seven distinct projects, and this weird trilogy of pop records from his solo work, no-man and Blackfield is disappointing. I hope it's all just a stutter.
In all seriousness though, how is everyone? Life through the pandemic is tough, wishing you guys nothing but health and happiness.
Thanks you very much for this comment. Honestly it’s been boring and slightly empty af. I mean I can’t complain, I have food and shelter, but it’s just undesirable. I take every chance I get to go to a place that is remote and alone, because I can’t stand to stay in my house cooped up. Looking forward to the summer though. Overall just managing like everyone else I suppose. How about you?
@@JorgeGomez-hx5uu Definitely understandable! Yeah I feel the same, lockdown has been putting pressure on my mental health which is already not that great, just getting fresh air and working on music are my main vices at the moment, my situation isn’t the best but it could be worse! hopefully we can have a good summer soon and just make memories with friends again, i’m here for you man
@@yearnpill thanks
@@JorgeGomez-hx5uu Np dude, anytime!
It's not bad
the black, white, red color scheme in this video is perfect
The mad lad actually did it
What a strange time we are living in.
I'm curious to hear what Fantano thinks about No-Man
This feels so weird...
This is like a 8 minute long backhanded compliment, I love it.
I’m predicting it. Corey Feldman gets a “NOT BAD” this year
the guy from let’s argue who requested this is probably freaking out
Wow, a Steven Wilson record he doesn't hate 👏
Oh, I don’t know if the world’s ready for this one.
Thom Yorkee
Who’s in a bunker who is in a bunker who’s in a bunker who’s in a bunker who’s in a bunker is in a bucket was in a buckaroos in a bunker
lets get a porcupine tree: worst to best
"Worst" :(
-Metonia
-Signify
- Sky Moves Sideways
- On the Sunday of Life
- Voyage 34
- Up the Downstair
- Fear of a Blank Planet
- Stupid Dream
- Lightbulb Sun
- Recordings
- The Incident
- In Absentia
- Deadwing
Best! :)
@@ghostlightinthegreenroom stunned honestly
@@ghostlightinthegreenroom Pretty solid. Deadwing is my favorite as well. I think Fear is damn good too though. Why so low on your list?
@@TheAlibabatree Hmm I think it was the first album to feel a little derivative. The lyrics never had the same poetry I had absorbed in In Absentia and Deadwing. FOABP was also the first release that came out after having discovered them and I was in the 11th grade and probably hopped up on expectation. I actually like watching it live on the Anesthetize dvd more than listening to the album.
@@ghostlightinthegreenroom Fair enough. Yeah, Wilson has never been a great lyricist imo (with exceptions) and Fear was a particular low point for him.
It seems really evident Anthony hasn’t heard (or just forgot about) Wilson’s other projects. He’s been using electronic sounds and themes in his music since the early 90’s; specifically with his first band no-man, that released an even more poppy record in 2019 called “Love You To Bits”, which basically sounds like David Sylvian singing over a 35 minute Giorgio Moroder track. I for on am enjoying the record a lot. It’s not that unexpected: he’s been VERY vocal about him loving Prince, ABBA, Bowie, Tears For Fears, etc. For example, “Self” is unmistakably “Let’s Dance”-era Bowie + “Sign O The Times”-era Prince.
And if you don’t think this is SW’s logical musical step after “To The Bone”, you haven’t been paying attention.
Cheers everyone. Be safe FFS.
As a massive Steven Wilson fan, I consider this a win. 👍
So glad that a let's argue video made a whole new category of reviews
@@moriahmars1462 I don't remember but it was suggested i one of the last let's argue last year if I remember correctly.
Of course you would enjoy this. Of course this would be the album you like.
This is unironically true
Oh shit, not bad is actually a thing now...
I can see why you would "dislike" the raven if you just aren't into instrumental music, soloy stuff but then again, there are some very somber songs like drive home and the raven... songs of which i have never encountered another person disliking, prog head or not. Then there's HCE. Even proggier in some parts, more poppy in others, more electronic in others, now with a structure, a concept and a tight flow throughout the whole record. It's not boilerplate prog tropes. It's distinctly steven music with all the good (or bad) along with it. Half of the album is not even prog. I can't take that criticism seriously.
First “ NOT BAD " this is history!!!
If "not good" worse than a zero, is "not bad" is better than a 10? 🤔
I don't even like music I just come to read the comments and the bald guy provides white noise.
A Steven Wilson and Thom Yorke collab would be insane
The sudden explosion at the very last second got me lmao
01:58 I'm a hardcore fan and I love it. Take that, melon.
Steven Wilson's material grew on me over the years. At first I thought that Porcupine Tree was too predictable and incapable of delivering anything new to my ears. It just did not grab my attention.
Fast forward to 2022 out of the blue, I sat down and listened to all of Steven's work on repeat. My perspective had shifted from an idiot that looked for whatever reason to jump to conclusions, to a more seasoned reasonably depressed chair loving cigarette eater which had learned to appreciate the collage and effort Steven Wilson had put into his music.
To summarize the entire journey, I would say that I grew the fuck out of my misery and adopted someone else's trauma. It feels like that loose brick that was somehow hanging from the facade had finally decided to land hard on my face and now I'm proud to wear the scars for the consequences for not being bothered to fix it up.
Anthony, you're going a little too hard on his work. It's going to hurt eventually :)
Not bad:
"It's a fucking masterpiece that I'm ashamed to admit".
If I hear that stock kids cheering sound effect again I’m going to do something illegal
"...If you told me this was meant to be the soundtrack to a forthcoming musical - or theatre piece - from David Byrne that has, uh, some industrial vibes to it, I'd have to believe ya"
That is weirdly, *fantastically* specific of you
I like to drink every time you reference LCD soundsystem, now I'm late for my meeting
i can't believe i had the chance of being able to view melon's first "not bad" in under one minute of it's release. this is literally history. and i was a part of it.
Having listened to a lot of Wilson and watched a lot of Fantano...this really makes sense as his first NOT BAD
it is now only a matter of time until Nav gets a NOT BAD
vaN
Melon i am in complete and utter shock. Not only do you not loathe a Steven Wilson release, you also dedicate a new format to it. Please ring me in advance next time, my heart can't handle this
The fact that this is on an album I had no expectations for, knew melon didn't like SW's solo stuff much and also had a really bad day, I spent 5 minutes laughing uncontrollably at the thumbnail before clicking on the vid.
Imagine steven wilson waiting for a score from Anthony and getting hit by a NOT BAD
Everybody talking about Anthony doing the thing. I'm more surprised he liked the album at all, considering he's never liked his work.
Next in the nondescript canon:
Pretty good
Not sure
Not a classic
It's fine
Nice try
So worthless I will now frisbee the vinyl copy across the yard into a tree
inb4 "LET'S ARGUE: An NOT BAD is better than a 10"
“i don’t care for hand cannot erase” broooooooo
I dont know what to say
it was pretty boring
How can a man not enjoy routine smh
@@oro88 what tracks would you call filler?
@@oro88 elaborate
It's definitely a mandela effect moment for me bc I remember seeing a thumbnail from fantano from like early 2015 that said "albums that are NOT BAD"
I actually really hope fantano moves away from the whole numerical scores idea and sticks to the "not good" "not bad" and other titles style. I think the vaguer categorization and lack of "score" shifts the focus onto what he actually says in his reviews instead of whatever arbitrary number he slaps on at the end
The raven was supposed to be a love letter to retro prog rock! 🤦♂️
i prayed for this to be a series, thank GOD aka melon
Your "Personal Shopper" review was on point. It absolutely sounds like Thom Yorke / Ghost.
Do a Fear of the blank planet classic review you coward
He hates that album. Not sure how that's a more pretentious take on digital reality than this one lol
@@gerontion1011 when did he say he hates it? How can you hate an album with anesthetize on it, stupid melon
love that you've added the NOT BAD series. Adds something refreshing to the channel and has roped me back in!
Blue Plaid Shirt Fantano vs. “Not Bad” Fantano
Who would win
Steve Wilson
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SERIES
Love some of Porcupine Tree but I can't help agreeing with you about Wilson's solo work - I actually tried hard to dig the solo stuff, but it never seemed on par with the better of Porcupine's output
The birth of a new era
We want a number, Melon.
‘Not Bad’ isn’t a number, Melon.
Give us a number, Melon.
Grace for Drowning is a super underrated album of his