This is another "Steven Wilson" grower type of songs and the entire album, at least for me... This could be the most Creative and Diverse "Steven Wilson" album ever that he made? The flow of this album is really excellent not being a concept album... ✌
Held off getting this but man I'm glad I did. After first playing (headphones) I immediately played again. I have a feeling that one day this will get the proper credit it deserves. I love albums that get better each time. Fabulous sounds. cheers Scot.
Great review Scot! Impossible Tightrope & The Harmony Codex are by far my favourite tracks (I felt the same as you about the latter straight away), both are so mind blowing & immersive in their own ways🤘🤘
Love your breakdown of the scales man !!! Wow dude , been listening to this all week , excellent album all in all. Of course Impossible tightrope is superb , the title track also.... but theres a lot to enjoy here , Radiohead comparisons at times. Thanks Scot , great review !! 😍
Great video. And great album. First bought it on CD due to his last album but went back and bought the black vinyl version to experience it even better 👍
Thanks a lot for the in depth review on the new album by Steve Wilson. I also like it as a whole although the former masterpieces have set up a very high expectation level on any new record by him. Obviously he is on this journey he is always talking about. I am going to follow him.
I got into Steven Wilson via Nick Beggs playing Personal Shopper on a video. I was way late to it but got back into prog and discovered a whole world beyond Yes, Floyd, Rush, etc. No matter what direction he goes, the songs are always well written and extremely listenable. Great review!
"Covering a whole bunch of sonic real estate" pretty much sums up Steven Wilson in a nutshell. Top notch work Scot! Great review. The album definitely needs multiple listens to fully appreciate it.
Will definitely give this album a listen. Side note: My preference for an actual drummer as opposed to electronic percussion cannot be emphasized enough.
Very good review. I did not purchase Future Bites either and I have listened to only samples of it. Really should give it more of a chance. I thought it would be the same for Harmony Codex. But I decided to stream it through headphones while working. Was not sure I liked it at all at first but by the time I had reached the end of the album I was finally recognizing the genius of it and ordered it on vinyl. Some of this album is very moving and even inspiring. The depth of what is being presented it not immediately obvious. I now know that it will unfold more and more as I keep dropping the needle and soaking in the sound scapes.
Great review Scot. I’m not ready with mine just yet. I’m kinda stuck on the title track and Beautiful Scarecrow. I did an immediate reaction to the title track as it’s just amazing and addictive. I just keep playing that track. Simply mesmerising. What you have done with this review though is to produce a top class professional assessment of the work that is so detailed and accurate. I’m not sure I will do one as I don’t think I will do it justice. Yours gets 6 headphones. Take care man! Dave✅✅
Ha! What a coincidence, I just gave it a first listen a couple of hours ago! Obviously way too early to hand a judgement. I am somexcited to see if (or not) it will grow on me, but I have a good feeling.
Thanks for the detailed explanation of the title song. You had my review on the Sunday Stream show and I nominated Harmony Codex (the song) as the main disappointment (not the worst) in that I loved the structure of the track but I felt that it needed something completely unexpected to happen to take it to the next dimension. The spoken word section was OK but not exceptional but what would I have given for some thrash guitar or Uilleann pipes or electronic beats in 11/8 to have livened it up? A lost opportunity. Maybe a remix by Astralasia or Youth or Amorphous Androgynous is what it needs.
This needs to be heard in Dolby Atmos!!! Particularly the title track. Great review - I appreciate the musician perspective. I do believe one must also be a musician to appreciate SW properly.
Hey Scot! Someone on the Sunday Livestream said that people seem to treat SW like a god. I never have and probably never will. Anyone will sound good when they surround themselves with excellent musicians. This seems to be what SW does. Smart? Absolutely! Great review as always Scot. Peace brother. ✌️☮️😎
Omg the Harmony Codex hit me like Awaken by Yes, yup realized the circle was happening and the parts inside the changes create the magic, it is an amazing piece of music!!!!
My Harmony Codex LP and CD arrive tomorrow. Looking back, I thought The Future Bites was really good. Many people unfairly liked to shit on that album.
Hey Scot..Loved your thoughts..I am loving the album...Glad to hear you give props to Ninet..She is one of the best around…Definitely a step up from To The Bone and Future Bites..Man is Cameron killing it on Big Brother!! ❤❤❤Glen
The circle of fifths cycle on the title track really fits the "Harmony Codex" short story in his book (which involves a kind of infinite loop). I'm thrilled with this new album; sounds like him but isn't really like any previous album.
Great review Scot. Strangely enough I was listening to sides 3 and 4 (my favourites) this evening. I like the album but it is not, after listening to the album 4 or 5 times, my favourite Steven Wilson album. Hey Ho, horses for courses...
Great review, I'm in agreement, it's been growing on me fast. In Actual Brutal Facts in the narration you could fit 'I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me, to see me lookin' back at you' from Massive Attack's Safe From Harm.
Or from Broadsword and the Beast which SW just remastered. “Watching me, watching you” Ian Anderson wrote it after a long stare between him and a stranger on a train.
I was fortunate to get the Deluxe Edition before they sold out. Steven Wilson throws another twist at us. Overall, it is an amazing album. Thank you for sharing. Cheers👍👍👏🎵
I was late in pre-ordering, didn't get the boxset, so just bought all the other products, but I still hope they can make more copies of the boxset, the resell price of it is somehow ridiculous. BTW my friend, have you already experienced the exclusive content in the deluxe edtion? I'm very curious about the hardback book and those tracks in disc 2.
Actually, I have not even broken the cellophane off of the deluxe edition. I have all Steven Wilson's box sets except for Insurgents, and I have not opened any of them.
@@TheProgCornerVery Open Your Eyes-ish (or at least that's the first thing I thought of). But yeah the full on honkytonk country bluegrass is very unlike Trevor yet he still pulls it off!!! and Egoli is very reminiscent of saving my heart (Union). Infact I think each track on RIO has a similarity of some kind to something Yes did before, with or without Trevor. All in all my hype paid off.
Hi great review!! I want to be honest this is a "so so" album from Steven. He is amazing live. I'm sure being live and listening the whole album it will be an amazing experience but isn't a great album though. Ninet is not my WOW but she works well on Steven's songs The Raven.. Hand Cannot.. and To the Bone are a better ones. Well for me those albums are hard to Top them.
Great review but I really don't like this album at all. Only two songs I like are Inclination and Impossible tightrope, rest is just not for me. If I had to rate this album I would give it 2 stars. Definitely better then the last one, but still not good at all (of course for me 👍). Cheers my friend.
great review!..very detailed..I agree without a lot of your comments. I really like To the Bone unlike many. Staircase is my favorite track. The drummer is amazing on that 1!
Dude, you said it was his 6th album at 26 seconds and then said its his 7th album at 41 seconds, what kinda drugs are you on boss ??🤣😂🤣😂 It is his 7th though ...
The repetitive nature in the rhythm section of some of these songs just puts me off. Songs like Inclination, Beautiful Scarecrow, Time is Running Out, and Actual Brutal Facts drone on and on and just do nothing for my music appreciation. The Style is outside of my wheelhouse too! I hate Economies of Scale which sounds like it comes from The Future Bites which I didn't like at all and didn't buy. The title track, The Harmony Codex, is junk of the highest degree. This sounds like it belongs on the Storm Corrosion album, which I didn't like at all, and consider that entire album to be junk. Now for the positive. I love Impossible Tightrope, and I really like What Life Brings, Rock Bottom, and Staircase. The production of this disc is fantastic...not surprising from SW. I will not be getting this disc for the 4 songs that I like. Put this album together with The Future Bites and it is obvious that Steven Wilson is going off in a new direction that I don't care for. I will check out future releases, but SW used to be an auto-buy...no longer.
If you don't feel the emotion in SW's music you must be dead inside. He is one of the most expressive and passionate musicians around today. His notes are totally emotional. But tastes are tastes I understand...well...actually I don't lol.
What Life Brings, Economies of Scale, Impossible Tightrope, Time is Running Out, and Staircase are very good. The rest needs to be thrown in the dumpster.
This is another "Steven Wilson" grower type of songs and the entire album, at least for me...
This could be the most Creative and Diverse "Steven Wilson" album ever that he made?
The flow of this album is really excellent not being a concept album...
✌
Couldn’t agree with you more!!!
Damn I love your energy man! Your enthusiasm is contagious 😃🤘
Thank you.
Your conclusion is full of wisdom.
Peace in the Middle East.
Thank you!!!!
Steven will love your analysis. "Finally, someone gets me!" =)
Glad to see you liked the title track so much. A very good album overall, and yes, most similar to the first two, especially Grace For Drowning.
Definitely. I love Grace so maybe that explains my positive reaction to this one!!!
I first heard it on an edible with eyes closed in a cool dark room. It is now my favorite song.
Held off getting this but man I'm glad I did. After first playing (headphones) I immediately played again. I have a feeling that one day this will get the proper credit it deserves. I love albums that get better each time. Fabulous sounds. cheers Scot.
I’m with you!!!!
Great review Scot! Impossible Tightrope & The Harmony Codex are by far my favourite tracks (I felt the same as you about the latter straight away), both are so mind blowing & immersive in their own ways🤘🤘
Incredible stuff.
Love your breakdown of the scales man !!! Wow dude , been listening to this all week , excellent album all in all. Of course Impossible tightrope is superb , the title track also.... but theres a lot to enjoy here , Radiohead comparisons at times. Thanks Scot , great review !! 😍
I’m pleasantly surprised by this one!!!
Thanks Scot for the new review of the new album by Steven Wilson.I have to check it out.
I really like it!!!
@@TheProgCornerThank you Scot.I will buy this album.Take care Scot I always enjoy your show it's great.✌
@danielfuentes3226 Thank you!!!!
Great video. And great album. First bought it on CD due to his last album but went back and bought the black vinyl version to experience it even better 👍
I’m going to have to do the same!!!!
Thanks a lot for the in depth review on the new album by Steve Wilson. I also like it as a whole although the former masterpieces have set up a very high expectation level on any new record by him. Obviously he is on this journey he is always talking about. I am going to follow him.
Me too!!!! Why not???
I got into Steven Wilson via Nick Beggs playing Personal Shopper on a video. I was way late to it but got back into prog and discovered a whole world beyond Yes, Floyd, Rush, etc. No matter what direction he goes, the songs are always well written and extremely listenable. Great review!
Nick Beggs is the man!!!
Great take -- love this album. Right on Scot!
Thank you!!!
"Covering a whole bunch of sonic real estate" pretty much sums up Steven Wilson in a nutshell. Top notch work Scot! Great review. The album definitely needs multiple listens to fully appreciate it.
That is for sure!!!
Will definitely give this album a listen. Side note: My preference for an actual drummer as opposed to electronic percussion cannot be emphasized enough.
There are both present here!!!
@@TheProgCorner duly noted. I'm an "old school" 60 year old who prefers his musicians write and sing actual lyrics and play actual instruments.
I like tech but keep it in its place. SW does a nice job of walking the tightrope!!!
Very good review. I did not purchase Future Bites either and I have listened to only samples of it. Really should give it more of a chance. I thought it would be the same for Harmony Codex. But I decided to stream it through headphones while working. Was not sure I liked it at all at first but by the time I had reached the end of the album I was finally recognizing the genius of it and ordered it on vinyl. Some of this album is very moving and even inspiring. The depth of what is being presented it not immediately obvious. I now know that it will unfold more and more as I keep dropping the needle and soaking in the sound scapes.
It’s definitely a grower. I know a record is good when I keep listening to it AFTER I’ve done my review…
In a day's of hate for people and justified death is horrible, is really important to say it for both side !!!
Indeed. We need to walk in others shoes…
Great review Scot. I’m not ready with mine just yet. I’m kinda stuck on the title track and Beautiful Scarecrow. I did an immediate reaction to the title track as it’s just amazing and addictive. I just keep playing that track. Simply mesmerising. What you have done with this review though is to produce a top class professional assessment of the work that is so detailed and accurate.
I’m not sure I will do one as I don’t think I will do it justice. Yours gets 6 headphones. Take care man! Dave✅✅
Ah!!! You are way too kind!!!!!
Ha! What a coincidence, I just gave it a first listen a couple of hours ago! Obviously way too early to hand a judgement. I am somexcited to see if (or not) it will grow on me, but I have a good feeling.
I can’t put it away. The CD player in my car refuses to give it up!!! So good.
Thanks for the detailed explanation of the title song. You had my review on the Sunday Stream show and I nominated Harmony Codex (the song) as the main disappointment (not the worst) in that I loved the structure of the track but I felt that it needed something completely unexpected to happen to take it to the next dimension. The spoken word section was OK but not exceptional but what would I have given for some thrash guitar or Uilleann pipes or electronic beats in 11/8 to have livened it up? A lost opportunity. Maybe a remix by Astralasia or Youth or Amorphous Androgynous is what it needs.
Amorphous Androgynous!!!!!
This needs to be heard in Dolby Atmos!!! Particularly the title track.
Great review - I appreciate the musician perspective. I do believe one must also be a musician to appreciate SW properly.
I think it helps.
Really liking this album. The four track sequence in the middle from Tightrope to Codex is superb. Certainly his best since Hand cannot Erase.
Absolutely!!!!
Hey Scot! Someone on the Sunday Livestream said that people seem to treat SW like a god. I never have and probably never will. Anyone will sound good when they surround themselves with excellent musicians. This seems to be what SW does. Smart? Absolutely! Great review as always Scot. Peace brother. ✌️☮️😎
I worship no man!!!!
Thanks for the review including enough info for me to know, as I suspected, that this one is not for me.
It’s a different beast.
Omg the Harmony Codex hit me like Awaken by Yes, yup realized the circle was happening and the parts inside the changes create the magic, it is an amazing piece of music!!!!
Musicians just hear stuff differently!!! We hear it all!!!!
Love this album.
Yes indeed!!!
This guy is hilarious! 😂And the album is certainly superb.
Thanks, Joni!!!
My Harmony Codex LP and CD arrive tomorrow. Looking back, I thought The Future Bites was really good. Many people unfairly liked to shit on that album.
They did and still do. It’s a good pop album. SW never claimed it was mega-Prog!!!
A fair and in depth review rite here, It's growing on me but it's sure messing with my mind.
I think that was SW’s intent!!!!
Hey Scot..Loved your thoughts..I am loving the album...Glad to hear you give props to Ninet..She is one of the best around…Definitely a step up from To The Bone and Future Bites..Man is Cameron killing it on Big Brother!! ❤❤❤Glen
I haven’t watched any BB yet this season. I will binge the entire season after the fact!!! Trying something new…
This album is a masterpiece. I love it.
It’s amazing!!!
The circle of fifths cycle on the title track really fits the "Harmony Codex" short story in his book (which involves a kind of infinite loop). I'm thrilled with this new album; sounds like him but isn't really like any previous album.
Exactly!!!!
From Harmony Korine to The Harmony Codex ❤
I was just pondering that!!!
Love your review Scot!
Thank you!!!
Wow, Scot! Did you look up the chord changes, or did you figure it out with your ears?
I never look stuff up because it’s always wrong!!!! That Music Theory major in college really paying off!!!!
Great review Scot. Strangely enough I was listening to sides 3 and 4 (my favourites) this evening.
I like the album but it is not, after listening to the album 4 or 5 times, my favourite Steven Wilson album. Hey Ho, horses for courses...
Not my favorite either but it’s pretty neat-o.
Maybe I missed it Scot, but have you reviewed Chronicles of Father Robin new ones?
Here it is:
th-cam.com/video/8SSGSpAXzvY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JU1Ndiq2_IDCmpsU
I'll have this on autoplay in the car for a while.
Me too!
Still digesting this one, but overall I quite like it. Nice turn after the last two that I was lukewarm about.
Exactly!!!!
Great review, I'm in agreement, it's been growing on me fast. In Actual Brutal Facts in the narration you could fit 'I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me, to see me lookin' back at you' from Massive Attack's Safe From Harm.
Definitely a Massive Attack influence!!!!
Or from Broadsword and the Beast which SW just remastered.
“Watching me, watching you”
Ian Anderson wrote it after a long stare between him and a stranger on a train.
The SW remaster has really made me rethink Broadsword.
I was fortunate to get the Deluxe Edition before they sold out. Steven Wilson throws another twist at us. Overall, it is an amazing album. Thank you for sharing. Cheers👍👍👏🎵
I’m really enjoying it!!!
I was late in pre-ordering, didn't get the boxset, so just bought all the other products, but I still hope they can make more copies of the boxset, the resell price of it is somehow ridiculous. BTW my friend, have you already experienced the exclusive content in the deluxe edtion? I'm very curious about the hardback book and those tracks in disc 2.
Actually, I have not even broken the cellophane off of the deluxe edition. I have all Steven Wilson's box sets except for Insurgents, and I have not opened any of them.
Wow you really are a big collector I can say, I've only got the box sets of HCE, TFB, C/C and In Absentia remastered@@styles8007
Insurgentes is the name of a street in México near the studio where he recorded some of the songs.
Ah! That makes sense!!!!
5:08 nop atleast for me it's more between Beautiful Scarecrow and Staircase but still an epic song
Okay!!!!👍
i kinda burnt myself out on Steven but maybe I shall give it a try. Thanks Scot.
It’s a very interesting record.
My favorite since Raven, gets better with every listen.
It does!!!!
Meat Beat Manifesto wow I never heard of that group until I found a load of their.stuff at goodwill and bought some.
I love them. And KDFDM. And Ministry.
What's your take on the band ELBOW. AND SPIRITUALIZE. BLACKFIELD FIRST THREE LPS
PRETTY GOOD.
I love Elbow!!!! And Spiritualized!!! Awesome stuff.
@@TheProgCorner me 3 be well brother
🤝
U Da Man
Li'l life update:
the highlights for me are Paradise, Goodbye and Egoli
Egoli slays!!!
When I was given the heads up that Goodbye would be country, I wasn't expecting THAT sound for the verses 😂😂 that one seems to be my favorite 😊
I wasn’t expecting that chorus!!!
@@TheProgCornerVery Open Your Eyes-ish (or at least that's the first thing I thought of). But yeah the full on honkytonk country bluegrass is very unlike Trevor yet he still pulls it off!!! and Egoli is very reminiscent of saving my heart (Union). Infact I think each track on RIO has a similarity of some kind to something Yes did before, with or without Trevor. All in all my hype paid off.
Hi great review!! I want to be honest this is a "so so" album from Steven. He is amazing live. I'm sure being live and listening the whole album it will be an amazing experience but isn't a great album though. Ninet is not my WOW but she works well on Steven's songs The Raven.. Hand Cannot.. and To the Bone are a better ones. Well for me those albums are hard to Top them.
It’s hard to beat The Raven or HCE!!!
Good job there.....
Thank you!!!!!!
Great work as always Scot, so much attention to detail, your musical knowledge overflows in such reviews.
Cheers.
I enjoy kicking the tires.
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" as performed by The Carpenters?
Good call!!!
God Save the King and God Save Israel!✝
Yes sir!!!
f😂
God save us all.
Amen!@@TheProgCorner
Keep it to music
Great review but I really don't like this album at all. Only two songs I like are Inclination and Impossible tightrope, rest is just not for me. If I had to rate this album I would give it 2 stars. Definitely better then the last one, but still not good at all (of course for me 👍). Cheers my friend.
great review!..very detailed..I agree without a lot of your comments. I really like To the Bone unlike many.
Staircase is my favorite track. The drummer is amazing on that 1!
Craig Blundell, baby. Just wow!!!
Dude, you said it was his 6th album at 26 seconds and then said its his 7th album at 41 seconds, what kinda drugs are you on boss ??🤣😂🤣😂 It is his 7th though ...
I make a lot of mistakes.
Its his 6th. The Raven That Refused To Sing was Guthrie Govan's album! ;-)
Nice!!!!
@@dr.emilschaffhausen4683So much so that he (and Marco) left to continue the Aristocrats vs play to much bigger crowds as a hired gun lol😂
@@GMHG777 Sadly. I really liked the combo, but Steven remains the force behind the music anyway.
The repetitive nature in the rhythm section of some of these songs just puts me off. Songs like Inclination, Beautiful Scarecrow, Time is Running Out, and Actual Brutal Facts drone on and on and just do nothing for my music appreciation. The Style is outside of my wheelhouse too! I hate Economies of Scale which sounds like it comes from The Future Bites which I didn't like at all and didn't buy. The title track, The Harmony Codex, is junk of the highest degree. This sounds like it belongs on the Storm Corrosion album, which I didn't like at all, and consider that entire album to be junk. Now for the positive. I love Impossible Tightrope, and I really like What Life Brings, Rock Bottom, and Staircase. The production of this disc is fantastic...not surprising from SW. I will not be getting this disc for the 4 songs that I like. Put this album together with The Future Bites and it is obvious that Steven Wilson is going off in a new direction that I don't care for. I will check out future releases, but SW used to be an auto-buy...no longer.
Probably best to go on an album by album basis now!!!
Steven Wilson done by AI. It's average, boring, dirge of a record. Two solo duds in a row.
🥲
Music is not about being smart but about emotion and that lacks Wilson's music.
I need both.
If you don't feel the emotion in SW's music you must be dead inside. He is one of the most expressive and passionate musicians around today. His notes are totally emotional. But tastes are tastes I understand...well...actually I don't lol.
Yeah, I don’t get it. SW is awesome.
Routine, The Raven, Normal, Stars Die, Harmony Korine, Collapse The Light Into Earth...I could go on!
Absolutely!!!!
Super weak imo
Really? I actually liked it more than I thought I would…
@@TheProgCorner check my stuff out, Akerfeldt said i know how to play his stuff better than him :O
i'm totally ok with any musician releasing anything they want i just hate when people treat this record like it's an in absentia
@@TheProgCorner
Well, it’s not that!!!
Average album
It has grown on me quite a bit.
What Life Brings, Economies of Scale, Impossible Tightrope, Time is Running Out, and Staircase are very good. The rest needs to be thrown in the dumpster.
Impossible Tightrope is obviously the best song. Staircase is a close second. So we agree about many things.