Porcupine Tree Part 1: High Octane Live

I have always been a fan of live albums.  I think live albums are a good snapshot of a live performance and if you been to the show it's good to relive those wonderful memories of how awesome the show was.  As Robert Fripp said it best, "Your ears are your audio and your eyes are your video."  Nothing more describes that better then a two CD set with DVD of Porcupine Tree's Octane Twisted. Seeing them live to support an album called The Incident I can only imagine what they would do in performance.  The Incident is a concept storyteller type album.  It's an album that is a bit over fifty-six minutes long but it is one big long story.  It came out in 2010 to mixed reviews, but to me it was what Porcupine Tree is all about.  Their Progressive Rock roots are shining brightly

What is sad about Porcupine Tree is that The Incident would be their last studio album.  Two years later through relentless touring they put out a live album.  It was their first widely released live album called Octane Twisted.  I say widely released because if your a huge fan like I am then you would go on their website and see a peppering of odd live and unreleased music that you can get.  Some of this was also at the merchandise table at their shows.  I had a few of the albums sold at the shows and website, but I wanted a full version of The Incident.  After seeing the tour to support the album a handful of times I knew a live version would be an excellent audio memory of the past shows I saw.

I have seen Porcupine Tree about a dozen and half times and each show was more breathtaking then the previous.  All four people in the band are exceptional musicians.  They add a second guitar player in John Wesley and the bright, loud and impressive sound sounds much more clear.  Porcupine Tree has been on my radar since 1998.  I would hear them on a Progressive Rock type radio show and was in awe of their playing and homage to Progressive Rock music of the 70's.  It was amazing to hear current day musicians play with such excitement and vigor.

When The Incident came out I was super excited to get it.  I loved hearing the stories from my music friends that the new Porcupine Tree is one big song cut up into fourteen chapters or songs.  There would be no way bands would be able to copy that let alone think of the concept that Steven Wilson had in his head.  It made me think of all those albums made by Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rush and others would do side long songs with subdivisions (no pun intended) or parts to one song.  Porcupine Tree took it a step further.  Let's do two sides of an album and make it not twenty minutes or so long, lets do sixty minutes of one piece of music.  Not only a homage to the past, but a thinkings mans piece of music for the future.

After seeing the shows for The Incident I waited for three years for a show of this epic piece of music.  When it did come out news traveled fast.  Around the time the live album did come out Steven Wilson made it public that Porcupine Tree has dissolved.  By the time Octane Twisted came out he already had two solo albums that were of high praise. He even toured to support each and made no mention of Porcupine Tree.  I had a funny feeling that album, tour, album was getting too much for him.  Porcupine Tree left on top with the music they made and Octane Twisted showed that the their level of musicianship was unparalleled and they went out on a high note.

Not only is The Incident on Octane Twisted, but the second disc is devoted to a few of their favorites and possible fan favorites.  It's music; that I recall when they performed their other favorites starting the second set of each show.  It was where we cheered loud and we could enjoy a great live version of "Even Less" or "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here."  This post should be about how concept albums do translate to great live albums.  Porcupine Tree made it's own market when they put out Octane Twisted and left on a high note.  I kinda only wish they did more material after this album.  I would love to hear what Steven Wilson and the band can do to top this epic masterpiece in music.  In short, Porcupine Tree is great live and great when they do studio trickery.  Porcupine Tree is AWESOME!