1. Fear of a Blank Planet
2. My Ashes
3. Anesthetize
4. Sentimental
5. Way out of Here
6. Sleep Together
Amazon.com
On Fear of a Blank Planet veteran progressive-rock act Porcupine Tree takes up the task of exploring the alienating forces of the media and its impact on our youths and ourselves. Fear's titular cut features lyrics rife with allusions to the confusing, isolating effects of TV, the X-Box, drugged out consumer escapades, and the ennui that arrives with prescription and self-prescribed numbness. "My Ashes" advances the themes of isolation, as a young person becomes increasingly estranged from himself; "Anesthetize" aptly captures dull apathy with accuracy and knowing but perhaps delves to deep into the dark depths and instead of alleviating pain and pressure instead deepens it via a track that fails to offer much emotional or mental counterpoint. The tune does feature an exceptionally lyrical guitar solo from Rush's Alex Lifeson and proves that if anyone can write a sprawling, throbbing epic it's most likely Porcupine Tree. Elsewhere, such as on the beautifully crafted "Sentimental" and "Way Out of Here," Wilson and Co. land squarely between the epic grandeur of peak-era Pink Floyd and the psychically distant cool of Radiohead, a feat that doesn't as much demonstrate how well PT echoes those bands as it shows us how expansive the English quartet's music and emotional vocabulary is. For elder listeners Fear probably won't serve as the powerful statement it wants to be--its themes have been explored to more exacting impact before and, musically, it's fairly standard progressive fare--but it is a strong and intelligent album and for a generation that's grown numb from three-minute ditties about life at the end of the country club cul-de-sac that embrace rather than rage against the dying of the light, it may serve as a wake up call and provide hope for a brighter and more color-infused tomorrow. --Jedd Beaudoin
Album Description
This starkly beautiful elegy on the numbness, apathy, and isolation brought about by the constant barrage of television, video games, advertising, prescription drugs, sex, and violence of everyday life is emphasized by the symphonic arrangement of metal guitars, synthesizers, fat basslines, and virtuosic drumming.
Album Details
Japanese 2007 Release by the Veteran Progressive Band.
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Fear of a Blank Planet
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2007-04-24)
- Publisher: Atlantic / Wea
- Label: Atlantic / Wea
- Studio: Atlantic / Wea
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 187 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #3335
Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Wow, what a great record 2008-11-21
Comment: I'm getting on the PT train very late here I know, but this is just a superb record. I've been listening to Progressive Rock since I was a teenager - Rush, Yes, King Crimson, UK etc. The new bands in this genre haven't really blown me away, but I recently picked up this record and I was shocked and how great the songs are, and how tasty the playing is. It took me a few listens to really get into this, but I'd say FOABP is as good or better than any album Rush has released since Moving Pictures. I actually played this for my 12 year old nephew who also totally loves it and has it on his iPod right alongside Radiohead and some old Prog stuff I turned him on to.
The "prog rock" tag isn't really desired by any band, but suffice it to say, this record (and this band) sits right in the crosshairs of that genre. But it's worth a listen by anyone who digs smart rock music.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: yet another AMAZING album! 2008-10-15
Comment: Haunting, complex, driving, melodic....everything you expect from PT and more. I highly recommend this album, and ANY album by this band.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic 2008-10-10
Comment: I am really glad I found this cd. I heard one song on You Tube and was instantly hooked. (Sentimental) The entire cd is fantastic.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Is this the new Dire Straits? 2008-09-03
Comment: Maybe it's a big statement to claim that Porcupine Tree are the new Dire Straits, but if that isn't the case, then hopefully some can agree that Steve Wilson et al bring many of the same catchy and intelligent songwriting skills to the mix as Knopfler and co. did back in their hayday.
On first listen, this didn't stick with me the same way that 'In Absentia' did, but on subsequent spins, I was able to finally start listening to it as a different type of album, and I really enjoyed it. Where 'In Absentia' succeeded in exploring a lot of different musical and thematic terrain, this album is very much a concentrated effort. That isn't to say that it doesn't bring a lot of variety to the table, but there is a very clear concept.
I feel like the time Wilson spent working with Opeth really paid off, and the heavier moments on this album and 'In Absentia' definitely help keep things lively. Overall, this is a superb release and I think it will sit well with most prog fans.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
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Summary: Modern Culture 2008-08-31
Comment: Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock group which is known for their experimental approach. This is still the case with their ninth album "Fear of a Blank Planet". The focus in this album is on the 21st Century society of video games, MTV, the internet, etc. This album takes the subject head on, and it is a real treat for the listener. This is a great album for people interested in progressive music. It was released on April 16, 2007 in Europe, and a week later in the United States.
It opens with the title track "Fear of a Blank Planet", a driving piece for the first half in which the lyrics are from the point of view of adolescent who sings about his life and the lack of anything of real substance in it. Music, TV, internet, drugs, sex, and with all that the overall feeling is boredom. The second half of the piece gives the listener a break from the relentless drive, but the lyrical content leaves the listener thinking that there is more trouble ahead. "My Ashes" has the singer blaming his parents for his situation. It is a haunting tune, and yet beautiful.
"Anaesthetize" is the centerpiece of the album at nearly 18 minutes. It speaks to the emotionless boredom of the singer's life. His is a life of apathy, and part of him is crying out, though it too cry's out in an emotionless way. There is some excellent instrumental work in this piece as well, which holds the listener's attention throughout the piece. After the first instrumental break, the song picks up again with a stronger driving line to it and the piece really takes off from there becoming harder and more full of energy as it progresses in contrast to the apathy and the boredom which is discussed lyrically. Then, the tension breaks, as it did in the first piece, and the last part of the piece takes on a completely different feel, as if the singer has collapsed from the busy and high energy boredom of his life to find fulfillment in a small peaceful and slow memory from his past.
"Sentimental" is a beautiful piece, well constructed both musically and lyrically. In this piece, the singer talks about how he doesn't want to get old, basically because he wants to avoid the responsibilities of life. "Way out of Here" is about searching for a way out the life he is stuck in. The focus here is on his parents, and his inability to communicate with them. Both the music and the lyrics are disturbing at times, which leaves the listener with a sense of unease. "Sleep Together" finishes the album, and the implications of the lyrics are disturbing. The music fits the piece and is relentless in its own way as the opening of the album.
Porcupine tree is Steve Wilson (vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards); Richard Barbieri (keyboards and synthesizers); Colin Edwin (bass guitars); and Gavin Harrison (drums). In addition, there are a few guests on this album: Alex Lifeson (guitar solo on "Anesthesize"); Robert Fripp (soundscapes on "Way out of Here"); and John Wesley (backing vocals). This is an excellent album for those who like experimental progressive rock, and for those who are looking to hear something different.
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