Steven Wilson
The Overview
(Fiction)
Steven Wilson, prog's renaissance man, has spent recent years proving that he has strings to his bow beyond the genre with which he is most associated. After revitalising progressive rock in the 90s and early 00s with his band Porcupine Tree and his solo albums, and becoming the go-go guy to remaster and remix reissues of old prog classics, he's spent time creating increasingly electronic and experimental albums, as well as curating the compilation Intrigue, which eloquently argued that progressive tendencies persisted in independent, post punk and alternative music long after prog rock's 70s heyday. Wilson could never stay away from his true love for too long though, and The Overview sees him returning to the progressive rock he so clearly loves. And in true Wilson style, it could not be more prog. The Overview is a 42-minute long concept suite, comprised of two tracks spread across a side of vinyl each, tied to the thoroughly prog concept of the "overview effect", in which astronauts seeing Earth from space gain a new understanding of our planet's beauty and vulnerability.
Wilson is an accomplished musician - here he is aided by Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards) and Randy McStine (guitars), all top tier musicians and regular collaborators with Wilson, but this is very much Wilson's show. As a musician and composer, it's never difficult to spot his influences. If one were being uncharitable, one could describe him as more a talented pastiche artist than a creator of his own original ideas. But that feels churlish when he approaches everything he does with such joy and passion, and when, for all us dyed in the wool progheads, he hits all the sweet spots with such aplomb. Side one, 'Objects Outlive Us', opens with vocal harmonies reminiscent of Yes' 'The Revealing Science of God', but trading Jon Anderson's mystical hogwash for Wilson's humanist concerns. The track then mutates into an Andy Partridge-esque melody - appropriately enough seeing as Partridge contributes guest lyrics - and some squiggly early Pink Floyd instrumentation before crashing into a classic King Crimson riff. Side two, 'The Overview', features 'On The Run' synths while a Siri voice reads out the names of celestial bodies, before melting into some ambient System 7-style Hillage guitar before Floyd-esque acoustic guitars ride in. Both sides feature plenty of Tony Banks-style keyboard solos, and those marvelous David Gilmour-meets-Steve Hackett guitar solos that Wilson is so good at. The ending is a bit anti-climactic after all that build up, but then that, too, is in its own way thoroughly prog.
So The Overview sees Wilson give us two sides of vinyl of him doing what he does best. What it lacks in originality it makes up for in compositional dexterity and sheer exuberance. And the lyrics, partially thanks to Partridge's sections, keep the album's high concept grounded in the real and mundane, resulting in a surprisingly moving listen in places. It certainly makes more sense than Tales From Topographic Oceans, and at half its length doesn't outstay its welcome whilst still providing plenty of old school prog kicks.
