Trains
I’ve got this Porcupine Tree song stuck in my head.
That’s right, the spawn of Steven Wilson who seems more famous now for remixing classic albums. But…
I’d start you with “Radioactive Toy,” my absolute favorite, but for some reason it’s not on Spotify, none of the streaming services. Of course it’s on YouTube, we’ve still got a ways to go in music, making everything available legally, as for the movie industry…they’re so far behind the curve they’re clueless. The enemy is THEFT! Never forget that. To decide not to be on Spotify is like going on vacation with the house unlocked. First you must secure the boundaries, that’s what streaming has done for music. It’s made stealing less enticing, almost completely not worth it.
Always the summers are slipping away
They most certainly are. The seasons move so fast when you get older. I marveled the sun was setting at 3:40 yesterday, it was starting to get dark, and then I realized this was not a novelty, that I note it every year, and the only thing that’s changing is me.
When I hear the engine pass, I’m kissing you wide
Hissing subsides, I’m in luck
“Trains” is dark, but it’s optimistic, that’s the conundrum of progressive rock, not that Porcupine Tree is exactly that, but today if you know how to play, if you sing of bigger topics, if you don’t conform to the the three minute model and you’re male, you’re progressive.
Actually, “Trains” is six minutes long. And I’m going to deal with it first, because upon reflection “Radioactive Toy” is slower, more cerebral.
Trains set and match spied under the blind
The track begins with a pristine acoustic guitar, what a revelation in this digitized, electronic world. We all search for humanity, never forget that, acoustic instruments will live forever.
And to be truthful, the lyrics are meaningless to me, I can barely pick them out, it’s all about the SOUND! I know Mr. Wilson is singing something important to him…
And then he goes all falsetto.
And then the guitars start to slash, the music gets heavy, he’s not breaking new ground, but you’re hooked nonetheless. You know how it is, driving in your car and becoming one with the song.
And there’s melody. And changes. And listening you’re in your own private reverie. The solo happens. This is all about you and the music, there is no deejay, you’re nodding your head, you don’t need anybody else.
There’s even a bridge!
And “Trains,” and the album it emanates from, “In Absentia,” were commercial failures upon their release back in 2002, but through the miracle of the internet, they live on. Used to be music died, no longer. If it’s good, it can always resurface. And I implore you to check “Trains” out. It just might be your thing.
As for “Radioactive Toy”…
It’s the Pink Floyd song you’ve never heard, far superior to that overhyped Pink Floyd album that came and went almost instantly.
It’s heavy, it’s plodding, it’s ethereal, but the sense of majesty is what will entrance you. You’re never gonna hear this on Top Forty, you’ll probably never hear “Radioactive Toy” on the radio whatsoever, but that does not mean it’s not great, that it does not deserve attention, that it won’t become one of your favorites.
It’s like the soundtrack to a Harlan Ellison novel, like “A Boy and His Dog”… Actually, Trent Reznor is great, but someone should give Steven Wilson a chance at scoring a film.
And the point is I was in an extremely good space. And I wanted something to amplify my mood. Something to ride shotgun and lift me higher into the stratosphere.
And that made me think of “Trains.”
And that made me think of you.
