Disco de Blackfield: “Blackfield [Bonus CD]”

Is there a better title for a better album? I don't know. Since purchasing the original Jewel Case edition back when the CD was first released, I've been hooked on Blackfield and highly anticipate a follow-up CD. This summer, I purchased the digi-pack edition from a local music store and brought it home, only to have fallen in love with the album all over again. Blackfield's music is pure music genius, due to the mastermind himself, Steven Wilson. I've followed SW's music, since 1999 with the Porcupine Tree CD "Stupid Dream". Blackfield is made up of all the best components & aspects of every "PT" album. The melodies, arrangements & vocals are lush, smooth, rich and only SW can produce such a masterpiece. Aviv Geffen adds his own, unique style to the songs, but mainly as "Backup" because we all know SW's got the voice. I'm not big on AG's voice, only because I've seen him perform on a TV show in Tel Aviv (a video clip) He couldn't survive alone without SW's talents, although they make a splendid duo.

My favorite tracks are:

- "BLACKFILED", because of the fantastic piano intro and genius arrangements...as well as catchy, moody lyrics.

- "PAIN", because of AG's dark voice and accent & the catchy chorus line.

Packed with 13 brilliant & flowing tracks + the video for "Blackfield", the CD pumps out nothing but real music for any true music lover. As a fan of PT, No-Man and I.E.M, I couldn't pass up the purchase of this reissue. The chorus lines, dark & moody intros & subtle tones of some songs bring out every emotion, making it impossible for me to not play the entire CD. Even the bonus tracks are great too, and I like "WHERE IS MY LOVE?". AG's voice & accent stand out in the chorus when they sing the title phrase. Blackfield is definitely the soundtrack of a relaxing summer on a patio with a few beers & lots of friends & a good set of speakers. It's pure, feel good music, leaving me wanting more. I've already recorded the CD to my MiniDisc and it's on my computer as well. My friends were so pleased when they heard this music, they wanted copies of it for themselves.

Esthetically, this re-issue is 100 times better than the original and that's why I stand by my recommendation 100%. The only problem with this item is its vulnerablity to damage & wear. I suggest you put it in a protective plastic sleeve (found in many used CD shops). There's really no difference in the sound quality between the original and this one. The only thing I found strange is the 30 seconds between the original album sequence & the bonus songs. The packaging is beautiful and is much different from the Jewel case edition. Thanks, KOCH Records! These are some, if not most of the physical changes you'll notice:

- Gatefold digipack is glossy & contains different images or graphics

- Outer right flap features an image of a guy holding a bottle of Codeine with an image of a crying baby as the label

- Booklet (with lyrics) features alternative printing & graphics

- Front cover of booklet features the image of Codeine bottle with crying baby as label

- Original edition's booklet has Codeine bottle with "BLACKFIELD" printed across the label...minus the crying baby

- Inside cover of re-issue booklet features bottle of Codeine

- Inner rear cover of re-issue booklet features smaller-print credits & info

- Rear of booklet features tracklist

- Booklet fits inside front flap of package

- Color of CD is all black with grey title, compared to original brown disc with sienna lettering

- Inside right flap of package, there is a photo of SW & AV (originally found on rear of original booklet)

Tracklisting:

01- Open Mind - 3:19

02- Blackfiled - 4:06

03- Glow - 4:09

04- Scars - 3:57

05- Lullaby - 3:29

06- Pain - 3:17

07- Summer - 4:12

08- Cloudy Now - 3:34

09- The Hole in Me - 2:47

10- Hello - 3:09

BONUS TRACKS

11- Perfect World - 3:53

12- Where is My Love? - 3:01

13- Cloudy Now (Live) - 3:44

ENHANCED CD VIDEO - "Blackfield"

Yes, I agree with the other reviewers that this album could well be another release from Porcupine Tree. Granted, it is a bit mellower than their more recent releases Stupid Dream and In Absentia. There are a few touches of harder edged rock, but as a whole it is melodic soft rock album that harkens back to the Lightbulb Sun days of PT.

I keep talking about Blackfield like it is a PT release. Yes, Steve Wilson collaborated with Aviv Geffen to form Blackfield, but one is hard pressed to hear much Aviv's influence. Having listened to the album several times already, I only hear Aviv singing the main vocals for two songs. Also, the two musicians voices work extremely well together to create outstanding PT style harmonizing. Aviv has a bit more edge to his slightly deeper voice, but it nicely compliments Steve's silky singing. Steve Wilson's intrumentation, arrangements and production styles show through, though they both co-wrote most of the work here.

I digress. Is this CD worth your money? I would have to give that a resounding "YES!" I don't know of anyone who does not find something to like in Steve Wilson's music and since I've established Blackfield is very much his sound, then that should still hold true. Fans of Lightbulb Sun era Porcupine Tree should eat this up. With its clever, insightful lyrics, subtle yet powerful production, trademark SW harmonizing and beautifully played songs, I don't see how any person who enjoys quality music can go wrong with this one.

Standout songs for me are the title track, Open Mind, Scars, Lullaby, Pain and Hello.

The bonus disk has 3 tracks of lesser production quality and in my opinion ads little to the overall album experience. This is especially true when you consider the bonus disks packaged with the latest PT re-releases. They could be standalone albums in themselves! Still, it is more good music and will make the collectors happy.

Maybe not worth full 5 stars, but very close...Blackfield is one of the better releases this year and should not be missed.

Fans of Porcupine Tree who live their lives on the slightly darker side rejoice: Blackfield is here to sum up all your woes and angsts in life through dark, atmospheric pop songs that only a masterful hand such as Steven Wilson's could craft. Imagine the lush sounds of Porcupine Tree's Stupid Dream/Warszawa era filtered through a dark, gloomy spectrum of lost love, child abuse, and self inflicted pain, and the beautiful if dreary result which you have is Blackfield. Spawning from the brainchild of SW and Israeli songwriter Aviv Geffen, this self-titled release is the bands debut, although the outstanding production, deeply moving and equally disturbing lyrics, and pure chemistry between these two musicians would suggest that they've been feeding off of each others talents and emotions for years.

The album opens with Open Mind, a deceptively light finger-picked folk tune flowing innocently through the speakers before exploding in your face with ultra-heavy distorted riffing accented by intense, sharp orchestral backdrops, leaving you no time to breathe before plunging you into the album and band's title track, a pop tune of epic proportions, and a silencer to anyone who has ever thought Steven Wilson needed a 10 minute plus prog track to express himself. Indeed, the title track may just sum up the beauty of this album altogether by showcasing the two talents which Geffen and Wilson bring out in each other best, Geffen's strictly pop-based songwriting technique forcing Wilson to step out of his progressive comfort zone and get what he has to say out there in 4 minutes or less. As far as relation to Porcupine Tree goes, the songwriting is more focused along the lines of pop gems such as Blackest Eyes and Open Car rather than sprawling musical mountains like The Sky Moves Sideways or Arriving Somewhere (But Not Here). One must only thank Geffen for cutting down the song times to short-attention span lengths, for it is an aspect in both musicians songwriting skill which puts the emphasis more on infectious melodies and unforgettable hooks than on developing a longer mood piece.

After track 2 the album takes a downward twist with Glow, which enters with haunting keyboards and ghostly, suicidal undertones of lyrics before monstrous tribal drums pound the track into submission, followed shortly by Lullaby, which features a touching, almost child-like piano part which would be soothing if not for the disturbing images which Wilson's solo vocal performance suggests. Pain, the album's midway point is a highlight of the disc, not to mention the one that hooked me to the album in the first place, and Geffen's words will hit home to anyone who has been on the losing end of a relationship. Surely not to be missed.

The rest of the album is equally powerful, and not a track is to be missed, therefore it becomes a difficult task in singling out one song or another, although I would love to go on at length about how great each one is. One more noteworthy inclusion is that of The Hole In Me though, featuring a soaring chorus melody that puts it in the running for catchiest Wilson track of the last 5 years. And that's a bold statement. Buyers should definitely make sure they purchase the version featuring the three bonus tracks, Perfect World and Where Is My Love?, both of which should have been left on the album in the first place, as well as a nicely performed live version of the loud and abrasive Cloudy Now. Even if you're not a fan of Porcupine Tree, anyone who enjoys a good melody and can appreciate a crafty twist on pop-songwriting will not be able to unglue this from their CD players. Just make sure you've got that little itch for darkness in your lyrical content. If you don't buy this it's your own fault for ignoring one of the most underrated pop albums of the last 10 years.

Blackfield is the side project of Porcupine Tree front man Stephen Wilson and Israeli pop star Aviv Geffen. I admit to being a Stephen Wilson junkie as I think just about everything the guy does songwriting, playing, singing, and producing is brilliant. The Blackfield album is a fairly mellow affair with occasional heavy bombastic guitars making only brief appearances. The songs are all on the short side, and it definitely has a bit more of a pop feel than what you might be used to with Porcupine Tree. Wilson takes the lead on the majority of the album, although Geffen gets in his share of the spotlight here and there. Highlights for me include the title track, "Glow", "Summer" and "Cloudy Now". The lyrics for the most part are on the downer / depressive side, but that should come as no surprise for fans of Wilson. Is this as good as a Porcupine Tree album? In my opinion no, but it is a solid disc that fans of PT will surely get into.

There's a lot to be said for an album that is so difficult to categorize. Blackfield certainly has an aura to it. All of the songs on this disc are somewhat pop-oriented. At the same time, though, these "pop-oriented" songs make a lasting impression by their almost haunting feel.

The melancholy tone of the disc is almost enough to make one want to stop listening. Great choruses, memorable lines, and fleeting hooks, though, prevent you from turning it off. An odd animal, Blackfield... after having listened to the CD so many times, I was intruiged when I heard it again. For a moment I didn't realize who it was. The CD is forgettable like that. But, once you hear certain lines in the songs, you begin to hum along. This is a good 'anytime' CD. However I feel it's best suited to a walk in the rain.

A listen to this CD surely subdues the listener. Don't expect rocking lines a la Porcupine Tree. The extent of the rocking is done in the opening track, and is only a few phrases -- interrupted by flowing harmonies (certainly representative of Wilson's other works). The synths in the background provide a constant flow throughout the song, making it smooth and flowing... rather than choppy and syncopated.

Purchasing this CD would provide the listener with a unique listen that is best experienced.