Porcupine Tree Album: “Anesthetize: Live in Tilburg - Oct. 2008”

All of the top notch musicianship of this concert performance is finally equaled buy the video and audio of this Blu-ray release shot and edited by long-time collaborator Lasse Hoile. Image quality is superb and this is one of Steven Wilson's best 5.1 mixes to date (which says a lot for the man who earned a Grammy nod for his 5.1 mixes and was commissioned to remix the King Crimson catalog in hi-rez 5.1.) Featuring "Fear of a Blank Planet" (the Quadrophenia of the new millennium)in it's entirety, plus a 2nd set dating songs back to the "Signify" album, this is a wet dream for any Porcupine Tree fan. And as for the rest of the world, they have arrived folks! Refusing to be pidgeon-holed into any one particular category of rock, the band easily segues from Prog Rock to ballads to metal without missing a beat. This release pays tribute to the best quintet of musicians (including long-time live accomplice John Wesley) currently touring. This is the "thinking man's" rock band, one that obligates one to actually invest themselves in the music. Superb. Sublime. Beautifully compelling.

I just got finished with the DVD portion of this release, (I do not have the blue ray as yet...)

The Fear of a Blank Planet and Nil Recurring materials play exceptionally well live...the video is mixed even better than that of Arriving Somewhere. The 5.1 sound adds a depth which is too largely missing in the materials available from most bands...

Their musicianship including the vocals, (live as well as recorded) continues to be stellar...They managed to pull me in with "Sleep Together"...a song that I've not been fond of to date, that is until I saw them perform it live via this DVD!

The venue in Tilburg played well for this DVD, and the fans were amazing there. If you're a fan of Porcupine Tree, "Anesthetize" is a MUST for the library!

This is an excellent concert film. The video/sound quality is good and the band is at top-notch form. Joining the group again, as he did on the "Arriving Somewhere..." DVD is John Wesley on backing guitars/backing vocals. He's become somewhat the "5th Beatle" of the group and is a welcomed addition.

If I recall correctly, there is only one track on this concert that's also on "Arriving Somewhere..." and that song is "Halo". So if you plan on getting both concerts, you don't have to worry about seeing a lot of repeated material.

Thanks.

I've been following Porcupine Tree since 2001, I have seen them on every tour since then, and I have all their records. I have *never* seen them rip through a set like this. The camerawork is great, the sound is fantastic, but more than that, this is Porcupine Tree with a conviction and burn that I have never seen before. The best live concert DVD I own, hands down.

This is a superb DVD and one of the best music DVDs in my ever-expanding collection. The audio and video is both absolutely superb. You feel like you're sitting right there next to Gavin Harrison as he pounds the skins. PT is a mind blowing band, and having seen them live, I can attest to the fact that this release is nearly as good as actually being there .

The setlist includes all of the Fear of a Blank Planet album, and most of the Nil Recurring EP, and is complemented by cuts taken from the In Absentia and Signify albums. I was very surprised (pleasantly) to see the latter in the set. They haven't played some of these songs in a long time. 'Dark Matter' is almost worth the price of admission alone. Steven's solo in that one gives me goosebumps.

Excellent DVD from a superb band. It actually makes me angry that the Justin Beiber's and Miley Cyrus's of the world get recognised everywhere, and yet PT are still relatively unknown outside prog circles. They are an extraordinary talent, and in a just world, Rolling Stone would be featuring Steven Wilson on the cover, not hacks like Britney Spears. He is one of my favourite musicians of all time.

Get it. I would use this to convert people to the band.