STEVEN WILSON ~ The Overview (also styled ST5V5N W9LS15N - TH5 OV5RV95W)
![[Image: 250px-The_Overview_Steven_Wilson.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/The_Overview_Steven_Wilson.jpg/250px-The_Overview_Steven_Wilson.jpg)
I have been by turns charmed, amused, spellbound and taken aback by the sheer audacity of this production, for that is what it is. Indulgent in places, a tad excessive now and then, and sufficiently absorbing to keep drawing me back. I like the spoken word bits in the second movement (courtesy of Mrs Rotem Wilson) which name the celestial bodies and various stats – a journey through the stars – unimaginable distances and sizes. Overall, there are some lovely lyrical moments, a few electronic vibes, some real 70’s progressive rock passages, a smattering of space rock and some forays erring on the metal side of things – fortunately not a lot of the latter, although I would also not say that they were gratuitous – to be fair! It's all a little intriguing and a darn sight superior to anything else that's been released in the past week - in my not so humble opinion!
The album comprises two tracks (23.17 and 18.27 odd minutes respectively) which are split into several passages and the title derives from something called the ‘Overview effect’ … from Wikipedia … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect (fun fact, in case anyone has ever wondered – wiki means quick, in Hawaiian, and why Hawaiian should have been chosen I don’t know, but it has a good ring!).
The overview effect is a cognitive shift reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from space. Researchers have characterized the effect as "a state of awe with self-transcendent qualities, precipitated by a particularly striking visual stimulus". The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. The effect can cause changes in the observer's self-concept and value system and can be transformative.
I think I’d like to pick the album up and get better acquainted with it over some time.
The first two movements from the eponymously titled second track/side ... each quite different from the other ...
I have been by turns charmed, amused, spellbound and taken aback by the sheer audacity of this production, for that is what it is. Indulgent in places, a tad excessive now and then, and sufficiently absorbing to keep drawing me back. I like the spoken word bits in the second movement (courtesy of Mrs Rotem Wilson) which name the celestial bodies and various stats – a journey through the stars – unimaginable distances and sizes. Overall, there are some lovely lyrical moments, a few electronic vibes, some real 70’s progressive rock passages, a smattering of space rock and some forays erring on the metal side of things – fortunately not a lot of the latter, although I would also not say that they were gratuitous – to be fair! It's all a little intriguing and a darn sight superior to anything else that's been released in the past week - in my not so humble opinion!
The album comprises two tracks (23.17 and 18.27 odd minutes respectively) which are split into several passages and the title derives from something called the ‘Overview effect’ … from Wikipedia … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect (fun fact, in case anyone has ever wondered – wiki means quick, in Hawaiian, and why Hawaiian should have been chosen I don’t know, but it has a good ring!).
The overview effect is a cognitive shift reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from space. Researchers have characterized the effect as "a state of awe with self-transcendent qualities, precipitated by a particularly striking visual stimulus". The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. The effect can cause changes in the observer's self-concept and value system and can be transformative.
I think I’d like to pick the album up and get better acquainted with it over some time.
The first two movements from the eponymously titled second track/side ... each quite different from the other ...
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
