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Time flies: The story of Porcupine Tree
The first in-depth investigation into one of England’s most enigmatic and engaging bands, Time Flies is the second book by Rich Wilson, the author of the acclaimed Lifting Shadows, the Authorized biography of Dream Theater. Drawing on original interviews with former band members, friends and colleagues, Rich has compiled a fascinating history of Porcupine Tree.
Time Flies describes the genesis of Porcupine Tree from founder Steven Wilson’s bedroom through their entire existence, reviewing their seventeen year career and ten studio albums. Drawing on original and archive interviews with band members, friends and people connected to Porcupine Tree, this unauthorized biography offers a perfectly complete critical look at arguably the UK’s last great prog rock band.
Time Flies describes the genesis of Porcupine Tree from founder Steven Wilson’s bedroom through their entire existence, reviewing their seventeen year career and ten studio albums. Drawing on original and archive interviews with band members, friends and people connected to Porcupine Tree, this unauthorized biography offers a perfectly complete critical look at arguably the UK’s last great prog rock band.
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2021
Time Flies is the second book by music journalist Rich Wilson (no relation to Steven Wilson), after his biography of Dream Theater, Lifting Shadows. It's worth noting that while the latter was authorized, Time Flies is an unofficial biography not endorsed by Porcupine Tree or their management. They are my favorite band, and as a general rule, I'm wary of such unlicensed works that don't remunerate the artist in question in any way, but it's clear that the author writes from a place of deep love and appreciation for the band, and he went through great lengths in his research. From combing through obscure fanzines and other print and online media, as well as conducting interviews with former band members, friends, colleagues, and collaborators over a span of seven years, he effectively compiled the first in-depth history of Porcupine Tree.
The book delivers what the title promises: A complete history of the band pieced together from interviews, with a chapter focusing on each album, spanning from the beginnings in Steven's childhood bedroom to the final gig at the Royal Albert Hall, and a little beyond. A book of this nature is predisposed to be on the dry side, and although the author managed to keep it fairly objective, his preference for some albums over others shone through at times, and there were instances when he seemed to bend over backwards in order to qualify some of the band members' statements so that they wouldn't be painted in a bad light. This sometimes gave the impression that he'd glossed over some perhaps unsavory bits of history, such as Chris Maitland's exit from the band. I found the first half of the book to be the more interesting, especially the introductory first chapter which described Steven's musical endeavors before Porcupine Tree's came to be—it made me go and check out the early stuff by his first bands Altamont and Karma, let me hear the... skippable tracks on On the Sunday Of Life with new ears, and really helped paint a better picture of how all his parallel side projects fit in, chronologically.
Once we passed into the 2000s, the quotes started to get a bit repetitive in their gist, especially because the chapters always followed the same cycles of recording demos, producing the album, its reception by press and fans, promoting it with live shows, and then back to the studio for the next project, always trying not to go down an already trodden path. The book provided really interesting insights into a rather odd band dynamic, and what must surely be a unique songwriting approach with Steven being the leader with the artistic vision, often showing up with finished demos and very clear ideas of what sounds he was looking for, leaving the other insanely talented band members little opportunity to add their own touch. It's really almost miraculous that there wasn't more strife between them, given this creative dynamic, although the fact that the band was a democracy and not a dictatorship is repeated ad nauseam throughout the book—it's one of the wide-spread beliefs the author seems to be very fixed on dispelling. In truth, after reading Time Flies, I honestly think that if Steven Wilson weren't such a genuinely pleasant guy to be around (every single person quoted in this book mentions how likeable he is), the band wouldn't have lasted for as long as it did—the book makes it clear that the transition from colleagues to friends never fully took place. They got along fine and there was a ton of professional respect between them, but they were very different personalities and would only really see each other when recording and touring, and hardly keep up socially between album cycles. Given that, the extended hiatus (I don't want to call is a disbandment because my hope—and that of the author—lives on) was an organic step, at least from a human and creative point of view, if not from a financial one: They were on the cusp of finally making the step up to playing arenas, but they had started repeating themselves ("there's nothing new to do, it's all been done, so put your faith in another place..."), and Steven switched his focus to his more experimental, and thus fulfilling, solo career, leaving Porcupine Tree... in a layby.
But I digress. What Time Flies does well is tell the band's story—but it doesn't tell many personal stories, and while the title or blurb don't promise anything of the sort, I think it's important to curb one's expectations, if that's what you're hoping to find. No analysis of lyrics, explorations of the genesis of songs and album concepts, or absurd "sex, drugs and rock'n'roll" stories from the road (not that anyone should expect anything of the sort from these lovable nerds) will be found within; it's a critical look at verifiable band history, embellished with some amusing anecdotes, which however usually involve the crew. For a fan, this will still be a highly interesting read, but as most works of this kind, it will likely only appeal to the already converted. Ultimately, it's an enlightening, concise, and meticulously researched chronicle of the, as far as I'm concerned, best band ever, beautifully packaged (I adore the 'boys' cover edition I got, one of four designs to choose from), and money well spent—I can already see myself re-reading it.
The book delivers what the title promises: A complete history of the band pieced together from interviews, with a chapter focusing on each album, spanning from the beginnings in Steven's childhood bedroom to the final gig at the Royal Albert Hall, and a little beyond. A book of this nature is predisposed to be on the dry side, and although the author managed to keep it fairly objective, his preference for some albums over others shone through at times, and there were instances when he seemed to bend over backwards in order to qualify some of the band members' statements so that they wouldn't be painted in a bad light. This sometimes gave the impression that he'd glossed over some perhaps unsavory bits of history, such as Chris Maitland's exit from the band. I found the first half of the book to be the more interesting, especially the introductory first chapter which described Steven's musical endeavors before Porcupine Tree's came to be—it made me go and check out the early stuff by his first bands Altamont and Karma, let me hear the... skippable tracks on On the Sunday Of Life with new ears, and really helped paint a better picture of how all his parallel side projects fit in, chronologically.
Once we passed into the 2000s, the quotes started to get a bit repetitive in their gist, especially because the chapters always followed the same cycles of recording demos, producing the album, its reception by press and fans, promoting it with live shows, and then back to the studio for the next project, always trying not to go down an already trodden path. The book provided really interesting insights into a rather odd band dynamic, and what must surely be a unique songwriting approach with Steven being the leader with the artistic vision, often showing up with finished demos and very clear ideas of what sounds he was looking for, leaving the other insanely talented band members little opportunity to add their own touch. It's really almost miraculous that there wasn't more strife between them, given this creative dynamic, although the fact that the band was a democracy and not a dictatorship is repeated ad nauseam throughout the book—it's one of the wide-spread beliefs the author seems to be very fixed on dispelling. In truth, after reading Time Flies, I honestly think that if Steven Wilson weren't such a genuinely pleasant guy to be around (every single person quoted in this book mentions how likeable he is), the band wouldn't have lasted for as long as it did—the book makes it clear that the transition from colleagues to friends never fully took place. They got along fine and there was a ton of professional respect between them, but they were very different personalities and would only really see each other when recording and touring, and hardly keep up socially between album cycles. Given that, the extended hiatus (I don't want to call is a disbandment because my hope—and that of the author—lives on) was an organic step, at least from a human and creative point of view, if not from a financial one: They were on the cusp of finally making the step up to playing arenas, but they had started repeating themselves ("there's nothing new to do, it's all been done, so put your faith in another place..."), and Steven switched his focus to his more experimental, and thus fulfilling, solo career, leaving Porcupine Tree... in a layby.
But I digress. What Time Flies does well is tell the band's story—but it doesn't tell many personal stories, and while the title or blurb don't promise anything of the sort, I think it's important to curb one's expectations, if that's what you're hoping to find. No analysis of lyrics, explorations of the genesis of songs and album concepts, or absurd "sex, drugs and rock'n'roll" stories from the road (not that anyone should expect anything of the sort from these lovable nerds) will be found within; it's a critical look at verifiable band history, embellished with some amusing anecdotes, which however usually involve the crew. For a fan, this will still be a highly interesting read, but as most works of this kind, it will likely only appeal to the already converted. Ultimately, it's an enlightening, concise, and meticulously researched chronicle of the, as far as I'm concerned, best band ever, beautifully packaged (I adore the 'boys' cover edition I got, one of four designs to choose from), and money well spent—I can already see myself re-reading it.
September 9, 2018
I am a bit baffled by the shit ratings for this book, and I think it deserves far better. One reviewer said that there is little new in this book if one has been following them for a while. In contrast, I've been following this band since 1991 when I first heard "Linton Samuel Dawson" on the compilation A Psychedelic Psauna (In Four Parts), and I found there to be a lot of new information in this book, and especially revealing were the actual stories behind a lot of the music directly from band members, rather than filtered through the internet and word of mouth. Porcupine Tree are one of my all-time favorite bands, easily in my top 10, and thus I'm predisposed to like this book, and to no surprise I ripped through it at a rapid clip. One of the things that struck me, much like when I read the book about 4AD, is how much contingency affected what did and did not happen. There were so many factors that could have been a bit different, and who knows what might have changed, or if the band might not have even gotten off the ground. Then again, Wilson being the obsessively driven musical creator that he is, there is no doubt he would have produced no matter what. I loved learning about Wilson's diverse musical tastes, and the name cheking of many of the other bands I like made me happy. The physical book is beautifully designed and printed, with some nice photographs as well. Well worth the money I spent on it.
January 9, 2018
Die Geschichte der Prog / Art / Rock Band Porcupine Tree aus England, zum ersten Mal in Form eines Buches und unautorisiert. Was für mich als Fan ein grosser Grund zur Freude war, gestaltete sich während der Lektüre leider immer wieder ernüchternd. Rich Wilson hat zwar viel Arbeitet geleistet um diverse Interviews und Dokumente über die Band zu einem kompletten Fliesstext zusammenzufügen, vergass aber teilweise die sprachliche Feinheit und die allgemeine Abwechslung.
Oft scheint sich das Buch zwischen den Themen Demo, Albumproduktion, Sammlung von Kritiken, Tour, Demo ... zu wiederholen. Sicherlich waren Porcupine Tree um Steven Wilson nie eine Band mit vielen absurden Momenten und waghalsigen Szenen, doch "Time Flies" lässt etwas den Mut zur Andersartigkeit vermissen. Schön aber, dass ich während dem Lesen konstant Lust kriegte, die beschriebenen Platten wieder aufzulegen.
Oft scheint sich das Buch zwischen den Themen Demo, Albumproduktion, Sammlung von Kritiken, Tour, Demo ... zu wiederholen. Sicherlich waren Porcupine Tree um Steven Wilson nie eine Band mit vielen absurden Momenten und waghalsigen Szenen, doch "Time Flies" lässt etwas den Mut zur Andersartigkeit vermissen. Schön aber, dass ich während dem Lesen konstant Lust kriegte, die beschriebenen Platten wieder aufzulegen.
January 8, 2018
Time flies: The story of Porcupine Tree is a biography by Rich Wilson of one of my favourite bands.
Quite an interesting read (for a fan), as it covers their whole career, especially the early days, from an objective viewpoint. It goes into the details behind the ideas for each album, and the songwriting process as well (emphasizing that whilst it was pretty much Steven Wilson's band, the other members were involved in contributing to most of their releases). It finishes up giving a bit more detail behind why they are no longer making albums and some of the divisions that evolved. By and large a good read.
Quite an interesting read (for a fan), as it covers their whole career, especially the early days, from an objective viewpoint. It goes into the details behind the ideas for each album, and the songwriting process as well (emphasizing that whilst it was pretty much Steven Wilson's band, the other members were involved in contributing to most of their releases). It finishes up giving a bit more detail behind why they are no longer making albums and some of the divisions that evolved. By and large a good read.
December 30, 2019
Baffled as well by the crap reviews; many are stellar but 3 stars chosen. WTH? Any book of this kind is going to be fairly dry in tone. What’s totally impressive is the amount of research that the author did. Check the bibliography. Also the depth of understanding of each song, each album. I’m set to read it again, this time stopping to search for, find, and listen to every piece of music he describes.
November 20, 2022
As a huge Porcupine Tree fan, this was an excellent history giving me deeper insight into who they are as a band and what decisions were made along the way. I especially enjoyed learning about tour stories that aren’t commonly shared by Steven Wilson.
March 3, 2019
Undeniably intriguing insights into the band Porcupine Tree abound in this book. Rich Wilson gives a concise bit detailed summary of the conception, recording, and touring of each album. He also delves into the influences of each band member and the dynamics between them.
Two things disappointed me about this book. The first is the slightly poor editing. Most books have the odd mistake in them if you’re really looking but it felt like each chapter of Time Flies had two or three missed words or poorly constructed sentences.
The second disappointment is that the author clearly adores Steven Wilson and the endless praise and excuse making becomes a bit nauseating after a while. The author’s favourite phrase appears to be ‘That’s not to say...’ which he uses to excuse Steven Wilson of any wrong-doing whenever criticisms are addressed. I consider myself a great admirer of Steven Wilson’s work and I’m not looking for a book about Porcupine Tree to trash him. However, the hero worship in this book is blatant and irritating.
Two things disappointed me about this book. The first is the slightly poor editing. Most books have the odd mistake in them if you’re really looking but it felt like each chapter of Time Flies had two or three missed words or poorly constructed sentences.
The second disappointment is that the author clearly adores Steven Wilson and the endless praise and excuse making becomes a bit nauseating after a while. The author’s favourite phrase appears to be ‘That’s not to say...’ which he uses to excuse Steven Wilson of any wrong-doing whenever criticisms are addressed. I consider myself a great admirer of Steven Wilson’s work and I’m not looking for a book about Porcupine Tree to trash him. However, the hero worship in this book is blatant and irritating.
March 25, 2018
It tells the story of the band through mostly interviews. It does this well. It stays true to its's Title as the bands story. It does not tell their personal stories well. There are some funny anecdotes in the interviews. Steven Wilson is my favorite living artist. Looking forward to a more in depth story of his ambitious, creative and legendary life.
February 4, 2025
Been into PT since 2010-11, nice to know what was going on behind the scenes, a lot of ground covered in this book, concisely. Wish there were more pictures though
I liked Steve's book "Limited Edition of One" too, but I liked the "Insurgentes" film a lot more.
I liked Steve's book "Limited Edition of One" too, but I liked the "Insurgentes" film a lot more.
May 20, 2018
A very enlightening read into the history of Porcupine Tree and its inner workings. I'm a big fan, and this provided so much more insight into how Wilson works and how the band dynamic was. This places everything in a new light for me. Essential reading for PT fans!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews