“Limited Edition of One”

Author:Steven Wilson

It’s a funny one, this. You could summarise it as part autobiography, part SW’s philosophy on life and music as he explains in some detail that until quite recently his life was pretty much all about music until he married an old flame with children and settled into domestic bliss in his early 50s.

The first half of the book covers his early life, how he fell in love with recording and making music and sound and the path to his first commercial offerings with Porcupine Tree, initially a solo tongue in cheek effort which gained momentum and ending up playing decent sized stadiums before SW felt the need to move on from the constraints of a band into a rightly feted solo career much appreciated in our little corner of the internet. Frustratingly he doesn’t actually explain how the band got together – how come there’s a proper pop star previously with Japan on board? How did a jazz based Aussie bass player come along? Where are the on-tour anecdotes?

The second half of the book is an odd mix of lists – favourite tracks, films, singles, his own work – all with SW’s take on why he singles them out for comment. Anyone who has heard him being interviewed will be able to hear his voice here – while rock bio supremo Mick Rock assists in the project, it’s clearly an SW driven thing and he is intimately involved throughout.

This is especially brought home with long discussions between MR and SW which are presented largely (we are told) unedited and range across a wide range of subjects, way beyond Steven’s own career.

The book concludes with a sci fi JG Ballard style short story and finally SW’s conclusions about his career and life in general.

It’s at once fascinating to gain such insight into the thinking of an artist I really admire, and at the same time frustrating that I was subconsciously hankering after a more conventional bio approach – so that’s a book still to be written.

Anyone who is an SW/PT fan will enjoy this slightly odd and painfully honest exploration of his inner thoughts. Certainly one for the fans – anyone not having at least a vague idea of the story already will probably come away slightly mystified.

SW leaved the impression of someone in love with his craft, slightly at odds with the industry in which he finds himself and who continues to evolve and challenge himself rather than rest on his not inconsiderable laurels. Good for him.

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Music books! The artisitc struggle…

One thing you’ve learned

Steven Wilson likes ABBA (actually anyone who has seen him in concert knows this as he goes on about it at some length…).

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