Performer: Porcupine Tree
Songwriters: Gavin Harrison, Steven Wilson
Original Release: Deadwing
Year: 2005
Definitive Version: None
We have a habit in our
society of delivering instant analysis. Because we now have 24-hour news,
sports and business—and quite frankly there isn’t enough of either on many
days—the time has to be filled with something. Analysis is quick and easy, but
because it’s instant, no distance exists to truly be able to put things in
proper perspective.
I feel that way a bit about
this list. I got turned on to Porcupine Tree less than two years ago. In all
candor, how can I rate their stuff fairly compared with songs I’ve known for 30
years?
I probably should have not
included anything I glommed on to in the past five years, because I honestly
haven’t built up enough perspective yet to be able to form a definite opinion
on where those songs should be on the list—or even whether they belong on the
list at all.
If I were to do this list
again in another five years—and I won’t—this song very well could be higher or
it could be off the list completely. If I had to guess, however, it would be
the former. I liked this song right away, and it’s continued to grow on me.
With each listen, I like it more.
I really got turned on to
this song at my current gym. Yes, I still work out and still listen to newer
music when I’m there, but I no longer use my old trusty Walkman. Now it’s a
second-gen iPod Shuffle that someone gave Laurie and she immediately bequeathed
to me. (She hadn’t yet been clued in on the benefits of MP3.)
But I no longer work out a
Bally’s gym, for the first time in more than 20 years. Bally’s apparently sold all
of its Chicago gyms (among gyms elsewhere) to L.A. Fitness last year. So far, I
haven’t noticed much difference good or bad other than the Bally’s logos inside
the gym finally have been taken down. It’s been a very slow switchover from
what I can tell.
My gym, to which I’m heading
as I write this, is OK, I guess. It has enough equipment and room for the most
part. It’s also the fourth gym I’ve tried since I moved to Chicago. The first
one became impractical after I started working because of its distance both
from my apartment and my train station (let alone my workplace). I still visit
the second one, which is near to work in Deerfield, when I drive, but it’s
impractical in dealing with the train.
The third one was my
favorite. It was pretty close to my home train station, so I didn’t burn a lot
of commuting time to and from. It had plenty of equipment and tons of space. My
routine never was interrupted by having to wait for a piece of equipment to
become available. However, there wasn’t a lot in the way of eye candy, so there
were trade-offs to be had.
However, when I had my
wallet lifted from my locker a few years ago, that was the end of that.
Actually, it wasn’t even my wallet, but the cash therein. And it happened while
I stood just around the corner combing my hair for a minute. The thief had to
have gone after the wallet, which was in my coat pocket, not out in plain view,
grabbed the cash and snuck around the corner. I had to admit that was pretty
ballsy. He didn’t take any credit cards, so I was out only a few bucks. I
figured he needed it more than I did, so I never even bothered to report it.
I also never went back to
that gym, and I never again let my locker out of my sight. I might not be the
brightest bulb in the box, but I’m not totally dim.
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