Anesthetize (17:43)

Anesthetize is the third track on the 2007 album Fear of a Blank Planet. It is the longest song on this album, clocking in at 17:42.

Steven Wilson wrote “Anesthetize” during February, 2006 in Tel Aviv, at the time he was working on the second Blackfield album.

The song can be split into three sections, and in the album booklet, asterisk markings separate the lyrics to each of the sections. These sections are not named in the booklet, although during their BBC Radio 1 Rock Show performance, Gavin Harrison revealed that part two is called “The Pills I’m Taking”. The song “What Happens Now?” from the Nil Recurring EP uses a sample of the opener riff for this second movement.

The song’s first section features a guitar solo by Alex Lifeson of Canadian progressive rock band Rush.

The full-length live projection for this song comes on the Fear of a Blank Planet DVD-A edition as a bonus feature.

“Anesthetize” was voted “Best track of 2007” by readers of the Dutch Progressive Rock Page.

In September 2011 Wilson declared on his Facebook-page that Anesthetize is one of the 20 songs he’s most proud of.