UP THE DOWNSTAIR

Porcupine Tree

Heavy Prog

3.88 | 1145 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

The Crow
Prog Reviewer

The first Porcupine Tree album... Ok, I know, is their second in time... But the first with their proper and genuine sound!

Although Steve Wilson made almost everything here again, like On the Sunday of Life, the sound is really different... While this album was a compilation of songs and ideas Steve Wilson made through years, this is a compact album, with a clear direction and sound, and a really inteligent one... The alternation between rockier songs, mellow ones, ambiental short pieces and the long and complex ones is really well developed in Up the Downstair, making this album a great and funny experience to listen to.

I have the version with Gavin Harrison on drums... And what can I say? This man really rules behind the drumkit, and his playing toghether with the Wilson's remix and additions make the sound of the album really actual and pleasant to listen to... And the collaboration of Colin Edwin and Richard Barbieri, make Up the Downstair the first real Porcupine Tree album. And an excellent one.

Best songs: Sinesthesia (great keyboard rythm and Wilson's singing), Always Never (typical Porcupine tree: acoustic and mellow verses, and harder instrumental passages, with good riffs...), Up the Downstair and Burning Sky (two long but catchy tracks, mixing psychodelic textures with rythmic and dynamic guitar riffs), and Fadeaway (a typical Wilson's ending: tender and calmed down ending)

Conclusion: excellent second Steve Wilson's release under the name of Porcupine Tree... But the first with the true Porcupine's sound. This is a really funny album, with some memorable tracks and full with different ambients and textures, but well cohesionated. Very good psichodelic-progressive rock album, but not yet a masterpiece.

My rating: ****

The Crow | 4/5 | 2008-4-10

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