STARS DIE: THE DELERIUM YEARS 1991 - 1997

The review by Sigod is very good, this is just another opinion to add if you are wondering. This is a great collection of 'older' PT stuff. Here in the US it's pretty easy to find for about $20. If you got into PT via 'IN ABSENTIA' and are wondering if you want to collect the older works of the master STEVEN WILSON and Porcupine Tree, well, start here. Some like it, some resent it, but S.W. and company put out lots of 'editions' of various albums and collections. Some are now rare and hard to find for less than $50. Apparently 'LAVA' is supposed to be releasing some of the previously deleted material soon, hopefully STUPID DREAM!. It also looks like 'Snapper' is also making some available again. I picked up the full VOYAGE 34 a new addition, and the 2CD edition of SIGNIFY at local stores recently. If you are like me, you will eventually want everything SW was ever involved in. I'm now looking at the NO-MAN catalog. The BLACKFIELD album is also great. Is Steven Wilson the Messiah? As my 14 year old son jokes.

Stars Die, the Delelrium Years is a solid group of intrumetals and lyrical pieces of magic. They are in general more ' moody, ambient soundscape' than 'pop-prog-rock' as IN ABSENTIA and LIGHTBULB SUN, and I hear STUPID DREAM, can be. I mean only, a verse, chorus, style format and 'pop' hooks, with nice instumental bridges. Which I also like. But this Stars Die Collection, and much of the 90's PT is, I'd say more, PINK FLOYDISH. The tracks are longer and meandering, softer and again wonderful. These are great nightime songs to mesmerize and captivate... I fall asleep to them regularly. SW does some interesting sampling, mostly from Radio evangelists, which fit rather nicely if you share his view of them. ( He's not a fan I take it ).

I guess it's a rather sad, cynical view of the world in most PT music, but I never find it saddening at all. I guess I share these views of things in general, so I guess it just sounds like truthful observation to me.