Porcupine Tree - Signify

Edited by fracturematt - October 07 2016 at 16:30

Signify is regarded as a transitional album for PT between their earlier ambient based albums and middle era albums like Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun. I feel that it works quite well on it's own terms.

Edited by SteveG - October 08 2016 at 04:02

this one is definitely one of the top fav PT albums, guess this one will share second place for me, but still i listen to it a lot ) great album, PT at their best

Excellent album. My second PT fave after In Absentia.

Signify has a very unique atmosphere and still sounds pretty fresh today. I much prefer it to Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream.

I don't currently own it and so I haven't heard it in a while(except for a few tracks on youtube)but it's a really great album. I think the ones right after it were their best but this one is right behind them. I know I'm in the minority here but I don't care much for their metal period.

All right, short story time
So, I was travelling by bus again and I was getting into PT at the time. After having listened to 3-4 of their albums, it was time for Signify. I press play and the narrator invites me to relax and enjoy some music. I don't kick my shoes off because I am not at home, but the seat is relatively comfy. I should mention that I was already a big fan (iirc I had just listened to Lightbulb Sun or something) so Signify wasn't my initiation to PT.
I went on hearing almost all songs of the album. To be honest, I don't remember much and that is, I believe, a small drawback of the album. Some of the songs are very nice to listen to, but not remarkable and, thus, not memorable. It is one of the strangest PT albums in terms of categorisation. Many fans have trouble describing the sound. Some say it's dark prog (is that even a genre?), while others say it's still old, psychedelic PT. I think it is a less schizophrenic version of The Incident. A great album overall.
Anyway, the ride was about to end so I paused the music just before Dark Matter, the last song. About two weeks later I stumbled upon Dark Matter and remembered about the unfinished album, so I gave it a listen. Have you ever experienced these absolutely mind-blowing moments while listening to music? There are only two or three that I can recall and that is the most remarkable of all. Of course, if you have already heard the song, you know that I'm talking about the guitar solo at the second part of the song. Now that's a revelation. Speechless. And then "You've just had a heavy session of electroshock therapy, and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks". Truer words were never spoken.
So, yeah, that's how Dark Matter is now my favourite song by the band. I had the joy to listen to Steven Wilson play it live in Athens last May, after playing the entire HCE. But that's another, even longer story...

Watchmaker wrote: Anyway, the ride was about to end so I paused the music just before Dark Matter, the last song. About two weeks later I stumbled upon Dark Matter and remembered about the unfinished album, so I gave it a listen. Have you ever experienced these absolutely mind-blowing moments while listening to music? There are only two or three that I can recall and that is the most remarkable of all. Of course, if you have already heard the song, you know that I'm talking about the guitar solo at the second part of the song. Now that's a revelation. Speechless. And then "You've just had a heavy session of electroshock therapy, and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks". Truer words were never spoken. So, yeah, that's how Dark Matter is now my favourite song by the band.

Edited by Jeffro - February 15 2017 at 07:14

Watchmaker wrote: Yeah I've thought about the circumstances and conditions under which we hear each song many times. But the moments I was describing above are a bit different than your second experience. I'm talking about mind-blowing without any other stimuli, just the music.

Edited by Jeffro - February 16 2017 at 04:59

Roj wrote: The last of their psychedelic era, and though it's weaker than it's predecessors it's still one of their best overall. The bonus disc on the re-issue is very good.  In fact I think this is due a listen, not heard it for possibly a couple of years now.

Guldbamsen wrote: Roj wrote: The last of their psychedelic era, and though it's weaker than it's predecessors it's still one of their best overall. The bonus disc on the re-issue is very good.  In fact I think this is due a listen, not heard it for possibly a couple of years now. Pretty much sums it up for me as well. I too prefer Sky Moves Sideways and Up the Downstair to Signify...but not by a whole lot. This era of PT smokes everything that came after. Hell I even prefer Chris Maitland to Gavin's brainbending rhythmic prowess...and that is saying something (Looove Gavin's drumming). Oh and don't forget about Voyage 34, Metanoia and Transmission IV

Totally with you on those three too Dave. I have the Metanoia cd in the car at the moment in fact (went for that over Signify this morning!)