VOYAGE 34 - THE COMPLETE TRIP

This is one of the first "PT" work I was confronted to some three years ago. And I quite liked it. It is obviously the most spacey work from "PT". An LSD trip with some recommendations (!) and warnings. It reminds me "Tangerine Dream" a lot of course (but only during the quitest moments) and the early LIVE Floyd (Ummagumma or non-official releases).

Most of the "Phases" are deeply tranquil with the voice from the outer space explaining the effect of the LSD. I guess this type of songs would have been prohibited some forty years ago. Still, not all the music is sleepy. The lasts section of "Phase I" catches up very nicely with a good rocking beat and great guitar.

Phase II, also has its more complex part, but it will be keyboards oriented this time (after minute five actually). The final part is again full of gorgeous guitar. I like this part an awful lot. This Phase ends with horrowing question : Is this trip really necessary ?

Phase III is the longest one but also the least interesting. A monotone twenty minutes with the same beat. A repetitive keys sound with here and there some external "sounds". Totally dispensible.

Phase IV is very much "Ricochet" oriented ("TD"). The short instructional lyrics are truely limit : one million young americans have made the LSD trip part of their live. This should be the start of a "speedy" evolution. Some sort of a new religion ! and this stuff about commiting suicide is not very intelligent either. Anyway, these forteen minutes are quite pleasant if you would take these messages out.

If you are a true lover of space-rock music, this album is for you. If you prefer the poppier or the harder side of "Porcupine Tree", you might well be disappointed or irritated. Do not start with this piece of music by curiosity. There are more accessible "PT" work. Why not starting with a live effort ?

This album is not a masterpiece. A "trip" of about an hour which holds some very good passages. Three stars.

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