WE LOST THE SKYLINE

This is a recording of a live remote done at a music store in Orlando, Florida in Oct, 2007. Originally, the remote performance was to feature the entire band, however, because of space issues, only Steven Wilson and John Wesley were able to attend. What resulted is a very warm and intimate 33 minute mini-concert in front of 200 very lucky fans, which is the subject of this album.

Steven Wilson performs alone in the first 3 tracks, singing and playing both electric and acoustic guitars. John Wesley doesn't appear until the 4th track. As the performance continues, Wilson opens up to the crowd and you get so involved in the intimacy of the concert, that you feel like you are there. You hear songs that you wouldn't expect to hear in this kind of a setting, namely the verses from "The Sky Moves Sideways" which turns into a beautiful and pensive song, Even Less, and Drown With Me. There are also some you would expect to hear, which retain their beauty, but give them a new life, namely, "Waiting", "Trains" and "Lazarus".

You know exactly when Wesley joins in during the middle of "Waiting", and he comes in at the right time, exactly when you want to hear that extra guitar support. At the beginning of "Normal", Wilson really warms up to the audience and relates a great story about him and Robert Fripp, and he even jokes around with his performance. The riff intro to "Waiting" is heard as the complex and difficult riff that it is. Wesley's voice gets it's due in this song as he sings counterpoint to Wilson's main verses.

This album is a definite must to Porcupine Tree fans, and is an excellent addition to anyone's music library, especially to lovers of acoustic and bare bones music. These performances bring out the soul of the songs and shifts the focus to the lyrics and the hearts of the songs. It may not be a masterpiece of progressive music, but it is one of the most intimate and most enjoyable acoustic sets that have been recorded. Highly recommended. Honestly, I only have a few acoustic performance albums that I consider my favorites, and this is one of them.