STUPID DREAM

Stupid Dream is Porcupine Tree's first album to delve all through the alt. rock/pop genre, though it still retains some of the past albums soundscapes, this is essentially a pop album by a previously experimental/psych artist/band.

The band decided to write songs that could appeal to a wider audience, yet its concept (clearly seen in the cover-art) is quite the opposite, with Steven's own words: "....I just had this image of these CDs just coming off this conveyor belt. And obviously it's at complete odds with the music. But I wanted to have this kind of contradictory feel to the color. The bottom line is, the people that get into Porcupine Tree know that we're exactly not the kind of band that ever considers our music in terms of product and shifting units. So I thought it would kind of be fun to put an image on the album which is a comment on that. What could be a more stupid dream than wanting to make music and sell it."

The album is compromised by 12 songs that would settle the foundations where the band would later develop from. There's the melancholic and depressing tunes, then there's the extremely catchy tunes with memorable riffs and melodies, and then you've got the more rockin' pieces that would later be known as 'Blackest Eyes', 'Shallow' and 'Open Car', although Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun are rather metal-less.

To sum it up, it's a collection of alternative rock songs that manages to display the genre at its best; similar to what Radiohead managed to do.

4 stars: I give this album a higher rating than In Absentia since I consider Stupid Dream to be far more consistent with no filler and it's more memorable all through. Steven Wilson's take on pop music is a highly enjoyable ride with a brilliant sense of melody, mood and atmosphere, and Stupid Dream is proof of this. Highly recommended to progressive rock fans who are looking for clever pop music, and obviously this is a must- have for Porcupine Tree fans.

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