UP THE DOWNSTAIR

After "Voyage 34", Wilson performed another 'conventionally structured' record, consistent in three lenghty instrumental tracks and a collection of more or less long vocal or instrumental pieces. In some sense, this album has a similar spirit to "On the Sunday of Live". but this one has the cohesion and power than the other lacked in some way. Although this record is still fairly experimental, Wilson seems to have clearer ideas this time.

You may say this album is quite of ambient', since it has a lot of atmospheric and relaxing spacy songs, although this was a constant pattern is Wilson solo works. He again works with a mix of synthetizers and guitar, and again he doesn't use his voice much here (maybe at this stage he thought it was not necessary) resulting in a solid, virtually flawless space rock composition (I said virtually because "'Always Never" is indeed a weak link, although fortunately the only one).

So, this album was another of the yet to come efforts that proved that Porcupine Tree is a strong force in contemporary rock.