VOYAGE 34 - THE COMPLETE TRIP

I had no expectations at all when I stumbled upon Voyage 34. I was looking for another Porcupine Tre album and I noticed that Voyage 34 had long songs. Being that it was earlier Porcupine Tree, I assumed they would be spacey, evolving trips of some nature. I was right, and while it isn't a masterpiece, it displays just about what I first wanted out of Porcupine Tree. The basic concept of Voayge 34 is fairly obvious, as it is stated in a narrative opening the album. The subject begins a euphoric LSD trips that turns sour and leaves his psyche shattered. If you can picture that concept translated into music, interspersed with narratives from an objective viewer/storyteller, you begin to get a sense of Voyage 34 as a whole.

Now, let me say that the music on Voyage 34 is not incredibly varied. Indeed there is a large Pink Floyd influece that is, at times, little more than plagarism. But the album owes just as much to Brian Eno's ambiet works, espcially Music for Airports, which I see as a direct outline for Voyage. Also, I can hear strong Neo Progressive influences at times, especially in the latter half of "Phase II." Being that Voyage 34 focuses more on the downside of the LSD experience, the music most often reflects that. There are all kinds of textures on the album, but the more sinister, psychotic, glimmering, tension- layered synths see the most light. The rhythm section supports these slow-building arrangements well when given the opportunity. Indeed, the most interesting, bits on the album occur when the music swells, guided by the rhythm section. But overall, this is an ambient album.

I would have preferred Voayge 34 to be more uplifting, or perhaps non-effecting if anything, but I'm not disappointed. This is a solid ambient/spacey album with enough interesting elements to satisfy fans of The Sky Moves Sideways and other similar Porcupine Tree albums.