UP THE DOWNSTAIR

There aren't many records that come this close to being "perfect", but out of the entire Porcupine Tree catalog, "Up the Downstair" is very, very close to being "perfect". The songs are terrific, the flow of the record is very precise, and the production is very, very good.

Steven Wilson has recently remastered this album and replaced the drum machine on the original recording with real drums (played by Porcupine Tree's current drummer, Gavin Harrison). I can't fault the reasons that Steven Wilson wanted to remix, remaster and record new drum parts, but if you really want experience the majesty and beauty of this record, seek out the original version on Delerium records. The new remastered double CD is good, but in my opinion, it's not as good as the original. And if you are lucky enough to find the Delerium version of this CD, check out the version of "Fadeaway" and compare it to the remastered version. This is a masterpiece of a record, but specifically the Delerium version. Not the remaster.