WARSZAWA

With the success of XM, Porcupine Tree decided to delve into the archives again for a second release on their own Transmission label. Warszawa comprises a 70+ minute show that was broadcast on Polish radio in 2001. So no In Absentia here, but the majority of songs are from the nearest release at the time, Lightbulb Sun. The rest of the show is somewhat of a 'Greatest Hits', with songs such as Voyage 34, Signify, Even Less etc. The Lightbulb Sun songs sound vibrant, and the older songs sound arguably better live than they do on the albums: Slave Called Shiver sounds especially powerful, and the guitar is more prominent in Stop Swimming which makes the song even more beautiful. Overall, this is an excellent set. The crowd do not feature too prominently, and the 70+ minutes of music showcases Porcupine Tree doing what they love - playing live. How could we begrudge them that? They do it so well.

This was my first experience of PT and it blew my socks off. I think live sets in general add an extra dimension to any band and I think that this was half of the reason behind my liking it so much. What I found so refreshing was the cool arrangements and melodies as well as the dark seemingly very personal lyrics to some tracks and the deeper meanings to others. I've listened to a few more of their albums since which I'll try and review in time (all of which I love). I think I was fortunate to get hooked straight away by Even Less. Some of the other tracks seem to have to grow on me but this one was an immediate 5*. What strikes me most about the music is appears to be unique. The melodies and some of the arrangement seem to send the listener off on a wild goose chase of seeming familiarity at the start and then a jump half way through into something that only in hindsight makes perfect musical sense. Anyway I won't go into how cool the rest of this record is since if you are reading this I presume you already know and have listened to it more than me anyway :-) If you haven't had the fortune of listening to PT and you have a wide taste in 'good' music I'd highly recommend this one.

Dave

As previously expressed in my Magenta -Another Time Another Place review, prog albums in a live setting are rarely monumental achievements because of the heavy production tendency associated with our beloved musical genre. Proggers like to lay it on thick in the studio , ever since Alan Parsons multi tracks fiddled with Dark side of The Moon. PTree's 1997 live release "Coma Divine" is considered by many fans to the point of unanimity, one of the all-time great prog albums ,period-live or studio. Listening to that concert set regularly ever since, it's hard to dispute! After a series of killer studio albums ( the elegant "Stupid Dream", the quirky "Lightbulb Sun" and the devastating fury of "In Absentia") , Steve Wilson and his companions Barbieri, Edwin and Maitland endeavour to prove that they are on course to claiming the Prog crown, by releasing this 2001 concert in Warszaw, for the Polish Radio 3 , an event staged in the past for Colin Bass' magical "Live Polskie Radio" 2 CD set. PTree is most appreciated in a live setting as they not only cook but sizzle in front of an audience. This set simmers, swirls, bounces, burps, wails and screams through a blistering rendition of their newer tunes (In Absentia excepted), with the avid propulsion of a small but very enthusiastic Polish audience heard throughout. Chris and Colin are their usual well lubricated rythm machine, setting torrid grooves on the longer classic pieces such as "Even Less", "Hatesong" , the amazing "Russia On Ice" and the cinematographic "Voyage34" written with the help of VDGG and Dead Can Dance members, the crowning achievement on this CD , shoving it into the realm of the absolute. This is a much harder-edge affair than " Coma Divine" reflecting the new tougher tone demonstrated with such success on "In Absentia". Beyond Richard Barbieri's creative keyboard genius and his ultra modern intervention, it's Steve Wilson's guitar that truly drops the jaw! At times, its unbelievable, the way he tortures the strings, caressing the frets, pushing all the right buttons without any hint of technical arrogance! Damn, is he ever good! Steve is definitely on a mission , with so many past monuments both with PTree, Blackfield and No-Man, as well as his musician-producer contributions with Opeth, Paatos, Fish and many others, proving over and over again the consistency of his vision and the confirmation of his immense talent. The imminent new album "Deadwing" should be another step in the keeping him on top of the ProgWorld. We will find out soon! 4 Wilson volleyballs

Although not the greatest prog album in the world, it is well worth checking out for those who are into alt rock with a progressive edge. It is also a good way to get into post "Sky Moved Sideways" but pre "In Absentia" PT.

The performance is as flawless as fans will have come to expect of the band, and only Signify sounds as if it has been slightly awkwardly tagged onto the end. It can, however, be forgiven as it is an excellent rendition.

Only track 7 could potentially be accused of being a weak track, but that is subjective in any case. Overall, this is an essential addition to any PT fan's collection and a good starting point for those who are new to the band.

This is a great live album! I saw the band recently and they keep impressing. I like the way the band mixes spiritual images with the music. Steve Wilson can definitely write hooks but he also puts deep meaning into the material. Most of this album is heavy and intense. good stuff...

So I suppose by now you have noticed that I kind of like PT eh ! Well this is due to the fact that they continue to fascinate me musically with their great song writing and ability to hold onto that progressive / psychedelic ideal. "Warszawa" captures PT live on their "Lightbulb Sun" tour in Poland of which this was most captured for a live radio broadcast. This 80 mins live album includes a great version of "Voyage 34" and "Russia on Ice" along with a number of other tracks mostly from "Stupid Dream" and "Lighbulb Sun". For those who prefer the atmospheric side of PT will love this live album. A richly recorded little gem.

Another PT masterpiece. Mainly from Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun, this album just shines. This is PT's second best live album (Coma Divine of course being first), and if you are into the newer PT sound this is a great buy. "Russia On Ice" is my favorite track on the album, but "Voyage 34" comes in a close second. If you're new to Porcupine Tree, you need to have a live album and as I said, if you like their newer stuff, this should be just right for you.

This was recorded for a Polish radio station April 6 / 01.They brought in a live audience for this event, and there is a picture of the band, stage and crowd in the liner notes. Interesting to see that big lit lightbulb at the front of the stage. This was afterall recorded during the "Lightbulb Sun" tour. So 6 of the 11 tracks are from that album, with 3 from "Stupid Dream", as well as the title track from "Signify" and also "Voyage 34".

"Even Less" opens the proceedings and yes i'm smiling ear to ear as I hear the first strains of the guitar. Happens everytime I hear this amazing track. Drums come pounding in as Steven starts to light it up. Vocals and a calm follow. This is pure bliss."...but for the grace of God goes another man." Ripping guitar 4 1/2 minutes in with some great synth work from Richard a minute later. Guitar follows it up with a raw solo. "Slave Called Shiver" is the second straight "Stupid Dream" track. Nice bass intro as the vocals come in. This is powerful song when it kicks in. "Shesmovedon" is another all time fav of mine. Great guitar intro with a nice heavy beat. I like the contrasts throughout. Check out the guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in that goes on and on to the end. So emotional. "Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth..." opens with strummed guitar as synths and vocals come in. Those spoken word samples arrive after 2 1/2 minutes.This is so cool. The spoken word samples come and go as do the instrumental outbreaks.

"Lightbulb Sun" opens with samples of children playing. Strummed guitar and vocals follow. A fuller sound 1 1/2 minutes in. Love the synths before 3 minutes. Great guitar after 4 minutes and the song ends as it began with children playing. "Russia On Ice" opens with some good atmosphere before the guitar comes in before 2 minutes. Vocals a minute later. This is such a dark and emotional song. Fantastic lyrics. Some angry guitar 5 1 1/2 minutes in with riffs 8 minutes in. Some killer drumming and synth work after 10 1/2 minutes. "Where We Would Be" is a reflective song with strummed guitar and resrved vocals. I like it. "Hatesong" opens with bass as the crowd claps along. Drums join in. A full sound before a minute, vocals follow. An even fuller sound before 2 minutes. Mellotron 3 minutes in and 6 minutes in. Killer sound after 4 minutes. "Stop Swimming" is as Wilson says (as he introduces it) "a very sad song...and this is one of my favourite songs that i've ever written." A beautiful song. "Voyage 34" opens with those sampled vocals. Eerie synths a minute in as the crowd roars it's approval. When that PINK FLOYD-like beat comes in the crowd claps along. Great sound 7 1/2 minutes in as the drums, bass and guitar just play. Nice. "Signify" is the rocker to close the proceedings. Heavy riffs as synths wash over top. I forgot how incredible this song is. What a way to end the show.

A "must have" along with "Coma Divine" each covering different periods of PORCUPINE TREE's existance. Yes, this is essential to all PORCUPINE TREE fans.

WARSZAWA is another fine album by Porcupine Tree in a live setting. This recording was taken from a live broadcast for Polish radio program III, Warszawa in the studio "im agnieszki Osieckiej" on April 6th 2001. Also in the studio during the broadcast was an invited audience who helped to make the atmosphere on the night and on this recording so special. This single CD accommodates the entire performance with the exception of "Tinto Brass". All of the music was recorded to 32 track digital tape and remixed at no man's land in June 2001.

(In order to have the whole album complete you can now download "Tinto Brass" for free from the PORCUPINE TREE DOWNLOAD STORE at www.burningshed.co.uk )

The main difference between Warszawa and XM and XMII is that the XM albums were recorded in the XM studio's in Washington with absence of any audience, making the XM albums sound more sterile. Anyone who frequently visits PORCUPINE TREE live performances COMA DIVINE and WARSZAWA are a must have! Especially the track list of Warszawa, containing songs like EVENLESS, SHESMOVEDON, LAST CHANCE TO EVACUATE PLANET EARTH. and RUSSIA ON ICE is superb!

I would probably rate this fine live album by 4.4 stars, but now with the great instrumental track "TINTO BRASS" being added to it, it probably deserves closer to 5 stars.

This album totally rocks from start to finish. I won't bore you with details of each track - just sit back and enjoy the ride. The CD came with a little sticker that says "the spiritual heirs to Pink Floyd....a magical kaleidoscope of elegant rock pleasures. Great stuff" - this describes it perfectly. This is full-on space rock of the first degree - you won't get anything better than this. Atmospheric keyboards, great bass and drumming, superb guitar work all abound.

Why this band isn't totally famous, I can't understand - I mean, look at what does well in the charts - it makes no sense.....

Another great live album by Porcupine Tree !

It nearly reaches the level of Coma Divine, released a few years earlier, which is an absolute masterpiece.

You can read on their online store "the band consider this to be one of their best performances". Well, I think they are right !

Released some years after the recording (2001), it is the testimony of a fine period of Porcupine Tree's music ; just after Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun studio albums.

PS: You can find the missing track "Tinto Brass" on their online store (free download).

High quality live album mainly featuring songs from Lightbulb Sun,Stupid Dream,In Absentia and Signify.The playing is as tight as you would expect from this group of superb musicians and the production and good as its gets for a live recording.I would recommend this for both fans of Porcupine Tree and those who are looking for a 'sampler' of this band and want to know what the fuss is all about. The genius songwriting of Steven Wilson is what its all about. Go buy it!

A good view of Porc tree for stupid dream and Lightbulb son. This album is not truly a live touring album, it's the band in a studio with a live audience with very good recording materials. It's hard to imagine that the aggressive in Absentia would come after this ( even though this certain album came out in 2005) because, this album is very mellow andeven boring at times. I dont own either of the albums this live recording goes over, but I have heard shesmovedon many times, Deadwing and lightbuld son versions, and I must say that I am very disapointed with this song because it's absolutely studio perfect, no improv and nothing new, and this song could easily have an extended solo or something.

The music on the album besides shesmovedon is a bit better though, the drumming does occasionally do an extra fill or two, when it would be very obvious that that would never be on the officially reording. Steven Wilson does not play piano or any other kinds of synthesizers, but i guess that would be a little diffucult on stage. I like the spaceyness, but it is obvious the bands was in for some major changes, cause some of the more aggressive moments seemed to lack the power needed to really make an impression, thus the metal for the next couple of years. The one thing that really blows me away with the music is Richard barbaeri's pretensiousness. On album, he rarely does any solo's, he's usually doing that usual electronic playing that he is known and loved for, but on this album, he has a solo for every other song, with the same weird sound he makes on album. It's very cool and all, but the sound he makes for his solo's on album are cool, because it's very rewarding to him solo, but that noise he makes on almost every song does get a bit irritating, even on the three minuete song, Where We Would Be he has a solo! I thought Steven was the only one in the band allowed to have more than one solo per album!

The songs are cool and collective with no mistakes or errors, which can be a good or bad thing, which ever way you like. The album kicks off on Even Less, which I think is not the best opener, considering it's very mellow with a sub par climax, though at some parts are very pretty and hamonious. Alas, the soft songs continue with slave called shiver, which is slower and very plain, usually I have the words to a song memorized by the fifth listen, and I dont for this song because i just cant pay attention to it. So by this time, you are pretty bored and are waiting for some more exciting songs, well the next song does make up for the absence. I have already bashed Shesmovedon, but by this point in the album, you are very happy to hear it, with more energy and catchiness than the last two songs. The next song Last chance to evacuate planet earth is very cool, but Lightbulb sun seems very simalar to Even less, slow and melodic. The firt ten minuete plus song Russia on ice has kind of a boring into that slowly builds to an exciting climax near the tenth minuete. Where we would be has nice placement as filler from the epic before it, and t's also a very lovely song, even with the strange synth solo. Hatesong is next, and it's really cool how there has been nothing but, symbolic slower songs (maybe besides shesmovedon) until this point with a very direct point and message. Sadly the song does kind of meander after a while. The next song, stop swimming, Steven Wilson describes as one of his favirotes, but it seems kind of awkward with the busy drum beat complicating the very pretty and sad song. Next we have the closers Voyage 34 and signify, voyage 34 is completely studio redone which is once again disapointing, but Signify is improvised very nicely, giving it a hard rocking edge.

Good, sometimes very good, but I think porcupine ree just chose some bad songs, or just bad placement of songs. Either way, my impression from it...

3***

This "PT" live release makes the perfect pair with "Coma Divine". Only one song is featured on both records on both are of very good quality. This one has been recorded in Poland, a country which attracts more and more bands from Western Europe and that's fine. Polish people can finally see some of the great prog bands by now. Six songs come from "Lightbulb Sun" and are played in bulk from "Shesmovedon" through "Hatesong". I like the fact that they are all grouped instead of being played here and there throughout the set. But I guess that others would prefer reverse, so ...it's only a matter of taste. "Russia On Ice" is one of the best here, but I preferred the studio version.

There will also be a return back to their debut (well almost) : a very pleasant "Voyage 34". One of the highlight of this live recording. While "Where We Would Be" is one of the weakest track with an average rendition of "Signify" (much harder and almost double the size).

Four songs are taken out "Stupid Dream". Three of them are listed on the standard "Warzawa" album and to have the full experience of this "concert", you can download "Tinto Brass" from their website (FOC - free of charge).

If you want to discover the band, you can start with their two live recordings ("Coma..." and this one). It is a cheaper way to get the essence of "PT". From then on you could expand (or not) your "PT" collection. Three stars.

High value live album by the most popular prog band in the world, showcasing a finely performed and energetic set of songs from a narrow segment of their work.

"Warszawa" begins with words just about everybody wishes they were hearing right now: "Live on stage... Porcupine Tree!" And off we go, getting things moving with a collection of highlights from "Stupid Dream" and "Lightbulb Sun". The band's playing is faultless here, with the production bringing out the best in their performances and the full depth of their live sound. There isn't much here that distinguishes them from their studio counterparts, save an enjoyable and robust energy which kicks a few them into high gear, such as "Slave Called Shiver" or "Last Chance...". Great stuff overall, but very limited because of the setlist, which takes few diversions from promoting what was, at the time, the band's newest material.

A good buy for fans of classic PT!

Setlist 3 Energy 3 Performances 4 Live Experience 3

All songs are taken from the albums _Stupid Dream_ and _Lightbulb Sun_ with the exception of the last 2 tracks. Having found the aforementioned albums somewhat spotty and over-produced, you'll get Porcupine Tree in the raw here. The versions live are better here than the studio releases. Basically, if you quit listening after the _Signify_ album, you'll be surprised that this measures up to your expectations when comparing Porcupine Tree to their _Delerium Years_(their record label). You also have the amazing Chris Maitland on drums which is a treat in itself. I haven't heard a guy carry a band like this since Bill Bruford, Neil Peart or all the Ozric Tentacles drummers.. This guy is incredible! Highlights are _Russia On Ice_, _Hate Song_ and the live Voyage 34.

For a while there, this was the only way for newer fans to Porcupine Tree to get their hands on tracks from Lightbulb Sun. It's an album heavy one tracks from that one and Stupid Dream with a condensed Voyage 34 (probably a good thing) and Signify thrown in.

Warszawa demonstrates the difference between an ok live album and a really great one. It's a nice collection of songs, but they are pretty much identical to the studio versions. Would have been much better if it were filmed and released on DVD. But if you have to have it, or you only want a sort of best of album of PT tracks prior to In Absentia, it's not a bad route to go. And as a bonus, I think there is still a free download of Tinto Brass from the same show available out there. They pretty much packed the CD (79+ minutes) and didn't have room for it.

Personally, I love almost all albums by Porcupine Tree, including the live CD. This live album is basically performed during 'Lightbulb Sun' tour at a Polish radio show on April 6th 2001. Of course, I also like this live version as well. It contains almost 80 minute of music recorded here at this CD even though the real performance for radio broadcast was less than this CD duration because basically the extended three songs were only performed for those crowd who came to the radio station, not broadcasted. If you are familiar with Porcupine Tree, the set list for this performance was more on Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun albums.

As always, the beauty of any Porcupine Tree release is its crystal clear sound recording and pretty clear channel separation that make our ears hear wonderful sound from the instruments as well as the soundscapes. The opening track 'Even Less' (7:36) sounds inspiring as it has wonderful sound recording as well as excellent music that flows in ambient mode backed with bluesy, Floydian guitar work. The ending part is exactly like those you hear in studio album where there is a female voice making a count in the same style as the studio album. 'Slave Called Shiver' (5:08) continues the list with its bass guitar intro part followed with a music characterized by a groove. And it returns back to the ambient 'Shesmovedon' (5:21). It then moves nicely to 'Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth....'. My favorite 'Hatesong' (8:36) is also performed wonderfully at this live performance.

If you know the band quite well, I think you will definitely enjoy this live record. The only thing that concerns me is that during the performance there are many parts that have been pre-programmed before the show. Even though there is practically no overdubs, but the facts of preprogram material makes me not so much appreciating the overall live CD. Like I say in the beginning that I like any album of Porcupine Tree. Keep on proggin' ?!

Peace on earth and mercy mild ? GW

A quality live venture from modern prog's best!

This is a good live album from Porcupine Tree's LIGHTBULB SUN tour, showing the band in top form playing some of the true standouts from their central era. The collection of tracks is good - About half the tracks are from LIGHTBULB SUN, then a few more from STUPID DREAM, the title track from SIGNIFY and a compressed version of VOYAGE 34. The band has also offered a track which is not included on the CD (the live version of TINTO BRASS) as a free download to everyone, whether they own the CD or not.

The track selection is pretty solid - As I said, a mix of tracks from PT's most mainstream era. These two albums fall more into a RADIOHEAD-esque pop-prog region, although are still fantastic examples of the band's song writing abilities. The particular standouts are LAST CHANCE TO EVACUATE PLANET EARTH BEFORE IT IS RECYCLED, VOYAGE 34 (which is very rarely performed live), LIGHTBULB SUN and STOP SWIMMING which is also a live rarity.

As far as performance goes, the band really nails every song on this recording - From the cutting edge riff of SIGNIFY to the melancholic softness of WHERE WE WOULD BE, the band plays perfectly and appropriately at all times. As far as perfomance goes, the standouts are LIGHTBULB SUN, which features a much more powerful vocal chorus than the studio version, EVEN LESS which simply has an intense live energy, SLAVE CALLED SHIVER with the thumping bass of Colin Edwin played faster than the album recording and HATESONG, if only for the simple fact that the band nails the super-rhythmic mid-section perfectly in a live setting.

This, sonically, is a great recording - The audience noise is appropriate, and the mixing is level enough to keep the sound clear but still let it sound like a live recording. If there's one thing Steven Wilson can do (other than play guitar brilliantly, sing fantastically and write brilliant songs), its produce a record.

This is by no means essential; although it is a great introduction for newcomers to the band, featuring a good selection of tracks from their least proggy era. The best way to sample this album is to check out the free MP3 of TINTO BRASS - It'll give you a sample of the sonic quality and performance style on this recording, and if you decide to buy it afterwards, it'll let you finish off the concert.

A good sampler of Porcupine Tree in a live setting, and a great perfomance!

Enjoy! -Joel

Best with added brass

Recorded in Poland in 2001 and released 3 years later in 2004, "Warszawa" captures what was essentially a live in the studio performance in front of a small audience. At the time, the band's latest studio album was "Lightbulb sun", and the set list naturally concentrates on tracks from that release.

We start though with a superb rendition of "Even less" from "Stupid dream". The sound quality is very good as you would expect in a quasi-studio environment, although the odd piece of feedback drifts in as the early gremlins are still being sorted out. The entire performance is captured here with the exception of one song (see later). That omission was simply in order to keep the product down to a single disc; thus we have a running time of over 79 minutes. The tracks are however mixed up a bit, with the final song of the set, "Lightbulb sun", appearing here as track 5, ostensibly to improve the flow of the album.

Highlights include a slightly shortened but still 12+ minutes rendition of "Russia on ice" (from "Lightbulb sun") and a beautifully sensitive run through of "Stop Swimming" (from "Stupid dream"). The latter part of the set as it is presented here is given over to a couple of older numbers, namely an extract of "Voyage 34" and "Signify". It seems from Steve Wilson's dialogue that these two tracks were performed after the live radio broadcast had ended.

The track which was included in the performance but omitted from the CD is "Tinto brass", a song which was originally on "Stupid dream". Fortunately, this lost track can be download free of charge from Porcupine Tree's retail site BurningShed.com . If you wish to place it in the correct sequence in the set, it goes after right after "Stop swimming".

In all, a fine album which captures Porcupine Tree's prowess in the live environment.

Porcupine Tree's live album 'Warszawa' was recorded during the Lightbulb Sun Tour for Polish Radio, and features many of the tracks from that album and some favourites in the early era of the band. It is no surprise that the band focussed on spacier songs in this era with tracks such as 'Shesmovedon', featuring a dynamic wah-wah lead break, 'Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled', with spoken dialogue, melodic singing, acoustics and mellotron, and 'Voyage 34' an edit of the legendary psychedelic epic with all the dialogue and trippy ambience.

There are still slightly heavier moments of course such as the slide guitar driven awesome 'Even Less', the psych rock of 'Slave Called Shiver', and the powerful 'Hatesong'. Naturally, the focus is on the latest material at the time so live versions of songs from 'Lightbulb Sun' are present such as the title track, 'Shesmovedon', 'Russia On Ice', 'Where We Would Be' and 'Hatesong'. I would have liked some of the really early material for a change but it is nice to hear live performances of songs rarely heard these days such as 'Russia On Ice', 'Where We Would Be; and 'Stop Swimming' from 'Stupid Dream', that Wilson says is one of his favourite songs. The concert ends on the bright powerhouse for Wilson's fiery lead guitar attack and hypno riffs, 'Signify'.

Overall, this is definitely a compelling live album from these masterful musicians. Each member plays wonderfully throughout; Steven Wilson, a master on guitar and vocals, Richard Barbieri, a compelling presence on keyboards, Colin Edwin on bass, and Chris Maitland on drums, both such an integral part of the PT sound. The sound production is clear and each member is audible, and I like Wilson's vocals throughout that are passionate and well executed. There are better live albums such as 'Coma Divine' and 'Rockpalast', but 'Warszawa' is still a showcase for the band powering out the music that the prog community has grown to admire over the years.

In between their early space rock albums and the hard prog direction they took on In Absentia, Porcupine Tree put out a brace of albums in what I call their "indie-prog" styles - a mashup of their early spacey style with influences from then-current British indie rock. Marillion were plumbing similar territory at the time with the run of albums beginning with Brave - indeed, Steven Wilson would lend a hand on the marillion.com album, which perhaps represents the closest the two groups ever came to each other sonically - but Marillion and Porcupine Tree took somewhat different approaches and took different lessons from UK indie rock, in part because they were coming from different directions in the first place (what worked to evolve Marillion's neo-prog sound wouldn't necessarily have been right for developing Porcupine Tree's space rock, after all).

Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, and the (remarkably good) odds and sods collection Recordings are the studio fruits of this era of Porcuoine Tree's history - but if you want a live taste of this sound, then you want to check out Warszawa, which captures an April 2001 performance with the band in fine form. Selections from Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun dominate the track list for the most part, though Voyage 34 and Signify get a look in towards the end.

Perhaps more significantly, there's a slightly heavier edge to the performances here than we got on the studio renditions of many of these tracks - not as heavy as In Absentia, but we are less than a year away from them entering the studio to put that career-transforming album together, and you could certainly see this as a missing link between the "indie prog" era and the heavy prog stylings that would follow, albeit one leaning more towards the former period than the latter. The end result is steeped enough in the late 1990s sound of Porcupine Tree to be interesting to those who enjoy it, but is just different enough that it feels like a missing piece of that era slotting into place - and you could argue that providing a different slant on a band's work is the best thing a live album can offer over its studio predecessors.