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Points: 301 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Porcupine Tree Advice Needed
    Posted: August 03 2005 at 11:02

I have enjoyed In Absentia and Deadwing... but I have absolutely no exposure to older Porcupine Tree.

Do they have different distinct periods (example: Synth Rush of the 80's) ? 

Do they have any major member changes I need to be aware of (example: Rick Wakeman leaving Yes, or, a change of vocalists in Marillion) ? 

What CDs would be recomended to me if I like their newer stuff.... Lightbulb Sun, Sky Moves Sideways, Stupid Dream ??

If it's worth playing, it's worth playing loud!
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Points: 16955 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 11:09
Lightbulb Sun is probably their best album. Its very good and its a good mix between the old and the new. High recommended!
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Points: 280 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 11:18

The first PT CD that I heard was The Sky Moves Sideways, in late 2004. I'd been a bit bogged down musically for a few years, but when I heard this, I went completely ape shiat. I thought it was absolutely terrific.

I hadn't yet discovered Prog Archives, and didn't have any way of getting any further info on the band (musical phases, personnel changes, etc.) since none of my friends had ever heard of them! The only avenue open to me was to just pick up as much of their material as I could. I've now got 10 PT CDs as well as some of Steven Wilson's collaborative work such as Blackfield, No-man, and Bass Communion. I don't regret it.

Every PT CD that I now have in my collection is a worthy addition. In Absentia and Voyage 34 are probably my favourites at the moment, but that changes from week to week.

Overall, PT material is strong, right throughout their history. The new CD, Deadwing, is considerably heavier than any of its predecessors, but it too has its gentler moments. Earlier stuff like Voyage 34 and Sky are more what one might consider "traditional" prog music.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, PT was pretty much the catalyst that caused me to "re-discover" prog music, and has opened me up to so many others new - and old - bands and artists in the past 8 months.

Just get out there and start buying whatever you can lay your hands on!

 

 

 


"We did it....you and me! Put him right under the table!"
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 11:27

I like every single album I've heard off them, they have indeed progressed over the years though.

The earlier stuff [when it was basically just Steve Wilson] is very psycheldelic, Up The Downstair and Staircase Infinities are wonderful examples of space rock.

They [SW got bandmates!] entered a more poppy [but still progressive] mid-stage with albums like Lightbulb Sun and Signify which is still excellent music, Lightbulb Sun is my favourite PT album [Hatesong is right good!].

'In Absentia' and 'Deadwing' are heavier but the music is great and still has that Porcupine Tree Sig sound.

It's all good in my opinion, however it'd be best to start with something like Lightbulb Sun or Signify.
'Man was created in 1 day, it took him the other 6 to create Prog'
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Points: 4928 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 12:16
Why nopt try Signify? Its my personal fav
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Points: 3013 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 14:29
Their really early stuff (On the Sunday of Life, Up the Downstair, Voyage 34) is a little bit electronic and quite spacey.  This is because at this point, the band was just Steven Wilson playing all the instruments.  He put together a band for The Sky Moves Sideways, which is their most Floydian sounding and most proggy album.  Signify, the album that followed it, is a bit darker and quite a bit more experimental.  It also shows them flirting with hard rock for the first time.

Stupid Dream is where they turned the corner towards their more modern sound, losing most of the psychedelia.  They didn't really start to encorporate hard rock riffs until Lightbulb Sun (my personal favorite of them), In Absentia and Deadwing are their heaviest albums yet.  I would advise that you work your way backwards through their discography.  If you have In Absentia and Deadwing, get Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream, then move into the more psychedelic era with Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways.  If you're still interested in more PT after that, go for Voyage 34, Up the Downstair and On the Sunday of Life.  They're a great band, I'm always glad to see new people discovering them.
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Points: 208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 14:52

Originally posted by Useful_Idiot Useful_Idiot wrote:

Their really early stuff (On the Sunday of Life, Up the Downstair, Voyage 34) is a little bit electronic and quite spacey.  This is because at this point, the band was just Steven Wilson playing all the instruments.  He put together a band for The Sky Moves Sideways, which is their most Floydian sounding and most proggy album.  Signify, the album that followed it, is a bit darker and quite a bit more experimental.  It also shows them flirting with hard rock for the first time.

Stupid Dream is where they turned the corner towards their more modern sound, losing most of the psychedelia.  They didn't really start to encorporate hard rock riffs until Lightbulb Sun (my personal favorite of them), In Absentia and Deadwing are their heaviest albums yet.  I would advise that you work your way backwards through their discography.  If you have In Absentia and Deadwing, get Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream, then move into the more psychedelic era with Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways.  If you're still interested in more PT after that, go for Voyage 34, Up the Downstair and On the Sunday of Life.  They're a great band, I'm always glad to see new people discovering them.

 

I would agree with Useful_Idiot and work your way backwards.
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Points: 415 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 15:03
good luck finding lightbulb sun and stupid dream though... they are out of print for now

download them at least


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 20:05
Originally posted by Useful_Idiot Useful_Idiot wrote:

Their really early stuff (On the Sunday of
Life, Up the Downstair,
Voyage 34) is a little bit electronic and quite spacey.  This is
because at this point, the band was just Steven Wilson playing
all the
instruments.  He put together a band for The Sky Moves
Sideways,
which is their most Floydian sounding and most proggy album. 
Signify, the album that followed it, is a bit darker and quite a bit
more experimental.  It also shows them flirting with hard rock for
the first time.

Stupid Dream is where they turned the corner towards their
more modern
sound, losing most of the psychedelia.  They didn't really start
to encorporate hard rock riffs until Lightbulb Sun (my personal
favorite of them), In Absentia and Deadwing are their heaviest
albums
yet.  I would advise that you work your way backwards through
their discography.  If you have In Absentia and Deadwing, get
Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream, then move into the more
psychedelic era
with Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways.  If you're still
interested in more PT after that, go for Voyage 34, Up the
Downstair
and On the Sunday of Life.  They're a great band, I'm always
glad
to see new people discovering them.
THE BEST ADVICE!!!!!!
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Points: 20695 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 20:24
Try and get hold a copy of Warsawa; its the live album with stuff from Lightbulb Sun & Stupid Dream...its a very strong album and, unlike the two studios I mentioned, is much easier to get hold of.
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Points: 301 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 21:34
THANKS everyone. Prog Archives came thru again ! 
If it's worth playing, it's worth playing loud!
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Points: 21688 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 21:44
Up the Downstair was recently re-released in a beautiful digipack with Staircase Infinities as a bonus CD ... it's a good way to explore their early sound and not as rare as Voyage 34 or the debut.
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Points: 415 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 22:36
voyage 34 isnt rare - i bought it at their gig in NYC  (the nice new digi rerelease anyway)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 22:53
I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF PORCUPINE TREE SCINCE THE
RELISE OF SYGNIFY IN THE EARLY 90’S THROUGH A PINK
FLOYD FANZINE CALLED “ BRAIN DAMAGE” AND I
TRUTHLY ENJOY MOST OF THEIR RECORDS SCENES DAY
ONE AND TO BE TO BEST HONEST IT HARD TO GO BACK
TO THEIR VERY VERY EARLY STEVE WILSON
RECORDINGS STUFF, EVEN THOUGH I THINK THAT
DEADWING IS ONE OF WEAKEST ALBUMS AFTER UP
DOWNSTAIR, BUT I LIKE ALMOST OF THEIR ALBUMS AND I
THINK AFTER THE SKY MOVES SIDE WAYS WAS WENT
PORCUPINE TREE BECAME A REAL EXCELLENT BAND. IN
MY OWN WORDS AND IN THE ORDER FROM “THEIR BEST”
TO “OK” HERE IS MY LIST AND RECOMENEDED IN THIS
ORDER

1 COMMA DIVINE LIVE!! STUFF (prog-metal, space prog-rock,
psych-rock this is the ultimate PT album I think porcupine tree
are always a better band live.
2 IN ABSENTIA (prog-metal-, King crimson, Opeth, pink Floyd,
Tool, Rush) there is a tide between in abnesia and signify
3 SIGNIFY (space- prog- pink Floyd, king crimson, ozric
tentacles,)
4 THE SKY MOVES SIDEWAYS (space-prog- ambient- psych
rock -pink Floyd, ozric tentacles, Tangerine Dream)
5 STUPID DREAM (prog rock pink Floyd, genesis early
genesis, king crimson, rush,)
6 LIGHTBULB SUN (prog- rock, art -rock- genesis, the Beatles,
pink Floyd, jethro tull, king crimson)

7 WARSZAWA LIVE! (Prog-metal- prog- rock art rock- genesis,
pink Floyd, king crimson) a must !!!!

8 UP THE DOWNSTAIR (space-prog- ozric tentacles, pink
Floyd, tangerine dream,
9 METANIOA (spaceprog- psych rock - ambient ozric tentacles,
pink Floyd, soft machine inpro stuff from the recording sections
of signify, but with no vocals and a lot jamming, but this a
must!!!!

10 VOYAGE 34 no Steve vocals (spaceprog- psych-rock
ambient (tangerine dream, pink Floyd, ozric tentacles
Vangelis, brain eno, Robert fripp trips)
11 DEADWING (neo metal- prog-metal- opeth, a little bit of king
crimson, the minor pink Floyd influence album the problem is
that it sound too alternative rock I think the classic PT sound is
almost lost here I am very disappointed! but is not bad. I hope
their next album will be better!!!!

12 ON THE SUNDAY OF LIFE (psych-rock ambient) Whoa
when you listen to this album you could never thought that PT
was going to become a progmetal band!!!


So my friend, I would recommend to you porcupine tree albums
according to what type of prog rock you are into. If you are like
me that like all types progressive rock media jejeje (progmetal,
neo-prog, space prog-rock, prog, art-prog, psych-rock,
Ambient.) I recommend you all of them, but I only enjoyed their
progmetal side them you must look at the list again and look in
personal opinion what bands reminded of and what prog style
they’re so again my recommendation go with what kind of prog
you enjoy the most and if you want you start buying the albums
start with my order, but let me give you a warning do not start
with on the Sunday of life it might disappointed you a lot!!!!

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Points: 21688 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 23:00

Originally posted by Pseud0 Pseud0 wrote:

voyage 34 isnt rare - i bought it at their gig in NYC  (the nice new digi rerelease anyway)

I didn't know that they re-released that as well - but I wouldn't recommend that album to Porcupine Tree newbies - the synthetic drums and Pink Floyd plagiarism might annoy them - and they still annoy me. Not among my favorite PT albums, but it has its charm.
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Points: 415 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 03 2005 at 23:12
i love it - listening to it right now actually 

i have:
in absentia
deadwing
the sky moves sideways (rerelease 2cd)
signify (rerelease 2cd)
voyage 34 (rerelase)
lightbulb sun (on computer in mp3 because its OOP )
stupid dream (on computer in mp3 because its OOP )

all good stuff - love this band


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Points: 41 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 04 2005 at 07:16

I would recommend "Signify". It is an excellent mix of the old and new styles, and with the re-release containing "Insignificance" as a bonus disc it has never been a better time to get it!

NP: Die Apokalyptischen Reiter - Soft & Stronger
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