Recordings

Recordings was the first Porcupine Tree album I heard mostly because distribution of their CDs are terrible in the U.S. Since then I've been purchasing what I can find which has been most of their catalog.

Having been a recent fan of PT it is difficult to consider Recordings as a B sides, extra tracks kind of CD. As a listener new to Porcupine Tree I was instantly involved with the album as a whole.

Buying New Soul is a great opener with great dynamics and mood. Access Denied was a surprise. It sounded like a drugged up XTC number, something different yet sandwiched with Cure For Optimism it made for a nice flow, a buffer between darker sounding songs.

The flow of Recordings is a strength. Even though it was recorded on several tracks at different sessions the songs fit well together. Much of this has to do with the vibe of Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun, there is a similarity to these albums much as there is a similarity to the tracks found on Recordings.

Even Less in this expanded version is quite engaging, the expansion actually sets up some drama from an already great song.

If I were advising someone to buy their first PT album I'd consider suggesting Recordings right along with Signify as these two CDs represent PT in their extended song format along with the shift to more traditional material from the previous two releases.

A few thoughts about Porcupine Tree and progressive rock. PT is not typical of what most people are familiar with as prog rock. They use synthesizers and on occasion work with complex song structures but also paint sound more like an electronica or post rock band. In this sense I'd place them as post rock with prog and electronica elements. It is worth consideration as to whether Porcupine Tree aren't developing the first advance in progressive rock instead of depending on 70's based progressive and quoting favorite artists from that era. One thing not mentioned are the extreme dynamics of PT recordings. This is music that demands listener's attention. Some passages are so quiet as to be distracting to casual listening. It could be argued that PT is expanding on the German tradition of electronic music in a similar vein to NEU! Although early PT albums borrowed from Pink Floyd that influence has diminished from Signify onward.

In any case Porcupine Tree are evolving into a unique sound that is their own. It could well be the first serious attempt to create the next phase of progressive music. At the very least this is entertaining music that will appeal to forward thinking listeners.

I recall snapping this 2001 album up upon it's release during a slight lull in the release of "official" PT studio albums during the 2000 - 2002 timeframe (i.e. from Lightbulb Sun to In Absentia) and the fact that this was a Limited Edition CD (#681 of 20,000) had me pretty excited. To make the deal even sweeter, I noted that there were a lot of new pieces, including a nearly 14 minute version of Even Less, which first appeared on Stupid Dream (1999), albeit at only slightly over 7 minutes in length.

The musicians on this album include Steve Wilson (lead vocals, electric/acoustic guitars, samples, hammered dulcimer, and acoustic piano); Richard Barbieri (Hammond organ, mellotron, and analog synthesizers); Chris Maitland (drums); and Colin Edwin (fretless electric bass and acoustic bass). Along with the core musicians there is a flute/saxophone player and a string section. With respect to the core musicians, I enjoy Steve Wilson's excellent vocals although Colin's bass playing is worth singling out - he is a very tasteful and restrained player that never oversteps his bounds, unlike most of the bassists in the new prog bands out there. Furthermore, as a huge fan of 1970s progressive and experimental rock, I especially appreciate the fact that these guys favor mostly analog equipment.

The 60 plus minute mix of pieces on this compilation include three previously unreleased tracks (Buying New Soul (10'24"), the expanded version of Even Less, and Oceans Have No Memory), while the remaining tracks were originally released as singles. The tracks range in length from 3'06" to 13'55" with most in the 6 minute plus category. Interestingly enough all of the tracks flow together into one cohesive whole and are well-paced, making this quite possibly the perfect PT album. Well, that is how I feel about it at any rate. I guess the plus for me is that with the single exception of the introduction to Access Denied, there is very little of the "poppiness" that started to creep in on albums like Stupid Dream and with the follow-up Lightbulb Sun (2000). In short, this is one incredible slab of killer, post-progressive space rock that recalls the best moments on albums like The Sky Moves Sideways and Signify.

Speaking of the music, it is very somber and grey with loads of spacey sections dominated by analog synths and heavily echoed guitars. Everything sounds incredibly organic and the splashes of mellotron here and there really add quite a lot to the brooding feel of the album. In addition to the spacier sections, there are some slightly heavier moments when the whole band is playing and Steve gets a very crunchy and distorted sound on the electric guitar. These moments are far and few between however, but add a textural element to the album that is just fantastic. I should note that the lengthy jam on the 13'55" Even Less is awesome and it is too bad that this version was not included on the Stupid Dream album - surely a great album would have been made greater.

Not only is this my single favorite album by PT, I feel that it is quite possibly one of their best albums in spite of it being a compilation of unreleased tracks and previously released singles. In fact, it is unfortunate that this album can not be distributed to a wider audience and is only presently available as an extremely expensive (and out of print) limited edition "collector's item". This album is very highly recommended with every fiber of my being to all 1970s prog/experimental rock fans that are desperately looking for newer, yet excellent and interesting music.

If you're already a fan of Porcupine Tree, you probably have hunted down all of the band's singles since they often include unreleased songs. If you haven't tracked them down--then you're in luck because this album features all of the "other" songs PT have released on their singles. "Disapear" is a fantastic song--it's suprising it was left off the "Lightbulb Sun" album because it's simply great in so many ways.

If you have these songs already, you still need to buy this album since it contains two brand new gems. And gems they are!!

"Buying New Soul" is haunting to say the least. The opening of the song has a great mellow keyboard melody that carries it into the core of the tune. A great chorus and great lyrics make this another fine PT song. The other new tune, "Access Denied" is also great--up tempo with vocal effects.

Porcupine Tree can't do wrong; they keep releasing stunning material. It's safe to say they may be one of the best bands around today. It's a shame more people haven't found them yet. That will all change soon.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 34 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars