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Porqupine Tree

I discovered this band by accident a couple of years ago while streaming Radio Paradise. I immediately bought the latest lp out at that time which was "Signify". I became a fan and also noticed how good this recording sounded and that the vinyl was of high quality.

Two years later, I've bitten the bullet. ( I say this because PT lps are not inexpensive) I ordered the vast majority of PT and one Steven Wilson on vinyl.

This is sort of a pre-auditioning report. It seems that PT has lps out on a couple of different labels. I have three in home now and the lps on "tonefloat" are the flat vinyl profile. Reminiscent of the later Classic label & UHQU MOFI lps. The other label, kscope, seems to be pretty close to flat. The point is, the vinyl sourced for this band is of high quality. (You vinyl people out there know what I mean) You can just "tell" when you have quality vinyl in your hands.

I was surprised that, upon my search, there was no other thread for this fine band out there. I'm looking forward to many hours of splendid listening.
128x128slaw
slaw's avatar
slaw OP
21,681 posts
 
FWIW: I'm still listening for the first time to all of these lps. If one wants (just one) to begin with, I can recommend "Stupid Dream".

(I've had a ton of vinyl in for listening lately. I still need to pay a lot more attention to PT. I've noticed that SW even masters most/all of his stuff on the Kscope label. Wow!) I also read in a liner note that Robert Fripp plays on one/more of PT's lps.

I was listening to a couple of PT's other lps recently and Pink Floyd came to mind as did some of Ronnie Montrose's solo instrumental stuff. I really need to just sit down and soak it all in. There's a lot to soak in!

There's no doubt that this is a band to HAVE! (on vinyl)
slaw's avatar
slaw OP
21,681 posts
 
Ok.. I'm getting into these lps. Wow! SW must be a musician/SPONGE! He incorporates all aspects of the "rock" experience.

(If I could be a fly on the wall when these lps were being conceptualized, wow, what an experience that must be!!!)

I really doubt if SW sleeps at all. How could you? With all of the ideas running around in your head, and then, to pull them off with the mastery he does, ....! (It's hard for me to sleep when I know I have an lp waiting for me this good.. anytime!!!) I feel like, right now, I must be in a dream... that's "a good thing".

Right now, all I can honestly say is it will take me quite a while to digest all of this great music and come to some sort of overall opinion other than GREAT! As I write this, I'm hearing "In Absentia"... GREAT!!!!
maxnewid
449 posts
 
I had a similar experience with Porcupine Tree. I was not familiar with them until several Agon folks recommended them in a thread I started about "new" prog bands. Like you, I find hints of old school prog bands in PT including Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, ELP,King Crimson, and even Nine Inch Nails.The other key point you mentioned is that Steven Wilson has a keen ear and has produced the remastering of some of the most iconic rock lps. I particularly enjoyed the anniversary edition of "Aqualung". My only complaint is that some of the PT catalogue is hard to find and really expensive. In my mind, PT represents a great find with a deep catalogue that I would never would have known about except for the informed people on Audiogon.
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
"hard to find" and "expensive" - that epitomizes the Porcupine Tree EP's that he has also put out. But so many of those are just as essential to a PT fan as the regular albums (aka "nil recurring" especially).

But take your time on these. There's something special getting into a band like this at the beginning ... waiting for and enjoying the next album and hearing the band's progress and change over time. Having a catalogue this large thrown at you all at once can be daunting, and you might overlook some of those (still great) secondary songs for the true standouts.

This happened to me last year when I received the whole cataloge at once from a band called "Sixun" which could best be described as the French Weather Report. Awesome music, but just too much to be absorbed in a whole package. Far better IMO to experience each album for a while, then move to the next one in 3-6 months time.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,311 posts
 
I find it requries some time to fully absorb a lot of what SW and PT deliver, so best to not plunge in too fast with too much at once.
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