Needle Time

  Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation [19439956921 EU 2022 3x45RPM 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] No strangers to these pages, although still largely ignored by a wider audience, Steven Wilson reassembled Porcupine Tree this year for a major venue worldwide tour but chose to leave original bassist Colin Edwin out of the loop. Wilson instead chose to provide the bass parts on this album, and consequently proved himself to be a master of the four strings ...look no further than the intro to the opening Harridan for evidence.  This album proves Gavin Harrison's standing as possibly the greatest rock drummer of his generation and it is clear Wilson had missed working with him. Add in Richard Barbieri's distinctively sonic synthesized soundscapes and there is no doubt that this is a Porcupine Tree album which picks up from where the band left off with 2009's complicated The Incident . In my humble opinion, this line-up has struggled to develop and improve after the classic trio of In ...

  Porcupine Tree - The Incident [TRANSM262LP UK 2021 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Some will know that Steven Wilson has decided to reform/reassemble Porcupine Tree with a new album and extensive tour lined up for later in 2022. This was the band's last farewell, although not acknowledged at the time, many could read between the lines and see/hear that back in 2009, Wilson had begun to lose interest in the band formula. The Incident was originally released as a compact disc only on Roadrunner Records, with small Dutch specialist label Tonefloat picking up a limited run of vinyl editions. The compact disc was mastered loudly and never represented the album in its best light. Wilson reissued The Incident last year on his own Transmission Recordings label, carefully pressed by Record Industry in Haarlem. This rip is created from the 2021 pressing. The music press, and to some extent Wilson were somewhat ambivalent about the final product - this is an album which wraps itself up in too ...

  Porcupine Tree – Pure Narcotic EP [TRANS 11.2 UK 2020 24-Bit FLAC] I have followed Porcupine Tee for years all over the globe until they were 'dissolved' by Steven Wilson. Whilst their progressive-tag may not always appeal, SWilson has an ear for a great tune and a habit for gathering up many a great musician to assist.  From sky blue vinyl here is the five track EP of songs originally performed during a busking set at the band’s final show at The Royal Albert Hall in October 2010. These were Porcupine Tree’s final recordings when they returned to the studio in late 2012 to lay down these new arrangements from their extensive back catelogue. These are mentioned as acoustic sessions elsewhere, however there is some very obvious electric guitar audible within these grooves. Black Dahlia remains a joy to behold however  Futile sounds a bit odd as it was originally a hard rock track. Everything else works! A1  Black Dahlia A2  Futile B3  Pure Narcotic B4...

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing [KSCOPE 982 UK 2018 24-Bit FLAC] A recent reissue and whilst Porcupine Tree may not appeal to all around here, it is a significant release. The 2005 original was trapped in legal wrangling following the collapse of Lava Records and subsequently most have have had to endure badly brick-walled compact disc versions for many years as original vinyl pressings were fetching silly money on reseller markets. Steven Wilson has now managed to salvage his own rights as the artist from Warners' sweaty hands and master the album properly for this 2018 pressing on double vinyl. For the uninitiated, Deadwing is very a much a rock album with some serious rock riffing, just check out Shallow and Open Car , and clearly aimed at an American rock market. In contrast, Deadwing also features the gorgeous Lazarus and the epic Arriving Somewhere But Not Here which both still feature on Wilson live sets. ESWA 2.0 followers should note this is a brand new rip whi...

Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet [TF 40 NLD 2007 24-Bit FLAC] Here is the final of my three promised Porcupine Tree long playing platters. Released only as a compact disc in Europe on Roadrunner Records and Atlantic Records in the US, this double vinyl edition was released on the Dutch label Tone Float in a limited pressing on marbled or black vinyl. This version differed from the mass marketed CDs as it contained four extra tracks. Steven Wilson didn't feel as if they fitted around the initial concept so were eventually released separately as an EP. This album represents Wilson's vision of the modern world and the impact of drugs, computer games and mp3 players on the post-millennium youth. Consequently this is a concept album with prog elements, however you'll be pleased to know that no goblins or wizards were harmed in its production. The albums centre piece is Anesthetize  and it is huge. It is likely one of the most significant works of rock music in...

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun [KSCOPE 965 UK 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a compact disc only in May 2000, then deleted. Finally remixed and released on vinyl in 2008. Porcupine Tree at their most accessible with what could be almost described as a melodic pop album ....well at least in a XTC-kind of pop, in fact Dave Gregory from XTC was involved with some of the string sections. John Foxx also contributed with some of the artwork.  The band chose Four Chords That Million and Shesmovedon as singles, however nobody outside hard core followers noticed. The latter had the makings of a hit with its superbly harmonic chorus however the label lacked the pluggers required to get it out there. There was a plan to push out The (even better) Rest Will Flow as a single too, but that never achieved any more than the promo stage. Side B of this double vinyl set has three of the best tracks you could ever hear in sequence,recorded this century (imho). The Heaven'...

Porcupine Tree - Signify [KSCOPE 948 UK 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album in 1996 on Delerium Records. Signify was the third album by Porcupine Tree and one of my favourites. It will be the first of three I have ripped for these pages. In a pleasing move away from the floyd-heavy elements of their previous albums, Signify takes you on a journey to dark places from the depths of Steven Wilson's imagination, tinged with experimental (especially kraut )rock and wrapped up in Richard Barbieri's sonic soundscapes and textures.  Carl Glover's unique sleeve is the first hint that this is no ordinary record. From the blistering rock of the title track (just play loud), to the tabla-pop of Waiting through to the darkest corners of Sever , the melodic & harmonic Every Home Is Wired and the classic prog rock of Dark Matter , this album is a good introduction to many who may be sceptical about a band who suffered commercially from the progress...

Porcupine Tree - Moonloop [DELEC LP 999 UK 2006 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as the b-side to the Stars Die single in 1994, here is the full forty minutes of unadulterated and improvised psychedelic space rock from three quarters of the original Porcupine Tree. Stick this in your pipe and smoke it! A1 Moonloop B1 Moonloop

Porcupine Tree - Waiting [DELEC EP 049 UK 1996 24-Bit FLAC] Beautiful songs filled with anguish and pain, that's what you can get with most Porcupine Tree. Now a full four piece band was their first single as such, blending melancholy lyrics over space-rock using the simplest of melodies. It's what is going on in the mix that matters, this record fills your speakers with layers of effects and percussion. This is some of the best psychedelic space-rock ever to come out of Hemel Hempstead. A1 Waiting (Phase 1) A2 Waiting (Phase 2) B1 Colourflow In Mind B2 Fuse The Sky

Porcupine Tree - Voyage 34 [KSCOPE 961 UK 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a 12" single in 1992. After a few obscure experimental tape releases, Voyage 34 was the debut single by Hertfordshire's Porcupine Tree (then just a solo act/home studio project). This epic 65 minute journey is by all accounts a dance track verging on the fuzzy edge of chillout, with deep ghostly voice samples, lush atmospherics and dreamy space-rock sequences which drift in and out of a guitar driven hook - which is just enough to keep the listener interested over its entirety. The basis of the track is the experience of one man's journey during a bad acid trip, imagine The Orb covering Pink Floyd's Echoes and you would be in about the right place musically, though the message and the choice of samples used were enough to ensure no airplay. I hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty or removing the six minutes of silence at the end of Part IV. A1 Voyage 34 (Ph...