THE NOSTALGIA FACTORY

The Nostalgia Factory, subtitled "...and other tips for amateur golfers", is the second album released under the name Porcupine Tree but is the third and last cassette release from them. As with Tarquin's Seaweed Farm the album was only given to a few people but was later released by Delerium in 1991 to a limited 300 copies.

Tracks from this and together with the album Tarquin's Seaweed Farm went into the album On The Sunday Of Life... which is considered to be Porcupine Tree's first true studio album.

The tracks:

1) Hymn - This track on this album acts as the instrumental/soundscape intro to the album rather than an interlude on the release on the album On The Sunday Of Life...

2) Footprints - This is the first track with lyrics and psychedelic lyrics in teh chorus at that.

3) Linton Samuel Dawson - One of the more well known early releases and as with all the songs recorded on cassette the quality is poor and i can only really enjoy them on the album On The Sunday Of Life...

4) And The Swallows Dance Above The Sun - This is a catchy track with the use of sampling with a crazy line at the end but again i feel it is spoiled by the quality of sound.

5) Queen Quotes Crowley - This version along with the one released on Love, Death & Mussolini includes the soundscape intro before the lyrics which is not included on the version that would later make it onto On The Sunday Of Life...

6) No Luck With Rabbits - The version of this track is different compared to the one that came out before on LD&M but is the same version that would come out on OTSOL

7) Begonia Seduction Scene - I find this track so relaxing that i even forget about it if im describing the music on teh album. I can only describe it as a track with latin style guitar with ambient/soundscape music.

8) Colours Dance Angels Kiss - This track would later be released on the compilation album Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape and renamed Track 11.

9) Prayer - I can only begin with the very noticeable poor sound quality which ruins this whole track for me on this album but for me this is another interlude track.

10) The Nostalgia Factory - The self titled track is one of my favourite early tracks from this era of Porcupine Tree but this is an earlier version than the one on OTSOL which I prefer. It is the longest track on the album so far at 8.17 and is the last track on Side A of the cassette.

11) This Long Silence - This is the first track of Side B and this version is about a minute longer than the one that would be released on OTSOL.

12) Sinatra Rape Scene - An edit of this track would later be used as Monuments Burn Into Moments on the album Up The Downstair.

13) Hokey Cokey - This track would later be released on the compilation album Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape and renamed Execution Of The Will Of The Marquis De Sade. As the title says this song includes the lyrics of Hokey Cokey which drop off to continue the music to come back at the end of the track.

14) Landscare - This is a track that would only come out on the compilation album YHD and would not make the album OTSOL. The track is more of a soundscape rather than a song.

15) Delightful Suicide - Again this is a track that would appear on the compilation YHD but not on the album OTSOL. This track has a very Eastern feel with added ambience.

16) Nine Cats - This track like Linton Samuel Dawson is one of the more well known tracks and the lyrics like most of the songs from this era came from Steven Wilson's friend Alan Duffy. This track would later appear on the Signify album as an acoustic version.

17) Split Image - Again this track for me is another interlude and is basically an ambient/soundscape with the odd note from an instrument and would appear on YHD.

18) It Will Rain For A Million Years - There are 2 different songs that share this title. This version is the 10 minute one that would appear on the album OTSOL and not the version that is on LD&M. Sometimes i can't help but think that he must have come up with this track while living in England :)

Overall i feel that this album is only for collectors and hardcore fans because again the quality of sound from these cassettes is poor and i get alot more enjoyment from listening to a CD release of these tracks. The quality is really noticeable between tracks and espcially on the quieter tracks. Bring on On The Sunday Of Life...