XM

Porcupine Tree took their XM Radio session and stuck it on CD & decided to sell 1500 copies at shows and on their website. They sold like hotcakes, so they pressed another 1000 copies. They sold out too. Now the CD is going for sums in the region of £100 on auction sites around the world. So why the fuss?

XM consists mainly of matarial from In Absentia, with 3 songs from Stupid Dream. These songs are played live, but without a studio audience so you dont have to endure any coughing or screaming, which makes a refreshing change. The songs are played with precision (especially the In Absentia ones - this was surely one of the first times they had played a set of these new songs and the band were determined to get them right). The selection of songs are some of the best from In Absentia and Stupid Dream, and hearing them live brings a different dimension to the music. These songs were made to be played live, and they sound fresh and crisp. It is an extremely well-played, well produced set of songs that continues to show why Porcupine Tree are a prog-rock force to be reckoned with.