ON THE SUNDAY OF LIFE...

This is the debut album of Porcupine Tree, released in 1991. The early sound of PT in this album is pretty much psychedelic and trippy, especially in tracks that are more likely ambient pieces. Quite difficult to digest, and I feel a strong techno-pop elements scattered around the tracks. The wind section (mainly oboe) enriches the timbre and goes unexpectedly well with the psychedelic ambience.

Among my personal interests of this album is great guitar works by Steven Wilson. 'Nostalgia Factory' features great riffs and beautiful playing of wah pedal. 'Radioactive Toy' has a solid progressive rock taste. The guitar riff and the solo sections in the second half of the song are wonderful and makes this song one of highlights in PT catalog.

'Nine Cats' is a ballad song, with nice solo and acoustics guitar work. 'Begonia Seduction Scene' has acoustics arpeggios that reminds me to Greg Lake's guitar on 'The Sage'. 'Footprints' has a strange but beautiful riffs, its dissonant tone and ambience remind me to The Door's 'The End'.

'Music for the Head' and 'On The Sunday of Life' are great short tracks. It features many glissando guitar as one of PT signature. The sound of oboe brightens a bit.

While many of PT fans would vote for 'Radioactive Toy' as the best track, I choose 'It Will Rain for A Million Years' as my favorite. It has a good and complex structure as we expected from a progressive composition. This song is mostly instrumental (with a few lines of spoken lyrics). SW guitar work is really wonderful and passionate. Again, the wind section fits beautifully in this composition.

Some elements in this album that do not really fit to my taste are the over-distorted sound of SW vocal particularly in 'Linton Samuel Dawson' ; and too much techno pop feel in some tracks.

Overall I consider this as a good album, and I am glad to have this record to get to know better the journey of PT up to the sound of later albums that I adore.