STARS DIE: THE DELERIUM YEARS 1991 - 1997

What's the value of having a compilation box set if you have al individual album CD in your collection? The sleeve notes! Oh yeah . Out of the music presented in this double CD set, I really enjoy reading the liner notes in full color mini booklet. I like the way Steve Wilson managed his music career from no one to some one. I love to enjoy how he was so crazy about the sounds produced from any kind of source. I remember vividly that he did mention recording natural sounds coming out from the street and brought back the recording material to his own studio for further processing. And everyone knows that he is really a sound genius! I always imagined if by the time Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon were made in the seventies and was adult already, He might did a great job as Alan Parsons did for DSoTM.

My first experience with Porcupine Tree started with fabulous live album Comma Divine where a song "Waiting Phase One and Phase Two" was performed with elegant soundscape - despite it's a live album. Since then I explored almost all releases Porcupine Tree has ever produced - especially official studio album. I even purchased the IEM (The Incredible Expanding Mindf.). Listening the music of Porcupine Tree requires patient and relax mode. Musically, there is nothing like complex chords or composition. The music of Porcupine Tree boils down into great soundscape and incredible sonic quality of the CD.

As the title implies this compilation comprises all tracks produced and recorded during the band's engagement with Delerium label in 1991-1997. I do enjoy the music presented here. "Radio Active Toy" starts the box set wonderfully with great soundscape and guitar effects. Almost all songs are in the similar vein like this one. "Up The Downstair" is very enjoyable.

This collection is , I can consider, reasonably representative of the band's career. It started off with Steve Wilson's experimental beginnings with "On The Sunday Of Life" through to the confident performances on "Signify". All the band' key developments are here. For those of you who just known the band from its later albums like "Stupid Dream", "Lightbulb Sun", "In Absentia" or "Deadwing", you might be surprised due to wide variety of music Porcupine Tree has ever made.

For a beginner, this box set is suitable as it depicts the kind of music Porcupine has ever played and some represent also what it came out in later albums as well. At least one thing for sure: the sonic quality of this CD is excellent. Otherwise, why do you call Steven Wilson?

Progressively yours, GW

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