Best Porcupine Tree Album
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Topic: Best Porcupine Tree Album
Posted By: gerdtheater
Subject: Best Porcupine Tree Album
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:11
The thing is that I have heard PT, but not that much, so I want to know your opinion in order to know which album is their best!  ------------- Playing a three-hour Rush show is like running a marathon while solving equations. Neil Peart |
Replies:
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:25
One of my absolute favourites modern progressive albums 
Beautiful spacey ambient atmospheres, supurb lyrics. Bit of a classic to me! I also think Chris Maitland was a much more interesting, complex and subtle drummer, although Gavin Harrison is not lousy either! Seems to be a lot of people seem to like the harder edged sound the band took on from `Absentia' onwards though. I should add, though, that generally all their albums are of a very high quality...only `The Incident' to me is a little less special. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:33
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Stupid Dream for me ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:39
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Signify remains top dog ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:40
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Deadwing by a long chalk |
Posted By: Gallifrey
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 01:53
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Fear of a Blank Planet by about 10^14 times. Just far superior to all the others in every way. ------------- http://thedarkthird.bandcamp.com/ |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 02:15
don't shou like that... internet was created so you could be read from the other side of the planet without writing huge
   !!Anyway... in theory Sky Moves Sideways and its Pink Floyd influences is my fave (and my vote) even if it is not representative of the Porcupine, but if you want their best PT-sounding album, then I suggest Lightbulb Sun ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
gerdtheater wrote:Posted By: Sagichim
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 02:26
| I listened to several albums, nothing clicked except for In Absentia. |
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 02:29
| Always has been, and probably will continue to be Up the Downstair. |
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 02:36
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Tough one, honestly can't really choose so I'll just go with the first I heard "The Sky Moves Sideways" I like every album PT has done except for The Incident. Besides that, strong discog both the old and new stuff. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 03:16
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In Absentia. No contest, imo.
Followed by Deadwing, FOABP, and then Signify. The rest I can take or leave. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 03:38
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Everything up to and including Stupid Dream is alright in my book. The rest has it's ups and downs. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: iluvmarillion
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 04:13
| Almost a tie for me between In Absentia and Deadwing, but voted for Deadwing. |
Posted By: bb1319
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 04:49
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Honestly, I love almost all of PT's discography. They're one of my favorite bands. I can't choose just one. I'll try to give my top three (in no particular order):
-Fear of a Blank Planet -Lightbulb Sun -In Absentia Every album is amazing (except their(or his, rather, since it was mainly a solo effort at that point) debut and the Incident didn't really "do it" for me either, which was really disappointing). ------------- "I'd say that what we hear is the quality of our listening." -Robert Fripp |
Posted By: Guedes
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 04:57
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If i have to choose only one,it would be: Fear Of A Blank PlanetBut i also love The Incidente,Deadwing,Stupid Dream and In Absentia.
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Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 05:15
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Deadwing Fear of a Blank Planet Stupid Dream ------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 06:00
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Great band, I picked In Absentia, though I also have a soft spot for Lightbulb Sun. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: King Manuel
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 06:11
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Lightbulb Sun is the only one I can tolerate to some extend ------------- Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus |
Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 06:47
| For me, Porcupine Tree's best album is... GRACE FOR DROWNING. :-) Otherwise, I prefer earlier Porcupine Tree - THE SKY MOVES SIDEWAYS, UP THE DOWNSTAIR, ON THE SUNDAY OF LIFE, that era. |
Posted By: digdug
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 07:02
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Fear of a Blank Planet....but all are good ! ------------- Prog On! |
Posted By: Roj
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 07:32
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I've never been able to understand the general dislike (hatred?) of The Incident. In my view it's the most complete of the later PT albums. Three years on I still find it an utterly compelling listen. The band rediscovered the art of subtlety that was lost in the wall of noise that was FOABP.
TSMS and Up The Downstair are true gems from PT's early days but The Incident is definitely my current fave and gets the vote.
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Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 12:50
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Deadwing. ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 13:40
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Deadwing for me, as well. Interesting that The Incident only has the one vote. I remember that I went out on a bit of a limb upon its release, and dared to say I found it utterly boring. It would seem that time seems to have slightly vindicated my opinion. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 13:45
I LOVE Deadwing!! I'm not big on the sameness of the last two albums  ------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 15:01
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Deadwing is one of my least favourites, super inconsistent in my opinion. Halo and Shallow kind of spoil the album for me. 1. The Sky Moves Sideways 2. Fear Of A Blank Planet 3. In Absentia 4. Lightbulb Sun 5. Signify ------------- 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 15:52
| No votes for Up The Downstair which is a bit surpriing to me as I prefer that over the slightly dullish TSMS when considering the early stuff. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 19:22
| I'm just starting to get into Porcupint Tree myself, so this poll should be interesting. I find it odd that the best rated albums on PA are "In Absentia" and "Fear of a Blank Planet", and in the forum they aren't getting the votes accordingly... I started with the live album "Coma Divine" and I think it was a great way to start with them, really loved that album... and it consists mainly of songs that were originally performed only by Steven Wilson, before he got the rest of the band, but in the album played by the whole band, so I guess it gets interesting to hear the new versions (well, I haven't heard the original ones, so I can't be sure about that). Right now I'm listening to "In Absentia", and the next album I pretended to get was "Blank Planet". |
Posted By: Morningrise
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 19:27
| It's not their best album. I'm aware of that. But I'll give my vote to On The Sunday Of Life simply because it's a lot of psychodelic fun and it's criminally underrated. |
Posted By: CryoftheCarrots
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 19:53
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I will give Up the Downstair a vote because it looked neglected with none.
I love every single f**king album on this list including The Incident which I prefer to FOABP (without Nil Recurring included.)
Call me a fanboy or whatever.THERE ARE NO DUDS. so ------------- "There is a lot in this world to be tense and intense about" MJK |
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 20:08
------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 20:10
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I admittedly really like the music on Fear of a Blank Planet, but f**k, those lyrics are horrible. Other than that I don't really care for anything after Signify. Voted Sky Moves Sideways. |
Posted By: MoodyRush
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 20:26
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Deadwing is my fave, though, excepting Signify, I own solely the Gavin Harrison version of PT, which is an issue that must be rectified quickly! ------------- Follow me down to the valley below. Moonlight is bleeding from out of your soul. -Lazarus |
Posted By: CryoftheCarrots
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 22:12
------------- "There is a lot in this world to be tense and intense about" MJK |
Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: May 24 2012 at 23:51
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I voted IA. I had only UtD and TSMS when IA came out, and while I liked them to varying degrees (UtD more than TSMS, actually), IA just blew me away. Funny thing about Deadwing is, without actually going and looking at it I can't think of one song on it. Hmmm! Was listening to Signify yesterday and I think I finally "got" that one. Least faves are easy to pick: Stupid Dream and The Incident. Or at least I haven't "got" them. Lightbulb Sun, on the other hand, although from the same "era" as SD, I love. I'm also a fan of OtSoL. I got FoABP and TI on the same day. Didn't "get" that one at first either, but now enjoy it quite a bit. All in all, though, I don't think that PT has any 5 star albums. They all have their moments, but none are what I would call a "stone cold classic", as it were. Interesting, considering they are only of the most popular modern prog bands. ------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: Roj
Date Posted: May 25 2012 at 02:55
Guess who's vote that was
. For some people Steve, but not for me. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: May 25 2012 at 04:44
| In Absentia |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: May 25 2012 at 07:01
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Crushed like a rose, in the river flow. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: March 08 2015 at 12:15
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In Absentia |
Posted By: Komandant Shamal
Date Posted: March 08 2015 at 12:20
| Fear of Blank Planet |
Posted By: Pastmaster
Date Posted: March 08 2015 at 12:56
| My favorite band, so it's a bit hard to choose. I'll go with FOABP, unlike most people on this site, I love the lyrics. They really sum up how society is full of sh*t. |
Posted By: snowsnow
Date Posted: March 08 2015 at 13:01
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1) The sky moves sideways just beating the hypnotic Voyage 34.
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Posted By: sublime220
Date Posted: March 08 2015 at 15:32
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Tie between TSMS and In Absentia. Went with the latter. ------------- There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark... |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: March 09 2015 at 13:05
| Fear of .... |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 09 2015 at 23:51
| I don't really know, I don't know all of them, and would have to listen to the ones I have again. I mainly have the Gavin Harrison albums, plus the pre Harrison live albums Coma Divine and Warzawa. Of this, the one I have enjoyed the most is Coma Divine, but I'm not sure if I would actually like any of the pre-Harrsion studio albums over the Harrison era ones. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 02:25
| I wouldn't get too hung up on the Gavin Harrison factor. Chris Maitland was equally as good and there is no reason not to get Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun for instance. In Absentia was just a natural extension of those style wise but are better (imo) because Steven's song writing skills really lept forward .I'm thinking especially of songs like Blackest Eyes, Lazarus , Trains and Arriving Somewhere But Not Here. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 22:26
| I'm not sure I would agree about Wilson's songwriting being better on the Harrison era albums. As I said, my favourite album from them is Coma Divine, and so far, my favourite songs from them would have to be "Radioactive Toy", "The Sky Moves Sideways" (as I know them on Coma Divine), as well as "Russia on Ice" (as I know it on Warzawa). I also like many of the more ambient bits on Coma Divine. However, I do enjoy many songs from the later albums, only they kind of lack that "something" special... perhaps in a way it was even Maitland himself (I actually sort of enjoy more his drumming on those two live albums I know with him than what I've heard by Harrison). However, I do love Blackest Eyes (as well as trains) for completley different reasons... not to say I think it's the best song from the Harrison era albums, but it does have some wonderful qualities... mainly, I think it's wonderfully succesful as a metal song, as well as a pop song, as well as a prog song (this last one to a lesser degree, though)... and there's not many songs that can achieve such a thing. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 02:45
| I'm a bit confused then as to why you think you wouldn't like the pre Harrison albums as you have accepted that Wilson wrote good songs in that era and also you respect Maitland as a drummer? |
Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 02:54
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Deadwing. It's a shame that Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun and THe Incident are so underappreciated here, they all are excellent works. And the hype around The Sky Moves Sideways was always bugging me. What's so special about this poor Pink Floyd rip-off? Not even songwiring was good on here, in comparison with Up the Downstair this album is literally boring. ------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 23:29
Well, perhaps I didn't express myself correctly. Mainly, I like so much Coma Divine, and specially the 3 tracks I already mentioned (though one of the is from Warzawa), that I'm not sure he could have pulled that atmosphere quiet the same way on the studio albums... I got the impression (perhaps wrongly) that they are going already in a more poppy and less atmospheric direction (perhaps I get that impression from what I heard on the Warzawa album). |
Posted By: Metalmarsh89
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 00:40
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I dunno. Porcupine Tree finally clicked with me about a month ago, and I've been listening to their music pretty consistently over that time. I could pick one of any 5-6 as my favorite right now. ------------- Want to play mafia? Visit http://www.mafiathesyndicate.com" rel="nofollow - here . |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 01:54
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Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun ------------- |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 02:49
In Absentia was going a little bit that way but then Deadwing is one for those who like Wilson when he is really 'heavy' and for me is stronger on atmosphere. There is a very good reissue of Stupid Dream that you cannot avoid getting! Lightbulb Sun is to me a bit 'meh' compared to In Absentia but then that could possibly appeal to you just a bit more. |
Posted By: sublime220
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 13:50
I never thought I'd see this comment... ------------- There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark... |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 22:52
Yeah, I guess I will just have to end up completing my collection eventually... including the Recordings album... if I can still get it when I make up my mind, for I understand it was released as a limited printing album. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 03:02
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its the sky moves sideways, for me... ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 03:38
broadly I agree and also would add that I think FOABP is slightly overrated albeit still an excellent release.
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Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 04:11
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Deadwing ------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
Posted By: Prog Sothoth
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 04:45
| Stupid Dream |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: March 14 2015 at 18:22
| Signify - all day, every day! |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: March 14 2015 at 23:06
Very consistent catalogue they had... Voted for "Stupid Dream". |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 22:24
Yes....for me Sky is a bit boring at times and so is FOABP.....and my favorites have always been Lightbulb, Stupid Dream, and In Absentia. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 11:53
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I voted for Stupid Dream because I couldn't find the option for Voyage 34: The Complete Trip. ------------- 
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Posted By: proggman
Date Posted: March 25 2015 at 19:13
Fear of a Blank Planet. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: March 25 2015 at 20:09
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Lightbulb Sun, actually. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Altairius
Date Posted: March 26 2015 at 00:50
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The Sky Moves Sideways Stupid Dream Deadwing Lightbulb Sun In Absentia Up the Downstair Signify Fear of a Blank Planet On the Sunday of Life The Incident
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Posted By: ToNy06
Date Posted: October 12 2015 at 11:30
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1) Lightbulb Sun 2) In Abstentia 3) Deadwing 4) The Sky Moves Sideways 5) Stupid Dream 6) Fear of a Blank Planet 7) Signify 8) Up the Downstair 9) The Incident 10) On the Sunday of Life 11) Voyage 34 (I find phases 3 and 4 terribly boring) Of it was considered as an album, "Recordings" would be close to the Top 3. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 16 2015 at 04:20
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In Absentia Voyage 34 and Metanoia are missing from the poll... |
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: October 16 2015 at 23:46
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I regard Recordings as not only an album proper but also quite superb. It's compiled from material the band deemed not suitable for Stupid Dream or Light Bulb Sun. Well maybe because some tracks might not have flowed with others - certainly not because they lack in anyway. Album opener Buying New Soul is quintessential P Tree. My all time favourite might be that but is probably Up The Downstair for such a high melodic standard, variety of material and imagination. Bot to mention Burning Sky, psych / prog lead guitar doing just what such a number needs to do. Give a great prog rock album experience. The thing is most P Tree albums are a different experience. In Absentia is a near concept album (some themes recurring). Blank Planet and it's partner release Nil Recurring (also not mentioned) are full of great material. Strong on melody Deadwing has Arriving Somewhere But Not Here - their Hotel California, Stairway To Heaven etc. or would be if radio had a brain. A good place to start may be the 1996 live album with it's 16 minute spacey Radioactive Toy (radio... again...). Sunday of Life is to P tree what Piper is to Floyd. A unique experience. Different lyricist and more psychedelic than most. The Stars Die compilation is also a good place to begin this trip. A very full 2 Cd set, plus booklet with some unique issues to the compilation make it well worth it. I've the box set version, I think a couple of tracks have been omitted from later issues. I know it's not a P Tree album but Grace For Drowning is the album that should have been the last P tree album. Sad to say but I thought the material on The Incident lacked a lot of the imagination and compositional standard that is the hall mark of most P Tree albums. As a concept album it also lacked thematic focus. And frankly did not have too much in the way of appealing numbers like Stupid Dreams Strange As It Seems tune. Never mind the expanse of the larger numbers. Metanoia (not mentioned) is a series of similar jams recorded around the time of the amazing Signify album. probably not the place to start bu to get while in the throes of full addiction. Voyage 34 - same applies although it is a lot of fun, probably more so. Btw, Make sure you get all full editions of any e.g Signify has as it's 2nd CD a former fan club type only release. Very popular is The Sky Moved Sideways (where I came in to P tree). Wilson has virtually disowned it as he thought it was a little too close to Pink Floyd for comfort. He did say that he recorded it "because Pink Floyd were not releasing albums like that any more." So if you are a PF nut you might think he 's right. Or not care. I think he is right and I also don't care (that it's too close to PF for comfort). It's fine and the 2nd CD features an early version of the full thing. Great listen. Might be an idea to try any of the excellent live albums (of recent years) for tastes of the superb variations of journeys Wilson and his merry men had engaged upon for so long. There - I've made it easy to choose. ;) |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: October 19 2015 at 01:51
| UTD |
Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: October 19 2015 at 19:35
| UtD over TSMS. |
Posted By: valravennz
Date Posted: October 22 2015 at 07:24
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"In Absentia" was my introduction to Porcupine Tree and it remains my favourite of their catalogue of albums. ------------- 
"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence" - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 10:30
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Here's my top five Porcupine Tree albums, in order! 1. In Absentia 2. Stupid Dream 3. Signify 4. Fear of a Blank Planet 5. Up the Downstair ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 10:34
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In Absentia |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 16:36
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Someday "The Incident" will get the credit it deserves, it's a great album. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |