ON THE SUNDAY OF LIFE...

I borrowed this from a friend a few weeks ago, who said to me 'many fans don't like this, but I do'. Being a big PT fan, I hoped it wasn't too bad. And...it certainly wasn't! I can see why some fans, the more recent ones probably, wouldn't be too keen on it. It is not like their recent stuff. Now I like In Absentia, though it is a little too heavy for me at times. Haven't got Deadwing yet, but I believe that is along the same lines. Well, this is a million miles from either of those! It is quirky, funny, pyschedic, atmospheric and powerful in turns. Some tracks, such as 'Jupiter Island', 'The Nostalgia Factory' and 'Linton Samuel Dawson' are very '60s influenced, especially in the keyboard department. But they are still excellent, catchy songs, especially the very clever 'Nostalgia Factory' which has lyrics in the middle of it that aren't sung, but just printed in booklet, and which lead on nicely to the later, rather better known song 'Nine Cats'. There is an acoustic version of this on the bonus disc that comes with the remastered 'Signify' album, but here it is more electric. And it is superb! 'Music For The Head', 'Third Eye Surfer', 'On The Sunday Of Life...' are all brief atmospheric pieces, keyboard dominated, and again very good. 'Space Transmission' is very reminiscent, (maybe intentionally) of an old '50s or early '60s sci-fi radio broadcast, with a spoken voice over a disturbing electronic background, and it has, at one point, a very creepy clock ticking... wonderful stuff! 'Hymn', 'No Luck With Rabbits' and 'Message From A Self Destructing Turnip' are even briefer, yet still amusing instrumental little pieces. Of course, the future of PT can be heard in some songs here, not only in the best known song on here, 'Radioactive Toy' but also in tunes like 'And The Swallows Dance Above The Sun', 'It Will Rain For A Million Years' and even, in a way,in the weird, almost backwardly played wordless vocal and guitar track 'Queen Quotes Crowley'. Oh, and another little gem, quite in keeping with the PT catalogue is the lovely 'Begonia Seduction Scene'. I couldn't pick a favourite on here...I like them all! (Though I do have an extra soft spot for 'The Nostalgia Factory'. Those who want the more metal tinged style of the last few years may not like this, but fans of the band in general, who enjoy all the different phases the band move through, should still get much pleasure out of this. It is different, in a way similar to the way 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' is different from subsequent Pink Floyd releases, yet you can still tell it is PT. A more than worthy addition to your collection.