This week, two classic Porcupine Tree albums have been made available in the digital world for the very first time, as part of a large-scale catalog roll-out for the English art rock band. Almost 20 years after starting Porcupine Tree as an in-joke, mastermind Steven Wilson has evolved from a psychedelic studio wizard to a prog-rock behemoth, revered for his band’s live show, and 11 critically-acclaimed albums, and a host of singles. Until now little of this extensive catalogue has been available digitally. This week Snapper Music changes that, as the label begins their roll out with two seminal albums, On The Sunday of Life and Up The Downstair, the first two full-lengths released by the band’s own Delirium Records, in 1991 and 1993 respectively. Both records are available exclusively at Itunes all week, and will be available at other DSPs thereafter.
 
On The Sunday Of Life is a modern day pop-psych classic. With acid warped lyrics courtesy of Alan Duffy (the brains behind the Imaginary Records label) the album is a surreal delight containing gems such as “Jupiter Island” and “Linton Samuel Dawson” filled with quirky melodies, effected vocals and trippy backwards guitar work. “Nine Cats,” the undoubted masterpiece of the album, is pure Edward Lear styled psychedelia. On The Sunday Of Life also hints at the direction the band would later take with more progressive influenced material such as the epic “Radioactive Toy,” which you can hear below:
 
Download and Share “Radioactive Toy” from Porcupine Tree’s On The Sunday of Life [Snapper]
http://dev.theorchard.com/jaclyn/mp3/porcupinetree_radioactivetoy.mp3
 
What the press said about On The Sunday of Life:
 
 “Refreshingly original – a wonderful musical adventure” - Record Collector
 
“A debut disc of unearthly delights… deadly seducing stuff” - NME
 
On The Sunday of Life Tracklist:
 
1. Music For The Head
2. Jupiter Island
3. Third Eye Surfer
4. On The Sunday Of Life
5. The Nostalgia Factory
6. Space Transmission
7. Message >From A Self-Destructing Turnip
8. Radioactive Toy
9. Nine Cats
10. Hymn
11. Footprints
12. Linton Samuel Dawson
13. And The Swallows Dance Above The Sun
14. Queen Quotes Crowley
15. No Luck With Rabbits
16. Begonia Seduction Scene
17. This Long Silence
18. It Will Rain For A Million Years
 
Buy The Album At Itunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.../wa/viewAlbum?id=269785950&s=143441
 
Up The Downstair was Porcupine Tree’s second full album and the first to feature bassist Chris Edwin and (ex- Japan) keyboardist Richard Barbieri. This special edition of the album features the re-recorded 2005 mix, retaining the beauty and feel of the original but allowing Wilson, the perfectionist, to brush up the elements he wasn’t happy with in the original, in particular replacing the programmed drums with Gavin Harrison’s live drum tracks. A brooding atmospheric epic, it delivers stunning experimental electronic, guitar-led space rock with a darkly melodic heart. Includes the classics “Burning Sky,” “Up the Downstair,” “Fadeaway” and “Always Never.”
 
What the press said about Up The Downstair:
 
“A Psychedelic Masterpiece… one of the albums of the year” - Melody Maker
 
Up The Downstair (special edition) Tracklist:
 
1. What You Are Listening To…
2. Synesthesia
3. Monuments Burn Into Moments
4. Always Never
5. Up the Downstair
6. Not Beautiful Anymore
7. Siren
8. Small Fish
9. Burning Sky
10. Fadeaway
11. Cloud Zero
12. The Joke's On You
13. Navigator
14. Rainy Taxi
15. Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape
 
Buy The Album At Itunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.../wa/viewAlbum?id=269785623&s=143441
 
For More Information:
www.porcupinetree.com
www.myspace.com/porcupinetree
www.snappermusic.com/ms/porcupinetree/

Husband will like this.