Customer Reviews

Voyage 34 the Complete Trip

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most reviewers will take the easy route to describe Porcupine Tree by saying they are "prog for the 1990's" or "the thinking man's techno band". Generally, the easiest way to review an album, book, or movie is to hook you in with superlatives (e.g. "this is the best album ever man! etc.) Another easy way is to resort to the associative marketing technique: "If you like Pink Floyd, you'll love Porcupine Tree. " I'm going to go one better and embody the laziness I've been criticizing by combining the two approaches, with this statement. "This is the best techno album Pink Floyd never made." Cheesy, huh? However that about sums it up. This album is incredible, and if you like Floyd, or any prog rock for that matter, order it.

I know, you used to like classic Prog and you've gotten really burned trying to "discover" other neo-prog bands (Spock's Beard, IQ, Pendragon) but sound the music sorely lacking in coolness. Well THIS is the band you've been waiting for. But saying Porcupine Tree sounds like Pink Floyd actually hides more than it reveals. There is more to it, and you just have to buy the album to find that out.

Voyage 34 IS about an acid trip, and that in itself tells you a lot. But lyrics aren't Steve Wilson's strong suit, and you can and SHOULD just tune those out, and focus on the expansive, atmospheric space rock he produces. Anyway, sell all your Pendragon and IQ albums and use the money to buy this instead.

This review handles Porcupine Tree's album Voyage 34 which is made by Steven Wilson and some other music makers. This album is a collectio of two E.Ps and later released in one CD. Voyage supposed to be just a song in porcupine Tree's newest album but the recording company wanted Voyage to be a single. So Steven Wilson made some extra minutes to Voyage and cut it to 4 sections. He named it to Voyage 34 and the new album was finished. The album's name and main theme born very weird way. Wilson's friend in recording company gave he a tape of some 60's LSD propaganda albums. Some were for, some against. He made a marvelous finding, a fake documentary recording of Brian's 34th LSD trip. Voyage 34 is full of some other LSD recordings which make it really interesting album. The album is very Pink Floyd influenced but not too much. Some can even say, that the guitar effect which appears in album is copied from Pink Floyd. All those poeple should know, that it was not Pink Floyd who used that effect first. So Steven did not copy it from anyone. Voyage 34 carries a lot of guitar solos and computer sounds, narration and speech including Brian's stories of LSD experiments. It sounds even unbelievable, that only on man can do so much music with computer and other instruments, like all kind of guitar and drums. Perhaps drums are electric. Whole album is instrumental so it does not have any singing. Voyage 34 is very difficult music and it is not for people who listens pop music like Britney Spears and U2. It is highly psychedelic and progressive. Some can even say, that it is ambient music. It is for sure, but as it is progressive and antipop style, there is lots of other types of music, even little techno. If you really pay attention to concentration you will find almost new world, that you even did not know exist. If you pick right place, switch lights off, turn music volume up and just listen, your senses of time and place are gone. You wake up in the middle of the album and wonder what is the time. Then the music takes turn and the trip continues. If you ask me, I would say that Porcupine Tree's album Voyage 34 is almost like legal LSD trip. I am not sure was it supposed to be or not but it is. A drug. I recommend it to all who likes Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Orb or just likes new adventures.

Steve Wilson has been trying to dodge Pink Floyd comparisons for years, and this release does little to help that effort, especially with its "Another Brick in the Wall Part III" sounding guitar riff (although Wilson himself says the riff was inspired by a piece off of Ash Ra Tempel's "Inventions for Guitar" album, and listening to "Echo Waves" again I can hear that), but Pink Floyd comparisons aside, this is still a brilliant piece of music. If there was any Pink Floyd inspiration, Steve Wilson uses it as a starting point only, taking off in different directions, incorporating techno influences and soaring guitar that almost seems effortless in its grandeur. This is not a difficult listen. Not to say that the music is simple or basic. It's the kind of music that just grabs ahold of you and whisks you off on an unforgettable musical journey. It sounds nothing like current PT, because it was actually released between their first and second albums, and was actually originally part of the recording sessions for "Up the Downstair." It would get five stars, but I find the second half of the CD, the re-mixes, to be somewhat lacking. Usually I only listen to phase 1 and 2, but that is about half an hour of music, and worth the price of the whole CD.

This is great music, especially the first 2 phases. It is truly music that you can float away in, though the narrations are the one thing I could have done without.

I concur with the other reviewers about the Pink Floyd sound. Just think of the guitar riff from Another Brick pt. 3 and the synths from Welcome to the Machine. Add a dash of the Orb a la the narratted parts and the mixing, and you have trip 34. As these long songs progress, the Floyd influence diminishes, but is still recognizable.

Since I love both groups, and The Porcupine Tree, I was quite happy with this recording. If you like any of them, I think you will be too. Definately best appreciated in a dark room on a good stereo played loud.

"Voyage 34" is 64 minutes loaded with ambient music.lazy sonic flight over the unknown territory.wierd voices,unexpected guitars and sounds.4 tracks about lsd narcotic abuse effects.wierd album but really interesting
"Part 1" is long narrated piece about a group of friends experimenting with lsd.as everything goes ok at the begining one of them after sometime cannot awake from his trip.he gets stuck in the unknown subcouncius world on his 34 lsd trip...
musically it is dynamic amibent piece with guitar background,groovy bass riff and keyboard soundscapes.propably it is the best part of whole album.while Brian tries to wake up the music is getting more powerfull and ends with wonderfull guitar solos.
"Part 2" is more nervuols and lazy.Narrator tells about trips to unknown part of mind which have been known over centuries.rhytmical background gets more "Flowing" but guitar parts are getting it more power.
"Part 3" and "Part 4" are definitly more electronic tracks.driven with sytnthetic beats htey have very introvertic atmosphere.while first two parts were more catchy the last two are slightly more experimental.
anyway - Porcupine tree's "Voyage 34" is their most strange and difficult album that all ambient and progressive music fans will lsiten with thrill.emotions and whole concept is amazing,musically and lyricaly too.Someone mentioned that it is almost legal lsd trip.well,it is not but this album let's you relax and flow with the music.for me,it is definitly a 5 stars album.Steven Wilson's genius once again striked here.

it depends on what you are expecting from Porcupine tree.if oyu prefer more lighter songs you should automatically buy "Stupid dream","Signify" or "lightbulb sun".if you prefer more ambitious progressive things buy "The sky moves sideways" or "On the sunday of life"."Voyage 34" may scare begginer fans but for more experience Steven Wilson's band fans it is a must-have.

This is a semi-concesptual album about a boy named Brian and his friends experimenting with LSD. This album sounds like classic porcupine Tree mixed with Pink Floyd and the Orb. It's very ambient, very psychadelic, and very good. During his "voyage" Brian realizes he cannot wake from his trip and is locked in his own subconcious trippy hell for the duration of the effects. If you're smart this awesome album might make you think twice about doing it. But then again, it seems to be popular among bands like Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd. Anyways, great album, and great concept. I like it!

You really have to approach this recording differently than subsequent PT releases. It does not have the songwriting strengths that Steve Wilson shows later, and it does not pretend to. You have to compare it to releases like DJ Shadow's "Endtrodoucing..." and the work that Bill Laswell has done with Material. When viewed on these terms, this recording is a masterpiece.

Ultimately, though, this was originally released as two recordings, one with Phase One and Two, and another with remixes in the guise of Phases Three and Four. One and two are truly sublime, but three and four do not make the same philosophical statement that one ane two do. the net effect is an uneven recording.

However, Phases One and Two are so provocative that they are worth the price of the CD. In the end, Voyage 34 is not a bad buy.

Porcupine Tree manage to make a great album with Voyage 34. It was originally released in vinyl so it is nice to see it in cd.

What I lke about this cd is that Steve Wilson, along w/ the musicians that accompanied him in this disc, make great music. Some say it resembles Pink Floyd, but I think that aside the obvious resemblence it has sometimes, the music shines through the way only this group could do it. Wilson manages some good guitar solos, and the melodies that make up most of the disc are really good. Good for an early offering..

What I did not like about this album is the excessive narrating. Other than that this CD is a masterpiece deserving all 5 stars.

Not my favourite PT album, but a nice one if you need to relax and have a good "climate" time. Great to listen to in a room with lights down low. If you like this, you should try Paul McCartney's The Fireman albums, especially the one called RUSHES...

Finally, I get to hear this entire CD with no distraction(s). Starts off with Steve Wilson and his fellow travelers (ha-ha; I like that - fellow travlers) take their LSD tablets at 9:30 pm to begin "Phase I", which is clearly a rip-off of old Pink Floyd as is parts of "Phase II" (not necessarily a bad thing, specially in this case). Liked the 19-minute "Phase III" and probably "Phase IV" the best. Noticed that through out this entire disc (63:26) some ambient moments show up here and there. 'Voyager 34' was originally released as a two-EP pressing in the early '90's. Wilson decided to tack on two more tracks to finish this project to be appropriately titled 'The Complete Trip'. Call me insane, but during "Phase III" I'm sort of drawing up memories of The Orb. Nonetheless, great work. Narrator did fine job, too.