Customer Reviews

Warszawa

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been a long wait since In Absentia until the upcoming new CD, so to help pass the time I snagged this up when I spotted a single copy at the music store. I'm glad I did, but I'm a PT convert so that didn't surprise me.

Steven Wilson and company are fantastic live, away from all of Wilson's studio wizardry. There's bands that can't play live and bands who can, and Porcupine Tree definitely can. The band's inventive arrangements make this interesting even if you have the studio albums.

Wilson's guitar solos take the tastefulness and bluesy tone of David Gilmour and mix it with a dose of acid-rock wah-wah, some strummed acoustic and a dash of metal. Richard Barbieri's atmospheric keyboards range from prog to electronica but stay mostly on the prog side. Colin Edwin's bass is outstanding as always, if a bit undermixed here. The now departed Chris Maitland was a monster on drums.

Porcupine Tree is in my opinion quite simply the best band working in the progressive rock field these days, and this live collection bears this out. Can't wait for the new one!

On this CD, their is a collection of songs that Porcupine Tree played in Poland for a radio broadcast. All the songs from the set are included except Tinto Brass.

Since Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun have been out of print for ages, and aren't being remastered and reissued until this summer, what better way to enjoy them then in their powerful live forms?

Warszawa is arguably one of the finest live albums I've ever heard. The songs range from dramatic to intense, to soft and fluffy to pure psychedelia. Porcupine Tree is truly a kaleidoscope of sound and texture, and the songs on this album lose no quality in their live translations- in fact, the ideas are expanded and built on.

Song By Song Review:

1.) Even Less- This song is truly a powerful opener, and the crowd couldn't be more excited when the band is announced to the stage. The song is a great example of "new" Porcupine Tree, leaving their progressive roots and taking a more commercial approach to music while maintaining their artistic integrity. Beautiful words atop cerebral music- bliss. 5/5

2.) Slave Called Shiver- This was the song that got me hooked on Porcupine Tree- in fact, it was this version. The song gets an adrenaline shot live, and speeds along while Steven sings and beats the hell from his guitar. Colin could not possibly be cooler as he plays the liquid bassline, and perfectly moves against the incredibly tight drums. Richard Barbieri's sonic contributions to the piece give it that final Porcupine Tree stamp. Perfection, one of the finest tunes on the album. 5/5

3.) Shesmovedon- Any fan of Porcupine Tree should know this song- bass-y chorus and a chorus that'll keep you singing for weeks. Put this on loud, and sing til the neighbors go deaf. 5/5

4.) Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled- This song is a two-parter: The acoustic part one gives us a wonderful story of teenage love, while part two, seemingly out of left field, is much more heavy acoustic guitar, with floating keyboards and a backdrop tape of the man behind all the mass suicides. It sounds odd, but then again, Wilson is the sample master. Listen and enjoy, this song rules. 5/5

5.) Lightbulb Sun- Hit after hit after hit on this record. Lightbulb Sun is a great song, featuring brilliant lyrics and music that could only be Porcupine Tree. Listen and enjoy. 5/5

6.) Russia On Ice- This song slows thing down, but is still a great song. I would have prefered one of their earlier instrumentals or songs compared to this, but its still a fantastic song. 4/5

7.) Where We Would Be- Get ready to get teary- Wilson is able to inspire any emotion he wants out of the crowd, including sadness, as good as any of the great singers out there. His high notes have just a bit of crack to bring tears to one's eyes- you'll need a hanky during this one. 5/5

8.) Hatesong- The motherload. This song is absolutely great, and Wilson's minimalist playing perfectly counters the cool bassline and the drum work. It moves along slowly and cooly, lurking, until all hell breaks loose mid-way, and the solo kicks in. Turn the bass all the way up on the speakers, and feel your house shake. 5/5

9.) Stop Swimming- Not my favorite song in the world. Steven says its one of his sad songs, but I reserve that spot for Where We Would Be. A good song, but nothing overly spectacular. 3/5

10.) Voyage 34- THE psychedelic masterpiece, with part one played completely live, samples and all. The band brings brilliant new energy to the piece, and truly makes it shine to perfection. Enjoy this song, as it is one of the most unique things you'll ever hear. 5/5

11.) Signify- Yay! Another oldie! From the album of the same title, we get another trick out of the old Porcupine Tree hat, a stunning instrumental played with amazing precision. Although I miss Tinto Brass, this song is a perfect note to end on. 5/5

There you have it- a 79 minute and 19 second album packed to the brim with music- and great music to boot. As if the music weren't enough, it is packaged in a beautiful digipack.

Even if you aren't a big fan of Porcupine Tree, get this album and become one. For those who are already fans, purchase this and hear some of the finest versions of the Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun songs ever, and await the reissues patiently!

This new Digipak version is a re-release of an earlier Madfish Records UK release from 2005. As a Porcupine Tree fan and music listener for the majority of my life, I can tell you, this is one excellant concert recording.

The performance is from a Polish radio show broadcast that included a small in studio audience. The performance was right on the heels of the Lightbulb Sun tour, so most of the songs performed are from that album. A couple more from Stupid Dream, Voyage 34 (Phase One), and the title track off the Signify album. This is a real treat, since the Lightbulb Sun album has been out-of-print for a long time now. This was my first chance to hear the songs (I'm still waiting for the rumoured re-release this fall).

I'm not going to try and give you a full description of the music on this album, if you need that, please see the Amazon Review by "fats al" of the 2005 version dated February 22, 2006. He does an excellant job. I just didn't think it would be right to cut and paste it here!

This cd is also a great bargain: it's packed to the brim with music. 79 minutes and 19 seconds worth of beautiful live PTree music for only $12. I will say track 8, Hatesong, is absolutely the Best! 5-stars!

This is the official release of what was previously a fanclub-only album. Very well-recorded concert from Poland that features the last recordings of the original Porcupine Tree line-up featuring drummer Chris Maitland. It's a nice summation of where the band was as a live act following Lightbulb Sun. This is a nice souvenir for fans of the band, but newcomers would also do well to start here.

If you are a true PT fan, you already have this album. If you are a newbie, this should be on your wish list.

I have been fortunate enough to see PT live and was impressed with their ability to offer all the splendor of their music while maintaining a truly "clean" sound. I was hesitant when buying this album. Let's face it...good live recordings are rare. Porcupine Tree's XM recordings are excellent but could Porcupine Tree do it again? The answer is yes.

This album has a lot going for it. It has a wonderful set list including an excellent rendition of "Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth." The quality of the music is excellent. You won't hear a missed note, but would Steve have it any other way...doubt it. Lastly, it simply sounds great. This is not a half baked attempt to answer fan's requests for additional live recordings. This is a very good quality recording and it is truly a wonderful album.

As someone who discovered PT in 1998 or so, based only on "Waiting" and the Signify album, which I loved, I have found the band to be nearly permanently stuck in my car's CD player. In Absentia became a permanent fixture. The quiet songs just blow me away. The harmonies....how could it get better? I got the Stars Die compilation and Coma Divine, but my latest purchase of Warzsaza sent me into raptures. The opening cut, "Even less", has the most gorgeous guitar riff, anthemic and soaring, and the rest of the album takes off from there. Harmonies, fabulous guitar and keyboard work as always, and SW's beautiful vocals. The guy is a genius!! I cannnot stop playing this CD. I am hoping that Deadwing will be as good.

Being recently addicted to Porcupine Tree, I found this live album great right from the awesome guitar intro to the first track "Even Less" through to the final song "Signify". "Voyage 34" is perhaps not all that good live but everything else is fresh and solid. Of particular interest is that the album contains 6 songs from the hard-to-get album Lightbulb Sun including the superb "Russia On Ice". I highly recommend this album to all rock music fans!

Porcupine Tree is one of those bands you have to see perform live in order to appreciate just how great they are. The fact that they can duplicate the lush, orchestral moody feel of their studio albums when they play live is quite a feat. This album gives a good flavor of just how good they can be live, although now in 2005 their overall sound is even more sophisticated and more lush than this album reveals. If I was recommending a first album to purchase for someone who had never heard this band, I would start with In Absentia or Deadwing, before buying this album. But for anyone who already likes this band, this album will make a welcome addition to your collection.

I am one of the many fans who became a PT addict after buying In Absentia. Since then I have bought pretty much any Porcupine Tree album I could find-seems to be the trend with new fans. This was my most recent purchase except for Deadwing.

This is a great live recording of the band after the release of Lightbulb Sun. Lightbulb Sun is one of the most beautiful albums I own (then again most of what I own is extreme metal haha) and the songs on here sound just as good live as they do on cd. They don't sound exactly like the album either, in case you are worried that this isn't worth buying. Stupid Dream is one of the only PT albums I haven't been able to get my hands on, but after hearing the tracks on here I am anxiously waiting for the rerelease. The sound quality here is great and the songs, which are great to begin with, are played beautifully.

I have one complaint with this album, and that is with the setlist. Over half the tracks (6 in total) are from Lightbulb Sun, and they are all played consecutively. Unfortuneately the one song from this performance not included on the album was "Tinto Brass" from Stupid Dream. The inclusion of that would have balanced this a bit better but I guess it was the last song so it was the one to get cut. That's really a minor gripe though. Probably should be 4.5 stars.

I saw these guys last year in Montreal on the Damnation in Absentia tour with Opeth, so I already knew they were an amazing live act, but I was still shocked by Warszawa. I don't usually go in for live albums, as I prefer the studio stuff, but if it's got PT's name on it, I will pick it up. The best thing about this CD is that it's mostly made up of songs off of the Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream albums, which are currently out of print, so it's a great chance for those who don't own those albums to hear some of the songs. The live version of Shesmovedon is astounding, and it was awesome to hear the crowd clapping along at the beginning of Voyage 34.

The production is beautiful, and I would expect no less from Steven Wilson. Every note is crystal clear, there's enough crowd noise to let you know that they're playing live without drowning out the music, and everyone in the band is in top form.

If you've never heard Porcupine Tree before, I think this is as good a place as any to start. You get a good range of their sound (from accessible songs like the 5 minute Shesmovedon to epic ambient explorations like the 12 minute Russia on Ice, and even the extended jam session that is Voyage 34). The fact that the songs showcased are not readily available (pending reissues on Lava/Atlantic) only adds to this album's value. Also, according to their website, this album is a limited edition, so I suggest getting it while you can.

1. Even Less (7:36) 5/5 *
2. Slave Called Shiver (5:08) 5/5
3. Shesmovedon (5:21) 5/5 *
4. Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before it is Recycled (5:01) 5/5
5. Lightbulb Sun (5:59) 5/5 *
6. Russia on Ice (12:26) 5/5
7. Where We Would Be (3:40) 5/5
8. Hatesong (8:36) 5/5 *
9. Stop Swimming (7:08) 5/5
10. Voyage 34 - Phase 1 (12:37) 5/5 *
11. Signify (5:40) 5/5

* My Favorites.

PS. All the 5/5s probably seem excessive only to those who have not heard this album.