Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun

This is probably the disc i have listened the most from this British band and "Lightbulb Sun" was the second song that I had discovered and listened from them.

This was the first disc from the band I went to the streets to find, but I had no luck since they did not even existed in my country (I waited years to finally get it because I was still waiting for the remastered edition!). 

I remember that I bought a Russian fake edition of the limited two disc edition of Lightbulb Sun from some cheap musical store in Buenos Aires (the guy never told me it was a Russian edition). The sound quality was decent but when I found out it was fake I started a plan to get all the originals that was only achieved four years after.

This album is the perfect combination of Progressive Rock and Metal with a genuine taste in psychedelic pop music.

I used to get back from school and put this on everyday until "Russia On Ice" got all Psychedelicly sick (at the end of the song); anyways I couldnt believe i was listening to lyrics that sounded real without making a reference to some cliche ordinary life experience. I am not sure how personal these songs might have been to Wilson, but im sure Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun are probably the "closer" music he might have written to date about his life.

A simple and also ambitious ideal combined with the classic and the contemporary with extreme energy without hesitating where the songs might have led this record through is what makes Lightbulb Sun one of my favourites.

This "explosion" of creativity is their most curious and unique work to date, I have no doubt that the most peculiar musical passages and sounds are hidden in this album.

Though Wilson never lost his talent for creating new and mind blowing compositions(Two years later he composed In Absentia), Lightbulb sun kept something from the time it was recorded that made this album to become something of especial value.

I felt somehow a strong confidence in his singing and playing during this period; Lightbulb sun was the intermediary work of art between what was an special artist with huge talent(previos albums) and a solid composer/producer that became a determined man that would change the history of Progressive Rock nowadays.

Multi channeled vocals with intelligent timing started to be mastered in this album(though the backing vocals were made by Steven Wilson himself in here), and would became a special mark of Porcupine Tree recordings later on. 

Russia On Ice is one the few songs that where recorded by all the members of the band, LBS is also the last album Chris Maitland appeared as a former member of Porcupine Tree before he left the band.

I am sure no one will regret listening to this album, in fact the only thing to regret would be missing it. 

"Feel So Low" is THE  most sincere song I have ever heard in my life, I have sheltered my thoughts listening to this song many times. "Feel So Low" is definitely a sad song, but at the same time it encourages one self, and it extrangely transmitted hope to me.

After seven years of waiting to have this album in my hands, i finally got a "Super Jewel Box" version, along with a beautiful 5.1 mix and 2007 Remaster and hope it can appear in more people's collections as an essential masterpiece of the last decade.

Review Written by StripTheSoul

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