Porcupine Tree
„Up The Downstair“
Psychedelic, Prog Rock. CD, Digipack, Reissue, Remaster 2021 (1993)

Porcupine Tree is still a Steven Wilson project here. However, future keyboardist Richard Barbieri and future bassist Colin Edwin each appear on one track. Allan Duffy wrote the lyrics for "Fadeaway," and Suzanne Barbieri provided guest vocals. On this reissue, Gavin Harrison re-recorded all the drums with a real drum kit. As a result, the remaster sounds less sterile than the original. I can almost hear someone shouting "Blasphemy!" in the background. You should listen to the original; I prefer this remaster. "Up The Downstair" is psychedelic prog-rock and sounds very different from the music that followed the album "Signify" (1996). Steven Wilson's considerable musical talent is significantly more polished here than on "On The Sunday Of Life." The style is clearly more song-oriented.

While Steven Wilson particularly regretted the comparison to Pink Floyd after "The Sky Moves Sideways" (1995), he didn't mind it here. This album is clearly Pink Floyd-influenced, inspired by Orb and The Future Sound of London. Steven said:

Up the Downstair channeled „the Orb and The Future Sound of London, but also (Pink) Floyd and Ozric Tentacles. If I liked it, I didn’t give a fuck.“

I like to think of the first four songs as one long track, since there are no real breaks. I'd like to highlight song 2, "Synesthesia," and song 4, "Always Never," from this section. Here, Stevens' ability to skillfully blend different genres and make them interesting despite some simplicity is clearly evident. There are few bands whose music never gets boring.

"Up The Downstairs" opens with Suzanne Barbieri's spoken vocals. Some consider the track "UTD" too simple and too long. I disagree, and I feel it's the heart of the album. Fast-paced sections, followed by quiet passages, spoken vocals, and effects create a rich atmosphere. "Not Beautiful Anymore," "Siren," and "Small Fish" lead into the intriguing long track "Burning Sky." Dynamic, instrumental, and guitar-driven, it's good psychedelic prog that at times reminds me of Alan Parsons. The lyrics for the final song, "Fadeaway," were written by Steven's school friend, Alan Duffy. This song is softer, with more keyboards. A wonderful closer with beautiful melodies.

Sound-wise, things are progressing; the melodies are more sophisticated, more psychedelic. There's more atmosphere, and yet Steven Wilson hasn't quite found his own sound, the sound of the band Porcupine Tree. The influence of later permanent band members Barbieri and Edwin isn't yet audible, but the transformation into a band is already beginning to take shape.

What do I really think:

Beautiful melodies wrapped in unconventional lengths. Never boring, and despite its psychedelic love for Pink Floyd, it has a distinct character of its own. Technically, the remaster is very close to the original. However, it gains warmth from the real drums. For me, this is the first "real" album since the compilation "On The Sunday Of Life".

Steven Wilson
Richard Barbieri – Keyboards, Synthesizer 
Suzanne Barbieri – gesprochene Vocals
Colin Edwin – Bass
Gavin Harrison – Drums (Remster)

On The Sunday Of Life 1992
Voyage 34 1992/93 (2022)
Up The Downstair 1993 (2021)
The Sky Moves Sideways 1995 (2021)
Signify 1996
Coma Divine (Live) 1997
Stupid Dream 1999
Lightbulb Sun 2000
Recordings 2001
In Absentia 2002
Deadwing 2005
Fear Of A Blank Planet 2007
Nil Recurring 2007
Anesthetize – Live In Tilburg 2008
We Lost The Skyline Live 2008
The Incident 2009
Octane Twisted Live 2012
Closure/Continuation 2022
Closure/Continuation Live 2023

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©19.04.2026