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Tinto Brass
Trippy PT for the very last time.
Tinto Brass has it all.
Puts a smile on my face everytime I listen to it.

9/10

Tinto Brass

Was never able to get into this one. The weak point of the album.

5

Never thougt you guys wouldn't dig Tinto Brass

Maybe it's partly how it is on the album - not sure it really fits, being such a weird piece on an album of mostly fairly "traditional" songs. But then again, as Frank said, it seems a bit inconsistent, not as well structured as most PT stuff (even their more proggy stuff).

It has the classic instrumenal PT piece structure to me.
But you are right, it doesn't fit on the album.
Maybe the should have replaced it with I Fail and keept Tinto Brass for Recordings.

12. Stop Swimming

Points for being original.

8

This Is No Rehersal

The guitar is the best thing in this one.

7.5

Baby Dream in Cellophane

For some reason I find this one eerie and memorable

8

Stranger By The Minute

Not Too Bad

6

A Smart Kid

I agree: A classic

10

Tinto Brass

Great Instrumental

8

Stop Swimming

Really like this one, though a fairly somber note to end on.

8.5

Stop Swimming

This is an original.
And it feels a lot like written by a bald guy from Chicago we all know.
Maybe the darkest of them all and definitly my personal favourite non-epic-length-PT song.
It's amazing and remarkable to end an optimistic sounding brit pop album this way.
I love the jazz piano and shuffle drumming.

10/10

Stop Swimming

I remember when I first got Stupid Dream, I would listen specifically to this track quite a lot. I love it.

10

PORCUPINE TREE Stupid Dream Review By Frankie

When I first got most of PT's albums, this was one of the last one's I actually got to. My first impression was that the first two tracks were good, but after that it sort of faded out into the mainstream abyss. I guess in some extent, it does. But despite the general-ness of this affair, this is in every way another quality PT album, because it's different from all the others.

Yes some songs are better than others, but there is an overall album trend going on here, with it's eerie orchestration, and commentary about young people finding their place in the modern world. In a way it's almost an answer to anyone who criticized the darkness of Signify, producing something that is completely the opposite. Maybe SW just wanted to make a break into the mainstream rock charts, and damn if this isn't the album to do it. One has to wonder what the hell went wrong with PT's publicity, and why they aren't as big as Radiohead.

Stupid Dream isn't exactly my favorite PT album though, but that said, it's still from a band who is constantly changing their style and evolving... And it's brilliant that they never seem to get stuck in one place for too long.

Frankie's album score: 9 out of ten

Frankie's song average: 75.45%

OVERALL RATING: 82.73%

Stupid Dream

The album came to me in the middle of it all in late 2007 when I knew most PT albums up to Blank Planet (except Recordings, Signify and the early stuff).
It often was described as the better twin of Lightbulb Sun which made me yearn for it since LBS was my favourite back then.
Little could I know that Stupid Dream was cut from all the progressive roots, almost being a pure brit pop singer/songwriter album - a good one to be fair.
Nedless to say that I was rather bored by it's "Siamese Syndrom" listening to it the first few times: Great songwriting but a sticky flow and a soapy production; no real edges and few outstanding moments.
In interviews back these days Wilson admitted that he tried to release his Radiohead Fanboy Album which explains a lot.
Much like Franky said, the album grew on me over the years. There are many cute britpop tunes on the one side ("Babydream In Cellophane", "Paino Lessons"), one bad move ("Pure Narcotic") and some extraordinary pieces on the other ("Don't Hate Me", "Stop Swimming").
So it remains as a well-mixed bag, and to be fair, still PT's best mainstream ingratiation - but they really should have taken out the dull "Pure Narcotic" in favour of "I Fail".
Overproduced and way too safe - yet not their worst release.
7/10 (by PT standards!!!)


P.S.:
Deleting the 2nd half of Even Less is inexcuseable!
Especially when it apparently happened to attract mainstream listeners.

Stupid Dream

This is quite a different album for PT. I suppose Signify was a step in this direction, but with Stupid Dream they followed that step with a huge leap. I like variety by bands, so this change of style is a plus, although at the same time I don't think it works *quite* as well as earlier PT albums did.

8

Epitome, you don't mind the tenderness then ?

I have a tender side... it's just shadowed behind my bitter, hateful side.

Lightbulb Sun

1. Lightbulb Sun

Always considered this PT's Cherub Rock.

10

Lightbulb Sun

What a way to start the album Perfectly sets the tone for what's to come.

10

Lightbulb Sun

some text anyone?

10/10

2. How Is Your Life Today

Low key, short and enjoyable.

7

How Is Your Life Today

Bittersweet; the best ballad John Lennon never wrote .
Awesome circus part in the end.
Works well after the ride of LBS.

8/10

How Is Your Life Today

It's a good thing.

8