Sintheros's Top 50 Porcupine Tree Songs! (Starts on Page 5)

[Quadrochosis]

Well, since I've been on a massive PT kick lately, I decided to rank my top 50 songs by them and present them to you guys in the typical fashion that we've all been doing for a while now. Seeing as my Yes survivor is finishing tonight, and my DT list has also finished, I need to keep myself occupied, and this list will do that for a while. Also, my typical list notifications also apply to this list. I made this list in about 40 minutes and it is just meant for fun, don't take things too seriously. All of their albums are well represented here in my opinion.

I'll try to do about 5 a day until I get to the top 10, at which point I will slow down.

Note: My list may be controversial.

Here we go..

50. "Blackest Eyes" - In Absentia

This song was one of my first experiences with Porcupine Tree, and while it definitely hooked me at first, I don't rank it that high anymore. It has a lot of good moments, but for some reason the track has never really grabbed my attention a lot.

49. "Pure Narcotic" - Stupid Dream

You know a top 50 is going to be nothing but good songs when a song like "Pure Narcotic" ranks in at second to dead last. I do really admire this song, although I've always felt that SW's vocal delivery is a bit too nasally and that the song is just a bit too happy. Generally for my tastes, the sadder PT songs are the better ones.

48. "Deadwing" - Deadwing

A great album opener for one of their better albums. One of the things I like most about this song is the spoken word choruses that have that deeper voice. I also like the way it starts, with the neat keyboard effects.

47. "Bonnie the Cat" - The Incident

Probably one of the creepier songs the band has done. The lines "I hold your birth control to ransom / The cells divide and grow inside you / I know what will be" are some of the most evil sounding lines I have ever heard. Other than that the song has a nice feel to it, and I really like the delivery on the "I know, what, will be" lines.

46. "My Ashes" - Fear of a Blank Planet

I find this song to be pretty underrated as far as the PT catalog goes. I know a lot of people don't like FOABP too much, but I do, and I think that while this is the weakest track on the album, it certainly deserves much more credit then it is usually given. My favorite part of the song is the vocal delivery of "Never ending clouds of rain and distant sails.. sails.. SAAAAAAAAAAILS!" So awesome.

45. "Always Never" - Up the Downstair

This song is one of the better tunes on UtD. It actually sounds a lot like the Signify/SD era if you ask me, and this was one of the songs that really let us know where the band would be going in the future. This song really needs to be played live again, seeing as it fits so nicely with what the band has become over the years.



Another thing I should mention:

This is now going to be my 3rd or 4th "top 50" list, and this one has been BY FAR the hardest to make the list for. I really have trouble finding any faults with ANY of their music, and making this list, and then removing about 40 songs or so to trim it down to 50 was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

[KevShmev]

Nice.  I haven't been in a PT mood lately, but I will still be following this.

[Quadrochosis]

Nice.  I haven't been in a PT mood lately, but I will still be following this.

Glad to hear it

[zxlkho]

Bonnie the Cat. 

[Quadrochosis]

Ahh no more love for this list? C'mon guys PT is like the new DT here!

[KevShmev]

I can't help but wonder if people are getting top listed out.  It seems like everyone and their mother is doing one these days.  I try to limit myself to one a month, and each time I have done one, it was the first one for that particular band or idea.  This is, what, the 3rd or 4th one for PT in the last eight months or so, so I wonder if that explains the lack of posts thus far.  I am glad I started this trend, as many seem to enjoy these types of threads, but having so many at once can be a bit of overkill.

Or maybe everyone was already asleep last night when you first posted it and no one has woke up yet.

[Zantera]

I'll be following, though i already know that your top50 will be far from mine. 

[AcidLameLTE]

Porcupine who?

[Zantera]

Porcupine who?

It's a type of Pine tree.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Porcupine who?

It's Iain Wilson's brother's band

[Marvellous G]

I'll be following this, it will be especially interesting as I only just got into them. 

[MetalManiac666]

Will be following.

[skydivingninja]

I'll be following, but yeah, I'm kinda PT top 50's out.  Don't expect many posts unless you do something as heinous as having "Deadwing" so criminally low.

[InTheNameOfGod]

Deadwing at 49?

Top 15 material atleast!

[Quadrochosis]

Well I'm glad that I got some responses. Anyway, I am going to continue this, I don't care what other people say, I absolutely love writing these and even a few readers is more than enough for me.

Here's the next five.

44. "The Incident" - The Incident

Really cool title track from the song cycle on disc one. From what I've gathered it is about a car crash and it kind of gives of that vibe pretty well. It kind of has a feel of older PT, but with some tinges of newer PT (thinking of the opening of "Sleep Together") The repeated phrase, which I think says "You get all disheveled" is a really neat addition to the song.

43. "Sentimental" - Fear of a Blank Planet

A really cool song that follows the epic track on FOABP. The chorus is probably my favorite part of the song, and I really enjoy the way the piano intro kind of stumbles you into the song. A really neat tune that well deserves it's spot amongst PT's discography in my top 50.

42. "The Blind House" - The Incident

My definite favorite part of this tune is the quiet part where we hear the "Breathe out.. Blind House.. Free Love.. Feel Love.." right before the song kicks back in. It always sends chills down my spine. A great way to kick TI song cycle into motion and a tune that I won't soon forget. Can't wait to see this live at RCMH.

41. "Signify" - Signify

This instrumental title track of one of the better PT albums really has a quite different vibe then anything else they've done, and certainly a different vibe of the rest of the album in my opinion. I like the time signature change that they put on the riff occasionally throughout the song as it keeps it fresh while allowing the riff to be used in a more repetitive fashion. Really cool track.

40. "The Rest Will Flow" - Lightbulb Sun

This is perhaps one of PT's more underrated songs. It's easy to overlook at first, because of it's length, but when you really spend some time with it, it turns out to be one of their more beautiful songs. There's a version of this song that I have that is an orchestral version of this song and it really rocks as well. Overall a nice tune that really helps flow along LBS.

[Sintheros]

Deadwing at 49?

Top 1 material atleast!

And Pure Narcotic should be farther down the list as well. 

[Quadrochosis]

Deadwing at 49?

Top 1 material atleast!

And Pure Narcotic should be farther down the list as well. 

Like I said, PN is too nasally, and DW drags a bit for me. But like I said, there's no such thing as a bad PT song, so I had to be extremely nit-picky when I was making this list.

[jag66]

i'll be following.

i'd say pure narcotic, deadwing, blind house and the incident are way too low though 

[MetalManiac666]

42. "Signify" - Signify

[Quadrochosis]

Here is the next update.

39. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" - The Sky Moves Sideways

I always forget about this song, and then later come to find out about it again while listening to TSMS and am always blown away at how awesome it is. One of their more underrated songs to date.

38. "Even Less" - Stupid Dream

This is a great opening track to one of their best albums. The 7 minute cut on the album is really good, but the version on Recordings is the better one in my opinion. The actually track is really good though, and usually gets the job done more than often.

37. "Flicker" - The Incident

I think that this is definitely one of the better songs off disc to of TI. It just sounds so awesome, I can never get enough of it, especially the cool organ-y keyboard sounding stuff.

36. "Gravity Eyelids" - In Absentia

Indeed this is one of the best PT songs on IA. I really like how heavy the song gets despite it being quiet nice in the beginning.

35. "This Is No Rehearsal" - Stupid Dream

Another sick song from SD. This song is one of the songs that I really got into a lot when I first started getting into PT a lot. A real great classic.


Five more tomorrow! 

[Darkes7]

I definitely will be following, for some reason haven't seen this thread earlier.

But Gravity Eyelids so low?! And I wouldn't call Pure Narcotic a happy song - it's like with Blackest Eyes for example, it sounds happy, but the lyrics certainly aren't. Though still great to see it on the list, people often forget about it.

[Zantera]

You just made Darkes7 very sad by placing Gravity Eyelids so low.

[Darkes7]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

[bodiesinflight]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

I'm beginning to feel that I need to as well...shocking list!

[Quadrochosis]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

Haha, my top 50 lists always end up being extremely controversial. I guess I just have really strange tastes. Like my top 10 of this list is all PT songs that I feel are untouchable, and yet I'm sure a lot of the songs I already said would be close or in other's top 10.

[Zantera]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

Haha, my top 50 lists always end up being extremely controversial. I guess I just have really strange tastes. Like my top 10 of this list is all PT songs that I feel are untouchable, and yet I'm sure a lot of the songs I already said would be close or in other's top 10.

Let me guess, your top10 includes: Trains, Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak, Shallow, Lazarus, Halo and Heartattack in a layby?

[Quadrochosis]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

Haha, my top 50 lists always end up being extremely controversial. I guess I just have really strange tastes. Like my top 10 of this list is all PT songs that I feel are untouchable, and yet I'm sure a lot of the songs I already said would be close or in other's top 10.

Let me guess, your top10 includes: Trains, Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak, Shallow, Lazarus, Halo and Heartattack in a layby?

You'll see.

[Marvellous G]

I need to make my own top 50 eventually to show you how it's done right.

Haha, my top 50 lists always end up being extremely controversial. I guess I just have really strange tastes. Like my top 10 of this list is all PT songs that I feel are untouchable, and yet I'm sure a lot of the songs I already said would be close or in other's top 10.

Let me guess, your top10 includes: Trains, Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak, Shallow, Lazarus, Halo and Heartattack in a layby?

You'll see.

Quadrochosis does not comment on rumour or speculation.

[Quadrochosis]

Quadrochosis does not comment on rumour or speculation.

[ZBomber]

  Definitely will be following!

[KevShmev]

Let me guess, your top10 includes: Trains, Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak, Shallow, Lazarus, Halo and Heartattack in a layby?

All of those are phenomenal songs, except for "Shallow" (which is only merely good), so what would be the problem with most or all of those songs being in his top 10?

[Sintheros]

Halo would wind up in the 20s or 30s for me, Heartattack would be in the teens along with Lazarus, Trains would be in 2nd place, and The Sound of Muzak and Shallow would not make the top 50.

[Zantera]

Let me guess, your top10 includes: Trains, Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak, Shallow, Lazarus, Halo and Heartattack in a layby?

All of those are phenomenal songs, except for "Shallow" (which is only merely good), so what would be the problem with most or all of those songs being in his top 10?

Being phenomenal doesn't make it top10 material, at least not when its PT.
In an ocean of phenomenal songs.

[KevShmev]

Perhaps not, but with so many phenomenal songs, the difference between number 6 and number 37, for example, sometimes ain't much, so why split hairs?

[Quadrochosis]

Perhaps not, but with so many phenomenal songs, the difference between number 6 and number 37, for example, sometimes ain't much, so why split hairs?

That's how I'm considering my list. They're all so close so song number 50 is almost as good as song number 5, etc.