Signify is the fourth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in September, 1996. It was the first album that frontman Steven Wilson recorded with a full group of musicians on board from the beginning. Previously he had been recording albums primarily as a one-man band with help gradually from other musicians. A number of the songs (albeit in demo form) were debuted live on the The Sky Moves Sideways tour before being recorded. The song "Every Home is Wired" has been covered by Polish electronic group Cabaret and included in their single Electric Chair Song. The full quote from the background words of "Idiot Prayer" can be heard on the song Trippin' by SRM.

Track listing

Original

1. "Bornlivedie" (Wilson/Barbieri) – 1:41
2. "Signify" (Wilson) – 3:26
3. "The Sleep of No Dreaming" (Wilson) – 5:24
4. "Pagan" (Wilson) – 1:34
5. "Waiting (Phase One)" (Wilson) – 4:24
6. "Waiting (Phase Two)" (Wilson) – 6:15
7. "Sever" (Wilson) – 5:30
8. "Idiot Prayer" (Wilson/Edwin) – 7:37
9. "Every Home Is Wired" (Wilson) – 5:08
10. "Intermediate Jesus" (Wilson/Barbieri/Edwin/Maitland) – 7:29
11. "Light Mass Prayers" (Maitland) – 4:28
12. "Dark Matter" (Wilson) – 8:57

Remaster

The 2003 reissue on Delerium Records contains a second disc of demos from the Signify sessions, originally released in cassette format titled Insignificance, available only to subscribers of the former Porcupine Tree information mail service called "Transmission". This disc is also included with the 2004 reissue on Snapper Music. The tracklist has been slightly altered from the cassette:

1. "Wake As Gun I" – 3:29
2. "Hallogallo" (Neu! Cover) – 3:37
3. "Signify" – 3:27
4. "Waiting" – 6:56
5. "Smiling Not Smiling" – 3:49
6. "Wake As Gun II" – 2:06
7. "Neural Rust" – 5:53
8. "Dark Origins" – 6:54
9. "Sever Tomorrow" – 6:04
10. "Nine Cats" (Acoustic Version) – 4:08

Some of the tracks are working titles of songs that were later included on the album (i.e. "Dark Origins" and "Sever Tomorrow") whilst others were not included (i.e. "Wake as Gun I" and "Wake as Gun II").

Musicians

• Steven Wilson - guitars, piano, organ, mellotron, samples, tapes, banshee guitar, drum programming, chimes, musical boxes, vocals
• Richard Barbieri - synthesisers, Hammond organ, Prophet V/System 700 electronics, piano, tapes, texture, sequencers
• Colin Edwin - electric bass, double bass
• Chris Maitland - drums, cymbals, percussion, vocal harmonies, drum loops, keyboards and voices on "Light Mass Prayers"

Guest

• Terumi - voices (track 1)

Credits

• Produced and mixed by Steven Wilson.
• Recorded at No Man's Land, Hemel Hempstead. Additional recording at The Doghouse, Henley with the assistance of Markus Butler and at Katrina & the Waves' Studio, Cambridge with the assistance of Steve Stewart.
• Mastered by Chris Thorpe at Serendipity
• Porcupine Tree Management by Richard Allen at Delerium.
• All titles published by Hit and Run Music (Publishing) Ltd.
• Art & Design by John Blackford.

Reviews

Professional reviews:

• Metal Hammer - Were Porcupine Tree called something like Camel, Pendragon or even Marillion, they would be deemed unfashionable and universally reviled. Instead, their last single featured heavily in the indie charts, despite the fact that this, their fourth and rather splendid album contains lengthy instrumental progressions, low key vocals and song titles like "Pagan", and "Sleep Of No Dreaming".
• Q - Beneficiaries of a modest critical hoopla, The Porcupine Tree occupy a curious musical netherworld wherein prog rock crosses swords with the scum-stained rifferama of grunge and ambient dance styles.
• The Big Issue - Not following any recognised style, their stuff is more like variations on several themes, Signify being no exception.

External links

• Porcupine Tree Official Website
• Signify at Snapper Music

References