The Sky Moves Sideways

The Sky Moves Sideways
Cover art by Claudine Schafer
Studio album by Porcupine Tree
Released	February, 1995
Recorded	June, 1993-July, 1994
Genre	Progressive rock Psychedelic rock Space rock
Length	65:31
Label	Delerium
Producer	Steven Wilson
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1]
Porcupine Tree chronology
Staircase Infinities (1994) The Sky Moves Sideways (1995) Waiting (1996)
Alternate cover
Remastered Edition

The Sky Moves Sideways is the third studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in February, 1995. It has been compared by many fans to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here because of their similar structure;^{[citation needed]} both albums have extended pieces at the beginning and end, which are the halves of a single song.

The Sky Moves Sideways was the first Porcupine Tree album to be released in the US, and the first on which Porcupine Tree was actually a band rather than simply a pseudonym for Steven Wilson. This transition took place while the album was being recorded, so two of the tracks - namely "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" and "Dislocated Day" - are performed entirely by Wilson, while the full band appears on the remainder of the album (including "Stars Die", a UK single which was added to the US version of the album).

In 2004, a new, two CD version of The Sky Moves Sideways was released, along with a similar re-release of the previous album, Up the Downstair, featuring newly recorded acoustic drums by Gavin Harrison on tracks which previously had only drum machines and other electronic percussion programmed by Wilson.

There are thus three distinct versions of this album - the original UK version, the US version, and the 2004 remaster - no two of which feature the same track list, or the same version of "Moonloop".

Track listing

European release

1. "The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 1" – 18:37
   • "The Colour of Air"
   • "I Find That I'm Not There"
   • "Wire the Drum"
   • "Spiral Circus"
2. "Dislocated Day" – 5:24
3. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" – 5:40
4. "Prepare Yourself" – 1:54
5. "Moonloop" – 17:04
6. "The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 2" – 16:46
   • "Is...Not"
   • "Off the Map"

US version

"The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 1"

1. "The Colour of Air" – 4:39

2. "I Find That I'm Not There" – 3:47

3. "Wire the Drum" – 6:18

4. "Spiral Circus" – 3:56

5. "Stars Die" – 5:01

6. "Moonloop" – 8:11

7. "Dislocated Day" – 5:24

8. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" – 5:51

"The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 2"

9. "Is... Not" – 12:01

10. "Off the Map" – 4:43

Besides the addition of "Stars Die", the different running order and the removal of "Prepare Yourself", the version of "Moonloop" on this edition is less than half the length of the one on the UK release. Note that the two parts of the title track on this edition have been split into a number of sections.

Expanded edition

Disc 1:

1. "The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 1" – 18:39
   • "The Colour of Air"
   • "I Find That I'm Not There"
   • "Wire the Drum"
   • "Spiral Circus"
2. "Dislocated Day" – 5:24
3. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" – 5:40
4. "Prepare Yourself" – 1:58
5. "The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 2" – 16:48
   • "Is...Not"
   • "Off the Map"

Disc 2:

1. "The Sky Moves Sideways (Alternate Version)" – 34:42
2. "Stars Die" – 5:01
3. "Moonloop (Improvisation)" – 16:18
4. "Moonloop (Coda)" – 4:52

The song "The Sky Moves Sideways (Alternate Version)" is actually 34:42 instead of 34:37 as it says on the back of the Expanded edition. Also the version of "Moonloop" here has three minutes of additional material previously available only on an EP, and is split into two tracks. Note that this is the only version of The Sky Moves Sideways which includes both "Prepare Yourself" and "Stars Die".

Personnel

• Steven Wilson: Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Flute, Engineer, Producer, Mixing
• Richard Barbieri: Keyboards, Electronics
• Colin Edwin: Bass
• Chris Maitland: Drums, Percussion
• Ricky Edwards: Additional Percussion
• Theo Travis: Flute on 6
• Gavin Harrison - drums on "Dislocated Day" and "Moon Touches Your Shoulder" (expanded edition only)
• Michael Bennion: Art Direction
• Dan: Montage

Reviews

Professional reviews:^[2]

• Metal Hammer - "The Sky Moves Sideways" sees the band at their most effective yet, having drifted into more obvious progressive territory. Swirling synths (courtesy of ex-Japan man Richard Barbieri) combine with Wilson's effective guitar work over admittedly lengthy works that manage to hold the attention without pandering to the usual excesses of the genre has, in the past, been horribly guilty of.

• OOR - Opening with the title track that runs for over 18 minutes the musical spectrum shifts from Biosphere like ambient trance through dreamy seventies sympho (Pink Floyd) and panoramic New Wave (Chameleons) working up to a dance-psychedelia (Ozric Tentacles) and ending in an acoustic pastoral. Loads of tablas, a pumping funk bass and the whirling flute of Alquin are included. For the 45 minutes that remain singer/multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson and his men (amongst which ex-Japan keyboard player Richard Barbieri) wander through diverse but always guitar oriented soundscapes. They never stay in one place long and never forget the foundation of their sound; the melody.

External links

• Porcupine Tree Official Website
• The Sky Moves Sideways at Snapper Music

References