Album
Stupid Dream
Stupid Dream is Porcupine Tree's fifth studio album, released in March 1999. It arrived at a turning point for the British band, as Steven Wilson and company stepped away from the instrumental, psychedelic leanings of their early records. The songs here are more direct, with a pop-rock accessibility, yet the progressive rock instincts remain close to the surface.
The title reflects Wilson's wry view of the music business. Plenty of people chase the fame and glamour, he felt, but the reality is hard work and struggle. Together with Lightbulb Sun in 2000, the record marks a transitional stretch before the band took a heavier, more metal-leaning direction from 2002 onwards. It was reissued in May 2006, as new listeners arrived through In Absentia and Deadwing. For anyone tracing how Porcupine Tree found its songwriting focus, this is the place to start.
Stupid Dream: tracklist and credits
12 tracks · 1:00:00Tracklist
- 1Even LessSteven Wilson7:11
- 2Piano LessonsSteven Wilson4:21
- 3Stupid DreamSteven Wilson0:28
- 4Pure NarcoticSteven Wilson5:03
- 5Slave Called ShiverSteven Wilson4:41
- 6Don’t Hate MeSteven Wilson8:30
- 7This Is No RehearsalSteven Wilson3:27
- 8Baby Dream in CellophaneSteven Wilson3:16
- 9Stranger by the MinuteSteven Wilson4:31
- 10A Smart KidSteven Wilson5:22
- 11Tinto BrassBarbieri, Edwin, Maitland, Wilson6:17
- 12Stop SwimmingSteven Wilson6:53
- Produced by
- Steven Wilson
- Recorded at
- Cedar Arts Centre, Foel Studio, No Man’s Land
- Recorded
- January–November 1998
- Mixed by
- Steven Wilson
- Mixed at
- No Man’s Land
- Engineered by
- Elliot Singerman, Chris Thorpe
- Label
- Kscope
- Length
- 1:00:00
Line-up
- Richard Barbieri · piano, mellotron, Hammond organ, analog synthesizer, glockenspiel
- Colin Edwin · bass guitar, double bass
- Chris Maitland · drums (drum set), percussion, background vocals
- Sinfonia ViVA · strings
- Steven Wilson · guitar, sampler, piano, lead vocals, Hammond organ, organ, bass guitar
- Theo Travis · flute, tenor saxophone · guest
- Terumi · vocals · guest
Singles
- “Piano Lessons” · 26 April 1999
- “Stranger by the Minute” · October 1999
- “Pure Narcotic” · 22 November 1999
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
50.9
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.2k
ListenBrainz listeners
27k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
774
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 22 March
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More from Porcupine Tree
Full discography →
The Nostalgia Factory
1990
On the Sunday of Life…
1992
Voyage 34
1992
Voyage 34: The Complete Trip
1992
Spiral Circus
1993
Up the Downstair
1993
Voyage 34
1993
Staircase Infinities
1994
Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape
1994
Moonloop EP
1994
The Sky Moves Sideways
1995
Signify
1996
Coma Divine: Recorded Live in Rome
1997
Metanoia
1998
Lightbulb Sun
2000
Recordings
2001
Transmission - Moonloop EP
2001
Stars Die: The Delerium Years ’91–97
2002
In Absentia
2002
Futile
2003
XM
2003
Deadwing
2005
XMII
2005
Rockpalast
2006
Arriving Somewhere…
2006
Fear of a Blank Planet
2007
Nil Recurring
2007
We Lost the Skyline
2008
Ilosaarirock
2009
The Incident
2009
Anesthetize
2010
Atlanta
2010
Octane Twisted
2012
Pure Narcotic – Acoustic Session 2012
2020
Closure / Continuation
2022
IA / DW / XT
2023
Closure / Continuation. Live. Amsterdam 07/11/22
2023
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More on Kscope
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1999-03-22 vs 1999-04-06 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 6 April 1999 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 22 March 1999 | |
| Wikidata | 1999 | |
| US release | 1999 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 6 April 1999 | earliest UK or European date |
19 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XW | Kscope | remaster | |
| 1999 | US | Kscope | 636551281324 | other |
| 6 April 1999 | GB | Kscope | 636551281324 | original |
| 2000 | KR | East Rock | 2115474000062 | other |
| 2006 | US | Gates of Dawn | other | |
| 17 July 2006 | GB | Snapper Music | 636551291323 | other |
| 2008 | JP | WHD Entertainment, Inc. | 4582213915549 | other |
| 7 January 2008 | XW | Kscope | 802644401867 | other |
| 18 February 2008 | GB | Kscope | 802644812823 | other |
| 2013 | GB | Kscope | 802644584515 | other |
| 16 October 2013 | JP | WHD Entertainment, Inc. | 4582213915549 | other |
| 2015 | XE | Kscope | 802644834320 | other |
| 8 January 2016 | GB | Kscope | 802644834320 | other |
| 27 August 2017 | XE | Kscope | other | |
| May 2019 | XE | Kscope | 802644804019 | other |
| 2021 | GB | Transmission | 802644722122 | other |
| 2021 | XE | Transmission Recordings | 802644821214 | other |
| 10 June 2021 | GB | Kscope | other | |
| 3 September 2021 | JP | Snapper Music | 4997184142595 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 589×579 | upscaled |