The Sky Moves Sideways

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The Sky Moves Sideways
Studio album by Porcupine Tree
Released	February, 1995
Recorded	June, 1993-July, 1994
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	65:31
Label	Delerium
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Porcupine Tree chronology
Staircase Infinities (1994)	The Sky Moves Sideways (1995)	Waiting (1996)

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; both albums have extended pieces at the beginning and end.

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".

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 European release 1.2 US version 1.3 Expanded edition

[edit] Track listing

[edit] European release

1. "The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase One)" – 18:37
2. "Dislocated Day" – 5:24
3. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" – 5:40
4. "Prepare Yourself" – 1:58
5. "Moonloop" – 17:04
6. "The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase Two)" – 16:46

[edit] US version

"The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase One)"

1. "The Colour of Air"

2. "I Find That I'm Not There"

3. "Wire the Drum"

4. "Spiral Circus"

5. "Stars Die"

6. "Moonloop"

7. "Dislocated Day"

8. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder"

"The Sky Moves Sideways Phase Two"

9. "Is... Not"

10. "Off the Map"

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.

[edit] Expanded edition

Disc 1:

1. "The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase One)" – 18:39
2. "Dislocated Day" – 5:24
3. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" – 5:40
4. "Prepare Yourself" – 1:58
5. "The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase Two)" – 16:48

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

Despite the fact that on the back of the Expanded edition of The Sky Moves Sideways, 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, besides the re-recorded drums already mentioned, 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".

Porcupine Tree
Richard Barbieri | Colin Edwin | Gavin Harrison | Steven Wilson
Chris Maitland | John Wesley
Discography
Albums: Tarquin's Seaweed Farm | On the Sunday of Life... | Up the Downstair | The Sky Moves Sideways | Signify | Stupid Dream | Lightbulb Sun | In Absentia | Deadwing | Fear of a Blank Planet
Live albums: Coma Divine - Recorded Live in Rome | Warszawa | Rockpalast
Compilations: Voyage 34: The Complete Trip | Recordings | Stars Die: The Delerium Years 1991-1997
DVDs: Arriving Somewhere
Related articles
No-Man | Bass Communion | Blackfield | Headphone Dust | I.E.M.
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