Porcupine Tree - Ambulance Chasers (1997)

In 1997 Porcupine Tree had left Delerium Records and hadn't yet signed with a new label, so they recorded demos for their next proposed album and sent cassettes of them to record companies in order to try to generate some interest. KScope took the bait, and in 1999 they released 'Stupid Dream', but in the meantime copies of the cassette had leaked, and a CD was pressed up and issued just before the actual album came out. This now extremely hard to find album includes demos of some of the songs that ended up on 'Stupid Dream', but it also contains a few other songs that didn't make it to the finished album. Despite being demos, these tracks are all superbly recorded, and even the songs that did end up on 'Stupid Dream' are worth hearing, with 'Even Less' being twice as long as the released version and having different lyrics, and although an extended take of this track has since appeared elsewhere, it's different to this version. 'Tinto Brass' is another song that benefits from an extended take, being three minutes longer that on 'Stupid Dream', and it uses that extra time to slowly build up to the main song, rather than diving straight in. Most of the songs that did appear on the actual album are slightly longer on here, as they would have been tightened up for the final sessions, but 'I Fail', 'Disappear', and 'Ambulance Chasing' are all exclusive to this album. I feel that the band are at their best when they are given time to stretch out, and so I love this album for the extended recordings that are on here, especially the seven minutes instrumental 'Ambulance Chasing'. I've created my own cover based on the original one, which is why it looks a bit different to one you might find online.   

Track listing

01 Even Less
02 Piano Lessons
03 Baby Dream In Cellophane
04 I Fail
05 Slave Called Shiver
06 Don't Hate Me
07 Disappear
08 Ambulance Chasing 
09 Tinto Brass 
10 Stop Swimming