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A Victim of Stars, 1982-2012 [Double CD]

David Sylvian Audio CD
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
Price: £11.04 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Image of album by David Sylvian

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Biography

The David Sylvian that fronted new wave pop band Japan wore luminescent hair and glam make-up; on the cover of his solo debut, 1984's Brilliant Trees, he was stylish and refined, a gentleman popster. But the illustration that introduces 2003's Blemish sends a different message: he's bedraggled and unshaven, his far-off expression turned haunted. The new millennium has seen a more ... Read more in Amazon's David Sylvian Store

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Frequently Bought Together

A Victim of Stars, 1982-2012 + Uncommon Deities + InGladAloneness
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Product details

  • Audio CD (27 Feb 2012)
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Format: Double CD
  • Label: Virgin Catalogue
  • ASIN: B006TX276C
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 11,198 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


Disc 1:

Samples
Song TitleArtist Time Price
Listen  1. Ghosts (Remix)David Sylvian 3:44£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  2. Bamboo Houses (Remix)David Sylvian 5:28£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  3. Bamboo MusicDavid Sylvian 5:40£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  4. Forbidden ColoursDavid Sylvian 5:52£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  5. Red GuitarDavid Sylvian 5:10£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  6. The Ink In The WellDavid Sylvian 4:32£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  7. Pulling PunchesDavid Sylvian 5:03£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  8. Taking The VeilDavid Sylvian 4:41£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  9. Silver MoonDavid Sylvian 6:09£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen10. Let The Happiness InDavid Sylvian 5:37£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen11. OrpheusDavid Sylvian 4:51£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen12. WaterfrontDavid Sylvian 3:24£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen13. Pop SongDavid Sylvian 4:32£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen14. BlackwaterRain Tree Crow 4:21£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen15. Every Colour You AreRain Tree Crow 4:46£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen16. Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) Returning To The Womb (Remix)Ryuichi Sakamoto/David Sylvian 5:16£0.89  Buy MP3 


Disc 2:

Samples
Song TitleArtist Time Price
Listen  1. Jean The BirdmanDavid Sylvian & Robert Fripp 4:13£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  2. Alphabet AngelDavid Sylvian 2:06£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  3. I SurrenderDavid Sylvian 9:27£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  4. Darkest DreamingDavid Sylvian 4:02£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  5. A Fire In The ForestDavid Sylvian 4:07£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  6. The Only Daughter (Original)David Sylvian 5:30£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  7. Late Night ShoppingDavid Sylvian 2:54£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  8. Wonderful WorldNine Horses 6:03£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen  9. The Banality Of EvilNine Horses 8:00£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen10. Darkest BirdsNine Horses 5:04£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen11. Snow White In AppalachiaDavid Sylvian 6:06£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen12. Small Metal GodsDavid Sylvian 5:08£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen13. I Should Not DareDavid Sylvian 3:22£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen14. ManafonDavid Sylvian 4:03£0.89  Buy MP3 
Listen15. Where's Your Gravity?David Sylvian 5:38£0.89  Buy MP3 


Product Description

Product Description

A Victim of Stars picks the best from David Sylvian's 30-year musical career, from '80s pop-funk via jazz in the 90s to the 2000s leaning to electronica. This compilation of the former Japan front man's greatest hits also includes a newly recorded single, "Where's Your Gravity?".

Product Description

2CD set. Career-spanning, multi-label 30-track "best of" compilation of Japan and solo material! Includes new 2012 song "Where's Your Gravity?".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars My New Career 5 Mar 2012
By Mr. 880
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's not hard to see why Japan/Sylvian fans have a tough time with the band/artist's previous record companies. The compilations of various kinds have been racking up over the years and just when you thought there couldn't be anything more to say, here comes A Victim of Stars put out through Virgin. Reviews are right, that it's a pretty decent primer for any introduction to Sylvian; though if you haven't been introduced to his music by now you're pretty late to the party and some will complain this all sounds either dated or wilfully ambient! Nevertheless, the "new" track accompanying this collection, Where's Your Gravity?, manages to bridge some of the atmospheric brilliance of Japan's later songs with echoes of Sylvian's own work stretching across nearly thirty years. But one reviewer is right, Ghosts and Forbidden Colours don't need to be off the Everything and Nothing compilation surely when the originals (and especially the Tin Drum version of Ghosts which mysteriously seems to have been the poor relation of the single/remix effort for years and yet is far superior) could be worked into this record if we have to be reminded of Japan in the former song's case.

Small Metal Gods and Manafon add a bit of clarity to the later work and update the story, though they are some lonely highlights to what have been indifferent records recently. Listeners will also wonder how remixed Bamboo Houses actually is while the album version of Heartbeat I happen to like more though this restrained remix is okay too. That aside, Sylvian's dedication to the style and mastery of his music shines through here. If you listen and keep doing so, you realise how little the music has dated and also how "un-ambient" it can be at times; a testament to the quality of the textures and sound-scapes that he's played around with for so many years. Indeed if you were uninitiated you might wonder which was the older and newer stuff here, possibly confused by what other reviewers have rightly stated is still a rough and ready transfer of the music. A serious bit of remastering surely needs to be done with tracks that Virgin have frankly treated with a slap-dash attitude over the years. And even the cover and inside pictures date the work in Virgin's eyes which, despite quite sturdy packaging, make this look like a bit of a cashing-in exercise. Even so, the fact that the record has made the album charts at all, reflects the loyalty of Sylvian's fans and the respect he's held in by many. The record is a triumph of sorts then: reflecting a history where he's been determined to plot his own course; demanding concentration from the listener; and repaying your attention with serious, but rewarding sounds, emotions and beauty. David Sylvian sounds about as far out of place in modern rock/pop music (I know he wouldn't see himself in that branch anyway!) as you can get, and no bad thing it is. Recommended, especially for the relative newcomer, but with reservations.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't hesitate! 16 Jun 2012
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unless you are familiar with David's first three solo albums from the 1980's, Brilliant Trees, Gone to Earth and Secrets of the Beehive, you should not hesitate to buy this for the eight tracks from those albums included here and let yourself be seduced into buying those albums themselves. Then you can regard the other tracks, including the four excellent Sakamoto collaborations and the more variable results of various Japan reincarnations, as the icing on the cake. Even if you have all the original singles and albums represented here, it is still interesting to see what has been omitted (e.g. Nostalgia from Brilliant Trees) and to hear the obligatory (for such compliations) new track, Where's Your Gravity?
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Handy David Sylvian primer 28 Feb 2012
By Colin Mccartney TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I do own (and love) a couple of Sylvian LPs already but jumped at the chance to get hold of this compilation. Not having followed his career as closely as I ought to have done over the last 30 years, I saw this as a means of getting some perspective on an artist I've always very much admired, but for whom it can sometimes be difficult to find the best point of access. After all, how easy is it to be put off somebody by buying the "difficult" album first accidentally (Ascension, instead of A Love Supreme [Deluxe Edition], for example)?

"A Victim of Stars" might not contain all David Sylvian's best work: although the bulk of material here is new to me, two of my own favourites aren't on here - "September" and "Before the Bullfight" (doesn't bother me mind, as I already own 'em). Also, the version of the classic "Forbidden Colours" is not the one I'm familiar with (the electronic one) but a more piano-ey version (I'm not sure which is considered to be definitive, but my preference is most definitely the former). Nevertheless, of the selections I hadn't previously heard, I have made some real discoveries ("Darkest Dreaming" for one - amazing) and I will certainly be making further Sylvian record purchases off the back of this - so in that sense this compilation has done its job for me.

The 2 disc set is nicely presented in a digipak with a slightly unusual booklet and has the overall feel of a class purchase. The sound quality/mastering is awesome - this is evident from the moment the familiar "Ghosts" (track 1, CD 1) comes out of your speakers.

So why only four stars? Well, whilst this is a nice collection, as I mentioned above there are some omissions. Also, I'd have to say that this is probably not as good an introduction as the studio album Gone to Earth -2cd- - and I'd be tempted to advise any newcomers to take the plunge and go for that instead. But, if I could award 1/2 stars, this would be a 4.5/5.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars David Sylvian,Always a *Shimmering Star*.......
This is simply beautiful & must surely feauture some of David Sylvian's most emotive,soothing & heartfelt pieces ever...... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Billy-bob Oodleflip!!
2.0 out of 5 stars It's ok.
I bought this CD because I've always enjoyed David Sylvian's Music but I must admit that one of the songs on this CD is actually scratched (it jumps lots when it's played). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Mark Deacon.
5.0 out of 5 stars A great collection
A brilliant collection of songs. Some great singles as well as more quirky Sylvian music. Great! Highly recommended for fans.
Published 2 months ago by northern fan
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I have listened to David Sylvian (and Japan) since the early 80's and this is a great compilation. If you are a collector, this is amust buy!
Published 4 months ago by Staffan
5.0 out of 5 stars Audio quaility
Yes I agree with a previous reviewer that certain parts of this compilation are not great when it comes to audio quality - specifically the first five tracks of CD1, but If you... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Heath Young
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive singles album
A Victim of Stars is the 'greatest hits' album that Everything and Nothing never was. The 80s are represented pretty faithfully by the singles of the period - no Buoy which is a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by clock
2.0 out of 5 stars Why do i need to buy this
For someone who owns Everything and Nothing I'm at a loss at to why I need to buy A Victim of Stars. Is David now to bring out as many greatest hits albums as Madness
Published 14 months ago by J. White
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying career retrospective
I did wonder if 'A Victim of Stars' was really necessary given that 10 tracks previously featured on 2000's compilation 'Everything and Nothing' , 'Wonderful World' was also... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jason Parkes
1.0 out of 5 stars What? Again..!!
Let's be honest here. Sylvian's last decent solo studio release was "Dead Bees" - and that was an awfully long time ago. Read more
Published 14 months ago by T. Lawford
4.0 out of 5 stars Almost what folks have been wanting for...
A Victim of Stars is about as close to the compilation that Sylvian aficionados (he's too serious to have "fans") have been waiting for--short of a proper box set, anyway--for... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Kevin O'Conner
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