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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another sublime Sylvian record, 10 Sep 2001
When asked my favourite Sylvian record, I usually never give the same answer twice. Often I will answer 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids', 'Brilliant Trees', 'Rain Tree Crow', 'Damage', 'Tin Drum', 'Gone to Earth', 'Dead Bees on a Cake' and this. Then again the more experimental ambient works are just as good. 'The First Day' is the only so-so record he's done since 'Quiet Life'- & that has moments such as 'Brightness Falls' (& also produced the out-takes 'Earthbound' & 'Endgame'). This is one of the albums I've played since it came out and still play today. Along with 'Happy Sad', 'Spirit of Eden', 'Pink Moon','Astral Weeks', 'In a Silent Way' & '60 Watt Silver Lining' it is one of my fave nightime albums (the point where you sink into sleep; between the drudge of day & the slip of dreams...).Sylvian was on a bit of a roll- an unreleased collaboration with Scott Walker; the 'Gone to Earth' double-set (which featured classics 'Laughter & Forgetting' & 'River Man', amongst others) & the brilliant Mick Karn-Steve Jansen single 'Buoy'. Taking the latter as a starting point, the result is this album, which sounds like a jazzy Scott Walker. 'September' is the short opener, "sipping coke & playing games", which captures the passing moment. From the Summer of life to the Autumn of realisation. A happysad melancholia...'The Boy with the Gun' is a guitar & string drenched song- taking instrumentals such as 'Campfire Coyote Country' as a template (& moving towards 'Rain Tree Crow'). 'Maria', with a Turkish sounding female backing vocal (it reminds me of 'Persian Love Song' by Dead Can Dance) & a minor-key synth is a more worldly advance on 'Ghosts'.The gloom is abated for 'Orpheus', one of Sylvian's best songs. One of the best songs ever!. The vocal & lyrics are rich & happysad once more- Mark Isham's horn interlude is particularly lovely; as is Ryuichi Sakamoto's keyboards (not forgetting Brian Gascgoine's string arrangements). It'll make you want to read 'Orpheus in the Underworld'& view Cocteau's 'Orphee' (if you haven't already). My favourite lyric, though I'm not sure why, is "sleepers sleep as we row the boat/ Just you the weather and I gave up hope"- which is as poetic as anything. 'The Devil's Own' is a dark song; from the underworld we move to the Spanish setting detailed in the earlier 'The Ink in the Well'. 'When Poets Dreamed of Angels' is an almost violent Spanish-acoustic song, we think of Picasso & Lorca & 'Spirit of the Beehive'. 'Mother & Child' uses the excellent Danny Thompson, star of tracks on 'Brilliant Trees' & 'Dream Letter' (to name but a few!). 'Let the Happiness In' (lovely cover by The Hope Blister)begins on a simple keyboard & expands to allow further instruments & emotions in. Another awesome moment is 'Waterfront', another bleak Walkeresque study of melancholy "in Catalonian bars".It is as good as Walker tracks like 'The Bridge', 'Big Louise' & 'On Your Own Again'. The bonus track here is a re-recording of the Sakamoto/Sylvian single 'Forbidden Colours' (from 1983's 'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence). This is a more organic, classical take on it- the famous synth refrain is translated to piano & strings. This is a wonderful version- Sylvian knows why he left it off 'Everything & Nothing'. A sublime conclusion to a sublime record. Then again,can we expect anything else from Sylvian?
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~ New Order
~ Lou Reed
~ John Cale
~ Scott Walker
~ the Bad & the Queen The Good
