Rain Tree Crow

Certainly this album provides an opportunity for non-Japan/Sylvian fans to indulge themselves in some scintillating sounds and crisp production, without the impenetrable wall of affectation that has symbolised much of the later solo work from all involved.

There are some moments of weakness where the plot seems to have been left at home, but these are easily forgiven with the sumptuous Blackwater, Every Colour You Are and Pocket Full of Change. Overall, Rain Tree Crow offered a wonderful distraction from the lukewarm choices of the early ‘90s and remains significant today in a way that only well crafted music can.

The members of Japan had played together between 'Oil on Canvas' & this: Jansen had played on all of his brothers solo albums, Barbieri had popped up on 'Brilliant Trees' & 'Gone to Earth'- while Karn's solo album featured both Jansen & Sylvian on the gorgeous peak 'Buoy' (very much a sketch of this album). The album was recorded in 1989/90 with Pat McCarthy (REM) & Steve Nye (Japan) with the feeling of 'live improvisation'- so this has more in common with 'Silent Way'-Miles or 'Eden'-Talk Talk than the pre-set world of 'Cantonese Boy'.

'Big Wheels in Shanty Town' is very world music- building to backing vocals & horns; it is as good as anything on Peter Gabriel's 'Passion'...'Every Colour You Are' is a sublime song- as great as 'Brilliant Trees', 'Orpheus' or 'Nightporter'; Phil Palmer's slide guitar makes this particularly moving. Plus we get lyrics that are very influenced by Seamus Heaney- a constant for the album...'Rain Tree Crow'is a minimal piece that contrasts with the vast instrumental 'Red Earth' (you picture Mount Fuji in your mind). Brian Gascoigne's orchestration is as fine as on Scott Walker's 'Farmer in the City'...'Pocket Full of Change' is another brilliant song- the space & tone of the organ&keyboards- plus Michael Brook's brilliant guitar effects...'Boats for Burning' is a very brief & slight song, giving way to another instrumental @new Moon at Red Deer Wallow@- this album is not afraid to be voxless. The music is as great as the instrumental section of 'Gone to Earth'...The single 'Blackwater' is still a gorgeous,romantic kinda thing that really should have been used in Wim Wenders 'Until the End of the World'. Bill Nelson's guitar here is as fine as it gets!...'A Reasuringly Dull Sunday' is another slight instrumental piece- it is not unrelated to works like 'A Brief Conversation...' or 'Words with the Shaman'. I hated it initially; but it grows on you!...'Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City' is an extension on the guitar exploration of tracks like 'Wave' & 'Gone to Earth'- very much predicting the so-so Robert Fripp collaboration & recent tracks like 'Pollen Path'...'Scratchings on the Bible Belt' is very John Cage meets Miles Davis- great soundtrack music & not unrelated to b-side 'I Drink to Forget'...Finally the album ends on the stark 'Cries & Whispers' (title from a not very upbeat Bergman film)- this is lush but all too brief.

'Rain Tree Crow' is a blissed out classic that you need to give space & time to. I think it is one of Sylvian's finest works- up there with 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids', 'Brilliant Trees', 'Secrets of the Beehive' & 'Dead Bees on a Cake'. It also does that soundtrack to a movie inside your head thing that has been in-vogue since Portishead. This is a classic album that ought to find receptive listeners; even those who haven't heard of Japan!