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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A repackage/remodel of an already excellent live recording, 1 Sep 2001
Originally released in 1994, 'Damage' was a blink & you missed it live album from Sylvian/Fripp's 'The Road to Graceland' tour 1993 (supporting their so-so 'First Day' album)...The original came in lovely packaging and (to these ears, anyway) some brilliant takes of old & new tracks. The new songs included the heavenly ballads 'Damage' & 'The First Day' (bizarrely not on the 'Everything & Nothing' retropsective)and the 'Station to Station'-esque 'Blinding Light of Heaven' (better than the studio version on ltd. E & N cd)...'Brightness Falls' & '20th Century Dreaming' are fleshed out live- the former moves from feedback to glacial ambience...Best here are re-workings of older tracks: the Rain Tree Crow classic, 'Every Colour You Are' & some tracks from 'Gone to Earth' (where Fripp first collaborated with Sylvian). Of these, 'Wave' & 'River Man' improve on the originals...You are struck by the po-faced ness of these 'rock-outs'. Other Sylvian classics would have fitted in here: 'Pulling Punches', 'The Art of Parties', 'Heartbeat', 'Quiet Life'...As with 'Everything & Nothing', this repackage is part of Sylvian's remodel of recordings past. Sadly 'Darshan'- the centrepiece of this concert- is culled to make space for 'Jean the Birdman' (couldn't both have fitted on?). There is also a new running order- which doesn't work for me, having played this recording frequently over the last 7 years. If you don't have the original, this will be most welcome- and I expect the same will be true to those who already have it (will we be able to tell the difference in sound?)...Will we see another reissue of 'Damage' a la The Who's 'Live at Leeds'?- as 'The First Day' came out of a Japanese tour by Sylvian & Fripp- so there must be other tracks/versions from this era worthy of release. Yes, I'm thinking of 'Jean'-b-sides, 'Earthbound/Starblind' & 'Endgame'- which rank with the best of Sylvian...Whatever, still an excellent live recording...
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A new sound for a fantastic live collaboration, 19 Sep 2001
Two pieces of good news at once ! First, one of the strongest collaborative partnership of the 1990s sees its official live testimony finally available again (the first edition was a deluxe-packaged, limited one). Second, this newly remastered version (Sylvian's master) is a significant improvement over the earlier version (Fripp's).Many felt that the initial version of Damage had a lot going for it, but the listener felt a bit alienated from the performance because of a certain lack of dynamics and depth in the mix. Live, Sylvian and Fripp created a fantastic blend of eerie soundscapes, intensely driven metal pieces, and perfectly crafted songs that surpassed the First Day studio record. Yet the first master of Damage did not entirely convey the power of this association. With this remaster, the sheer beauty and firepower of the music played on these London nights shine in a new light : Sylvian's voice has more presence, Fripp's incredible guitar works have regained their punch and bite, and Pat Mastelotto's subtle yet tight drumming reminds us that for all the experimentalism going on, we are faced with a bloody excellent rock record. One minor complaint : I would really have done with the kickass live version of Darshan, one of the first techno-rock hybrid.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ambient alt-rock of intelligence and vision, 15 Jan 2003
No, not B-Thong or Roger Eno, but the early 90s Fripp-Sylvian collaborations re-issued and re-engineered for another generation. And not before time.'Damage' (rightfully the title track) is, without doubt, my favourite song of all time: a lingering, aching, remorseful piece of percussive-less balladry. Fripp's red-grey sky of an electronica backdrop hangs evocatively in the air, punctuated by Sylvian's tremulous vocals and some judiciously restrained bass courtesy of Trey Gunn. The sense of loss is overwhelming, but somehow there is hope in the void. The respectful pause-before-applause at the end says it all... less is truly more. All this and the only slightly less wondrous 'First Day' too. On the original boxed CD these gentle, translucent songs book-ended the other, punchier tracks. That made perfect sense, but so does re-ordering the list (as is done here) and beginning with 'God's Monkey', which states the overall terms of engagement. Pat Mastelotto provides a firm rhythmic pulse around which Gunn weaves pleasing, legato bass to complement Sylvian's wispy vocal effects. Frippian guitar trickery appears and disappears, but does not dominate. The overall impact is in the careful balance of musical elements. Melodic ideas predominate, but in a restrained way as the beat goes on. This album is an overture to an ambient alt-rock of compelling vision and intelligence. Wait till the small hours, turn the lights low and pump up the decibels.
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~ David Sylvian and Robert Fripp
~ David Sylvian
~ David Sylvian
~ David Sylvian
~ Rain Tree Crow
