Phil Lawton wrote:OK, so I've listened to it twice since receiving it in the post this morning.
Perhaps the alternate title for this should have been "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Slashing Your Own Wrists, But Were Too Afraid To Ask".
I was mildly encouraged by "Small Metal Gods", but it was all downhill after that.
I like improv - I have some reet weird crap in my collection which makes me no stranger to an ensemble improvising (Carla Bley's band at full-throttle, for instance, sounds like a mass nervous breakdown), but the improv here is unimaginative, lazy and dull. I can almost feel the session players' boredom. Did someone say that Sylvian used the Bob Fripp model and that all of the session guys played for free? It certainly sounds like it, too.
Seems like the old adage of "you get what you pay for" has never been more accurate.
It's probably about time for the usual caveat; I love the vast majority of Sylvian's work - he's one of my favourite artists and his music is why I bother coming here. He's rarely, if ever, been one to use his music to raise a smile with the listener...I know and accept that as a major part of his approach. But dear God..."Manafon" makes Bartok sound like The Bay City Rollers.
All around the house tonight, there's been the steady "thwack" sound of mice throwing themselves onto the traps.
For weeks and months, I've fought back the the demon at the back of my mind who, when the words "challenging" and "uncompromising" were bandied about in relation to the new album, whispered nought but "It's 'Blemish MkII', Lawton...don't buy it..." over and over.
The completist in me would have had me buy it anyway.
And hey...the artwork is nice.
Phil, respect!
I think when you're a David Sylvian fan, being open-minded about music is a personal quality
by default. I have no problem with the style or concept of 'Manafon' but Phil's review summed up perfectly my dissatisfaction with David's latest work. In addition, if one is not focusing intently on the 'pieces', all the tracks (bar 'Small Metal Gods') sound pretty much the same (although there are occasional music passages that punctuate the recording - saving graces, reminding you that this is not the case).
I usually get irritated when people refer to anything melancholic as something to slash your wrists to but, with 'Manafon' it most certainly is a case of 'Hey, somebody hide the razors!'
David, you're really concerning me now...