The shape of things to come

[Six One Cynic]

He's just released a greatest hits collection, Infact that makes three albums in the last 3+ years, which is more work than he ever put in before.

Just imagine being a DS fan in the 1990s when you might wait 3+ YEARS before anything substantial would surface in your random issue of the Wire! I know it's been a few months since he's really interacted with his fanbase, but I believe his two young daughters take up most of his time; I think he'll be surfacing soon with some good news, just a hunch.

[digimarsh]

even though there have been several releases over the last few years ,it's maybe the abscence of really 'New' material that may irk some people, let me elaborate.

2003 Blemish (new material )
2005 The good soon....(reworkings of previous releases)
2005 Snow bourne sorrow (new and conventionally constucted,)
2009 Manafon (new, albeit improv )
2010 Sleepwalkers (collection of previously released material)
2011 Died in the wool (mostly reworking of previous material, a few new songs)
2012 Victim of Stars (retrospective collection)

so over the last 10 years a healthy dose of releases , but one could point out that really new material ,is only a smallish portion of this. Is sitting down and composing a whole new batch of songs and recording them in a time honoured fashion no longer of intrest to David? Don' t get me wrong i have devoured the above as much as anyone and i am elated mr sylvian still releases. Part of me longs for another SOBH or Brilliant Trees to be honest.

[baht habit]

2011 Died in the wool (mostly reworking of previous material, a few new songs)

Yet those "few new songs" on 'Died In The Wool' actually do amount to approximately 45 minutes of new material. In my opinion, that constitutes an entire album of new tracks. And when Five Lines is added to the track list for the sake of continuity, then the duration is closer to something like 49 minutes.

digimarsh, I did notice that your list above neglected to add two releases from 2007, the 'Money For All' ep and 'When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima'. Since creating Samadhi Sound, Sylvian is basically putting out new material every two years. That appears to be quite prolific when compared to most other artists.

And if Sylvian continues to collaborate with other composers and improvisers providing the music, consider me quite fine with that situation. For the most recent example that comes to mind of Sylvian composing words and music entirely on his own would be the song Jacqueline...

[Simonp]

even though there have been several releases over the last few years ,it's maybe the abscence of really 'New' material that may irk some people, let me elaborate.

2005 Snow bourne sorrow (new and conventionally constucted,)
2009 Manafon (new, albeit improv )

New material is new material...does it matter how if it is improvised or conventionally "written"?

[Simonp]

I suppose we should be counting our blessings given the amount of work he has produced over the last few years...can you remember the 10 year gap between SOTB and Dead Bees?

[Blemished]

I suppose we should be counting our blessings given the amount of work he has produced over the last few years...can you remember the 10 year gap between SOTB and Dead Bees?

Indeed, although we did at least have RTC, Plight & Premonition, a tour and The First Day between 87 and 93.

94 to 99 were the lean years. And I found DBOC a huge disappointment when it eventually arrived.

Personally, I'm thrilled at how so much more productive and challenging he is these days. He always seems to be working on something and a few months here or there doesn't matter. I think him having (and getting to grips with) his own studio has made a massive difference.

[Simonp]

Couldn't agree more with you. I remember when my copy of I Surrender arrived in the email. I've never been so disappointed in anything in my entire life although that track has grown on me. As for Dead Bees, i rarely listen to it apart from Darkest Dreaming which I love.

Sylvian's output since leaving Virgin Records is amazing. Forming his own label and discovering the Punkt people, electronica, and Improv really seem to have relit his interest in music.

[Six One Cynic]

I had to listen to and wear out everything ELSE by David Sylvian before I could even warm up to Dead Bees...

[afternoonfix]

Given that Manafon & Died in the Wool were pretty disappointing overall [and I know many will say and argue they
weren't but the honest truth is 'yes' they were], something new , possibly along
the lines of Paul Buchanans latest would be interesting

[Blemished]

Given that Manafon & Died in the Wool were pretty disappointing overall [and I know many will say and argue they
weren't but the honest truth is 'yes' they were], something new , possibly along
the lines of Paul Buchanans latest would be interesting

Disappointing for you maybe...but, please, please let's not re-fight the Manafon wars with claims of what is 'the truth'.

As far as Paul Buchanan goes, I agree that 'Mid Air' is a beautiful song. But I don't think the rest of album quite lives up to it's promise. I can see the attraction of David writing such a pared-down album but personally I'd miss the sonic invention he always brings to bear. I always found the MOR sound-surface was the flaw with The Blue Nile - although I guess it didn't matter with THAT voice singing THOSE words. I'll never forget seeing them live and moving most of the audience (me included) to tears.

[Simonp]

Given that Manafon & Died in the Wool were pretty disappointing overall [and I know many will say and argue they
weren't but the honest truth is 'yes' they were], something new , possibly along
the lines of Paul Buchanans latest would be interesting

Happen to rate Died In The Wool rather highly and certainly listen to it more than Dead Flies on a Cack. Paul Buchanan has done some wonderful stuff, I agree, but his latest output is a little too muzak for my taste. Was listening to Mark Hollis solo album the other day...now there is a beautiful album

Died In The Wool is disappointing to you. That's fair enough but please accept that we all have different tastes

[origami]

I much prefer 'died in the wool' to 'manafon'....'manafon' is a dirge to my ears.
I guess everyone has their favourite and least favourite albums, just as the musicians themselves do.

[Simonp]

I much prefer 'died in the wool' to 'manafon'....'manafon' is a dirge to my ears.
I guess everyone has their favourite and least favourite albums, just as the musicians themselves do.

There are some nice moments on Manafon but it's not something I listen to often. Emily Dickinson is a stunning track and I much prefer the Manafon version of "Manafon" to the version which appears on DITW...if that makes sense!!

[kitaj]

there are some things that keep reappearing in 'Sylvianfandomland' that I don't understand at all.

firstly: what on earth have Paul Buchanan and David Sylvian in common so as to keep comparing them?
secondly: why on earth does 'experimental/intellectual' have to be better than 'not experimental/sensual'?
thirdly: why on earth do you wish for another BT/SOTB/whatever, and don't wish for AB/XYZ/whatever? beside the fact that 'tis all good (it all also depends on one's moment in life - does music never ever grow along with you changing?), don't you think it's just a little bit unrealistic that an artist can tap into whatever s/he was tapping into when s/he was largely a different person so long ago (just as, likely, you are)?

[origami]

Not sure that Sylvian fans are particularly wanting another 'brilliant trees', 'gone to earth' or 'secrets of the beehive', i just think most would prefer not to have another 'manafon'!
I know 'manafon' was loved by many of Davids diehard fans (some of whom would basically love whatever he did) but for me 'blemish' was a far better marriage of melody and improvisation.
In my humble opinion, he is at his best when he uses his genius for pop songwriting juxtaposed with experimental arrangements, and not the other way around, if that makes sense?!