by Burnsjed on Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:24 am
the first thread I have read on here where there has been some friction, which is surprising considering it's an internet forum, and most don't know one another (though there was some kind of misunderstanding/dispute on the U.S Tour thing)
For me, and again it's just about expressing an opinion (unfortunately some people do not appear to be able to differentiate between 'fact' and opinion. It is a fact that we have different tastes in music, and that the opinions we express, just because we believe in them, do not make them factual), this is what stands Sylvian out to Japan, and especially those first 2 albums.
As I have said before, I feel like I am one of the older members here, and was buying/listening to music when these records were released, and therefore listened to them in relation to what was going on at the time, and not retrospectively.
Adolescent Sex is crap (sorry to offend anyone, I own several versions of this in vinyl and on CD, being Japanese imports etc, but it just makes up the collection). There is not a single track on there that stands out, apart from how appalling Don't Rain On My Parade Is.
Obscure Alternatives though clearly better is also crap.
Though the track Obscure Alternatives, is one that sticks out, and later live versions of this where they brought it up to date, actually sounds quite good.
Quiet Life was a huge huge improvement, and compared to what other 'pop' bands were doing at the time, musically showed off the individual talents within the group, which came across in the arrangements, and structures of the songs.
Polaroid's (which is probably my favourite) was a continuation of Quiet Life as far as the bands development . As individuals they had clearly grown musically, and the composition of the songs showed a maturity way beyond anything else happening at the time. 'Swing' is just immense.
Tin Drum really showed the harmony between Jansen and Karn in the rhythm section, and the programming skills of Barbieri were shining through. The most interesting album keyboard sound wise, and this probably became their defining sound.
Brilliant Trees was such a leap musically from Tin Drum, it was as if the boy had become a man.
Sylvian's voice, through maturity, was starting to show the richness that he now shows in abundance. No signs of "boredom" on this album, well certainly not on the first side (4 tracks for those that only own it on CD).
He was quite clearly in inspired form, after being released by the 'limitations' of being in a band, and could tread his own path with out the internal conflicts and compromise that writing within a band brings.
Anyone that has been in a band (and I don't mean a cover one) will understand this.
Gone To Earth is my favourite Sylvian album. I really loved the musicians that he brought together for this project, and this is just about as perfect as any album could be.
Again he was really able to express himself musically here, some of the track lengths are mind blowing. Before The Bullfight and Wave both being over 9 minutes long! I also really enjoyed the instrumental pieces, which seemed to be an extension of Words With The Shaman.
Secrets Of The Beehive showed a definite slower pace to previous albums, which I guess some might find 'boring'.
Truth be known, there are some beautiful songs on here, which for me are highlighted on "Orpheus", Sylvian's voice is now showing a richness not seen on anything previous, that this track, for me, really highlights. A truly wonderful album.
I guess Rain Tree Crow should come next, though it obviously wasn't a solo project, but I am going in chronological order.
This album is a very sad one for me, I was so delighted that they had patched up their differences (well DS & MK anyway, though this had been preempted by Sylvian's appearance on Karn's 2nd album) and have to agree with Sylvian that it is the best album they produced as a group, all be it under another name, and I absolutely love "Every Colour You Are".
It underlined the problems that Sylvian has working in a group project for me, he needs total control, and the others felt they had matured enough to have their own say! Sylvian is also on the record as saying that this project should have ran a lot longer, but unfortunately there is only one person to blame for that, and I think we all don't need reminding of who that is.
Then there was the collaboration with Robert Fripp, that seemed very strange. I don't mean that he was working with Fripp, as he has done this before, but there was a happiness and energy that he hadn't shown previously. I don't know if the aftermath of RTC pushed him in to this, he wasn't even speaking to Steve for a long time after that, and he needed some fun again, but this is unlike any other Sylvian project.
There are some very good tracks on here, but it is not one that I go back to that often, in fact my favourite songs that came from this collaboration are not even on the studio album, but performed live, being "Damage" and "The First Day", and those are two of my favourites.
Things went a bit wrong after here, in my eyes anyway, and I am not exactly sure what happened with DBOAC.
Sure there are a few wonderful moments on there, but not enough to put this up with the rest of his albums, though "Darkest dreaming" is very powerful and "Wanderlust" also is a very strong track.
If things had seemed wrong with DBOAC WTF happened with "Blemish"!
Of course later hearing about the break up of his marriage etc, it put that in context, and now I really like this album. "The Heart Knows Better" and "A Fire In The Forest" are as good as anything he has written.
Then there is the more recent material with Nine Horses that seems to have found Sylvian back on the same path pre DBOAC. Though I found it slightly vanilla on my first hearing, I think this was due to "Blemish", and I was really expecting his musical direction to carry on a really experimental path, I love this album now.
So though I was supposedly pointing out why for me Sylvian's solo work is infinitely better then Japan, and I have waffled on giving a blow by blow account of his albums, I guess I need to draw a conclusion!
His voice is so much richer then his Japan days, and on those first two albums his vocals sound contrived.
Musically they are a World apart. He has been very clever in surrounding himself with excellent musicians (not suggesting the members of Japan were not, as they were) that gave diversification musically to his compositions, something that couldn't happen in the constraints of a band.
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the "Silver Moon Forum".