The Brilliance of Sylvian stem from the Atom to the Cell...

I was listening to "Forbidden Colours" by David Sylvian the other day, when a friend notified my via Facebook to tell me that he was listening to "Snow Borne Sorrow" from his new band, Nine Horses, at the same time...Spooky, he says...

"Forbidden Colours" was a collaborative effort with Ryuichi Sakamoto, for the 1983 Nagisa Oshima film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence". My friend's message got me to want to listen a bit more to Sylvian.

A bit about this creative source, from England, is that he was the front man for the band Japan from 1974 - 1982. His work with, the King Crimson member, Robert Fripp is also always great to listen to. He became a largely integrated musical favorite of mine upon his launch of his solo career with his recording called "Brilliant Trees". I have included the video of that song to exemplify his new jazz influences at that time. The stunning and amazing visual display show some of the creative influences of Yuka Fujii. His hypnotic voice bed, I feel, is his trademark.





That was back when there were two sides to a recording. His first side held more of the accessible tracks, while side B was used for a more experimental style of music. One could see the nuance of jazz that had begun to permeate his life at that time. He was introduced to the influential style that changed his musical life from that point forward by Yuka Fujii, a photographer, artist and designer. She was the former girlfriend of the bassist from the band Japan. She has been an integral creative part of Sylvian's life since.

His musical life is quite varied, hugely cutting edge and creatively powerful. His most recent recordings with his new group called Nine Horses show his philosophical growth and musical depth of his entire career.

He is now a resident of the Napa Valley in northern California with his wife Ingrid Chavez, an artist signed to Prince's Paisley Park Records. She had sent Sylvian a copy of her first album. He liked what he heard and thought her voice would fit well with some material that both Ryuichi Sakamoto and he were working on for a new Sakamoto release. Chavez and Sylvian quickly developed a bond and decided to travel together throughout the UK and the USA, where they eventually settled after marrying in 1992.

This following recording shows some of the depth that Sylvian has come through over the years. This is a more recent live recording of the song "Atom and Cell". His lyrics follow showing his powerful philosophical creativity for poetry.





Atom And Cell

Her skin was darker than ashes
And she had something to say
Bout being naked to the elements
At the end of yet another day
And the rain on her back that continued to fall
From the bruise of her lips
Swollen, fragile, and small

And the bills that you paid with were worth nothing at all
A lost foreign currency
Multi-coloured, barely reputable
Like the grasses that blew in the warm summer breeze
Well she offered you this to do as you pleased

And where is the poetry?
Didn’t she promise us poetry?

The redwoods, the deserts, the tropical ease
The swamps and the prairie dogs, the Joshua trees
The long straight highways from dirt road to tar
Hitching your wheels to truck, bus, or car

And the lives that you hold in the palm of your hand
You toss them aside small and damn near unbreakable
You drank all the water and you pissed yourself dry
Then you fell to your knees and proceeded to cry

And who could feel sorry for a drunkard like this
In a democracy of dunces with a parasites kiss?

And where are the stars?
Didn’t she promise us stars?

Nothing will ever be as it was
The price has been paid with a thousand loose shoes
Pictures are pasted on shop windows and walls
Like a poor mans Boltanski
Lost one and all.

Sell, sell
Bid your farewell
Come, come
Save yourself
Give yourself over
Pushing your consciousness
Deep into every atom and cell,
Sell,
Bid your farewell
Come, come
Save yourself
Give yourself over
Pushing your consciousness
Deep into every atom and cell,
Sell,
Bid your farewell
Come, come
Save yourself
Give yourself over
Pushing your consciousness
Deep into every atom and cell




This, the 227th entry in bloggoland! Thanks for reading and coming back. I always enjoy the comments, emails and the banter!!


(c)Copyright 2008 Doug Boggs