I read something recently that described David Sylvian as the male Kate Bush, a phrase I liked when I heard it and which I’ve found myself returning to while listening to this double CD retrospctive. The most commercially successful tracks on the album are from the start of Sylvian’s solo career, but as with Kate Bush’s early output they’re commercial only in terms of sales and don’t betray any of the artistic integrity involved in making them. The utterly gorgeous ‘Forbidden Colours’ perhaps illustrates this best, neatly bridging the gap between Japan and Sylvian’s solo output which gets steadily bolder, more experimental and perhaps more personal.
Where the Kate Bush comparison falls down most is in the making of the records; while Bush seems to work alone a huge percentage of Sylvian’s work is in collaboration (and in collaboration with some of the most interesting musical artists around, including Robert Fripp, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Holger Czukay, Nine Horses and his brother – and former Japan bandmate – Steve Jansen).
‘A Victim of Stars’ is not always an easy listen, it’s a challenging journey at times but as with any good journey there’s a lot to admire along the way.
CD1 – Ghosts (Remix) / Bamboo Houses (Remix) / Bamboo Music / Forbidden Colours / Red Guitar / The Ink In The Well / Pulling Punches / Taking The Veil / Silver Moon / Let The Happiness In / Orpheus / Waterfront / Pop Song / Blackwater / Every Colour You Are / Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) Returning To The Womb (Remix)
CD2 – Jean The Birdman / Alphabet Angel / I Surrender / Darkest Dreaming / A Fire In The Forest / The Only Daughter (Original) / Late Night Shopping / Wonderful World / The Banality Of Evil / Darkest Birds / Snow White In Appalachia / Small Metal Gods / I Should Not Dare / Manafon / Where’s Your Gravity?
‘A Victim of Stars’ was released on February 27th 2012 as a 2-CD set and via download.
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[five-star-rating]