MANAFON
David Sylvian
•Crossover Prog
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
![]() Excellent addition to any Write a review |
Studio Album, released in 2009 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Small Metal Gods (5:49) - David Sylvian / vocals, acoustic guitar (2,3), keyboards (3,6), electronics (5,7,8), producing & mixing
Artwork: Ruud Van Empel and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
Buy DAVID SYLVIAN Manafon Music
![]() | Manafon (Limited Edition Double LP) Extra tracks · Limited Edition · Limited Collector's Edition Samadhisound | $279.96 |
![]() | Died in the Wool Manafon Variations PID 2011 | $64.91 $47.43 (used) |
![]() | Manafon by David Sylvian (2009-09-15) SAMADHI SOUND UK | $65.77 |
![]() | Sylvian, David Died In The Wool (Manafon Variations) Avantgarde/Free Records | $33.04 |
![]() | Sylvian, David Manafon Avantgarde/Free Records | $29.42 |

![]() |
David Sylvian Manafon Japan CD PVCP-8616 2009 w/OBI |
USD $123.29 ![]() |
14h 57m |
![]() |
DAVID SYLVIAN MANAFON CD GOLD DISC FREE P+P! |
USD $149.27 ![]() |
4 days |
![]() |
DAVID SYLVIAN - Manafon - CD - **BRAND NEW/STILL SEALED** - RARE |
USD $47.95 ![]() |
5 days |
![]() |
DAVID SYLVIAN Manafon * SEALED SHM-CD PVCP-8616 out-of-print 2009 papersleeve |
USD $44.00 ![]() |
10 days |
![]() |
David Sylvian Manafon Japan CD 2009 OBI with Tracking |
USD $125.87 ![]() |
11 days |
![]() |
DAVID SYLVIAN Died In The Wool | Manafon Variations JAPAN CD PCD-26034 2011 NEW |
USD $111.19 ![]() |
12 days |
![]() |
DAVID SYLVIAN - Manafon - CD - **Excellent Condition** |
USD $35.95 ![]() |
17 days |
![]() |
David Sylvian:Died in the Wool Manafon Variations CD PCD-26034 2011 Japan F/S |
USD $74.61 ![]() |
17 days |
![]() |
David Sylvian:Manafon CD PVCP-8616 2009 OBI Japan Import F/S |
USD $150.50 ![]() |
18 days |
![]() |
Manafon [Digipak] by David Sylvian (CD, Sep-2009, SamadhiSound) |
USD $40.00 ![]() |
22 days |
![]() |
David Sylvian Died in the Wool Manafon Variations Japan 2CD PCD-17473 2011 w/OBI |
USD $69.99 ![]() |
25 days |
More places to buy DAVID SYLVIAN music online
- DOUG LARSON IMPORTS — Buy prog rock music and rarities (Free shipping on orders over 10 cds)
- AmazonMP3: Search for DAVID SYLVIAN DRM-Free MP3 Downloads @ Amazon.com MP3
- Try Amazon Prime Music (30-day free trial)
DAVID SYLVIAN Manafon ratings distribution
(33 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(24%)
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(30%)
Good, but non-essential (21%)
Collectors/fans only (15%)
Poor. Only for completionists (9%)
DAVID SYLVIAN Manafon reviews
Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings
Collaborators/Experts Reviews
PROG REVIEWER

It's an album tailor-made to confound the casual listener, and the work of a songwriter grown suddenly tired of conventional song forms. Each of the nine selections here plays more like a poetry reading (barely) set to music, with the singer's rich baritone right up front in the mix and providing the only anchor to anything resembling a melody. The words themselves are melancholy, rueful, intimate, ironic...existing on a rarified plane high above what usually passes for lyric writing these days, and delivered by Sylvian with an almost world-weary resignation at times.
The Zen-like instrumental accompaniment (by a small army of guest musicians in Europe and the Far East) sounds completely unplanned, arranged as if to capture the spontaneity of the moment. Fans with damaged attention spans night call it boring; I would rather describe it as subtle, intuitive, and attractively minimalist: the perfect background noise for listeners who like their avant-garde especially avant. To get a better understanding of how the album sounds, simply take a look at some of the featured instruments on the album's page here at Prog Archives: someone plays 'sine waves'; somebody else is credited with a 'no-input mixer'; and another contributor plays 'turntables' (I'm guessing that must be the barely audible pops and scratches in the background of several tracks).
For easy comparison a parallel might be drawn to kindred spirit BRIAN ENO. Both share a similar art-rock background (in ROXY MUSIC and JAPAN); both abandoned traditional songwriting; both have worked with ROBERT FRIPP, so forth and so on. But David Sylvian is not, unlike Eno, a non-musician, and even at their most abstract and inscrutable his albums demand closer attention than Eno's ambient doodles, rewarding the patient listener with far more depth of meaning.
A quick postscript: I awarded the earlier "Blemish" with a respectable two stars, in acknowledgement of a unique and difficult piece of work likely to separate the hardcore fan from the uncommitted tourist. "Manafon" only refines the same obscure musical impulses, but this album easily earns a solid four-star rating for daring to re-examine our perceptions of what Progressive Music really is.
Latest members reviews
No review or rating for the moment | Submit a reviewPost a review of DAVID SYLVIAN "Manafon"
You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.
MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE
As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.
You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).