GONE TO EARTH

David Sylvian

Crossover Prog

3.70 | 127 ratings

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friso
Prog Reviewer

David Sylvian - Gone to Earth 2lp (1986)

Not my usual cup of tea, but since I'm a vinyl collector I can sometimes buy interesting records for less then a serious cup of coffee, so here it is. To be honest, I bought it because Robert Fripp (of King Crimson fame) and Mel Collins (King Crimson, Camel & others) play along on some tracks.

David Sylvian (ex-Japan) is a multi-instrumentalist and song-writer. Gone to Earth is a long album that features a slightly artistic form of wave or perhaps even new age music. Slow, abstract and bathing in atmospheres the music develops around minimal concepts that get pretty interesting in the end. The cool, soft voice of Sylvian completes the style. With some solo's of Fripp now and then tracks of lp1 can get quite interesting, though most tracks are good. None of them stand out, but that's part of the abstract wave sound I guess. On lp2 the tracks are instrumental, mostly based one a single idea that get's worked out and then fades away.

The interesting part of this album is not what it delivers in for example song-writing and musicianship, but what it leaves open. There some spaciousness in every composition that is hard to pin down. The music doesn't pretend to be the main attraction and is clearly made for relaxation and slowing down. In the mean while some very interesting atmospheres are created, mainly on lp1 I must say.

Conclusion. An abstract wave/new age record that I find useful because of it's relaxing effect. Nothing sound too important, and nothing bothers me either. Three stars, recommended to listeners of before-mentioned genres and Fripp-completionists.

friso | 3/5 | 2012-1-8

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