The First Day

[Simonp]

What do you all really think about this collaboration with Robert Fripp? Is it an album you play often or not at all? Any tracks you really like on it? I get the general feeling that not many Sylvian fans care much for The First Day but I could be wrong. I don't really play it too often. I tend to prefer the tracks they left off the record such as Blinding Light Of Heaven. I would also love to have heard a studio recording of Damage. Any thoughts?

[baht habit]

The First Day is actually my most preferred listening experience that Sylvian ever took part in. The entire era, circa 92-94 (The Fripp Trip), plus the solo Slow Fire tour in 95, is probably my favorite period in Sylvian's career.
I also happen to like the songs that were excluded from the final product. 'Endgame' remains to this day as my favorite Sylvian track ever. I have always wished that Sylvian would have followed through on releasing another song, "The House In Which We Live", which was recorded, yet was left neglected when the album took on a more aggressive tone. The relatively late conceptions and subsequent additions of the tracks "God's Monkey" and the lengthy "Darshan" really altered the overall feel of the disc. But perhaps the lack of moody melancholia is what makes the disc so enjoyable to me.

[krausy]

I happen to love it. I think anytime artists collaborate on something that is somewhat outside of their usual style/sound is always interesting to the ear, and particularly in this case. Definitely different for David and with my not having heard any of Fripp's work before (including King Crimson) definitely sparked my interest toward that direction as well. For me the work that David does both by himself and with others play a different role depending on my mood of the day or time. One part of the day I may want to listen to Secrets of the Beehive, later on The First Day or Damage, and I honestly love it all.

[Simonp]

I also happen to like the songs that were excluded from the final product. 'Endgame' remains to this day as my favorite Sylvian track ever.

Blimey, how could I forget Endgame. That and Earthbound, Starblind are two others of his most beautiful songs.

[marcello09]

I liked a few tracks from "First Day", but overall I was disappointed. But I *love* "Damage"! It's got the kind of creative, collaborative fire that "First Day" seems to lack. And I've never heard David's voice sound better. It's definitely among my most-played Sylvian works.

[fletchertronics]

I've been a fan of David's work since 1981, and The First Day / it's various offshoots, (Endgame, etc.) / plus the live work encapsulates one of the most exciting periods in his catalogue.

I've never understood the 'difficulty' many fans experience with this material. To my ears it is a natural progression, and sits comfortably within David's overall body of work.

Maybe it's just me though, as my other favourite periods are Slowfire (the tour) and Blemish (both live and recorded)...

[Simonp]

I've never found The First Day a particularly difficult album, it's just not what I especially like about Sylvian's work. I'm drawn more to the more introspective stuff than the in your face rock workout that is The First Day. There are some nice moments on First Day. I love God's Monkey and the funk workout that is Darshan.

[godisinthesilences]

I don't love it to be honest. I think overall the style isn't something that particularly attracts me. Its good music and lyrics... I just am not that into it.

[Poisoned_Apathy]

Maybe I don't play it as often as another Sylvian albums, but I like it. It has great songs like 'God's Monkey' ,'Darshan' or 'Jean the birdman' which I think are my favourites.

[baht habit]

!!!15th Year Anniversary Coming Up In July!!!



It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since Sylvian finished mixing and mastering the album and turned the results over to Virgin records. The First Day still sounds as relevant to me today as it did when I first heard it.
Sylvian and Bottrill did such a remarkable job on the overall sound of the disc. I dig the thud of Marotta's drums and the bottom heavy boom of Trey Gunn's Chapman Stick, which is not an easy instrument to record. I especially enjoy how Sylvian's vocals are placed within the mix of the accompanying instruments. Rather than floating above or in front of the other instruments like on the current work he has released, his vocals are perfectly situated amongst the music. And I'd say that is only appropriate since the music is perfect.

[camphorvan]

I really like it still, although I find Darshan difficult to get through these days. I really like the brutality of the lyrics - no punches pulled there (quip not intended!). I have it on cassette and CD and the CD always seemed a bit, I dunno, clinical in sound to me - a review described the album as monochrome once I can understand that. Could have used some more analoguey mastering thingamees maybe.

As an overall experience, I think Damage outstrips it - much more satisfying I think. Being a guitarist myself, I can appreciate the Fripp's talent (awesome), but moreover I enjoy the sheer madness and fury with which he plays on some tracks on both albums.

Anyhow, that's my two pennies worth.

C

[sisterlondon]

Mr Fripp and Theo Travis are releasing an album this year too. Dunno if you've seen this, but don't think it was posted here before (as seen on the PT forum):

The new album by Travis & Fripp entitled Thread has been mixed and mastered though no release date has been finalised yet.

The track listing is as follows:
1. Land beyond the forest (4.23)
2. The apparent chaos of blue (8.50)
3. As snow falls (14.00)
4. Before then (6.22)
5. One whirl (2.39)
6. The silence beneath (8.36)
7. Curious liquids (3.14)
8. The unspoken (5.22)
9. Pastorale (10.40)

Theo travis – alto flute, soprano sax
Robert fripp – guitar

All tracks composed and arranged by Theo Travis & Robert Fripp

Recorded by David Singleton at DGM Soundworld, Wiltshire on 5 January 2007. Editing, treatments and mix by Steven Wilson at no mans land on 6 September 2007 and 22 January 2008. Mastered by steven wilson at no mans land

[baht habit]

Wow Sister, thanks for the info. Should be interesting. I have heard an improv between them that Fripp made available on his web site and it sounded like a fine blend of styles between them.

Getting back to camphor's comments:

Monochrome is used to describe something which is entirely made of one color...so I assume that the reviewer, like many fans as well, did not react positively to Sylvian's decision that the cd should consist overall of the more aggressive compositions which he created with Fripp and Gunn and omit the gentler pieces they wrote. The odd fact is that most of his other releases could obviously be described as monochrome in nature as well. He normally focuses tightly on what sound he needs to convey his intentions and that is what creates the mood and ambience of the release. The First Day just happened to be built on a powerful drive.
I myself have always felt that Sylvian needed to take on such a project at the time. Following the soft gauzy preciousness of the intriguing 'improvisational' phase, he needed to project an alternative to certain effete characteristics which had come to the forefront on prior releases and he needed to express himself in a masculine manner.
I for one am thankful that Sylvian had that particular anger and frustration in him and could use that to propel himself in another direction.

[Astronaut]

I myself have always felt that Sylvian needed to take on such a project at the time. Following the soft gauzy preciousness of the intriguing 'improvisational' phase, he needed to project an alternative to certain effete characteristics which had come to the forefront on prior releases and he needed to express himself in a masculine manner.
I for one am thankful that Sylvian had that particular anger and frustration in him and could use that to propel himself in another direction.

Hello Baht habit!
I find your comments very interesting indeed. Do you really think that masculinity is best described in terms of anger and frustration? Is that what it means to be masculine? If it is, then I for one, am very glad that Mr Sylvian is seen as being "effete". Interesting, very interesting...

[camphorvan]

Baht - the review was in Sound on Sound, which is a magazine about recording. It's aimed at the industry and amateurs alike. The reference 'monochrome' was made to the overall mastering of the album and I presume that it is because the overall sound picture on CD does sound clinical compared to tape; not necessarily if you tape a CD, but the commercially available tape. I remember when I got the CD after having listened to the tape for years, thinking...'this sounds very thin in comparison'. It shocked me actually that there would be such a difference. There has been a lot of talk over the years in the digital vs analogue debate that the audio spectrum of CD didn't reflect that which is available on analogue. What it does do, however, is present a very clear sound picture. I think that, with the advancement of technology now, SACD, 5.1 etc that's largely been solved. This is why there are so many analogue 'warming' mastering tools out there in digital land (i.e. T Racks 24).

Sylvian commented in the interview in that magazine that he had found the mastering for The First Day very hard and that there were 5 or 6 masters he listened to before he passed it. He said that there was a lot of 'flapping bass', which he insisted was gotten rid of and I wonder whether this is the root of the problem. Not that it is a problem. Only an opinion.

Anyhow, regardless, the term 'monochrome' wasn't used to describe the songs or the recordings or the mixes but the final masters.

As for the aggression being a predominately male characteristic, you obviously haven't met my mate's wife....


C