List your top 5 favourite David solo songs and why?

[Melaszka]

I really don't know that I can narrow it down to five...or ten...or fifty...

well, Damage would have to be there - a superlative vocal performance and the whole thing is so obviously from the heart (or does that count as a collaboration?)

I've always had a soft spot for Brilliant Trees - that haunting, meandering melody which half sounds like he's making it up as he goes along, and yet at the same time seems so controlled. And the lyrics, although they probably aren't about that at all, always make me think of struggling to stay on a wavelength with your working-class family and roots while pursuing an artistic career

Wanderlust, even though I know a lot of fans hate it and think it's cheesy Tesco music, I love the sexy, jazzy sound and the smooth key changes

Wave - like much of GTE, so rhythmic, so multi-textured, you can practically feel it as well as hear it

Waterfront, partly because I can't omit SOTB, partly because "Swollen angels point and laugh, this time your god is dead" is one of my favourite all-time Sylvian lines


But I could probably list a completely different five tracks next week

[Bridget]

I don't have everything of his solostuff yet but from what I do have:

Weathered Wall - '..a place for hope in a changing world..' '..never facing the fears here in my heart..' this song really gets me every time I hear it, but I love Brilliant Trees completely.

Before the Bullfight - '..but my strength will return to fight the bullfight..' love his voice here very much. And I love the drums very much in this song.

Wave - '..Nothing I can lose. This light inside can never die.' But can't really chose which line I love most. Makes me think of my 7 year old brother every time because his birth is the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me.

Waterfront - I love the lyrics, this song makes me cry '..on the waterfront the rain is pouring in my heart..'

The heart knows better - because the voice is really upfront and because at first I didn't know what I felt when playing Blemish anyway. I'm still growing at listening to it I think..

[Burnsjed]

In no particular order.

Orpheus - vocally his finest hour, so rich, warm it's perfection
Before The Bullfight - Think this is the perfect combination of music and vocals.
Nostalgia - An absolute classic, and dateless.
A Fire In The Forest - simply beautiful
River Man - I guess I just love Gone To Earth!

If we include collabarations then

Damage - "I just want to be loved", almost brings me to tears
Every Colour You are - What Japan could have been.

Would replace AFITF and River Man

[The Analog Kid]

In no particular order.

Orpheus - vocally his finest hour, so rich, warm it's perfection
Before The Bullfight - Think this is the perfect combination of music and vocals.
Nostalgia - An absolute classic, and dateless.
A Fire In The Forest - simply beautiful
River Man - I guess I just love Gone To Earth!

If we include colbarations then

Damage - "I just want to be loved", almost brings me to tears
Every Colour You are - What Japan could have been.

Would replace AFITF and Wave

hehe that is a cool trick - replacing wave that wasnt even in the original list hehe

for me it is

err - gimme more time - darn tuff!

[Burnsjed]

Opps, I changed Wave to River Man after listening to the album, and forgot I wrote that part!

[tallulahtaurus]

Oh dear I finally got "Gone to Earth" and "Wave" has to fit on the list somewhere, beautiful, how can he continously be so beautiful?

And "Where the Railroad meets the sea" I am infatuated with it...

"Before the Bullfight" too...I still can't believe that song is 10 minutes long because it flies by. I want more of it I really do, it makes me cry everytime but its the most exquisitely wonderful sorrow...the lyrics are amazing and the drums too.

"This island of blue where life clings to your hand like water and sand will loose it's way when you're gone"

It has such a personal resonance for me at the moment...

Anyway yeah I can't believe I am going to see this wonderful man - how comes the world is being nice to me for once??

[BeehiveSecrets]

don't matter the order..

*Orpheus - this song is genuine. i don't understand why i didin't pay any attention on it when discovering my first David tracks. i can't remember which was the first but what i surely remember is how i thought 'why's everyone so mad about Orpheus'. i know, i'm an idiot. anyway my point of view changed when i read the absolutely beautiful lyrics and caught that awesome melody coming to my ear. i looked at it while it still was in my palm and it smiled to me. so how could i resist.. i'd easily call this tune my soundtrack for walking in the clouds during a warm night..

*River Man - this song reminds me of the time when i listened to it while looking at a forest well a few weeks ago. it left and incredible impact on me.

*Forbidden Colours (longest version) - this.. soft melancholy just.. takes me away.

*Darshan - could the lyrics be more clever? this journey to Graceland is even greater than Paul Simon's one haha..

*Heartbeat - there's something magic about this song's part where they sing in two voices with Ingrid. sounds so warm and full.

plus many many many more. aw.

[camphorvan]

By solo I include NH, etc i.e. everything since leaving Japan.

1. The Ink in the Well - so jazzy, exultant, open air feel to it.
2. Silver Moon - just contentment in a song. Lovely.
3. Blinding Light of Heaven - live verson - it rocks my pants off
4. Shining of Things - everyone's been there (if not you're going to be!)
5. Money For All - just a great groove and I LOVE the backing vocals

[natsume]

Often depends on my mood, but if I could only take five today:

Brilliant Trees - an organic picture of life and living
Wave - Beautiful, floating, I see blue sky and smell the beach
Darkest Dreaming - subconscious archetype of common humanity
Let the Happiness In - hope, expectation, serenity
The Librarian - fatherhood, mentoring, education, war, religion, dreamscape

[Stephenf]

This tempted me greatly,the need to indulge a top 5 of my own not least because it could change quite a bit as the years roll by but because it gives a reason as to why i have listened to this great man over the last 30 years.

In no particular order,

1) Atom and Cell... A political statement? Or sarcastic judgement? In my mind it can be taken as both. Awesome!
2) Backwaters... Brilliant CD, Brilliant Trees! Introduced me to all things atonal.
3) Darshan... The road to Graceland. Hypnotic!
4) Snow White in Appalachia... An improvisational inspiration. I love this track.
5) Laughter and Forgetting... Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, David Sylvian, Say no more!

And if i am allowed to indulge even further (cheating i know) my 5 favourite ballads or croons would be,

1) Nostalgia
2) Darkest Dreaming
3) Orpheus.. My wife who's not a fan loves this.
4) Before the Bullfight
5) Ghosts.. This was the bait on the hook for me and is the reason why after 30 years i am still snagged.

[inkinthewell]

Great list(s). And welcome!

[neonico]

1. snow bourne sorrow (extremly emotional ...showing anguish, despair and hopelessness)

2. when monday comes around (one of ds,s most personal pieces all about losing something dear to ones self and coming to terms with that fact ,and realising theres no return , no turning back )

3. wasnt i joe (just an extremly open and raw song dealing with the difficult subject matters that ds was dealing with at the time)

4. get the h.e.l.l out ( a brave and honest piece showing anger and hate to very strong emotions)

5. before and after life ( this is a sad peice it tells of suffering from an emotional and physical level and the disapointment in hoping for something tangebale.... )

and i just have to list another 5..

1. blemish ( through this dvd i discoverd mr ds then japan and the forum)

2. small metal gods (a spiritual upheavel came at the right time dealing with simlar subject matters at the time)

3. transit (just pure art)

4. messenger (this is just a totally special piece of work between to artists from different backgrounds)

5. tweaker linoleum ( same reason as messenger a masterpiece)

i could list a lot more ....

[Snowborne]

Best solo:
-Krishna Blue
-Before the Bullfight
-Cover Me with Flowers
-Wanderlust
-Manafon (closing track)

Collabarations:
-A History of Holes
-Ti Ho Aspettato
-Atom and Cell
-Ballad of A Deadman
-Serotonin

[roxyubikbladerunner]

I Surrender - it just grows and grows on you - similar in many ways to Thalheim - lyrics are great but his voice is silversmooth on this one

Nostalgia - what a great song from a great album - need i say more

Returning to the Womb - again, great lyrics and love the interplay between David and Ingrid(?)

When Love Walks in - when i first heard this i thought it must be rain tree crow but found it was Micks solo album. Great track, well worth listening to.

Let the Happiness in - cos it does...