David Sylvian - Manafon

[Simonp]

Anyway....current favourite Manafon track "Emily Dickinson" is playing in my office at the moment. God knows what the neighbouring offices make of this beautiful sound.

Actually, that's one of my favourite tracks on Manafon...

Well at least we agree on something.

[Nicrobliz]

Anyway....current favourite Manafon track "Emily Dickinson" is playing in my office at the moment. God knows what the neighbouring offices make of this beautiful sound.

Actually, that's one of my favourite tracks on Manafon...

Well at least we agree on something.

Well, from what I can recall, it's the only vocal track that has a prolonged instrumental passage. A few more of those would have been welcomed.

[Simonp]

Well at least we agree on something.

Well, from what I can recall, it's the only vocal track that has a prolonged instrumental passage. A few more of those would have been welcomed.[/quote]

Well that's two things we agree on. I personally would like to have heard more of Parker's and Tilbury's contributions. Those contributions really are the highlight of the record for me. I can understand why Sylvian was so economical with their contributions but when they do appear in the song, they just leave you wanting more.

[jon abbey]

I personally would like to have heard more of Parker's and Tilbury's contributions. Those contributions really are the highlight of the record for me. I can understand why Sylvian was so economical with their contributions but when they do appear in the song, they just leave you wanting more.

I personally think Parker is far and away the worst thing about the record, but I think I burned out on him when he was one of my favorite musicians back in the mid-nineties and now I can't take him even in tiny doses.

[jon abbey]

This is a music album and if he wants the listener to embrace his 'new' musical direction, it would have made sense to give the listener moments when only the instrumentation could be focused on.

there are plenty of 'moments' like that, just not many extended stretches. again, if Manafon leaves you jonesing for more of those, they're out there and easy to find. I've released quite a few of them myself.

[Nicrobliz]

there are plenty of 'moments' like that, just not many extended stretches. again, if Manafon leaves you jonesing for more of those, they're out there and easy to find. I've released quite a few of them myself.

Of course, I may further investigate some of these musicians at a later date. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that David singing nearly all time was the equivalent of an over-produced song that wasn't allowed to breathe. It's not solely about wanting to hear the musicians more but for the songs to breathe and develop in different ways. The sparse instrumentation 'backdrop' could only do so much...

[jon abbey]

there are plenty of 'moments' like that, just not many extended stretches. again, if Manafon leaves you jonesing for more of those, they're out there and easy to find. I've released quite a few of them myself.

Of course, I may further investigate some of these musicians at a later date. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that David singing nearly all time was the equivalent of an over-produced song that wasn't allowed to breathe. It's not solely about wanting to hear the musicians more but for the songs to breathe and develop in different ways. The sparse instrumentation 'backdrop' could only do so much...

OK, that's a reasonable criticism, but I personally don't think it's accurate. I don't think he does sing nearly all the time, and I'm also not sure I'd even call these 'songs'. maybe monologues with backdrops?

[Nicrobliz]

Well, jon, all I can say is that it sounds like David's reciting some literature against a backdrop of 'music'. I definitely wasn't expecting anything in the verse-chorus-verse sense but I was hoping for moments where david would... erm... shut up and let the music speak for brief moments. As for whether or not these are songs, your guess is as good as mine but, obviously, they need to be given a common label of some sort...

[jon abbey]

I definitely wasn't expecting anything in the verse-chorus-verse sense but I was hoping for moments where david would... erm... shut up and let the music speak for brief moments.

and what I'm saying is that those exist, maybe you need to listen more.

and in case you don't know my perspective, I've barely ever heard any Sylvian before this (just Blemish a couple of times), and have worked extensively with most of the backing musicians (I run Erstwhile Records), so clearly my interest is not in simply defending DS.

[Nicrobliz]

I definitely wasn't expecting anything in the verse-chorus-verse sense but I was hoping for moments where david would... erm... shut up and let the music speak for brief moments.

and what I'm saying is that those exist, maybe you need to listen more.

and in case you don't know my perspective, I've barely ever heard any Sylvian before this (just Blemish a couple of times), and have worked extensively with most of the backing musicians (I run Erstwhile Records), so clearly my interest is not in simply defending DS.

If you read my initial posts, you will have noticed that I had only started listening to Manafon. I have yet to reach a final conclusion about the album and have never stated that my opinion will not change. Obviously, you know far more about the ins and outs of Manafon than I do and I do plan to spend more time listening to it. However, the fact is my posts have been about my first impressions last night - I haven't had the chance to listen to it again since then.

[jon abbey]

actually, one interesting element of Manafon is that even for someone like me who's been seriously listening to all of these backing musicians for years and years, it's easy for your ears to gravitate almost solely to the vocals on the first listen or two (and especially if that listen is with MP3s, I can't emphasize that enough). on further listens, the musical parts tend to jump out slightly more.

[Tin Bird]

I received Manafon yesterday and have now listened through the entire disc twice. I've since gone back and listened to a couple of my fave tracks a few more times. I seem to have the very same reaction to this as I had w Blemish...I like exactly half the album. I seem to have an affinity with the more etheral electronic soundscapes whereas the atonal guitar plunking leaves me cold. Hence, I really like Snow White, Small Metal Gods, Emily Dickenson, and Manafon...but don't care for Englishman, Rabbit, or Random Acts. By far, my fave track is Snow White...seems to be the distant cousin of Fire in the Forest a bit. So, overall, I have to admit to disappoinment. While I think the work has merit and I will listen to some of the tracks on a frequent basis, I used to lose myself inside a Sylvian album...don't think it's going to happen here. Interesting work, some unsettling, worrying undertones that smack of depression. I give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

[Tin Bird]

Many people seem to have a problem with the album's apparent lack of melody and I just can't understand that.

SimonP, yeh, sure, when Sylvian is singing there is some melody but really the songs are not about melodic development. I like the tune of Emily Dickenson and Snow White and they do develop a bit but I think what folks are longing for is a bit of a more traditional song structure ie bridge/chorus kind of thing. This work is more like a guy reading abstract poetry over minimal abstract sounds. The tracks kind've lay out their feel and then just stay there...no breaks, no changes, no chorus, no key changes...etc. None of this bothers me particulary, although I am hoping that he goes back to using acoustic intrumentation in a more traditional way...he's a terrific guitar player and I miss that too!

[Nath]

I still didn't receive it...

Nath

[Astronaut]

I still didn't receive it...

Nath

I haven't received a copy yet either - but I'm not too concerned since there has been a postal strike here which is bound to have an effect on parcel deliveries. I guess it must be sitting in a sorting office somewhere just waiting to find it's new home!