In the early 1990s, Robert Fripp wanted to revive King Crimson for a third time and asked David Sylvian to be the band's singer. Sylvian declined, but proposed that the two collaborate and this studio album is the result.
I hadn't been aware of two of the artists whose work I enjoy so much working together, until a few years after this, I picked up the CD single of Jean The Birdman in a car boot sale. for a couple of quid, and on discovering that this album existed, was keen to get hold as quickly as possible.
We kick off with the funky God's Monkey with a pounding bass from Trey Gunn before Fripp piles in with a riff which seems to be in seven time while the rest of the song stays in four. I think we're going to get a lot of this odd stuff, but Sylvian keeps it real with a solid base for the song, but there's time for Fripp to enjoy an extended middle section. It's a great song, followed by the single Jean The Birdman, a catchy song which bounces along merrily without over-impressing. Firepower is an altogether different experience, a loud guitar riff crashes in, Sylvian takes the first verse and then Fripp lets rip with his electronics and guitar over another Gunn bassline, which doesn't budge an inch for ten minutes. Brightness Falls promises more of the same, Fripp and Sylvian complementing one another on a powerful number, then another long piece, 20th Century Dreaming, opening with a relentless guitar riff alongside the vocals, before drifting into a more ambient phase, with that bass again staying rock solid before a drone run out. But for me, the high point of the album is the epic Darshan, a sprawling behemoth of a song which continues for seventeen minutes, the rhythm section again not missing a beat, with a few Sylvian lyrics, but the Fripp guitar mayhem over the top driving it along, without you ever wanting it to stop. After than, a rest is needed, and it's provided by Bringing Down The Light, a gentle Fripp soundscape to wind down.
This is a great album, and a hint at what a Fripp/Sylvian King Crimson might have sounded like. It allows both parties to show themselves at their peak of creativity, and some parts of this album deserve to be considered with the best of either man's catalogue.
5* - a fantastic collaboration and a long time favourite album
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