The First Day Music Cd

David Sylvian - The First Day

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The First Day      Artist : David Sylvian & Robert Fripp      List Price : $12.98 USD        ProductGroup: Music      Release Date : 1993-08-10      Studio : Emd Int'l      Label : Emd Int'l      Avg. Customer Rating : (20 reviews)

Reviews Customer Reviews for The First Day      A collaboration as good as its name.      Rating:      One of the records that completely rattled my world, "The First Day" by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp exposed me to the music of David Sylvian and by extension, the various acts associated with him. Sylvian changed the way I thought about pop songs when I first heard him early in my freshman year at college. But before I digress too far, back to "The First Day", performed by what Robert Fripp wanted to call King Crimson-- Fripp on guitar, Sylvian on vocals, guitars and keys, Fripp student (and partner for the next decade) Trey Gunn on Chapman stick and drummer Jerry Marotta were the core of this band. Fripp likes to say that when music King Crimson is meant to play appears, King Crimson appears to play it, and this music is definitively King Crimson music, best illustrated by "Brightness Falls"-- a slab of rollicking Crimson-style guitar driven rock, but with the benefit of Sylvian's almost placid vocal over the top, it is something to hear. Similar Crimsonish cuts can be found throughout-- whether it's the suite "Firepower", another scathing slice of Crimson rock or even the funky "Jean the Birdman", none of these pieces would feel out of place on "THRAK". Admittedly, the album starts to lose focus in its second half-- two extended workouts both feel in need of a little bit of editing, but the album closes on a great note with one of Fripp's loveliest solo soundscape performances ("Bringing Down the Light"). Curiously, a number of pieces were performed by the band both prior to the recording of this album (albeit with Marotta) and afterwards (with future Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto behind the drum chair)-- several ballads, "The First Day", "Damage" and "Ingrid's Wheels" didn't make the cut (although the former two ended up on the live record "Damage") and a couple acoustic guitar-driven tracks landed as b-sides to "Jean the Birdman" (the achingly beautiful "Earthbound (Starblind)" most notable). These pieces in the context of this album present a significantly different pictures of less King Crimson +David Sylvian and more David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. I keep hoping a reissue will surface to provide a full picture of this project. Nonetheless, the studio album shows, like "THRAK" did for the upcoming King Crimson, endless potential barely realized. The live album "Damage" (as the live records by Crimson did) would better illustrate this potential, but "The First Day" is a superb listen, and even the material I lamented makes for a good listen. Highly recommended.     Customer Reviews for The First Day Cd      This one stands the test of time      Rating:      I bought this one brand new -- being a Fripp fan from his early Crimson days -- and have hung on to it all these years. This is one of the weirdest, most seductive, albums I've ever heard. I'd probably learn a thing or two by learning more about the intricies involved in creating this album. But, just putting it on and going with it, it's real mindblower! Karl Kunkel High Point, NC