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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A study in contrasts.., October 22, 2001
Like Pink Floyd, the music of Sylvian & Fripp (what little we have) was a study in contrasts; the result of two volatile musical personalities trying to mesh and almost - but not quite - coming together. You can hear them playing with AND against each other. The mix is challenging and invigorating in its contradictions, but that's also the reason why it ultimately couldn't last. Sylvian's home is the studio; Fripp truly comes alive on stage. David tends to polish and perfect songs in a live setting; Robert delights in seeing what different paths the music will lead him down every night. Their musical personalities are evident in abundance on this disc. Sylvian washes sound and tones in the most sublime and ethereal way; Fripp on the other hand solos in wild leaps and bounds.Ths contrast continues with Damage. The original version, mixed by Robert, was limited to one pressing and sold out almost immediately. Since it's now almost impossible to find the original without selling a kidney, the rest of us can be grateful for David's rerelease. Here the flip side of the coin shows the event from his perspective. We get a more layered mix, giving the impression of a recording from a small quiet club rather than a large theater or auditorium. To some it may sound more easygoing and intimate, to others it may seem to lack the fire and live energy of an actual concert. Sound criticisms aside, Damage shows the music finally finding its legs; comparing it to The First Day is like attending a play's closing performance after only previously seeing one of the rehearsals. The 10-minute jams of the original album are trimmed down to a mere seven here; the live setting doesn't allow for as much layering and reworking as the studio, but there's more genuine spontaneity and interplay among all the musicians here. "Brightness Falls" is even more sinister. "God's Monkey" is even more atmospheric and almost trippy. "Darshan," which fit the original album kind of like an oval peg in a round hole, has been dropped here to be replaced with a new "Jean the Birdman." Now the album flows from beginning to end without giving the listener the momentary impression they mixed it up with an Orb CD by mistake. Some of Sylvian's finest material is included as well; "Wave" soars to new heights and "Riverman" never sounded more spirited. We're treated to three tracks that weren't included on the TFD album, which are almost worth the price themselves. "The Blinding Light of Heaven" happily thumps like they all took some Prozac for the encore, and "The First Day" and the title track float in a sublimely beautiful haze. If we could wish that the release had accurately reflected both David and Robert's perspectives together, or that they'd also included Fripp's "Exposure" as done on the tour, well.. the little what-ifs are what keep me from giving that fifth star. Highly recommended nonetheless.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
amazing, though not nearly as good as the original damage cd, May 31, 2003
I didn't have to sell a kidney to get the original Damage CD, but I'm blessed to own it, because it just shows (in my opinion) that Fripp understands music and performance aspects better than Sylvian. The original CD is so well paced, edited, mixed, everything that you literally can't move while you're listening. This edition is slower and seems to lack energy (even though they're essentially the same performances). It's quite instructive, actually. Fripp made the first Damage very impersonal (all the 'thank you's and count-offs are excised). This version keeps them and, in so doing, ruins the aura that the original one had. And where is Darshan? Jean the Birdman is great, but it makes no sense to leave Darshan off this 'tour' CD.That said, if you can't get a copy of the original Damage CD (and surely someone will burn it for you if you need), you HAVE to at least own this one...
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More relevant now than ever..., November 6, 2001
David Sylvian and Robert Fripp's "First Day" collaborative studio album received a lukewarm reception back in the early '90s, largely because its cerebral guitar work clashed with the pared-down appeal that Grunge held at the time, and also because its nihilistic, almost violent and distortion-fuelled core was somewhat foreign to Sylvian's well-established fan base. But this release of a concert recording from that period illustrates how well the music has endured. Its ornate and layered nature sits very well with the production-intensive focus that Rock currently enjoys, and the consummate guitar skills that Fripp and Michael Brook display are far less stigmatised now that Rock and Jazz have become mainstream bedfellows. However, it's the inclusion of superb re-interpretations of some of Sylvian's earlier songs, particularly those off the "Gone To Earth" album which ultimately make this concert recording that much more desirable.
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by David Sylvian 
