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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Simple lives spent partially breathing", October 14, 2000
The make up was still visible, the hairspray still holding fast, but this embarkation into the big solo world for Sylvian was not the stumbling of a new-born lamb, but the flapping wings of a caged bird set free! Gone were the heavily disguised lyrics that were a trademark of the Sylvian of old, replaced instead with an introspection that had been started a few years previous on the haunting "Ghosts" from 'Tin Drum". This was a man with something to say, something to exorcise and fears to share. Although not quite at the improvisation stage that he would reach with later work, Brilliant Trees moves heavily towards Jazz, a result of viewing the work of artist Frank Auerbach ('Oil on Canvas' sleeve artwork) and marvelling at its 'looseness'. Jazz for him seemed the closest musical form of this spontaneous painting style, allowing him the freedom to experiment musically, without the polished finishes that encapsulated the work done previously with Japan. This is a grey album. It makes no effort to please the listener. It marks the end of one Sylvian era and the begining of another. Sylvian is dead. Long live Sylvian. But for all this, 'Brilliant Trees is a masterpiece. He admitted to feeling uncomfortable singing such personal lyrics during the recording sessions. But sing them he did and took the first steps on the road to the contented inner-self that would almost be his by the time "dead Bees..." was released almost two decades later. 'Brilliant Trees' beauty lies in its ability to ask YOU questions about YOUR life. So take this album, listen, ask, and ultimately enrich your life!Words with the Shaman continues the themes started earlier on Brilliant Trees and marks Sylvian's move towards uncommercial ambience and relative obscurity, but at the same time, towards critical acclaim and acceptance as a serious artist. Made up of three instrumental pieces "Words..." is an unchallenging piece that is pleasing enough on the ear, without demanding too much attention.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vintage Sylvian, July 22, 2003
By A Customer
One of my all time favourites. I have lived more than half of my life with this album and the enchantment never stops. Although the 'Words with te Shaman'-section is a nice but unnecessary add-on, and the album kicks off on the wrong foot with the dullish up-tempo track 'Pulling Punches', everything else on this CD just shines. The title track alone makes the five stars well-deserved. The lyrics by themselves make beautiful poetry, but in combination with the adagio-feel of the music and Jon Hassle's airy trumpet-sound it really is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So beyond amazing it's...amazing, April 29, 2000
First off, I am a big fan of David Sylvian's fluid vocals, so to me this album is like a billion wonderful Christmas presents. Secondly, I'm a huge jazz-funk fan, and the jazz-funk of "Red Guitar" *ALONE* was worth the cost of the whole CD in my opinion. Third, this is *THE* DS album to buy if you want the same sort of relaxing, soothing, "drown-out-the-real-world" sort of feeling you would get from an album like "Gentlemen Take Polaroids". Fourth, title track...'nuff said. Fifth, it's a special bonus treat to have "Words With the Shaman" on this CD, making it two albums in one. David Sylvian proved his worth as a great solo artist with this brilliant debut album. BRAVO!
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~ David Sylvian
~ Rain Tree Crow
~ David Sylvian
~ David Sylvian
~ David Sylvian
by David Sylvian 
