Sylvian | Fripp - Damage (Venture)

Last year David Sylvian and Robert Fripp released an album of awesome potential, which only really lifted off when they went on the road. Perfecting the tracks around Europe, they finished off with two dates at the Royal Albert Hall where this CD was recorded. Songwriting that took the duo off into new territory with Fripp's current anger and Sylvian coming into a more optimistic writing style lead to a show that sucked the audience into their world, purely with music.

With stick player Trey Gunn, a drummer and guitarist extraordinaire Michael Brook the band plough through the entire 'The First Day' album before arriving at a ten minute jam of 'Darshan'. Moods swing from track to track, 'Brightness Falls' (which is half Hendrix tribute, half chill out) moves seemlessly to an instant audience hit - 'Every Colour You Are' from the Rain Tree Crow album of 1993. Three other old favourites from Sylvian and Fripp's mid-80's collaboration for the Gone To Earth album are also given a fresh airing.

But it's the new music that was debuted at the concert that stands out. The first and last tracks of the CD - 'Damage' and 'The First Day' - are sublime 4-minute master pieces and certainly the best music from Sylvian and Fripp (both together and in their own right) that I've ever heard. They begin and end a page which, put with the limited edition 32 page booklet by Russell Mills, easily storms in as my favourite album of 1994. (9)


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