Pop crooner, soul searcher and healer of sorts, David Sylvian is one of the most intense voices in modern music. With a career of more than 30 years, listening to his body of work is a true voyage through our inner selves.
Never did an artist convey such a sense of plenitude as if the world was indeed the best place to live in, as long as we duly celebrate our love and affections, the beauty within, the laughter, the human qualities, the joy provided by our next of kin and dear ones and as long as we duly confront our ghosts, our doubts, our frailties and our misdemeanours. Listening to his songs forces us to embark in a true inner voyage and upon hearing some of his best records we do find that healing place we all look for. “I harbour the same worries as most”, could summon Sylvian’s persona. But it is this capacity to reach for the voice within that makes him such a special artist, assisted by such a beautiful voice.
“Everything and Nothing” is probably the easiest way to discover his body of work and some of his best songs. “Let the Happiness in”, “Blackwater” or “Orpheus” are just some of the most remarkable tracks in this album featuring 34 songs by this true zen master. Unfortunately it does not feature some further great songs such as “Forbidden Colours” which he recorded with Ryuichi Sakamoto for the movie “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” or some of the songs from his early career as frontman of new wave band Japan. But the record that best brings us to Sylvian’s capacity to convey inner peace is “Gone to Earth”. Released in 1986 this is undoubtedly David Sylvian’s masterpiece. Assisted to a great extent by the guitar of Robert Fripp who had a say in many of this tracks and relying on the collaboration of other skilled musicians like Steve Jansen on Drums or Bill Nelson on electric and acoustic guitars the album features a disc 1 and an instrumental disc 2. “Before the Bullfight” is a fine example of the man’s capacity to bring the listener to a heightened emotional state of mind as goose bumps cover our skin and “The Healing Place” the track that will bring us either firmly back to earth or to space to the galaxy we belong to. Press play to “Gone to Earth”, put on your headphones and sit by the sea, on top of a cliff facing the ocean, wander the fields, the vast planes or climb on top of a mountain and stay there, looking at the silver moon listening track by track until your body and soul will be completely reunited in that single entity which is you.
Carlos Tomé Sousa
