"Everything And Nothing" by DAVID SYLVIAN - Album Tracks, Single-Only Mixes, Alternate Versions and Previously Unreleased Outtakes from 1980 to 1999 and completed in 2000. Includes songs by Japan, Rain Tree Crow and Collaborations with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alesini and Andreoni, Robert Fripp of King Crimson and Mick Karn of Japan and Rain Tree Crow. Guests include Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe, Bill Frisell, Keith Tippett, Trey Gunn, Ingrid Chavez, Mark Isham, Danny Thompson, John Taylor, Steve Tibbetts, Phil Palmer, Marc Ribot, David Bottrill, Anne O'Dell, Holger Czukay and many more (October 2000 UK Virgin 2CD Compilation with Bob Ludwig Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Every Colour You Want..."

I've been a monster admirer of ex JAPAN front-man and left-field singer-songwriter DAVID SYLVIAN for four-plus decades now - loving albums like "Brilliant Trees", "Secrets Of the Beehive" and "Dead Bees On A Cake". 

 

I've always looked forward to where his adventure with soundscapes would go to next - brilliant and myriad excursions into collaborations with quality types like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alesini and Andreoni and Robert Fripp of King Crimson - never mind his stints with JAPAN and RAIN TREE CROW. However, in my addled and aging disgracefully mind, our whole-foods wholesome DS has also made cack - some albums and heavy sounds I can't actually play (I collected them anyway). 

 

But there's just something about this utterly brilliant and perfectly compiled retrospective from 2000 that hits every marker and I go back to it so often. Great song choices, altered versions that feel better, beautiful Bob Ludwig mastering. When I worked at Reckless in Berwick Street in Soho (a busy joint) - we only had to play outtakes like "The Scent Of Magnolia" or "Ride" on CD1 and hungry punters would be grapple-hooking the elevated serving counter wanting some of that speaker caviar we were just playing. 

And the list of exceptional collaborations/contributions Sylvan has done in his solo career stretches back with abandon - Guitarists Robert Fripp of King Crimson, Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe, Bill Frisell, Phil Palmer, Steve Tibbetts, David Torn, Marc Ribot, Trey Gunn and Rob Dean - Keyboardists Keith Tippett, John Taylor and Tommy Barbarella with Horn Players Mark Isham, Mel Collins and Kenny Wheeler. Also in the mix is Pentangle's Double Bass player Danny Thompson, Can's Holger Czukay, arrangements by Anne O'Dell, duets with Keyboardist, Arranger and songwriter Ryuichi Sakamoto, Euro programming with Alesini and Andreoni - and all of it with the vision-achieving assistance of Engineers like David Bottrill and Steve Nye (to name but a few).

 

Fans will know that there is a 3CD variant of October 2000's "Everything And Nothing" on Virgin CDVDX2897 (Barcode 724385019524) that offers a further 4-Track Bonus Disc of Rarities and all of it presented (unsaid) on lurid 24-carat gold digital chariots. But for now I want to concentrate on the standard 2CD variant in a mere jewel-case - a forgotten compilation that in January 2023 I've seen online for under three quid (talk about 'big dids for small quids'). 

 

There's a whole mess of new and old on here that's been mightily tinkered with, so some manly explanation is needed. Let's have at our Ambient Hero...

 

UK released 9 October 2000 - "Everything And Nothing" by DAVID SYLVIAN on Virgin CDVD2897 (Barcode 724385001727) is a 29-Track 2CD Compilation that plays out as follows: 

 

CD1 (72:00 minutes):

1. The Scent Of Magnolia 

(Previously Unreleased "Dead Bees On A Cake" album outtake from 1999, completed in 2000, Spoken Vocals by Ingrid Chavez)

2. Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) 

(Collaboration, from the Ryuichi Sakamoto album "Heartbeat" on Virgin Records America in 1992, Bill Frisell on Lead Guitar, Ingrid Chavez on Vocals)

3. Blackwater 

(From the 1991 "Rain Tree Crow" album by Rain Tree Crow on Virgin Records, featuring Steve Jansen, Mick Karn and Richard Barbieri of Japan - Lead Guitar by Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe)

4. Albuquerque (Dobro No. 6)

(Previously Unreleased "Dead Bees On A Cake" album outtake from 1999, completed in 2000)

5. Ride 

(Previously Unreleased "Secrets Of The Beehive" album outtake from 1987, completed in 2000, features Phil Palmer and David Torn on Guitars, Danny Thompson on Double Bass with Mark isham on Trumpet, Paino by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Drums/Percussion by Steve Jansen)

6. The Golden Way 

(Collaboration, from the album "Marco Polo" by Alesini & Andreoni (Nicola Alesini and Pier Luigi Andreoni), released by Materiali Sonori in 1995)

7. Ghosts

(With Japan, from their fifth album "Tin Drum" released by Virgin in Nov 1981)

8. Pop Song 

(Single Version from the October 1989 UK 3" CD-single on Virgin VSCD 1221)  

9. Every Colour You Are

(From the 1991 "Rain Tree Crow" album by Rain Tree Crow on Virgin Records, Slide Guitar by Phil Palmer)

10. Wanderlust

(From the 1999 album "Dead Bees On A Cake", featuring Tommy Barbarella)

11. God's Monkey 

(From the collaboration album "The First Day" by Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) and David Sylvian on Virgin Records in 1993)

12. Let The Happiness In

(From the album "Secrets Of The Beehive" released by Virgin Records in 1987)

13. I Surrender

(From the 1999 album "Dead Bees On A Cake")

14. Thoroughly Lost To Logic

(Previously Unreleased 1991 recording, co-write and featuring Keith Tippett on Piano, finished 2000) 

 

CD2 (67:38 minutes):

1. Jean The Birdman 

(From the collaboration album "The First Day" by Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) and David Sylvian on Virgin Records in 1993)

2. Cover Me With Flowers 

(Previously Unreleased "Dead Bees On A Cake" album outtake from 1999, completed in 2000, features Steve Tibbetts on Guitars)

3. The Boy With The Gun

(From the 1999 album "Dead Bees On A Cake", features Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Torn and Danny Thompson)

4. Riverman

(From the Japan 2LP set "Gone To Earth" on Virgin Records in September 1986, features Robert Fripp of King Crimson on Guitars and Mel Collins on Saxophone)

5. Apama And Nimisha (Dobro No. 5) 

(Previously Unreleased "Dead Bees On A Cake" album outtake from 1999, completed in 2000, features Bill Frisell on Dobro)

6. Midnight Sun 

(From the album "Secrets Of The Beehive" released by Virgin Records in 1987, features Marc Ribot on Guitar, String Arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto)

7. Orpheus 

(From the album "Secrets Of The Beehive" released by Virgin Records in 1987, features Mark Isham, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Phil Palmer and danny Thompson)

8. Some Kind Of Fool 

(Previously Unreleased, taken from Japan's sessions for their fourth album "Gentlemen Wear Polaroids" released Nov 1980 on Virgin, finished in 2000, Violin by Simon House and Vocals by Ingrid Chavez)

9. Cries And Whispers
(From the 1991 "Rain Tree Crow" album by Rain Tree Crow on Virgin Records, featuring Steve Jansen, Mick Karn and Richard Barbieri of Japan)

10. Godman

(From the 1999 album "Dead Bees On A Cake", features Mark Ribot on Guitar, Steve Jansen on Loops with Ingrid Chavez on Vocals)

11. Laughter And Forgetting 

(From the Japan 2LP set "Gone To Earth" on Virgin Records in September 1986, features John Taylor on Piano and Kenny Wheeler on Flugelhorn)

12. Buoy 

(Collaboration, from the Mick Karn solo album "Dreams Of Reason Produce Monsters" released 1987 on Virgin Records, also featuring Steve Jansen of Japan)

13. Weathered Wall

(From David Sylvian's debut solo album "Brilliant Trees" released June 1984 on Virgin Records, features Jon Hassell on Trumpet, Ryuichi Sakamota and Barbieri on Keyboards with Holger Czukay of Can on Recorders)

14. Bamboo Houses 

(Original Version by Ryuichi Sakamota and David Sylvian released 1982 on Virgin Records, features Steve Jansen)

15. Come Morning 

(Collaboration, from the album "Marco Polo" by Alesini & Andreoni (Nicola Alesini and Pier Luigi Andreoni), released by Materiali Sonori in 1995)

 

The 16-page booklet acts a pictorial for our photogenic musical troubadour (and wife Ingrid) with full track-by-track credits across the centre pages and beyond. It's kind of hard to read the thick and fast small print, but the BOB LUDWIG Mastering is the star here. This 2CD set sounds gorgeous even when the music is deliberately grunged up or programmed to bleed. But what gets me (for someone so closely associated with King Crimson and even Roxy Music Prog and Indie of old) - is the musicality that seeps through the softer stuff - "Every Colour You Are", "Heartbeat" and even the beautiful simplicity of the 'Dobro' snippets/numbers. 

 

There's something for everyone here - Japan fans getting a newly turned out songs from the "Gentlemen Wear Polaroids" period of 1980 and the now forgotten 1986 double "Gone To Earth" - later lovers being treated to the seemingly endless creativity that surrounded both "Secrets Of The Beehive" (1987) and "Dead Bees On A Cake" (1999). I didn't (admittedly) have the two Euro CD cuts with Alesini & Andreoni on CD1 and CD2 - so nice one there. And I can never get enough of "I Surrender" and "Weathered Wall". 

 

I dare say, David Sylvian and his (almost) non-songs will not be for everyone. But those who love their songsmiths penning the pretty side of leftfield and ambient mood will be making tea, dunking the digestives and planning another 'Everything And Nothing' deep dive. I love it. Prada indeed...