Chalk up another Eno-produced classic.
Christopher Costabile | Clearwater, FL USA | 09/13/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This disc is a reissue of the ORIGINAL recording of these two great "minimalist" classics. It was first released in 1975 on Brian Eno's fledgling label, "Obscure." Each piece on this disc is approximately 20 minutes in length, which generally works well for the nature of the music. I actually have not heard the more widely available (and much lengthier) versions of these pieces, because I had always been informed that the performances on this recording are superior.
"The Sinking of the Titanic" is intended to be a musical representation of that very event, and it succeeds brilliantly. Supposedly, a band on the Titanic continued to play an Episcopal hymn as the ship went down (whose theme makes up some of the musical content here), and Bryars was inspired by hearing the story. Bryars's score uses various sound effects that could have been associated with the event (waves, loud metallic sounds) and weaves them together loosely with the incessant strings and other orchestral instruments, never unifying the various elements, which seem to be unconscious of one another. The result is a perfect blend of ambience and tension that evokes in the listener the same sense of uneasy drifting that the terrified passengers must have felt. This work is powerful.
Although it is also quite moving, "Jesus's Blood Never Failed Me Yet" doesn't achieve the magnificence of the Titanic piece. I think the problem with "Jesus's Blood" is that instead of creating a dense atmosphere of sound around the hobo's voice, the arrangement of melodic strings builds progressively in an attempt to reach a climax that never really manifests itself. Whereas the Titanic piece settles freely into a somewhat ominous mood of constantly swirling, repetitious, but never tiresome sounds, "Jesus' Blood" is too much an attempt to wring grandiose emotion from a piece which doesn't really have the musical content to provide that kind of stamina. It works to some extent, but the music escalates too gradually, and although a larger orchestra may have better sustained this sort of subtle crescendo, as it exists here, the piece probably could have afforded to be a bit shorter. The loop of the hobo's voice really does tug at the heart strings, though, and I am interested in hearing the more recent version, as I understand that Tom Waits (whom I love) doubles the hobo's voice late in the recording.
Although this disc is not flawless, I would contend that it is worth the money both for its historical value and the Titanic piece alone. Four stars!"
Melancholy
snooder dog | hiddenite, nc | 06/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"mr paranoid's previous review does us a great service by identifying these brilliant pieces as the original 1975 versions. as far as i can tell the overly artsy liner notes make no mention of this. but he misses the mark in faulting JESUS'S BLOOD for trying to "wring out grandeose emotions" and "failing to reach a climax". this music finds beauty in melancholy and desolation. no climaxes called for here. bryars is on the opposite end of the spectrum from beethoven,but they are both geniuses of simplicity. beethoven wrings out greatness devoted to joy and ego just by running the scale in the emporor concerto, bryars does the same thing in his very different way with a few seconds of the looped voice of a bum.
this music is not about christian redemption, its about a bum tottering off to oblivion, disappearing, clinging to his pathetic belief as he does so. "jesus's blood" has failed him utterly. This is music of idea, one ugly beautiful idea, Bryars takes 24 minutes to rub our noses in it. i believe a subsequent version with tom waits takes 76 minutes.maybe thats too much. But if anybody doubts that we have a genius here, go listen to his ONE LAST BAR,THEN JOE CAN SING
"
Beautiful. Moving.
Shrimpboat | St. Louis, MO United States | 02/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This piece is profoundly moving, beautiful and heartbreaking. Will appeal to fans of ambient, new age, classical, film scores, what have you. Quiet and contemplative .... you can't help but imagine the events of that evening. Like the sinking itself: chaos on board as the ship sinks into unusually calm water. And the band played on....."
