The First Day (David Sylvian and Robert Fripp album)

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The First Day is the first of three collaborations between David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It was released in July 1993 and was something of a departure from David Sylvian’s usual work. It is a combination of Sylvian’s deep, thoughtful lyricism and vocals with Fripp's atmospheric and idiosyncratic guitar work, along with overt elements of electronica (particularly downtempo), avant-garde, hard rock, and progressive rock.

It was released in two versions. A regular jewel case CD (CDV 2712) and as a limited box-set with eight photo prints (CDVX 2712).

Impact

"Bringing Down the Light" appeared in the Chris Morris TV series Jam.

Track listing

All songs by David Sylvian (music & lyrics), Robert Fripp (music), and Trey Gunn (music), except where noted.

1. "God's Monkey" (David Bottrill, Fripp, Gunn, Sylvian) - 4:58
2. "Jean the Birdman" - 4:09
3. "Firepower" - 10:25
4. "Brightness Falls" - 6:05
5. "20th Century Dreaming (A Shaman's Song)" - 11:50
6. "Darshan (The Road to Graceland)" (Bottrill, Fripp, Gunn, Sylvian) - 17:17
7. "Bringing Down the Light" (Fripp) - 8:31

Personnel and production

• David Sylvian – vocals, guitars, keyboard instruments, tapes
• Robert Fripp – guitar, Frippertronics
• Trey Gunn – chapman stick, vocals
• Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion instruments
• Marc Anderson – percussion
• David Bottrill – treatments, sampled percussion, computer programming, engineer
• Ingrid Chavez – vocals

Additional personnel

• Richard Chadwick - recording co-ordination
• Natasha White - recording co-ordination assistant
• Dan McLoughlin, John Yates, Mark Glass, Trina Shoemaker - assistant engineers
• Catherine McRae - design co-ordination
• Kevin Westenberg - photography
• Dave Coppenhall, Vaughan Oliver - design
• John Sinks - technical and strategic Liaison