Brilliant Trees

Untitled

Brilliant Trees is the debut solo album by the British singer/songwriter David Sylvian, released in 1984. Produced by Steve Nye with Sylvian himself, it was Sylvian's first full length release after the break-up of his band Japan in late 1982. The album peaked at no.4 in the UK, the highest chart position of Sylvian's career to date. It also contained his biggest solo hit, "Red Guitar", which reached no.17 on the UK Singles Chart. Additional musicians on this record included Danny Thompson on acoustic bass and Ryuichi Sakamoto on keyboards. Sylvian and Sakamoto had previously collaborated on the singles "Bamboo Houses" (1982) and "Forbidden Colours" (1983).

In 1991, the album was reissued as Brilliant Trees / Words with the Shaman, containing all of the Brilliant Trees tracks plus the three parts from the 1985 12" single/cassette Words with the Shaman, also included on the album Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities.

In 2006 a remastered version came out with much improved sound and better dynamics. The cover of the remastered version does not feature the yellow border, but only an enlargement of the Sylvian photo.

Track listing

Side A:

1. "Pulling Punches" (David Sylvian) – 5:02
2. "The Ink in the Well" (Sylvian) – 4:30
3. "Nostalgia" (Sylvian) – 5:41
4. "Red Guitar" (Sylvian) – 5:09

Side B:

1. "Weathered Wall" (Sylvian, Jon Hassell) – 5:44
2. "Backwaters" (Sylvian) – 4:52
3. "Brilliant Trees" (Sylvian, Hassell) – 8:39

Personnel

• David Sylvian - lead vocals, guitar, piano (treated), tapes, synthesizer, percussion instruments
• Steve Jansen - drums, synthesizer, percussion
• Holger Czukay - french horn, voice, guitar, dictaphone.
• Wayne Braithwaite - bass guitar tracks A1, A4
• Ronny Drayton - guitar tracks A1, A4
• Richard Barbieri - synthesizer track A1, B1
• Danny Thompson - double bass track A2
• Kenny Wheeler - flugelhorn tracks A2, A3
• Phil Palmer - guitar tracks A2, A3
• Steve Nye - synthesizer tracks A3, A4
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - synthesizer track A4, B1, B3
• Mark Isham - trumpet track A4
• Jon Hassell - trumpet B1, B3

Production

• Steve Nye - record producer for Klangfarben Productions, sound engineer, audio mixing A1, A3 to B1, B3
• P. Williams - sound engineer, mixing assistant mixer
• David Sylvian - producer for Klangfarben Productions, mixing assistant
• Nigel Walker - mixing tracks A1, B2
• Yuka Fujii - photography