David Sylvian and Russell Mills: Ember Glance - The Permanence of Memory

It was a tricky decision, buying this. A CD for 30 quid, even if it came in big box with a 95-page book of photographs and illustrations, was pretty steep. That was a lot of money in 1991 (it would be completely absurd and out of the question now). Perhaps better to think of it as an art book that comes with a CD enclosed.

I can't speak for the installation from which these two artefacts sprang, and which is now detailed online, but the book isn't as good as Mills/Eno's More Dark Than Shark and the CD isn't quite as good as either Mills' or Sylvian's other work. Very short, too — for 30 quid, I mean.

That said, I've listened to the album three times in recent days, and on the third go it sounded less slight, as though its charms were beginning to reveal themselves. Here, have a listen for yourself… ah, I was hoping to do that same embedding thing as I did yesterday, but I can't with these tracks. Must be something to do with the licensing: you have to go to this page to listen.

Once I'd taken the plunge and bought this from Record Collector in Broomhill one Saturday, I caught the shopping bag in the door of Caroline's car and nearly squashed the corner of the CD/book box. You can't see any damage now, though.

MusicBrainz entry for this album Wikipedia entry for this album Rate Your Music entry for this album Listen to this album in full at Last.fm

Comments

[mym]

Apropos of nothing really: when I happened to mention to Stephin that I'd seen Japan in the early eighties, and that I had touched DS's hand he told me that I 'must tell Claudia'... I forgot to however.

See, I can do anti-climax just as well as you.