In praise of ... the Rain Tree Crow album

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/RTC_cover.jpg

This late album by most members of Japan - which I didn't really know beforehand - has totally enthralled me during the last couple of days. Mick Karn's warm and liquid autodidactic electric bass play (plus wonderful bass clarinet). The sluggish drumming of David Sylvian's brother, Steve Jansen. Either the drums sound like trash cans or living wood. The general slowness of things. The slightly meditative East Asian world feel of the music. The breath-taking and the pauses. Music to get enlightened to. The final touch of the synthesizer flourishes of Barbieri (he seems to be their Eno). This album is the missing link between Peter Gabriel's fiery and tribal "Passion" and Talk Talk's subtle chamber rock album "Laughing Stock" which was released in 1991 (what a year for music!) as well but slightly afterwards. And two of the best things about this album are that David Sylvian does not sing too much and when he does his vocals often are not as mannered as usual (esp. on his solo albums). Example: "Boat's for Burning". He does not have to disguise his voice. assic by consensus. But it has totally enthralled in the last couple of days. Mick Karn's warm and liquid autodidactic electric bass play. The tribal drumming by David Sylvian's brother, Steve Jansen. The general slowness of things. The world feel of the music, slightly meditative, East Asian? Music to get enlightened to. This album is the missing link between Peter Gabriel's fiery "Passion" and Talk Talk's subtle "Laughing Stock" which was released in 1991 (what a year for music!) as well but slightly afterwards. And two of the best things about this album are that David Sylvian does not sing too much and when he does sing it often sounds natural and not as mannered as on his solo albums. Most striking example: "Boat's for Burning". This album is a miracle.

One should never write posts on the smartphone if one does not know how to copy & paste, sorry.

Ha! I wondered what the hell had gone on there!

But yeah, I'm with you - this is a wonderful record, particularly love 'Every Colour You Are' and 'Pocket Full of Change' - it's just one of those albums that's best listened to horizontal with the headphones on in a dimly lit room with no distractions, so you can get lost in the world of sound that's happening.

It's late late night music for sure. I haven't tried it in an horizontal position but I will.

One of the best records ever made. Absolutely enchanting music.

For extra credit, check out the completely excellent live performance of 'Every Colour You Are' from the David Sylvian / Robert Fripp live album, Damage.

I know there's been other projects post-Rain Tree Crow that some of the former Japan members have worked together as part of, but it's such a shame that this was the last album that all the members (bar Rob Dean, who was never going to be invited back) worked on together. Apparently, the recording sessions for Rain Tree Crow ran quite smoothly and were enjoyable and fun for all the participants - the problems only arose when they ran out of money to finance the album, and Virgin would only provide further funding if it was put out under the name Japan. Some band members were happy with this, but Sylvian was having none of it. So, Sylvian basically financed the mixing himself and ended up shutting the rest of the band out, who felt that he was now trying to control the project, and... yeah.

I am not sure if it is a shame this was the last album of the members of Japan. This album is such a high achievement - similar to "Laughing Stock" - that it would have been almost impossible to improve on it. I am happy that they left it there. There are too many bands who do not know when to stop. Most of them, actually. I was just thinking of Yo La Tengo and Giant Sand, two of my ex-fave bands who should have stopped releasing "new" music ten or more years ago.

Love this album, listen to it more than I listen to any Japan (or even solo Sylvian, for that matter).

Cosign all of the above. I f*cking adore this album. Transporting in the extreme.

Mick Karn is a monumental presence, I get lost in his playing.

Sylvian is one of my favorite vocalists, he has a way of making you feel like he's singing directly to you.

Jansen is the quiet hero here, his recent solo work has brought his talents to the forefront.

This was my bedtime music for a time after it came out.

There are too many bands who do not know when to stop. Most of them, actually. I was just thinking of Yo La Tengo and Giant Sand, two of my ex-fave bands who should have stopped releasing "new" music ten or more years ago.

― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Monday, June 4, 2018 5:19 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I definitely agree with this in terms of bands like Talk Talk and Japan, but there's also the idea that no one is forcing you to keep up. That said, I definitely feel some anxiety about tuning out whenever there's a new release by an artist I loved >5 years ago, even though it is mostly (as you suggest) diminishing returns.

Nothing to add about this album except to agree with all the praise, and also remind everyone who likes it not to ignore the Jansen / Barbieri records, which are all at least pretty good iirc.

Why has this not been properly reissued on vinyl?

love this album, it is kind of a paradigm-setter for me.

the first time i heard Laughingstock was during a late night community radio show in Madison WI in Nov 1991. The dj led into it talking about how he hadn't thought about Talk Talk in years and his friend had just given him this new album, saying to the dj 'I know you're a fan of that Rain Tree Crow album so you should check this out'. He then played "Taphead" which changed the course of my musical life in an instant.

So RTC and LS were twinned in my mind before I heard either of them. I got LS as soon as I could find it after that night; it took a bit longer for me to buy RTC and for a long time I didn't appreciate it correctly. I was too much of an experimentalist to completely get with Sylvian's vocal style at that time. With passing years it has become possibly the equal of LS for me. Of course they are doing very different things though certainly in the same county as one another.

Has anyone listened to the JBK albums? How are they?

Rain Tree Crow was the album that sent me down the post-progressive rabbit hole. So massively influential on my listening habits. The JB(K) albums are good to great. I've yet to warm to _ism as much as Stone To Flesh, which at its best is like the meeting place of Talk Talk and Rain Tree Crow (at least when Mark Feltham guests). Maybe that's raising expectations too high-- the absence of David Sylvian on JBK albums is def noticed for those hearing STF after Rain Tree Crow.

I recognize that this is fairly sui generis but are there any recent albums that even come close to this idiom?

you already have the two 'o'rang albums i trust?

I just see that there was a similar discussion about Rain Tree Crow on the Japan thread but I think the album deserves a thread of its own...
japan, the band

you already have the two 'o'rang albums i trust?

I do, thanks. I'm looking more for suggestions of releases from recent years. Kinda like Birds Through Fire's Letters To Thurza (some similarities to RTC) or Lone Wolf's Lodge (which is def Hollis-influenced.)

these new puritans - field of reeds

XP - Doug, perhaps look into the two Autistic Daughters records on Kranky

The first JBK album and EP are fantastic, agree that Ism is a step down but not a huge one.

Whenever there's a RTC mention, I'm compelled to chime in with a recommendation for Jansen and Barbieri's Stories Across Borders,
a real special record. Def of a piece with RTC.

listening to Beginning to Melt for first time ever. Side B way preferable to side A imo. "Shipwreck" the standout on first listen.

now stories across borders. Halfway through it. This rules hard.

Jansen and Barbieri's "Worlds In A Small Room" if you're after that late-Japan sound though moving into more of an ambient direction.

This album should be right in my sweetspot, but I've got a curious barrier when it comes to Sylvian. I find him bloated and portentous - things that don't stop me listening to a whole bunch of other stuff.

Anyway, for whatever reason, Blackwater is just about goddamn perfect right now.