Sylvian's first solo attempts saw the light of day on 7th July 1984 being at the same time a very radical escape from the aural and visual image he was associated with as a frontman of the band Japan. "Brilliant Trees" came off as an interesting blend of jazz, improvisation and rock embellished with intriguing lyrics that introduced keen listeners to a world of subtleties. Despite it being opened with "Pulling Punches" - quite an up-tempo piece and with "Red Guitar" (a bit of a salute to Sylvian's musical past), it is on that record that his unique style began to take shape and fully unfolded its wings on subsequent albums. The rich sound of "Nostalgia" - a track of remarkable beauty - could as well belong to "Gone To Earth". Sylvian's voice filled with genuine longing movingly flows into Kenny Wheeler's flugelhorn parts and sparse guitar accents. "Weathered Wall" on the other hand is quite surprisingly supported only by a single, repetitive drum pattern and few delicate swashes of keyboards and almost tribal trumpet phrases. That somewhat minimalist approach is once again employed on the album's title track where David's voice resounds over a delicate synthesiser backdrop with the troubled singer searching for peace of mind. Eventually, the sombre flugelhorn gives way to slow, slightly oriental rhythm which, fading to silence, closes that exceptionally mature solo debut. Due credit has to be given to Sylvian's collaborators who helped him to make that first bold step. Apart from his brother, Steve Jansen, the entourage included the former Japan keyboardist - Richard Barbieri, and magnificent trumpeters - Kenny Wheeler and Jon Hassell. "Brilliant Trees" also marks the beginning of the artist's long-term collaboration with Holger Czukay (the ex-musician of an avant-garde band Can). Their experimental endeavours will eventually emerge as projects entitled "Plight And Premonition" and "Flux And Mutability". The edited version of "Red Guitar" and an extended rendition of "Forbidden Colours" (recorded prior to "Brilliant Trees" sessions) can be found on the first promotional single released in 1984. An instrumental carnation of "Weathered Wall" ended up on side B of "The Ink In The Well" whereas "Pulling Punches" - the 12'' single containing "Backwaters" boasted 3 specially designed postcards hinting at Sylvian's fascination with works by Jean Cocteau. [  back to the top