David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees

As previously noted today, David Sylvian will release a new compilation towards the end of February, featuring 30 songs on two discs, one of them a new recording called "Where's Your Gravity?". But of the 30 songs there are bound to be some favourites missing. "Brilliant Trees", the title track of his first solo album from 1984, is one of them. It's probably in my Top 5 of everything Sylvian's been involved with, and let me tell you, that says a lot. "Brilliant Trees" is eight and a half minutes of pure musical beauty, arranged in the very best of taste and featuring the otherworldy trumpet of co-writer Jon Hassell. Someone has had the good sense to compile a sort of video for the song using some very nice black and white photographs, and it's beautifully done.

Watch and listen