Track Listing

1. Sinking Of The Titanic
2. Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187866 in Music
• Released on: 1993-10-01
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

You have to hear this...
I first heard of Gavin Bryars' 'The Sinking of the Titanic' when Tom Waits namechecked it in an interview- stating how it blew him away when he heard it on a radio one night. It also is found in the climax of lists found in Paul Morley's excellent 'Words and Music' - and being produced by Brian Eno (who released it on his Obscure label in 1975), it would seem rude not to, don't you think?

Two captivating pieces are on here - 'The Sinking of the Titanic' (24.25) and 'Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet' (25.57) The sleevenotes and the pieces really explain themselves - the first piece shifts around the time it took for the Titanic to sink in 1912 and plays excerpts from songs that may have been played as the ship sank. Listening to it in bed in darkness there is a feeling of sinking - a great blending of taped voices and strings - the Cockpit Ensemble conducted by Gavin Bryars set against the strings of the New Music Ensemble of San Francisco directed by John Adams and the whole thing 'prepared' at the Department of Physics at University College Cardiff. Bryars adds some piano, the kind of odd feeling Morrissey nicked for his contribution to 'Death of a Disco Dancer' and like John Cale on Eric Satie pills. Things turn atonal at times, drifting from music you might know ('Auld Lang Syne') to something that could be on Scott Walker's difficult 'Tilt.' Highly reccomended...

The second piece is even better, 'Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet' having a hypnotic quality which usually means I have to listen to the track completely before doing anything else. The piece emanates from some films/tapes of tramps around London in 1970. The sung lines "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet/It's something I know for he loves me so..." - the tramps vocal reminding me of the phrasing of Robert Wyatt on 1974's 'Rock Bottom'! The Cockpit Ensemble, Sandra Hill (double bass), John White (tuba), John Nash (violin), future soundtrack creator Michael Nyman (organ) and the late Derek Bailey (guitar) are all conducted by Bryars. A wonderful orchestral piece builds around the looped sample of the religious tramp - a touching and hypnotic piece and as revolutionary in a sampledelic sense as Silver Apples' 'Program', Lee Perry's 'Revolution Dub' & The Beatles' 'Revolution#9.' The idea of an orchestral work built around the field recording of a tramp might remind folks of the 'Murray Ostril...' section of Godspeed You Black Emperor's 2000 masterpiece 'Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven'. Proof that this is pioneering work...

'The Sinking of the Titanic/Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet' is a fantastic work and is one of those records that I have to immerse myself in often. Beyond the avant-garde undertones, are two works that have emotional connections - there really is nothing like this. You have to hear this...