Rain Tree Crow

Rain Tree Crow
Studio album by Rain Tree Crow (Japan)
Released 8 April 1991
Recorded September 1989 – April 1990
Studio
Length 45:34
Label Virgin
Producer Rain Tree Crow
Rain Tree Crow (Japan) chronology
Oil on Canvas
(1983)		 Rain Tree Crow
(1991)
David Sylvian chronology
Weatherbox
(1989)		 Rain Tree Crow
(1991)		 Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Rain Tree Crow is the first and only album released by the English band Rain Tree Crow—a reunion project by the members of the new wave band Japan.

Recorded in 1989 and 1990 and released in April 1991, it was the first time that members David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri had collaborated as a four-piece since 1982. The album peaked at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart.

Background and content

The majority of the material on the album was written as a result of group improvisations (aside from "Blackwater" and "Every Colour You Are"), with no pre-rehearsals.

The name Rain Tree Crow was chosen to mark a break from Japan's past, with the intention of creating a new long-term project. As the music turned out to be less commercial than originally envisaged, all members of the band aside from Sylvian became amenable to the idea of retaining the Japan moniker, in order to gain maximum exposure.[2] However, Sylvian levered increasing artistic and production control over the project, to the point where the recording developed from a band effort into what was essentially another Sylvian solo project, leaving the other members as mere session players for the front man.

Release and reception

"Blackwater" was released as the album's only single and reached number 62 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1991. The album itself was, in general, critically acclaimed by the music press and reached number 24 in the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

The following track listing is for the re-mastered version of the album, released in 2003. It contains an additional track, "I Drink to Forget", which was originally released as the B-side of the "Blackwater" single.

The original album comprised tracks 1 to 12, as listed below:

  1. "Big Wheels in Shanty Town" – 7:08
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, hammond organ, electric piano, shortwave radio, horn arrangement
    • Bill Nelson - additional guitar
    • Mick Karn - bass, brass, horn arrangement
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Djene Doumbouya - vocal
    • Djanka Djabate - vocal
    • Steve Jansen - drums, percussion, hammond organ
    • Johnny Thirkell - trumpet/flugelhorn (as Phantom Horns)
    • Gary Barnacle - saxes (as Phantom Horns)
  2. "Every Colour You Are" – 4:46
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, electric piano, shortwave radio, treatments
    • Phil Palmer - slide guitar
    • Mick Karn - bass, saxophone
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - drums, percussion
  3. "Rain Tree Crow" – 2:04
    • David Sylvian - vocal, percussion
    • Mick Karn - pipes
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - percussion
  4. "Red Earth (As Summertime Ends)" – 3:38
    • David Sylvian - slide guitar, keyboards, Indian drum
    • Phil Palmer - acoustic guitar
    • Michael Brook - bass conga
    • Mick Karn - bass, tabla
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Brian Gascoigne - orchestration
    • Steve Jansen - ceramic drums, percussion
  5. "Pocket Full of Change" – 6:08
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, organ
    • Michael Brook - guitar treatments
    • Mick Karn - bass, brass
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - drums, percussion, organ
  6. "Boat's for Burning" – 0:45
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - tambourine
  7. "New Moon at Red Deer Wallow" – 5:12
    • David Sylvian - electric guitar, bass
    • Mick Karn - bass clarinet
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - Moroccan clay drum, fan drums
  8. "Blackwater" – 4:19
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, keyboards
    • Bill Nelson - electric guitar
    • Mick Karn - bass
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - drums, percussion
  9. "A Reassuringly Dull Sunday" – 1:22
    • David Sylvian - organ, keyboards, percussion
    • Michael Brook - percussion
    • Mick Karn - bass clarinet, percussion
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer, piano
    • Steve Jansen - marimba, percussion
  10. "Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City" – 5:14
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, organ, electric piano, keyboards, treatments
    • Mick Karn - bass, saxophone
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - drums, percussion
    • Bill Nelson - blue guitar
    • Michael Brook - infinite guitar
  11. "Scratchings on the Bible Belt" – 2:46
    • David Sylvian - electric guitar, banjo, marimba, harmonium
    • Michael Brook - treatments
    • Mick Karn - bass clarinet
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer, water wheel
    • Steve Jansen - piano, marimba, percussion
  12. "Cries and Whispers" – 2:31
    • David Sylvian - vocal, electric guitar, treatments
    • Mick Karn - bass
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizer
    • Steve Jansen - percussion
  13. "I Drink to Forget" – 1:46
    • David Sylvian - piano, keyboards, percussion
    • Mick Karn - wine glasses
    • Richard Barbieri - synthesizers
    • Steve Jansen - wine glasses, percussion

Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ Rain Tree Crow at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Prasad, Anil (1996). "Innerviews: Mick Karn".
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