New Bill Nelson

[rar@SUN.COM (Rob Rosen)]

	Yah.  Enigma picked up a compilation of Bill's instrumental
work recorded over the last seven years.  It's pretty big - something
like sixty song's worth on two CDs, about 140 minutes total.

	Very interesting stuff here.  MUCH different from his latest
relase.  Musically it reminds me of Sylvian's most recent instrumental
effort off of 'Gone to Earth' - slow, atmospheric, dreamy, cyclical.
Yet somehow Nelson manages to make the tunes sound more definite, more
'musical' and less prone to boredom than I felt Sylvian's later
instrumental work to be.  Not too much drumming and bass work here,
but when it shows up it's excellent.

	An interesting sidelight to this new release is the theme that
runs throughout the collection - that of religion, angelic majesty,
etc.  There's some interesting symbolry on the gatefolds: 'Christus'
is printed BACKWARDS on the inside of Disc Two, and there are ancient
Hebrew letters arranged in a pattern which I'm relatively sure is
Biblically related (too bad I don't read Hebrew).  Plus there are tons
of references to angels - the first disc is called 'The Angel At the
Western Window.'  The cover photograph is of a statue of an angel,
which upon closer inspection is revealed to be an ornament in a
graveyard.  Somewhat eerie, but still mysteriously calming.  Almost
'occultish' if you will, which is a reference Bill himself makes in
the foot- notes to the collection.

	Anyone care to cast their impressions as to the meaning of all this?

	Rob

	ps oh yeah, I forgot, KaTe lends 'heavenly vocals' on track 13.

	it's a joke, son.

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	Rob Rosen 	Sun Microsystems, Inc.		Professional Services
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