I've adored both these artists since I discovered them as a teenager in 1986. I've always been curious why they've never, in all these years ever collaborated. Is there some history between them or something? Given their artistic styles and so forth, I'm amazed they've never worked together.
A quote from a magazine interview - "During your solo career you’ve been working with several musicians very close to Brian Eno’s area. I wonder if you’ve ever had a chance (or the intention) of making a proper/official collaboration with Brian Eno? Have you heard his new album “Another day on earth” (which is sang as his old 70’s albums)? No, I’d never intended to work with Eno on a collaboration. I did hear the last album but I must admit that I found it disappointing." https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...e.html&usg=AFQjCNET91vQ0M9uzsddDUMP1IwSLQr7Rw
Wow. I never read that interview. I'm surprised at Sylvian's attitude. Listening to all their works these past thirty years, I think they could have produced something very special. Maybe their styles would clash. Who knows?
I'm not too surprised. You have to remember that Roxy fans split when Eno left the band. It was Bryan vs Brian and there was one thing about that which latter-day journalists and observers have forgotten. Bryan Ferry's take on Roxy Music was seen to be about a sophisticated lounge glamour with emphasis on style and clothes and fashion and cool while Brian's take had been boffinish and garish and about tape and electronics... Although Eno went on to become a kind of darling of sophisticated art-rock (with really bad songwriting and singing seen merely as a bonus), Bryan Ferry, (at least until he lounge-lizarded himself out of his solo career somewhat), was about that sophisticated, poetic and romantic side of the equation that had been Roxy Music. Japan, after they'd finished with the New York Dolls, took up this latter side of things, perhaps for a brief-time sounding too like a Roxy tribute band. They soon took it on into a serious and deeply european-cool artistry of their own which, I personally believe, was SO potent it caused Roxy to reform with Manifesto, an album which dropped them back into currency with the New Romantics. The kinship with Japan made the absence of Eno matter less than it had come to matter, at least temporarily, and it was because Eno was missed from Roxy but would never have had a look-in with the likes of Japan for whom he would have been too gauche and geeko and scientific. He belonged with the likes of David Byrne but got with Bowie and U2 I think, mainly because of his sense of humour. He's George Martin for these lot but for Dave he'd be more like Phil Spector. It's poseurs versus nerdsville, in other words and you can guess which camp Dave's in As a little aside to this, I always had wondered why David Sylvian and Prince had never got round to something, since the former was living in Minnesota for a long period with wife Ingrid Chavez of Paisley Park Records and Graffiti Bridge fame. Ingrid got very friendly and accessible on Facebook a few years back and after she posted something to the effect of 'Oh Prince worshipped Japan and David!', I asked her to elaborate. She said that Prince was in awe of David Sylvian and Japan and was too scared to invite him to Paisley Park! Meanwhile, Sylvian was admiring of Prince but never for one moment would have accepted an invitation!
