Gone to Earth (David Sylvian album)

Gone to Earth
Studio album by David Sylvian
Released	13 September 1986
Recorded	1985–1986 in London and Oxfordshire
Genre	Art rock, electronic, ambient
Length	80:27
Label	Virgin
Producer	Steve Nye, David Sylvian
David Sylvian chronology
Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities (1985)Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities1985 Gone to Earth (1986) Secrets of the Beehive (1987)Secrets of the Beehive1987

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Gone to Earth is the third full-length solo album by David Sylvian, released in 1986.

History

The album is a two-record set featuring one record of vocal songs and one consisting entirely of ambient instrumental tracks. Guest artists include Robert Fripp (who co-wrote three songs) and Bill Nelson (who co-wrote one song). It was recorded in part at The Manor Studios in Oxfordshire, England, with producer Steve Nye. The album peaked at no.24. in the UK albums chart.

Original UK, US and Japanese CD pressings omit four of the instrumentals: "Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples", "Camp Fire: Coyote Country", "A Bird of Prey Vanishes Into a Bright Blue Cloudless Sky" and "Sunlight Seen Through Towering Trees". Later Japanese CD editions and the "Weatherbox" set both included the complete album on two discs. In 2003, the album was re-released in a double-disc format that mirrors the original vinyl release, and included three bonus remixes.

Track listing

All compositions by David Sylvian, except where noted.

Vinyl

Side A

1. "Taking the Veil" – 4:40
2. "Laughter and Forgetting" – 3:18
3. "Before the Bullfight" – 9:20
4. "Gone to Earth" (Robert Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:06

Side B

1. "Wave" – 9:11
2. "River Man" – 4:54
3. "Silver Moon" – 6:19

Side C

1. "The Healing Place" – 5:34
2. "Answered Prayers" (Bill Nelson/Sylvian) – 3:10
3. "Where the Railroad Meets the Sea" – 2:52
4. "The Wooden Cross" – 5:04
5. "Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples" – 2:22

Side D

1. "Camp Fire: Coyote Country" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:51
2. "A Bird of Prey Vanishes Into a Bright Blue Cloudless Sky" – 3:16
3. "Home" – 4:33
4. "Sunlight Seen Through Towering Trees" – 3:02
5. "Upon This Earth" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 6:30

Original CD pressing

1. "Taking the Veil" – 4:40
2. "Laughter and Forgetting" – 2:40
3. "Before the Bullfight" – 9:45
4. "Gone to Earth" (Robert Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:06
5. "Wave" – 9:11
6. "River Man" – 4:54
7. "Silver Moon" – 6:19
8. "The Healing Place" – 5:34
9. "Answered Prayers" (Bill Nelson/Sylvian) – 3:10
10. "Where the Railroad Meets the Sea" – 2:52
11. "The Wooden Cross" – 5:04
12. "Home" – 4:33
13. "Upon This Earth" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 6:30

2003 remastered CD

Disc one

1. "Taking the Veil" – 4:40
2. "Laughter and Forgetting" – 3:18
3. "Before the Bullfight" – 9:20
4. "Gone to Earth" (Robert Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:06
5. "Wave" – 9:11
6. "River Man" – 4:54
7. "Silver Moon" – 6:19
8. "River Man (remix)" – 4:24
9. "Gone to Earth (remix) (Fripp/Sylvian)" – 1:56
10. "Camp Fire: Coyote Country (remix)" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:46

Disc two

1. "The Healing Place" – 5:34
2. "Answered Prayers" (Bill Nelson/Sylvian) – 3:10
3. "Where the Railroad Meets the Sea" – 2:52
4. "The Wooden Cross" – 5:04
5. "Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples" – 2:22
6. "Camp Fire: Coyote Country" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 3:51
7. "A Bird of Prey Vanishes Into a Bright Blue Cloudless Sky" – 3:16
8. "Home" – 4:33
9. "Sunlight Seen Through Towering Trees" – 3:02
10. "Upon This Earth" (Fripp/Sylvian) – 6:30

Personnel

• David Sylvian - lead vocals, keyboards (A1, A3, B1, B2, B3), guitar (A1, A3, A4, B2) electronics (A1, A2)
• Robert Fripp - guitar (A1, A4, B1, B2, B3, D1, D5), Frippertronics (A4, B1, B2, B3)
• Steve Jansen - drums (A1, A3, B1, B2, B3)
• Phil Palmer - acoustic guitar (A1)
• Ian Maidman - bass (A1, B2, B3)
• Kenny Wheeler - flugelhorn (A2, A3)
• John Taylor - piano (A2)
• Bill Nelson - guitar (A3, B1, B3, C1, C2, D4)
• Richard Barbieri - electronics (A3, B1)
• Harry Beckett - flugelhorn (B1)
• Mel Collins - sax (B2, B3)
• B.J. Cole - pedal steel (B3, C5)
• Joseph Beuys - voice (C1)
• John G. Bennett - voice (A4)
• Robert Graves - voice (D5)

Additional personnel

• Russell Mills - design
• David Buckland - photography
• Steve Nye - engineer, piano (C3)
• Nick Blundell- assistant engineer
• Julian Wheatley assistant engineer
• Noel Haris - assistant engineer
• Catherine Wilson - assistant engineer
• Yuka Fujii - special thanks