Bryars: The Sinking of the Titanic: Jesus's Blood Never Failed Me Yet

On many levels you can find something allegorical about this work. In one sense the old man is like a shepherd, the orchestra his flock, being brought to safety by his continuous calling. In another, the orchestra are like his faith, closing round him, like the hand of his god, protecting him, giving him strength. As I have stated, I am not religious, so for me the most profound aspect of the work is the lack of awareness this voice has of the developing accompaniment around him, his ignorance of the beauty enveloping his simple honesty, and the questions the piece evokes about the whole idea of ignorance and faith.


The great conversation killer   February 19, 2001
39 out of 41 found this review helpful

The version of Jesus's Blood on this CD is the one produced by Brian Eno in the early 70s. It is 25 minutes long compared to the later 75 minute version on which Tom Waites duets with the (long dead) tramp.

This is one of the oddest things I have ever heard and it is guaranteed to silence any collection of friends you choose to play it to. The tape loop of the tramp's thin voice is hypnotic and thought provoking - and also strangely disorientating, since the tune he sings seems to lose its beginning and its end as the piece progresses.

As an expression of simple faith by one who was undoubtedly excreted upon during his lifetime it is either uplifting and/or sad, depending I suppose upon your own stand on religion.


Human tragedy ....One major and minor on this stunning album.   July 27, 2008
russell clarke (halifax, west yorks)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

After Brian Eno had finished recording his third solo album "Another Green World" he approached the then , independent record label "Island " with a view to forming a new record label catering exclusively for the nascent experimental music scene. He wanted to promote music that otherwise ,wouldn't find an audience, but that would appeal to a select band of esoteric connoisseurs. Island , realising that there was a loyal following who would buy anything involving Eno , and trusting to his fecundity of ideas agreed, the low recording costs also appealing to their business senses. Eno named the label "Obscure " , astutely giving the label elite cache, and the first release on "Obscure" was Gavin Bryars double header "The Sinking Of The Titanic"/Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet". Recorded at the low key Basing Street studios , Eno was ensconced as producer though in actuality his role amounted to little more than an advisor.
The Sinking Of The Titanic was a 1969 orchestral piece featuring fragmentary arrangements of the Episcopal hymn "Autumn" , which a survivor of the disaster has heard the string ensemble play as the ship went down. It's a wonderfully evocative noble piece of music that stills retains a churning pathos all too redolent for it's subject matter
Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet is based on a thirteen bar loop of a vagrant ,s impromptu hymn singing recorded by documentary film maker Alan Power in 1971 , and not Gavin Bryars himself as many believe. I find this piece of music phenomenally moving yet can understand those dissenting voices who hear only a tramp warbling over an orchestra tuning up ...actually that's too harsh but you get the point. The way Bryars lets the music ebb and flow yet inexorably build with ever growing verdant layers is mesmerising enough but the true heart of the music lies with the vagrant who despite his circumstances sings with quavering dignity and something approaching true and pure hope or maybe faith ....or maybe he was just seeing life through a glowing alcoholic haze that day......either way it's stunning .
The album was recorded as two sides of twenty five minutes as audiophiles told Eno that was the way to get the best sound quality out of the medium. Bryars has subsequently recorded longer versions of Jesus Blood, one with Tom Waits counterpoising the vocals. It's wonderful stuff but it divides listeners like little else. Some hear a turgid bilious racket but for those of us who do get it- and I am not assuming some moral or intellectual high ground here- this is one of the most poignant remarkable pieces of music ever. A dazzling melding of human tragedy -one major / one minor -and musical bravura .




weirdly affecting   October 24, 2002
Dobester (Istanbul, Turkey)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

Despite possible accusations of displaced maudlin sentimentality (a kind of musical Munchhausen's by proxy), this is an amazingly effective piece of music. It is modern by date, and yet very classical or Romantic in style, so not off-putting for those who like their classical music to have a "tune". At the same time, the almost mixed-media nature of the dance band music interweaved through Bryars composition is truly eerie. Critics might say that what we are doing is adding cheap Hollywood (or Ealing) imagery to the music. But who cares what critics say, eh? this is a great piece of music full of soul and heart.


What other composers can't do   October 2, 2003
Mr C Williams (Andover, Hampshire United Kingdom)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I don't think religiosity can possibly come into this. I can't agree with the one-star review. The piece is neither contrived nor grating and it shouldn't be shot down by people who are trying to find in it something that isn't there. It is what it is: beautifully arranged, conducted, conceived. An understated masterpiece.