Fifty great things about Secrets of the Beehive

The '80s albums thread reminded me that the love for '80s Sylvian here is strong.

1. Some versions have Forbidden Colours.

2. Danny Thompson's bass

3. the exact number of secrets is left as an exercise for the listen

4. the Latin percussion break in “Poets”

5. the long long pause after the second verse of "Waterfront"

6. the long long pause after the first chorus of "Orpheus"

7. Sakamoto's jazz interlude on 'Mother and Child'

8. The way opulent, triumphant arrangements form a tapestry adding breadth and extending the horizon while preserving or stressing the tempo of songs that remain sparse, percussive, and elegant

9. fi-ring / shots-off / at-the / sun

10. their cover of I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family was pretty good.

Sakamoto's piano break in 'Orpheus'...gorgeous

"Red Guitar" can't decide between melancholy and euphoria. This tension is its beauty.

Oops - that's on"Brilliant Trees"!

12.The brevity of "September"

13. Mt wife's name is Maria. When Sylvian croons "Maria, your every thought's my heartbeat
Maria, save a thought for me" it takes my breathe away.

14. The sampled laughter on “Maria”

15. The album cover

10. their cover of I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family was pretty good.

Did you mean Voice of the Beehive?

well i loled

sorry it was a silly joke

While I was double-checking found some other interesting covers of that song.

Sorry, I meant another song

In Maria, the preacher's (?) voice that echoes and crackles like an astronaut transmission.

Side note - If you love the mystery and drift of "Maria" but wish it were terrifying, try Peter Blegvad's "Irma"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wn-qyDlcPY

xp #14 above
Is it the only sample on the album?

Sylvian is credited with "Tape" for just "Maria" and "The Devil's Own"... though I don't remember what sounds are on the latter.

Some interesting pieces on individual tracks here:
https://sylvianvista.com/2019/02/01/let-the-happiness-in/
https://sylvianvista.com/2019/11/01/maria/
https://sylvianvista.com/2021/07/02/when-poets-dreamed-of-angels/
https://sylvianvista.com/2023/06/09/the-devils-own/

That website does God's work. Love their "making of" posts.

Sylvian is credited with "Tape" for just "Maria" and "The Devil's Own"... though I don't remember what sounds are on the latter.

The backwards voice between the bridge and final chorus?

Yeah that’s the only thing I heard on that otherwise ultra minimal track.

16. The tension between the sparse arrangements and the floating vocals

17. "Sipping Coke and playing games..."

Thanks Matt, great stuff on there!

Yeah that blog is fantastic.