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Album of the Year (83%) • 
Discogs • 
Freebase • 
Music Brainz • 
Rate Your Music (3.74 / 5) • 
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Pitchfork • 
Prog Archives For an album of only seven tracks, Brilliant Trees is an eclectic affair fusing funk, jazz, and ambient. Its best pieces are the moody jazz of “Red Guitar,” the dusky atmosphere of “Weathered Wall,” and “Brilliant Trees” itself, both of which feature the woozy trumpet of Eno collaborator and fourth-world pioneer Jon Hassell. The record also showcases guest players like Holger Czukay. Some CD editions also carry the three-part “Words With the Shaman” to make up a fuller album.
By the time Sylvian released his solo debut Brilliant Trees in 1984, his group of musicians included Sakamoto, members of Can and Pentangle, and atmospheric trumpeters Jon Hassell and Mark Isham. The album remains his most immediate work, featuring some of his most memorable melodies (“Red Guitar,” “The Ink in the Well”) and daring explorations like the nearly nine-minute title track. It’s a remarkable opening statement, indicative of the singular world Sylvian was able to establish, even when surrounded by such rich talent.
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