Average Rating: 
Rating:  - At long last...
At long last I've found it. This is the tune which has haunted my memories ever since one evening, in the 1980's roughly, listening to late night public radio. I have never forgotten that tune. Now, by accident on Amazon.com, I stumbled across this same music. It has been well over a decade since I heard this piece - and only ONCE. It is an amazing piece of art, frightfully simple yet the emotions it will produce in YOU, the listener shall be long remembered. Thank you, Amazon.com, for allowing me to stumble across this long lost friend of a recording!
Rating: - a transcendant listening experience
My introduction to this CD came during a discussion with a friend of mine who wanted to underscore a point that "people will put out anything on CD". He reminded me that this CD was proof that there was "a sucker born every minute". His "evidence" to demonstrate how low music had gone was Gavin Bryars "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet". As he put it on the CD player, I realized that I was already vaguely aware of this recording, having heard a brief feature on National Public Radio, several weeks prior. He plunked quickly through the CDs segments (all of which featured this looped audio passage of a hobo singing this four or five line chorus, backed by subtle varitions of orchestral accompaniment) to demonstrate his "point". To his amazement, I asked to borrow this CD. Once I got home, I couldn't quit playing it. It worked in much the same way as Brian Eno's Ambient Music For Airports. This was music that worked at different volumes, but seemed to work best when played at a relatively low volume. The effect seemed to "tune" and "cleanse" the atmosphere. I found that there were times when I would be in tears, touched by deep emotions, while the piece was playing. On several occasions, I played this CD for friends and watched them overcome with emotion. This is a powerful CD for anyone with the patience to let the music wash over them and carry them to those places where the deepest emotions and symbols reside. Gavin Bryars' "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet" is fearless music and easily one of the most magical CDs in my library of over 30,000 albums and CDS. Needless to say, my friend is still incredulous that I would even admit to liking this CD. All I can say is you'll either love it or you won't get it.
Rating: - Minimalist Composition-Maximum Heart
I took a chance on Gavin Bryars a couple of years back when I purchased a copy of his "The Sinking of the Titanic" and was pleasantly surprised at just how satisfying his minimalist approach to composition could be. Then recently,while scanning the Tom Waits section of an on line catalog, I came across an entry for "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" and was immediately intrigued. I read the reviews and found the descriptions of what Bryars had done with a continuous loop of a little snippet of a lone voice singing a religious song. I became even more interested. Added to that was the fact that Tom Waits,one of my favorite people,was a part of this production and it wasn't long before I put in an order for a copy of this musical piece.As the five stars would indicate I was not disappointed. At once I was captivated by the beauty of the heart felt and simple song that The Tramp was singing. It spoke volumes on the faith and comfort that this individual took in his relationship with Jesus. Whether onr shares his faith or not you could not help but be touched by the tranquility and hope that came through in his voice. Now, how to keep this feeling fresh and alive for 74 minutes? Bryars achieves this admirably with the simple and elegant accompaniment supplied by an orchestra that is coupled in various movements by a string quartet, low strings, full strings and finally culminating with Tom Waits joining The Tramp on vocals,with full orchestra, in the 5th movement.
It is topped off with a coda featuring Tom Waits on vocals with high strings. By the time the piece was finished I felt thoroughly at peace. This piece is not something you could listen to without fully devoting yourself to the time it takes but it is well worth the time. Enter this musical landscape with an open mind and an open heart.
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