SONG OF THE SILENT LAND

I came across a copy of this Constellation Records CD sampler in a box of old discs I was rooting through the other day. A friend gave it to me several years ago after he had ordered one himself and the label accidently shipped him two copies. After all this time I don't think they'll miss it.

The most interesting thing about this collection is the variety of music contained in it. Everyone knows of Constellation as the label that spawned the legendary Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and fans of that band likely know about A Silver Mt. Zion and probably Fly Pan Am as well, both of which were outgrowths of the GY!BE 2003 hiatus. 1-Speed Bike also has a track here, that band being another Godspeed child in the form of a solo project by percussionist Aidan Girt.

On a side note Godspeed reformed in late 2010 for an extended tour, which bled well into 2011. I wasn't able to get to one of their concerts but did manage to pick up a couple tickets for my oldest son and his girlfriend to attend the Nashville show, from which they scored me an excellent band poster. Thanks (and you're welcome)!

The rest of the artists are a mixed bag, some of them like Do Make Say Think, Sofa and Black Ox Orkestar having established themselves in their own right as solid Constellation acts, while others like Elizabeth Anka Vajagic, HangedUp and Frankie Sparo are less well- known but impressive nonetheless.

According to the liner notes the label put this together as a sampler of current and (then) upcoming releases of the artists the label worked with in its first seven years (1997-2004). It is a good collection that includes established tracks like Do Make Say Think's "Winter Hymn Winter Hymn Winter Hymn" from the album of the same name; "Toyte Goyes in Shineln" from Black Ox Orkestar's 'Ver Tanzt?'; a remix of 1-Speed Bike's turgid "Fair Warning"; and a collage of studio outtakes from Polmo Polpo's 'Like Hearts Swelling' sessions.

In addition there are quite a few rare jewels like a remixed version of HangedUp's "View from the Ground" titled "(Re)view from the Ground" and featuring Efrim Menuck of Godspeed and A Silver Mt. Zion, along with an unreleased track from Sackville (the acoustic and gorgeous "This Machine") and a "Iron Bridge to Thunder Bay" from A Silver Mt. Zion's 'This Is Our Punk-Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing' sessions, as well as a sort of techno/industrial post-rock instrumental titled "Slippage" from re:.

Other than the Do Make Say Think track there isn't much here that will be familiar to most casual fans, and quite a few tracks that don't appear anywhere else, at least in the same form and mix.

The highlights include the Sackville song; Elizabeth Anka Vajagic's stripped-down and chilling "The Sky Lay Still"; and a concert finale from GY!BE recorded at apparently their last pre-hiatus show in Nantes, France titled simply "Outro".

If you can find this CD I would encourage you to pick it up to get a great sense of the variety and range of the Constellation stable at their creative peak. I have to wonder if the label felt their momentum slipping in the wake of Godspeed's demise, but whatever the reason this was a well-constructed collection and one that showed the label in all its glory. Four stars out of five and well-recommended as a solid addition to your own collection.

peace