Seven Seals

Durtro 033, 1996, Running time: 19:49

Seven Seals
  1. To You (by Nature and Organisation) - 02:55
  2. The Seven Seals, Their Appearance and Nature, And the Song Of Solomon and How She Sang it to Me (by Current 93) - 10:20
  3. (previous track continued) - 02:33
  4. My Inspiration is You (by Tiny Tim) - 02:06
  5. Nit-pick (by Nurse With Wound) - 01:55

This EP was released and sold at three Current 93 concerts in London and New York. Though not all of the songs are by c93, all the artists featured have either played on c93 albums, or have collaborated with David Tibet in some other musical project. Though short, this is a very cool release. It was re-pressed (for the May 1997 London concert) and given the title SEVEN SEALS. No printed lyrics.

The first song, TO YOU, was recorded by Nature and Organisation specifically for this release. As with all of Michael Cashmore’s music, the piece is brilliant. A wonderful song, sweet and sad and beautiful.

Tracks two and three, THE SEVEN SEALS, THEIR APPEARANCE AND NATURE, AND THE SONG OF SOLOMON AND HOW SHE SANG IT TO ME is the original version of THE SEVEN SEALS ARE REVEALED AT THE END OF TIME AS SEVEN BOWS: THE BLOODBOW, THE PISSBOW, THE PAINBOW, THE FAMINEBOW, THE DEATHBOW, THE ANGERBOW AND THE HOHOHOBOW, a different (but equally wonderful) version of which appeared on Lucifer Over London. This version is a little faster-paced and a little shorter than the other, and has a slightly less spooky sound; as far as I’m concerned, however, both versions are excellent. Tibet’s notes about the song in the liner are rather interesting; says he: “…it was originally intended to be placed on Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre after “The Old Willows” section of LET US GO TO THE ROSE—after seeing the Greatglory of the Willows, I have a vision of God appearing as Apocalypse in the form of seven terrible AntiRainbows, and our passing away in ignorance and impotence. I am woken from this cruel vision of all Endings by my loved one singing The Song of Solomon to me. I eventually decided it did not fit in with the aesthetic and thematic effect I was searching for, and the song was dropped.” The “Song of Solomon” section of this piece appears on track three; it’s a sweet folk-style song, based upon the Song of Solomon chapter of the Bible. Absolutely lovely.

The fourth track (though listed as track three in the liner), MY INSPIRATION IS YOU, is a crackly recording of Tiny Tim singing this song across trans-Atlantic phone lines to David Tibet and his fiancee. Who knows, maybe it’ll appeal to you.

Finally, NIT-PICK is a cute and wacky bit of Nurse With Wound strangeness. Doesn’t quite fit in thematically with the rest of the album, but it’s a nice piece nonetheless.

No epilogue.