Search - Richard Youngs :: Sapphie

As moving as "In C" or "Plastic Ono band"

albert_maysles | Brooklyn, NY USA | 07/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record stands as the line in the sand which Richard Youngs' so brazenly crossed a few years back leaving many people more than a bit confused. Then known as being a world renown minimalist composer with at least a dozen records on some of the most prestigious labels all over the world it was more than a bit shocking to hear his voice careening all over quietly picked guitar melodies when this was first released and more than a few admirerers were at a loss for a reaction. What Richard Youngs did with this record was not so much reinvent himself as a musician/composer but rather he brought all of his ideas & aesthetics into a whole new context. I remember more than a few people being completely disappointed with Youngs' foray into what would often be referred to as the British folk tradition but I think those people missed the point completely.With this record Youngs brought emotion back into minimalist composition; setting his voice adrift inside the slowly changing cyclical drone of his nylon guitar he may have brought minimalist music as close to pop music as Terry Reily did when he debuted his composition "In C". Using his voice & guitar as the most delicate of instruments, he holds onto the almost centripetal force that his music has always utilized; replacing that calm that would normally serve as the center with a feeling of sadness or loss.I've always admired Youngs' vision of music, a vision wholly personal and uncompromising; this record, if nothing else, is Richard Youngs unarmed. Without guitar pedals, keyboards, wind chimes, baking pans or alarm clocks at his disposal Youngs is forced to show you how truly powerful he can be; creating a tender music whose effect is as complex and inspiring as any I've ever heard."

It's all true

Benjamin D. Collins | Fayetteville, GA USA | 10/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes! It's just classical guitar and vocals! Yes it's beautiful! Yes all the things people are saying! But I'll tell you the quote that sold me on it:



"Sapphie is a map of the heart, sorrow and humanity rather than a good example of how to play the guitar or how to solve the world's problems. In essence, it is an absolute masterpiece and ranks among the greatest works of passion that the world has ever known."



-ben chasny (six organs of admittance)



I read that and ordered it right then and there. Once it arrived I listened to it virtually uninterrupted for four days."

A bit more to say...

C. Moon | Valley Village, CA | 11/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with Welsh but this is a 5 star album all the way! It must also be mentioned that Sapphie is really quite emotional unlike so much shoegazer stuff. Sapphie is a tribute to a dog of the same name, and I think the loss of a pet really comes through in the music. When I have shared this recording with people it's rarely failed to grab them whether they are fans of the more outside music with Wickham-Smith (yes, it is the same Richard Youngs) or not. In this sense, Sapphie is probably my favorite album by Youngs because it is his most accessible and shows how the man can really make some beautiful music, despite his leanings toward the more obtuse and difficult music that is documented everywhere else.Though short, I think Sapphie is an album for everyone."