Faith In Failure (2023)
02. You Will
03. Designer Fabrics
04. Hated
05. It’s All Opening Up
06. Biscuit Tin
07. Faith in Failure
08. Disappearing Firelight
09. Not For Me, Anyway
10. Charging Confusion
The fifteenth Donovan’s Brain album comes just one year after Chiêm Bao Thấy Bậu. The recording sessions for the soundtrack took place during a short break in the work for Faith In Failure. This will be the fourth Brain album released in just eighteen months.
The ten songs on the album were all written after the completion of Sandbox Dispatches and Two Suns, Two Shadows. Twelve songs were selected from the twenty or so available recordings. Of the other two, Unexpected would appear on Chiêm Bao Thấy Bậu. Paper Pilots Pushing was held back as it was determined more work was needed to finish the song. The result is a unified, yet varied collection. Bobby, Scott, Kris and Ron wrote and collaborated on the writing and arrangements. Nine vocal tracks and one instrumental.
A attentive listener might discover the conceptual continuity heard across Faith In Failure and Chiêm Bao Thấy Bậu. Cultured Memory uses some of the same chord changes as the title track, Faith In Failure. After completing Faith In Failure the song was rearranged and rerecorded as the long instrumental. Bobby Sutliff gets a co-writing on both. Première Rencontre was recorded as a piece called Mellotron Experiment. A new song was written around the short 45 second piece. Biscuit Tin is another character song about one of the residents in the land of the Brain. The original recording became the introduction piece on the soundtrack album. This isn’t the first time an instrumental theme has been recycled and used in a fully formed song. The film cue Big Skies later became Rice Paper Kite on Two Suns.
Bobby Sutliff’s last two compositions are included on Faith In Failure. Disappearing Firelight and Faith In Failure aka Jangle #1 and #2 were demos for Bob’s solo album. He was unable to come up with lyrics, so the tracks were handed over to the Brain. Jangle #1 was delivered fully formed. Bobby plays all the instruments except for some piano and extra guitar. Ric added drums to the track. Ron wrote the lyrics and sings. There is an earlier demo of this one. Clearly Bobby had hoped to complete this one for his own record. Jangle #2 was just a short 90 second sketch. Ron arranged the pieces to created the title track. This one was a happy accident. Bobby sent this track over instead of Jangle #1. Ron could see the potential in the idea and insisted the Brain have a go at it. Bobby’s track was just guitar, bass and organ recorded over a drum loop. Ron completed the song and plays the solos.
Three of the drums tracks were recorded in early 2022. These would be Ric’s last recording sessions. He would pass away just a few weeks after the March session. Ric’s powerful playing on Not For Your, Anyway give no indication he would succumb soon after. There is an extensive stockpile of songs with Ric’s drumming. It’s hoped that everything he recorded for Donovan’s Brain will eventually appear on an album.
1. Bancroft Way (5:07) Words and Music: Ron Sanchez, Additional Words – Kris Hughes
Scott Sutherland – 12 string
Ron – guitars, piano, Mellotron, synth, vocals
Kris – vocals
Joe Hughes – bass
Ric drums
2. You Will (4:11)
Ric – drums
Ron – piano, harpsichord, organ, Mellotron, bass, vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar
3. Designer Fabrics (5:12)
Ric – drums
Jose – bass
Kris – vocals
Ron – guitars, pianos, organs, Mellotron, synhs, vocals
4. Hated (3:38) Words and Music Scott Sutherland
Ric – drums
Scott – vocals, guitars, bass
Ron – wurli piano, synth, Mellotron
5. It’s All Opening Up (7:31)
Ric – drums
Ron – guitar, slide, synth, bass, piano, e. piano, organ, Mellotron
6. Biscuit Tin (5:04)
Ric – drums
Ron – piano, guitar, vocals. Mellotron. synth, bass
7. Faith in Failure (4:52) Words – Ron Sanchez, Music Bobby Sutliff
Ric – drums
Bobby guitar, a.guitar, bass, organ
Ron, vocals, end solo, piano, Mellotron, synth
8. Disappearing Firelight (3:44) Words – Ron Sanchez, Music Bobby Sutliff
Ric – drums
Bobby – guitar, a.guitar, organ
Ron – vocal, piano, string synth, guitar
9. Not For Me, Anyway (4:30)
Ric – drums
Scot – lead vocals, 6 string bass
Ron – guitar, bass, 12 string, Mellotron, organ, piano
10. Charging Confusion (5:10)
Ric -drums
Ron guitar, 12 string, slide, bass, vocals, piano, synth, Mellotron