The Courtyard / Jerusalem
Details
2004 CD CA Durtro Jnana DURTRO JNANA 1971CD
500 In slimline jewel case
Track Listing
  1. The Courtyard (2:51)
  2. Jerusalem (5:24)
Personnel
Michael Lawrence
Sleeve Notes
Current 93: David Tibet: vocals; Simon Finn: guitar; Joolie Wood: flute. Both songs written by Simon Finn. Recorded January 2004 by Michael Lawrence in London. Mixed by Michael Lawrence and David Tibet. Photograph by Andria Tibette. Coloured border by Louis Wain. This CD in an edition of 500 copies on the occasion of the concert by Current 93, Simon Finn and Six Organs of Admittance in Toronto on 17/18/19 June 2004.
Bandcamp
Reviews
Another of Durtro's limited edition goodies available at the recent Toronto shows, this is a CDEP of David Tibet singing two of his favorite tracks from Simon Finn's Pass the Distance album, with Finn himself on guitar and Joolie Wood on flute. While Tibet obviously has affection for this material, and he is careful not to trod upon its memory, he is perhaps a little too respectful with these cover versions. Rather than try to match or exceed Finn's soul-shattering vocal climax on "Jerusalem," Tibet instead covers the song in his familiar "speak-sing" style, barely cracking his voice for the penultimate chorus. Also, for some reason known only to him, Tibet has decided to cut "The Courtyard" in half, singing only the first part of the song. The pretty acoustic backing and flourishes of flute are nice enough, but I don't think they work nearly as well for this material as the kitchen-sink production of Finn's classic album. The only advantage of hearing Tibet tackle this material is the fact that it renders the lyrics much clearer and easier to decipher, as they are not covered over by layers of reverb and detuned guitar acrobatics. Still, this EP has the stink of a vanity project all over it, and while it's fun to listen to the first few times, I'm not sure it's of any particular use to Current 93 fans or Simon Finn fans.

Jonathan Dean
Sunday, 25 July 2004