Gavin Bryars -- Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet

February 27, 2021 12:54 PM

Gavin Bryars -- Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet (audio only)

From 1993: Psappha Ensemble -- Gavin Bryars' Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (Live in Concert)

A review of the Psappha Ensemble concert:

What makes Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet such a lasting treasure is that, through it, a nameless old man continues to live, as vividly and stoically as one of Samuel Beckett’s homeless characters, in turn the heirs of Chaplin and Buster Keaton. He is confirmation of Beckett’s understanding that “the tears of the world are a constant quality. For each one who begins to weep, someone somewhere else stops.” The same is also true of laughter, and it is seldom noted that there is also gentle laughter here, as there has to be whenever humanity is acknowledged.

Anthem for the homeless: mystery at the heart of a contemporary classic


The harpist for the Psappha Ensemble recalls her experience at that concert.

From May 2, 2019: a review of another performance -- an all night twelve hour performance at the Tate Gallery:

...I stayed until 1:30am. Like a room dilating and contracting in proportion, every passing measure, marked by the slow advance and ebb of instruments and voices, and the unceasing repetition of the man’s song, ushered me further into the overall shape of the piece, drawing my attention toward details I hadn’t before noticed. I could focus in on the individual vocal quality of each choir member; marvel at the stunning effect produced when a string player, accidentally or otherwise, bowed their instrument closer to the bridge; ponder on the harmonic tensions that arose within the orchestra when certain members ceased playing for a moment, most likely to catch a much needed breath.

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet -- Gavin Bryars’ famous piece is performed at Tate Modern

The song of origin is
His Love Never Failed Me Yet, written by James M. Black

And then there is DJ Algoriddim's remix of Ken Boothe and the Charmers' Rasta Never Fails

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet was Side Two of Gavin Bryars' album The Sinking of the Titanic. This is the eponymous Side One.

Pappha Ensemble -- The Sinking of the Titanic (Live)

On a sidenote, Gavin Bryars later re-recorded Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet in 1993 for the Point label with Tom Waits singing along with the original recording of the man who was homeless during the later sections. As it is not my favorite thing -- I like Tom Waits but found his addition to this song an abomination -- I have omitted it.

posted by y2karl (18 comments total)

It's the contrast between the frailness of the man's voice and the gentle certainty he gives the words that makes it heart-breaking I think.
The best recorded version is the original where the accompaniment is as humble as the voice. The Waits version is indeed awful and he seems to agree - I think streaming versions leave him out.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 1:07 PM on February 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

I was introduced to this by Julian Koster, who started to play it over the end of one of his Music Tapes house concerts. Everyone went very quiet
posted by scruss at 1:16 PM on February 27, 2021

I'm glad to know that Bryars tried to find the singer. The album notes referring to "the tramp" always seemed dismissive. A fantastic piece.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:31 PM on February 27, 2021

I was introduced to the Tom Waits version ten years ago and adore it. My heart just about burst when I first heard, and it's hardly lost any of its power.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 2:07 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wow, I literally haven’t heard this since the late 90s. But the minute I read the title of the post I could immediately hear that man’s voice in my head. Such a haunting sound and such a fantastic piece of music.
posted by not_the_water at 2:51 PM on February 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

Of Gavin Bryars's works, "Jesus's Blood" is the only one that I found so maddening I could barely sit through it. At the time it was the Point Music version, and I honestly found Tom Waits' appearance in the final part a respite from the endless repetition.

Although the last time I listened was over 25 years ago, and it is long past due for me to give this another fair listen. Thanks for this post, because now I have a few more versions to try than I'd known about.

(Incidentally, Point Music's release of "The Sinking of the Titanic" the best version of that piece I've yet heard; it's massive and enveloping and left me with the lasting feeling of having been drawn underwater.)
posted by ardgedee at 2:54 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Almost 30 years I was pulling an all nighter in a dreary t-shirt print shop when the radio played 'Jesus Blood'. It was perfect at that point in time and I still think about how odd that was, to be intoduced to this amazing piece of art in that manner.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:56 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet was Side Two of Gavin Bryars' album The Sinking of the Titanic. This is the eponymous Side One

an album I recorded from a friend many years ago, then eventually found my own copy. I have found that the piece I end up listening to most is Titanic, probably because it works better as ambience, just lets my mind go where it will. It is an excellent listen. Graceful and amazing. Highly recommended.
posted by philip-random at 3:19 PM on February 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

This is my first time ever listening to this and I am in awe.
posted by vverse23 at 11:40 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

I am always a bit surprised (only a tiny wee bit, mind) at the level of hate for the Bryars/Waits release. I really enjoy the instrumentation and have only recently begun to be annoyed by Waits' contribution. I first experienced it as part of a dance piece and I was transfixed. I can't remember which dance troupe it was though. I am thinking Twyla Tharp...anyone got any ideas?
posted by Kermit the Destroyer at 2:51 AM on February 28, 2021

Gosh, there is this thing called the internet - it was Maguy Marin "May B".
posted by Kermit the Destroyer at 2:54 AM on February 28, 2021

Psst -
posted by onesidys at 9:09 AM on February 28, 2021

They're all good. I'm for A Man in a Room, Gambling.
posted by ovvl at 9:22 AM on February 28, 2021

My introduction to Gavin Bryars was via Joe Frank, who used samples from both sides of the record in a few of his Works In Progress.
posted by Rash at 10:22 AM on February 28, 2021

Thanks for posting this. I find it mesmerizing and deeply moving. I've listened to it from start to finish four times in the last day.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 3:27 PM on February 28, 2021

It was odd you posted this a few days ago, because just last week I was browsing this thread, and I was shocked to see this reposted. It's a moving piece, but it gets repetitive very fast as I said in the last thread.
posted by wheelieman at 10:14 AM on March 1, 2021

Well, I am (but shouldn't be) gobsmacked -- I did find MiguelCardoso's comment when I researched this but had not refound that post by Kokoryu -- who is one of our best, imho,-- nor my comments therein. So my face is indeed red. Especially as I had forgotten about my friends Neal and Cynthia's daughter Sophia being college roommate to Tom Waits' daughter. A note to you all: never grow old.
posted by y2karl at 12:45 PM on March 1, 2021

...Kokoryu -- who is one of our best, imho

Who was as I found out too late to edit the above comment. Oh dear, that is sad.
posted by y2karl at 1:00 PM on March 1, 2021