Welcome to Breakdown, an unofficial resource and discussion list about the innovative guitarist/producer Michael Brook. This site is infrequently updated, but contains a great deal of background info which will remain online. For up-to-date news and information, visit Michael Brook's official site and MySpace page.

Discographies Full details on every record featuring Brook
Cobalt Blue

Cobalt Blue

Michael Brook

Credits

4AD
30 June 1992

Produced by Michael Brook.
All DX7 voices by Brian Eno and Michael Brook.
Recorded at Brian Eno's studio and Michael Brook's Hybrid studio.

Art direction and design by Vaughn Oliver and Chris Bigg at v23.
Northern Lights by Russell Mills
Still-life photography by Simon Larbalestier.
Portrait by the Douglas Brothers.
Model making by Pirate.

Tracks

  1. Shona Bridge (Brook) 4'36
    • Hahn Rowe: violin
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, synthesizers
    • James Pinker: keyboard bass, acoustic percussion
    • Brian Eno: structural arrangement
  2. Breakdown (Brook) 4'10
    • Nell Catchpole: violin
    • Brian Eno: string arrangement
    • Michael Brook: guitar, buzz bass
    • Roger Eno: accordion, vibraphone
  3. Red Shift (Brook) 4'51
    • Hahn Rowe: violin
    • Roger Eno: piano, accordion
    • James Pinker: fan drum, keyboard bass
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, synthesizers
  4. Skip Wave (Brook) 3'31
    • Ben Arion: vocal
    • Daniel Lanois: snare du riz
    • Michael Brook: guitar, percussion
    • Richard Henderson: short wave simulation
  5. Slipstream (Brook) 2'05
    • James Pinker: all percussion
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar
  6. Andean (Brook) 3'33
    • James Pinker: bells
    • Michael Brook: ivi guitar to midi converter, guitar
  7. Slow Breakdown (Eno, Brook) 2'34
    • Nell Catchpole: violins
    • Roger Eno: vibraphone
    • Brian Eno: string arrangement
    • Michael Brook: guitar, buzz bass
  8. Ultramarine (Brook) 4'34
    • Jo Burgess: voice
    • Michael Brook: guitar
    • Roger Eno: synthesizer
    • James Pinker: fan drum
    • Brian Eno: Structural arrangement
  9. Urbana (Brook) 4'05
    • James Pinker: acoustic percussion, keyboard bass
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, guitar, synthesizer
    • Brian Eno: structural arrangement
  10. Lakbossa (Brook) 3'40
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, synthesizer
    • Brian Eno: structural arrangement
  11. Ten (Brook) 3'49
    • James Pinker: bells
    • Roger Eno: vibraphone
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, buzz bass, guitar, mbira
    • Brian Eno: structural arrangement
  12. Hawaii (Brook) 4'10
    • Daniel Lanois: bass, oral percussion
    • Brian Eno: drum machine, treatments
    • Michael Brook: infinite guitar, percussion, synthesizer

Notes

A review by Colin Glassey
(reprinted with permission from Colin Glassey's Home Page)

Cobalt Blue is a superb record. Nearly every track is standout music and some of the tracks are absolutely perfect: Urbana, Ultramarine, and Lakbossa being the three best.

This is guitar music, alternately driven then abstract. Sometimes it just shimmers in the moonlight, other times it cuts accross time like a knife, the notes hard and brilliant like saphires in the sun. This is music that is a joy to listen to. Somehow it challenges you to think, to follow the line of the melody as a weaves in and out of the surrounding fabric of supporting musical lines.

This record has my highest recomendation, but it is out-of-print at the moment.

Track notes

• A music video has been shot for the song "Breakdown," included in the All Virgoes Are Mad compilation video from 4AD.
• Live renditions of "Shona Bridge," "Urbana," "Andean," "Ultramarine," "Lakbossa," and "Red Shift" appear on Live at the Aquarium. The performances were taken from a special press concert given at the launch of the Cobalt Blue album.
• The studio version of "Ultramarine" appears in the 1995 Michael Mann film Heat, and is included in the corresponding soundtrack album.
• Bootlegged live performances of "Urbana," "Red Shift," "Ultramarine," and "Shona Bridge" appear under different names on the 1995 import album Shona. These performances were taken from concerts given years before the release of Cobalt Blue, giving peeks at the early, more relaxed versions of the compositions.
• "Breakdown" appears on the compilation Breakdown.

Images

Cobalt Blue Cobalt Blue LP Cobalt Blue Cobalt Blue Cobalt Blue

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