Bouquet of Black Orchids (Tear Garden)

Music From The Empty Quarter. Issue 9 of March 1994

One of the finest entities in the history of musical expression finally
release a compilation, bringing together material from "Tired Eyes Slowly
Burning ", "The Last Man To Fly" and unreleased gems. From the verifiably
ancient "The Centre Bullet" and "Teargarden" through the stunning "You and Me
and Rainbows"
and "My Thorny, Thorny Crown" to "White Coats and Haloes" and "
Romulus and Venus", this is the seventy five minutes of pure sensory joy.
Ka-spel is, in my humble opinion, one of the world's most original and
graceful singer/songwriters, whilst Cevin Key is the business as far as
sound construction is concerned; Skinny Puppy and LPD on one record! Who
in the hell could ask for more!

Journeys of mystical elegance, through beauty, loathing and despair, The
Tear Garden accomplish more in one song than most artist in a lifetime.
At turns delicate, then overwhelmingly heavy, anyone from appreciators of
Death In June to Puppy freaks to ambient fans will treasure this. It may
be a much cliched and tired old adage, but if you only buy one record this
year, make sure it's "Bouquet of Black Orchids"!! Absolutely fucking
essential.

Reviewed by LN (Leigh Neville)