In recent years John Foxx has dug himself out of the grave whose headstone suggested that his post- Ultravox! life ended in the mid-80s, after a series of interesting, if not commercially successful, solo releases. His recent albums, though, have been excellent, showing that he really has got the bit between his teeth again.
This DVD makes it clear that the Cathedral Oceans album should only be experienced as images and music. Foxx has blended together a series of photographs that slowly dissolve, allowing another to bleed through each time one disappears. The vibrant colours change as another image rises to the surface, with some sort of reference point to that which passed before. Greek and Roman faces, stone walls, vegetation and portions of paintings all shuffle forward and spread over 12 perfectly complementary musical tracks. It’s mesmerising. This could be shown in museums, nightclubs, post office queues and restaurants, on long-haul flights or MTV, and easily elicit a strong emotional response. It is one of the most beautiful mixes of music and images RC has seen. A masterpiece with a very reasonable retail price.
