I so love: “Eno is often as much a theory as he is a human being.” Pretty much everything you wrote to very creatively describe Warm Jets (I couldn’t cherry pick from that) and “ odd sonic debris to fall in love with”. For music that I have always found impossible to describe short of ‘weird and so exciting’ you did a bang up job.
Don’t forget 801 Live, which proved that Eno, Manzanera and friends could seriously rock this material. I keep searching for video of that performance, but alas…
I live and breathe Taking Tiger Mountain. <3 <3 My little splurge was his deck Oblique Strategies, a series of index cards for creatives experiencing a block.
Thanks. Can't have too much Brian Eno content, as far as I'm concerned. I too loved "Eno is as much a theory as he is a human being." I have no doubt Eno himself would agree with the statement.
I will take issue with calling Before And After Science "a raucous affair." There are raucous moments, yes. The kooky "Kurt's Rejoinder," and "Backwater" reminds me of the Velvets "I'm Waiting on my Man" but you can tell that Eno is, as it were, on his way out the door. His thoughts are clearly more on his future in ambient than on his past in pop/rock. You can tell 'cause of the guest appearances by his minimalist Cluster buddies!
It's pretty apparent, really, that he was on his way out on Another Green World. There is a clear break between the second and the third records. He had a car accident during this time and spent his time in the hospital wondering where it all goes. Long ill at ease with the primacy of the vocals, and what he saw as the regrettable focus on the singing frontman, the ambient jag was probably inevitable for him.
But the hypothetical of imagining it were not is so tempting to me. I like Music for Films and Apollo and all the rest, really I do. But three or four more Taking Tiger Mountains? It's a vision that hurts the eyes from its brilliance.
Typo in the subtitle 😉
Noted and fixed. Thanks for the heads up.
I knew Brian Eno had some great ambient music but didn't know where to start. This is a great launch pad so thank you!
Right on! Glad this helped you find a way in. Please let us know what you think after a few spins. Enjoy!
Thanks for being here, Ryan. Great to have you.
Taking Tiger Mountain is the best album in my opinion.
Right there with you, Audrey.
I so love: “Eno is often as much a theory as he is a human being.” Pretty much everything you wrote to very creatively describe Warm Jets (I couldn’t cherry pick from that) and “ odd sonic debris to fall in love with”. For music that I have always found impossible to describe short of ‘weird and so exciting’ you did a bang up job.
Don’t forget 801 Live, which proved that Eno, Manzanera and friends could seriously rock this material. I keep searching for video of that performance, but alas…
I live and breathe Taking Tiger Mountain. <3 <3 My little splurge was his deck Oblique Strategies, a series of index cards for creatives experiencing a block.
Thanks. Can't have too much Brian Eno content, as far as I'm concerned. I too loved "Eno is as much a theory as he is a human being." I have no doubt Eno himself would agree with the statement.
I will take issue with calling Before And After Science "a raucous affair." There are raucous moments, yes. The kooky "Kurt's Rejoinder," and "Backwater" reminds me of the Velvets "I'm Waiting on my Man" but you can tell that Eno is, as it were, on his way out the door. His thoughts are clearly more on his future in ambient than on his past in pop/rock. You can tell 'cause of the guest appearances by his minimalist Cluster buddies!
It's pretty apparent, really, that he was on his way out on Another Green World. There is a clear break between the second and the third records. He had a car accident during this time and spent his time in the hospital wondering where it all goes. Long ill at ease with the primacy of the vocals, and what he saw as the regrettable focus on the singing frontman, the ambient jag was probably inevitable for him.
But the hypothetical of imagining it were not is so tempting to me. I like Music for Films and Apollo and all the rest, really I do. But three or four more Taking Tiger Mountains? It's a vision that hurts the eyes from its brilliance.
Okay- so THIS is why he became famous before working with U2.