Brian Eno

[yerg]

Is there any big fan or somebody who knows Eno's music well to recommend the best of his works?

 

As i know he is a father of ambient - but i heard one of his albums (neroli) and it was so unmusical - i really couldn't listen to it.

 

So is there anything really special, catchy and intruiguing or is his music "invisible" all the way?

[SkeletonMan]

Is there any big fan or somebody who knows Eno's music well to recommend the best of his works?

 

As i know he is a father of ambient - but i heard one of his albums (neroli) and it was so unmusical - i really couldn't listen to it.

 

So is there anything really special, catchy and intruiguing or is his music "invisible" all the way?

I am by no means an expert on Brian Eno but I really like his album "Apollo - Atmospheres & Soundtracks" with Daniels Lanois and Roger Eno.

 

If you've heard the OST to Trainspotting you've heard the track Deep Blue Day which I absolutely love. The remainder is much more space ambient though and without melodies or themes. Just spacey atmosphere.

 

It shouldn't be hard to find in a 2nd hand bin.

[panda-hugger]

for the 70's rock/glam early albums go for Taking tiger mountain (by strategy), Here come the warm jets , Another green world and Before and after science. A compilation called Desert Island Selection has some great tracks from the first 4 albums

 

and for the later ambient work i'd recommend starting with Ambient 1 Music for airports, Ambient 4 On land , Apollo-atmospheres and soundtracks and Equatorial stars (with robert fripp). then maybe Music for films, The Shutov assembly, Fourth world vol 1 possible musics, my life in the bush of ghosts (with david byrne)

[Bahamut]

for ambient I second Ambient 4: On land & Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and also recommend Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror

 

Ambient 4: On Land is ambient in its purest form, by his own definition

you shouldn't expect 'music' here, it's more like purely atmospheric sound

 

there are no real melodies and the pieces never go anywhere... they seem repetitive, but actually not a moment is ever quite the same... and that's what makes it fascinating... also the warm, organic sounds are pleasant to listen to and make you wonder how they were made

 

each track is a little piece of art that captures the atmosphere of a certain location... where and what that place is, is up to your imagination...

the last track is one of my favorite ambient pieces ever, there's nothing else like it and the atmosphere is so unique, desolate and beautiful

 

the other two albums I mentioned are still very much ambient, but also have melodic touches

[Snapinho]

On a sidenote, Bahamut, did you know Brian Eno will be performing at Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport) somewhere this month, or the next? Saw a poster hanging somewhere... also, I think he's performing some other places but am too lazy to find out right now.

 

Just wanted to let you know.

[Otto Matta]

for ambient I second Ambient 4: On land & Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and also recommend Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror

Totally agree. Although I personally am engaged by the music in On Land, even though I realize that was not by his own definition his intention.

[Abatwa]

Such a big and diverse collection Eno has.

From his earlier works, I would pick Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World. highly recommended.

Ambient series is amazin with On Land and Music for Airports being my fav's.

From some collab stuff, I recommend last album

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

different but I likez, cant go wrong with 2 musical legends.

[kilgoretrout]

Such a big and diverse collection Eno has.

From his earlier works, I would pick Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World. highly recommended.

Ambient series is amazin with On Land and Music for Airports being my fav's.

From some collab stuff, I recommend last album

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

different but I likez, cant go wrong with 2 musical legends.

YES!

 

There is something very very special about the song "Strange Overtones" It is some sort of very strong quasi-magical anti-depressant effect on me , perhaps because of the subliminal implications of the lyrics? Or maybe something about the say the chord changes are structured. Anyway this is utterly brilliant music by true genius composers, not just some twenty-something with a keyboard who knows how to make some kinda-fun sounding trance junk

 

You can listen to the ENTIRE! original album (not just samples) AND the new LIVE EP ... in high quality stereo! ... made recently on tour, The latter including new live performaces of "Help Me Somebody" from My Life In The bush Of Ghosts.

 

HERE: http://www.everythingthathappens.com/

 

*** I RECOMMEND LISTENING FIRST TO THE -ALBUM- (not live) VERSION OF STRANGE OVERTONES... A COUPLE TIMES... THEN IT WILL START TO CAUSE THE RELEASE OF ENDORPHINS AFTER YOU HAVE GOTTEN YOUR BRAIN HOOKED ON ITS HOOKS!!!

 

And add "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" (Daivd Byrne & Brian Eno) to your #1 MUST HAVE list.

 

That one record just totally blew everyone's minds to kindom come when it came out.. pretty much invented sampling, hip-hop, multi-ethnic mash-ups, etc. etc. Seiously.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Life_in_th..._Ghosts_(album)

[kilgoretrout]

ALSO: You MUST hear "Wrong Way Up", which Eno and John Cale did together.

 

The songs "Lay My Love" and "Spinning Away" are masterpieces that send me into total ecstasy and are worth the price of the record alone. Just thinking about these tunes and I am getting scalp tingles again.... pure magic.

 

 

LAY MY LOVE

 

I am the crow of desperation

I need no fact or validation

I spin relentless variation

I scramble in the dust of a failing nation

I was concealed

Now I am stirring

And I have waited for this time.

 

I am the termite of temptation

I multiply and fly my population

I am the wheel I am the turning

And I will lay my love around you.

 

I am the sea of permutation

I live beyond interpretation

I scramble all the names and the combinations

penetrate the walls of explanation

I am the will

I am the burning

And I will lay my love around you.

 

I am the will

I am the yearning

And I will lay my love around you.

 

 

 

SPINNING AWAY

 

Up on a hill, as the day dissolves

With my pencil turning moments into line

High above in the violet sky

A silent silver plane - it draws a golden chain

 

One by one, all the stars appear

As the great winds of the planet spiral in

Spinning away, like the night sky at Arles

In the million insect storm, the constellations form

 

On a hill, under a raven sky

I have no idea exactly what I've drawn

Some kind of change, some kind of spinning away

With every single line moving further out in time

 

And now as the pale moon rides (in the stars)

Her form in my pale blue lines (in the stars)

 

And there, as the world rolls round (in the stars)

I draw, but the lines move round (in the stars)

 

There, as the great wheels blaze (in the stars)

I draw, but my drawing fades (in the stars)

 

And now, as the old sun dies (in the stars)

I draw, and the four winds sigh (in the stars)

[kilgoretrout]

Oh, and absolutely, "Apollo" is a must-have.... prototype space ambient that is also some of the most beautiful and atmospheric music ever made. Cannot possibly be topped.

[Abatwa]

Nice suggestions kilgoretrout. Spinning away is a gem, such musical sweetness with the guitar. Golden hours is one of my fav's, from earlier period. Also wanted to mention the dreamy classic famous from trainspotting, deep blue day.

[Otto Matta]

Deep Blue Day, indeed a nice track, can be found on Apollo.

[abasio]

Although Eno is the daddy of ambient I don't really like much of his work.

 

I'd go for Ambient 4

[Otto Matta]

Although Eno is the daddy of ambient I don't really like much of his work.

 

I'd go for Ambient 4

I discovered that recently myself, digging back into his stuff this last winter. I find I like the concept of his work more than the music itself. Much of it is between boring and unlistenable to me. But yeah, Ambient 4 is truly remarkable, all things considered.