Brian Eno, where to begin, what to get, what to avoid

[Jerjo]

Continuing my foray into ambient music, it occurs to me that I never have listened to Eno's solo stuff. So what is considered essential and what isn't?

[sonic]

The first 5 are essential. Another Green World is the all time classic and must-have Eno album. That being said, out of all those only Discreet Music is ambient.
His big ambient albums are Music for Airports (1978) and
Music for Films (1978).
I would also recommend No Pussyfooting, an album he did with Fripp in 73. Also with Fripp - Evening Star. Both these albums are low key electronics albums that could qualify as early ambient music.
Cluster & Eno and After the Heat, albums made with German electronics geniuses, Cluster, are also great.

[ItalProgRules]

For ambient (if I'm reading right, that's what you are specifically interested in) I can't honestly think of any of them that are bad.

I have 3 of his ambient collabs with Fripp plus: Music for Airports, Music for Films, Discrete Music (actually, side 2 is kind of duff so you might want to avoid that one), Apollo, The Pearl, The Plateaux of Mirror and a couple others I can't think of right now.

Music for Airports is a personal favorite of mine. As a chronic insomniac and lifelong apartment dweller, it has gotten me through a lot of long nights while not disturbing my neighbors!

You might also want to check out some of Harold Budd's (frequent collaborator with Eno) solo stuff. The White Arcades and Abandoned Cities are excellent.

[JAMOOL]

I think it depends on what type of ambient you like? A lot of Eno's work is ambient in the true sense of the word - soft, repeating piano notes repeated ad infinitum. If you're looking for something more melodic or something that works in a more "active" sense I think Sonic's recommendations are spot on. His four vocal albums are all stone classics but only the 3rd and 4th really have "ambient" moments on them. Still they're good enough that I'd recommend them to basically everyone, regardless of their taste. They're that good.

Otherwise, check out the thread on Another Green World. AGW is probably the first one you'll want regardless but there is some good discussion in that thread.

[Reach]

Jerjo, you're in for a treat. That's all I'll say ;)

[Jerjo]

Actually, I like the ambient but am interested in the other stuff as well. Carry on.

[Beebfader]

`Thursday Afternoon' is the ambient thing taken to it's logical conclusion...taking advantage of the CD format, it's one long 60 minute piece, but endlessly fascinating

[Skeptrick]

I agree with the Another Green World recommendation, one of my all time favorite albums by anyone.

[kenneth8446]

The first 5 are essential. Another Green World is the all time classic and must-have Eno album. That being said, out of all those only Discreet Music is ambient.
His big ambient albums are Music for Airports (1978) and
Music for Films (1978).
I would also recommend No Pussyfooting, an album he did with Fripp in 73. Also with Fripp - Evening Star. Both these albums are low key electronics albums that could qualify as early ambient music.
Cluster & Eno and After the Heat, albums made with German electronics geniuses, Cluster, are also great.

I agree with you. The first five are essential. They are the foundation for his solo reputation. I have not yet got around to Cluster/Cluster and Eno but it is on my radar. I would also add My Life In the Bush of Ghosts with David Byrne purely for the awesome "Regiment".

[JAMOOL]

Yeah some of those collabs are pretty good. The second Cluster/Eno record "After the Heat" is really good. I always recommend Eno fans to check out Harmonia, particularly the two albums that they did WITHOUT Eno, as Eno clearly thought a lot of them and they really seemed to influence his own sound. I also dig "Wrong Way Up" with John Cale a lot but that's definitely not an ambient record.

Apollo is another one that I think those new to his work should pick up, there are some really beautiful pieces there and more "melody" to interest those who aren't really interested in his more static (aka boring) stuff.

[Planechant]

I think "Another Day on Earth" (2005) is pretty dang wonderful.

[scags]

Most of his stuff is great- enjoy!

[helicase]

`Thursday Afternoon' is the ambient thing taken to it's logical conclusion...taking advantage of the CD format, it's one long 60 minute piece, but endlessly fascinating
Another one in this category is Neroli (Thinking Music pt.4). Both great albums if you're into this kind of ultra-ambient stuff.

The ones I have I would categorise as follows:

Favourites:
Discreet Music
Ambient 1: Music for Airports
Thursday Afternoon
Neroli
Apollo

Slightly less favourite:
Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror
Ambient 4: On Land
Music for Films

So-so:
The Drop
The Shutov Assembly
More Music for Films

[Harbottle]

I think "Another Day on Earth" (2005) is pretty dang wonderful.

A superb album, with some highly memorable tunes. I heard 'This' on the radio and headed straight to my nearest Borders (RIP) to get a copy - this was when Borders was still owned by the US parent and they stocked a lot of more obscure music and books. As soon as the UK company took it over they ditched all that stuff!

I'm sitting here listening to 'Lux' at the moment whilst finishing off a short story I'm writing. it's working for me.

[happytheman]

I guess I grew up with Brian so I followed him through all of his phases. I love it all but to your recommendations... 1st 5 is a great place to start. Branch out into the Music for... series and Ambient collection. As already mentioned the album with David Byrne is great as is Fripp. My personal fave would be Evening Star with Fripp and solo Before and After Science and the Apollo album. At one point he had two separate box sets, one instrumentals and one with vocals, you can find them used on Amazon for around $50. that might be a good place to start.

[AcousticWalden]

So far well covered, for me

Best ambient - discrete music
Best rocker - Here comes the warm jets

H/m to his considerable collaboration efforts. Cale, Fripp, Cluster, Byrne

I gotta go listen to more....

[AcousticWalden]

Good discography

http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/

After reviewing full discography, I forgot quiet sun & Wyatt

[JKL2000]

As far as the earlier, song based albums, Here Come The Warm Jets is probably my favorite, but it's always a toss up between that and Taking Tiger Mountain.

I was reading an article about Roxy Music in an older issue of PROG that I somehow hadn't read, and it's hard the read the article because the photos are so distracting. Eno looks so weird with all his makeup, dyed hair, and outlandish clothing. They all look wild, but somehow Eno's the wildest looking.

[gregory]

To begin better with his world famous classics: Another Green World, Before and After Science, Taking Tiger Mountain.
Then try some of his ambients. Doesn't matter which one you'd like to listen first. If you're OK with his style of composing music, then go on...
Aviod dull albums, like Ambient 3 or maybe Thursday Afternoon, which is mega-static. First collaboration with Harold Budd, called The Plauto Of Mirrors, is mediocre.
His blend of post punk /electronic experiments, like Nerve Net, for example, are all for acquired taste.

[Reach]

To begin better with his world famous classics: Another Green World, Before and After Science, Taking Tiger Mountain.
Then try some of his ambients. Doesn't matter which one you'd like to listen first. If you're OK with his style of composing music, then go on...


I would agree with that part of the above. I think Another Green World and Before and After Science are his best. I personally also love his Robert Fripp collaborations No Pussyfooting and Evening Star. I think virtually all of his ambient albums are worthwhile.

As a general rule of thumb, I would say: get everything he's done in the 1970's :)

[Lino]

I would agree with that part of the above. I think Another Green World and Before and After Science are his best. I personally also love his Robert Fripp collaborations No Pussyfooting and Evening Star. I think virtually all of his ambient albums are worthwhile.

As a general rule of thumb, I would say: get everything he's done in the 1970's :)

I used to always say "if Eno's name is on the album in any way, it's gonna be good" :)

Obviously lots of great recs to absorb here Jerol. lol (I'll throw in a few different ones to muddy it up a bit more :D)

Right now I'm listening to "Nerve Net" (1992). What a superb album! Of course if you're easily scared by some electronic "beats" ...well you'll miss out on some of his most incredible work. To all Eno fans: ignore at your own peril. ;)

There's also his colab album with J. Peter Schwalm called "Drawn from Life", which is another fave. I guess you could say it's like "chill" ambient. lol

I also really dig his colab with Jah Wobble called "Spinner"...again a more modern (for lack of better term) approach to ambient music.

ahhhhh so much good Eno. So little time. :)

[JKL2000]

Surprised more people aren't mentioning Here Come the Warm Jets. I love the warm (yet wacked) John Cale-ish, Fripp-laden, 801-reminding qualities of it.

[ItalProgRules]

Surprised more people aren't mentioning Here Come the Warm Jets. I love the warm (yet wacked) John Cale-ish, Fripp-laden, 801-reminding qualities of it.

That's because the OP asked for AMBIENT recs.

[Drake]

A superb album, with some highly memorable tunes. I heard 'This' on the radio and headed straight to my nearest Borders (RIP) to get a copy - this was when Borders was still owned by the US parent and they stocked a lot of more obscure music and books. As soon as the UK company took it over they ditched all that stuff!

I'm sitting here listening to 'Lux' at the moment whilst finishing off a short story I'm writing. it's working for me.

Agree, ADOE is a stunning album.

[JKL2000]

That's because the OP asked for AMBIENT recs.

But a couple of posts in he said: "Actually, I like the ambient but am interested in the other stuff as well." That's probably why people are mentioning Before and After Science and Another Green World, which I wouldn't categorize as "ambient." But for some other reason people aren't mentioning Here Come the Warm Jets, which surprised me because I always rated it as about Eno's best non-ambient album. Especially for fans of Phil Manzanera's better albums.

[Musitron]

Jergo, in the last couple of weeks I'm in ENO case. If I just love AGW I have to admit that his other stuff let me cold. But 'Taking Tiger Mountain' is not bad at all.

That link should help you http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/

[Big Block 454 part 2]

"Music for Films" and "More Music For Films" are lovely - not some much ambient, but more like little vignettes.

[ffroyd]

I enjoy just about everything that I've heard from Brian, even the limited release stuff like Music For White Cube and Compact Forrest Proposal. My favorites of his solo releases are Apollo - Atmospheres & Soundtracks for the quieter side and Nerve Net for a more rock approach. Of his many collaborative releases, I would put the ones with Cluster at the top. Those are simply musical bliss.

[Lino]

Of his many collaborative releases, I would put the ones with Cluster at the top. Those are simply musical bliss.

Ya, those are killer indeed!

[ffroyd]

I used to always say "if Eno's name is on the album in any way, it's gonna be good" Most of the time that's absolutely true but there are a couple exceptions for me. I don't really like the album he did with the band James, I can't really admit to having heard the whole thing but what I did get to hear didn't make me want to run out and buy the album. Also the Paul Simon album he played on a few years ago didn't do much at all for me. I bought it thinking "How could it be bad?" and I think I might have played it once. Maybe I should revisit some day.

[Spiral]

A page and a half in, and almost nobody's mentioned his latest ambient album, out just this past week?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eZKVAaPQXuA

I emphatically do not agree that "it doesn't matter" when it comes to picking an ambient disc. There's a ton of variety there. A quick partial rundown for the unfamiliar:

No Pussyfooting and Evening Star (with Fripp) are exceptional, well deserving of their iconic status in the genre. It's great how the looping guitar gives things a wider range of textures than the synth-based stuff later. I wouldn't know how to begin describing the sounds/moods, but some samples should give a decent idea. If anything, the live release from Paris '75 is even better. The Equatorial Stars is more settled, if that's the word--it's the equivalent of an easygoing chat over dinner, pleasant if unsurprising.

Discreet Music has a great extended piece followed by some shorter hit-or-miss experiments (based on looping a classical piece and letting the parts get out of sync and decay through the repetitions). I for one have never really cared for those, but the title track is pretty nice overall.

Ambient 1 (Music for Airports) is a much better example of soothing loops, pleasant and timeless. Ambient 2 (Plateaux of Mirror) and The Pearl, both made with Harold Budd, consist of piano pieces with treatments and tape effects--also peaceful but more sad. Ambient 3 (Day of Radiance) is 'only' produced by Eno. It's a pair of repetitive zither tracks, which can be meditative in that way but less unobtrusive than most of what we may consider ambient. A4 (On Land) isn't even music; it's a soundscape in the purest sense of the term. One of my favorites, despite and because of that fact.

Apollo: slow and spacey, mainly synth-based but with some gorgeous organic moments. If I had to pick one favorite this would be it.

Thursday Afternoon: more low-key and ignorable than most (based around sparse piano notes), but with subtle shading all around. I find it better for going-to-sleep music than background listening, for instance.

Neroli: more steady piano patterns, but somehow gets tiresome after a while. It's more static & repetitive than most.

Shutov Assembly: more hazy and synth-y, dark and sometimes menacing.

Drawn from Life (with J. Peter Schwalm): interesting variation on the ambient approach since it's got some percussion to give it an organic pulse. More dark than not, but there's a heart to it underneath.

Small Craft on a Milk Sea: not entirely ambient since it mixes in some improv and electronics (they call it "drop jazz") on several pieces. Fascinating, if not entirely soothing.

Lux: back to pure cloudy ambience. I'm only starting to digest this but simply love it so far.

Don't know the others (yet).

[Spiral]

I don't really like the album he did with the band James, I can't really admit to having heard the whole thing but what I did get to hear didn't make me want to run out and buy the album.

Which one? If you mean Laid, well yes, it's basically a smart pop album with Eno's fingerprints on it. But they also made a companion disc called Wah Wah, which is a mishmash of some of the jams the Laid songs grew from. It's also an acquired taste, but maybe more interesting to someone approaching it from Brian's direction.

[Lino]

I felt the same way about the Paul Simon disc Floyd. I may have to re-visit some day as well. :)
I see your bandcamp page is actually pretty easy to remember. i was just about to pm you last night to ask for it, I hadn't bookmarked it. Looking forward to checking it out again, there was some very nice syuff last time, I'm sure there's more now. :D

[gregory]

As a general rule of thumb, I would say: get everything he's done in the 1970's :)
Yeah, he did some outstanding stuff in golden age. BTW, I think that his approach didn't changed much in the '80s, aside of two things: no more interesting jazz rock arrangments, and he stopped singing, regretfully.

[ffroyd]

Which one? If you mean Laid, well yes, it's basically a smart pop album with Eno's fingerprints on it. But they also made a companion disc called Wah Wah, which is a mishmash of some of the jams the Laid songs grew from. It's also an acquired taste, but maybe more interesting to someone approaching it from Brian's direction.I think it was Wah Wah that I heard. There were some interesting aspects of the music but overall it wasn't something that really appealed to me.


I felt the same way about the Paul Simon disc Floyd. I may have to re-visit some day as well. :)
I see your bandcamp page is actually pretty easy to remember. i was just about to pm you last night to ask for it, I hadn't bookmarked it. Looking forward to checking it out again, there was some very nice syuff last time, I'm sure there's more now. :DThanks bro. I haven't updated my page in a few weeks. Been busy with all kind of things including a new musical project. Hopefully I'll be able to post something about it soon.

I didn't know you had a website for SRM. Looks very cool! Keep up the great work.

[whatwherewhywhen]

For ambient music with a more melodic quality might I recommend the other Eno, Roger Eno. I think he made his debut on Apollo then released his first solo album, Voices a few years later; personally I prefer it to much of brother Brian's ambient output. There's an instrumental album he did with Peter Hamill which has its moments, it is a tad hit and miss but worth a listen.

[rcarlberg]

`Thursday Afternoon' is the ambient thing taken to it's logical conclusion...taking advantage of the CD format, it's one long 60 minute piece, but endlessly fascinatingHuh really, I found it endlessly boring. And I love Eno! YMMV

For straight ambient stuff there's another option, his iPhone and iPad apps. They play non-repeating overlapping patterns of Enoisms, of varying complexity. Bloom, Trope, Air, & Audio Palette were pretty basic, but his new one Scape is actually pretty interesting. All of the loops are interactive.

And unlike the CDs, it never plays the same way twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t31NB3-joY0

[JAMOOL]

I'm not even sure how you evaluate something like Thursday Afternoon. It's impossible to criticize. It's supposed to be boring!

[Spiral]

I think it was Wah Wah that I heard. There were some interesting aspects of the music but overall it wasn't something that really appealed to me.

Fair enough. It takes some getting used to, but at least it's a quite different (and arguably more progressive) counterpart to the pop album everybody knows.

[ffroyd]

I'm looking forward to hearing the new album, Lux, in its entirety. From that video, it sounds like it's going to be a lot like Music For Airports. Thanks for posting.

[Zeuhlmate]

Brian Eno changed my life: 15 artists pick their favourite Brian Eno records

https://thevinylfactory.com/features/15-artists-favourite-brian-eno-records/

[simon moon]

I am not a fan of ambient music from Eno, or anyone else.

But I love Eno's early non-ambient recordings.

Hear Come the Warm Jets, Before and After Science, Another Green World, and Taking Tiger Mountain are essential.

[spellbound]

My Eno collection, so far:

Here Come The Warm Jets
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Another Green World
Dali's Car (EP) (with 801)
Before And After Science
Ambient 1: Music For Airports*
Music For Films*
Music For Glitterbug (bootleg)
Another Day On Earth*
Small Craft On A Milk Sea (with Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams)*
Drums Between The Bells (with Rick Holland)*
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (with David Byrne)
After The Heat (with Moebius and Roedelius)
Ambient 2: The Plateaux Of Mirror (with Harold Budd)*
Cluster & Eno (with Moebius and Roedelius)
Harmonia 76 (with Moebius and Roedelius and Michael Rother)
Fourth World Vol 1: Possible Musics (with Jon Hassell)*

The Equatorial Stars (Fripp and Eno)

801 Live (801)

June 1, 1974 (with Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico)

Roxy Music-Roxy Music
Roxy Music-For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music / T. Rex Live (DVD)

*most likely considered ambient

As an aside, there is a live-recorded cover album of Music For Airports by Bang On A Can, done with discussion and approval from Brian Eno. If you are fascinated by the prospect of a live recording by musicians of Eno's landmark ambient studio album, I can assure you it is quite good.

[rcarlberg]

As an aside, there is a live-recorded cover album of Music For Airports by Bang On A Can, done with discussion and approval from Brian Eno. If you are fascinated by the prospect of a live recording by musicians of Eno's landmark ambient studio album, I can assure you it is quite good.
There are also the following: Apollo performed by Icebreaker with BJ Cole
Discreet Music performed by Contact
Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy performed by Doug Hilsinger with Carolyn Beatty
Bankrupting Tiger Mountain (by Credit Default Swap) by the Plastic Billionaires
coolAugustMoon by Arturo Stälteri (which is mostly Another Green World)
For the dedicated Enophile these are all worthwhile.

Also, did I ever mention the CDRs I put together in January, with the resources provided through iTunes?
EveryoneButEno - Here Come The Warm Jets The Wolfmen - Needle In The Camel's Eye
Venus in Furs - Baby's On Fire
The Mess - Cindy Tells Me
Velvet Condom - Driving Me Backward
Outrageous Cherry - Some Of Them Are Old
Marvin - Here Come The Warm Jets
Suicide Romeo - Needles in the Camel's Eye
Icehouse - Driving Me Backward
Glenn Mercer - Here Come The Warm Jets
The Plastic Fantastics - Needles in the Camel's Eye
Pascal Comelade & Richard Pinhas - Here Come The Warm Jets
Sterling International - Needles in the Camel's Eye
EveryoneButEno - Another Green World + Taking Tiger Mountain Portastatic - St. Elmo's Fire
Jan-Turan - Mother Whale Eyeless
Pascals - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Girls Names - Third Uncle
Reverberation - The Big Ship
Head of Femur - The True Wheel
Dirt Dress - The Fat Lady of Limbourg
Pascal Comelade - Put A Straw Under Baby
Martin L. Gore - By This River
Hope Blister - Spider and I
Shane - The Big Ship
Bauhaus - Third Uncle
Shivaree - The Fat Lady of Limbourg
Ultravox - King's Lead Hat
Syd Straw - By This River
Dave Welker - Third Uncle

[Vic333]

The albums he did with Cluster are terrific. As are his first few vocal albums (Warm Jets and Green World beings my favorites).

Really like Ambient 1, not so much the other installments in the series.

No Pussyfooting and Equatorial Stars with Fripp are pretty good, as well.

I really enjoy The Ship, though it doesn't seem to get much attention.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[Progbear]

Well, I’d argue that Another Green World is at least partially ambient. It was here that he first toyed with the “ambient music” concept. I’d argue that the B-side is pretty much straight ambient, including the vocal piece “Everything Merges With the Night.” It’s certainly atmospheric, however you categorize it. And it’s for sure a five-star essential release. Even the album artwork is just perfect!

I somehow never managed to acquire any more Eno apart from Taking Tiger Mountain. Which isn’t ambient at all, but I still really love this one too. Some really excellent songs here.

[JKL2000]

Agree with most of the above two posts, but I'd say No Pussyfooting and Evening Star are essential.

[rcarlberg]

Agree with most of the above two posts, but I'd say No Pussyfooting and Evening Star are essential.As is the Paris Concert '75.

[Frankh]

Surprised at some negative response to Thursday Afternoon and Neroli.

Thursday Afternoon only -seems- "samey". You realize after awhile that what you're hearing now isn't what you were hearing 15 minutes ago, but the changes are so subtle as to be unnoticeable. And with both recordings you had to know what you were in for. It IS Eno after all and these are hour long tracks! Love them both but especially Thursday. When at last the barking dog warns us that indeed Thursday evening approaches and Friday's bustle isn't far off, I always have to make a decision. Listening again, or not?

All that said, Music For Airports is almost profoundly lovely. I/I & II/II particularly.

And lastly, there can only be a handful of artists who can proclaim responsibility for works as disparate as Baby's On Fire, Needles In The Camel's Eye and An Ending (Ascent).

[Zeuhlmate]

I like most of his ambient stuff, but my 3 all together favorites are Evening Star, Plateux of Mirror, Another Green World.

[davis]

For ambient (if I'm reading right, that's what you are specifically interested in) I can't honestly think of any of them that are bad.

Completely agreed

[davis]

Surprised at some negative response to Thursday Afternoon and Neroli.

I recently had Thursday Afternoon playing on Youtube. My wife loved it. the only 'negative' thing about them is if you don't like looooooong pieces of music. But ambient music isn't intended to sit and listen to, but it's great in the background for getting mellow.

[arturs]

Surprised at some negative response to Thursday Afternoon and Neroli.
.

I think Thursday is pretty cool. As others have said, not meant to be listened to in an intense, focused fashion. I think of it like going into a room with really cool wallpaper. You just do whatever you are doing, but the wallpaper is always there and it adds some atmosphere, maybe even enhances what you are doing.

Neroli? Well, it isn't bad if I'm doing some particularly intense mental work but it isn't particularly great wallpaper. Sounds like Eno just turned on some keyboard preset that plays individual notes from a scale at certain intervals.

[rcarlberg]

Sounds like Eno just turned on some keyboard preset that plays individual notes from a scale at certain intervals.I think this pretty well explains my distaste for a lot of this stuff. I don't want to listen to a bunch of synthesizers playing with themselves. I need some human involvement.

[Gizmotron]

I think Thursday is pretty cool. As others have said, not meant to be listened to in an intense, focused fashion. I think of it like going into a room with really cool wallpaper. You just do whatever you are doing, but the wallpaper is always there and it adds some atmosphere, maybe even enhances what you are doing.

Neroli? Well, it isn't bad if I'm doing some particularly intense mental work but it isn't particularly great wallpaper. Sounds like Eno just turned on some keyboard preset that plays individual notes from a scale at certain intervals.

Do you play synths?
I have a room full and have since 1985. Me thinks you are overestimating what technology can do. Only the KARMA technology in Korg's KARMA keyboard, M3 keyboard, and KRONOS board can approach that. But it still doesn't deliver what Mr. Eno does with an entire studio.

Now if you'd like to see something that is actually capable of creating excellent ambient music, please download Eno's "Scape" app on your iPad. But even that requires input from the user.

[arturs]

^^^ My criticism that you cited *only* applies to Neroli. Many other of Eno's ambient discs demonstrate a lot of creativity IMHO. Just not Neroli.

Neroli is one hour of a single synth on a single setting playing single notes from a single scale. Is that really so difficult to do on a 1990s era synth without much human intervention? I would guess it might be no more difficult than programming a very very slow sequencer pattern.

[Gizmotron]

^^^ My criticism that you cited *only* applies to Neroli. Many other of Eno's ambient discs demonstrate a lot of creativity IMHO. Just not Neroli.

Neroli is one hour of a single synth on a single setting playing single notes from a single scale. Is that really so difficult to do on a 1990s era synth without much human intervention? You would think it might be no more difficult than very very slow sequencer pattern.

No, a random sequence is easy to create. And since the 50's, cheesy organs have had auto-rhythms and pre-set patterns. You can turn them on and they will churn out very ordinary music.

My interpretation of your sentence was that you were severely underestimating Mr. Eno's creativity, his music, and his production abilities.
If you were not doing that, forgive my misinterpretation.

[JKL2000]

As is the Paris Concert '75.

I forgot about that release and have never heard it! :O

[rcarlberg]

I forgot about that release and have never heard it! :O
Suggest you correct that pronto. You won't be sorry.

since the 50's, cheesy organs have had auto-rhythms and pre-set patterns. You can turn them on and they will churn out very ordinary music.As an interesting sidelight, are you familiar with the efforts of David Cope (https://arstechnica.com/science/2009/09/virtual-composer-makes-beautiful-musicand-stirs-controversy/), Gaetan Hadjeres and François Pachet? (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603137/deep-learning-machine-listens-to-bach-then-writes-its-own-music-in-the-same-style/) Programming computers to compose music. Fascinating field.

[moecurlythanu]

As an interesting sidelight, are you familiar with the efforts of David Cope (https://arstechnica.com/science/2009/09/virtual-composer-makes-beautiful-musicand-stirs-controversy/), Gaetan Hadjeres and François Pachet? (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603137/deep-learning-machine-listens-to-bach-then-writes-its-own-music-in-the-same-style/) Programming computers to compose music. Fascinating field.

I've got a few tracks from them on a Various Artists sampler called The Skullhead Variations.

[Drake]

Another Day On Earth

Eno should sing more. Brilliant vocalist.

[rcarlberg]

He's never been very fond of his own voice, but I agree, it's brilliant.

[jamesmanzi]

I really enjoy The Ship, though it doesn't seem to get much attention.



I just scrolled thru the thread to see if anyone else mentioned The Ship. I think it's fantastic. But I also love Thursday Afternoon for focused listening rather than wallpaper, so I'm weird like that.

[Zeuhlmate]

Long time since I spun Nerve Net. Just did, and its a fine album, much better than I remembered it.

[rcarlberg]

Long time since I spun Nerve Net. Just did, and its a fine album, much better than I remembered it.Not as good as My Squelchy Life however.

[arturs]

Long time since I spun Nerve Net. Just did, and its a fine album, much better than I remembered it.

:up. This one does get forgotten, doesn't it? Eno was actually quite good at this abstract dance music. Don't know if he ever did anything similar afterwards.

[Buddhabreath]

I just scrolled thru the thread to see if anyone else mentioned The Ship. I think it's fantastic. But I also love Thursday Afternoon for focused listening rather than wallpaper, so I'm weird like that.

Just curious - when you listen to Thursday Afternoon in a focused way, what is the result? For me it would be either a total space-out or sleep. I think wallpaper music is a good description - not a bad thing. Eno created or discovered ambient music in a hospital bed when a record of harp music was on at barely perceptible volume above the ambient sound in the room as I recall reading. I think Eno himself may not argue with wallpaper music" as an apt description. He certainly did not mean it for focused or active listening.

[Zeuhlmate]

Not as good as My Squelchy Life however.

Vinyl ? You ? :)

[jamesmanzi]

Interesting question. I don't know that the result, for me, is any different from listening to any other type of music. But I'm just as likely to dial up Eno's or Fripp's or Eno & Fripp's ambient music on a train ride as I am any other style of music, and can give it the same level of attention. I appreciate the subtle evolutions of something like Thursday Afternoon or The Ship as much as I do a Mel Collins sax solo or Opeth metal attack. It's all just interesting sounds.

That said, I don't see terms like "wallpaper music," or the act of passively listening to ambient music disrespectful by any means. I would love for people to give that level of respect to the ambient music I unleash.

[rcarlberg]

Vinyl ? You ? :)No. Download & burn. Why would I want to add noise & distortion?

[Buddhabreath]

No. Download & burn. Why would I want to add noise & distortion?

Hey I've known people that only like f**king noise and distortion. ;)

[Progbear]

No, a random sequence is easy to create.

Super-easy to do on my old ARP Odyssey using a noise source to trigger the sample-and-hold.

Has anyone mentioned the video version of Thursday Afternoon? Eno suggested viewing it with your TV turned on its side, which in those days (i.e.: CRTs) would ruin your TV. Ah, the merry prankster!

[rcarlberg]

Turning a CRT on its side ruins it? Can you link to any research on this? Never heard that before....

[Vic333]

I can't think of any reason that turning a CRT on it's side would have any effect on it.

[Gizmotron]

Suggest you correct that pronto. You won't be sorry.
As an interesting sidelight, are you familiar with the efforts of David Cope (https://arstechnica.com/science/2009/09/virtual-composer-makes-beautiful-musicand-stirs-controversy/), Gaetan Hadjeres and François Pachet? (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603137/deep-learning-machine-listens-to-bach-then-writes-its-own-music-in-the-same-style/) Programming computers to compose music. Fascinating field.

Thank you!
Yes, I have looked into that end of the spectrum. I admire the smarts necessary to set up the programs but overall, it sort of leaves me a bit cold. I prefer Eno's "Generative music" approach. His approach seems to have a healthier dollop of humanness in that he sets up smaller "processes" that then play out is subtly different ways each time.

[JKL2000]

I just realized that in a sense Brian Eno’s work was nominated for a Tony award. I just found out the song “No Control,” from Bowie’s album Outside (which is co-credited to Eno), is somehow used in the Spongebob Squarepants musical, which was nominated for Best Original Score. It didn’t win, and I don’t actually know if that song would be considered part of the original score. Interesting, though, that Eno’s music was even being heard on Broadway.

I used to see tons of Broadway musicals, but for several years I’ve given up on them, finding that most of the original shows now suck, and are outrageously overpriced considering they (IMO) suck.

[aith01]

I just realized that in a sense Brian Eno’s work was nominated for a Tony award. I just found out the song “No Control,” from Bowie’s album Outside (which is co-credited to Eno), is somehow used in the Spongebob Squarepants musical, which was nominated for Best Original Score. It didn’t win, and I don’t actually know if that song would be considered part of the original score. Interesting, though, that Eno’s music was even being heard on Broadway.

I'm still trying to get over the fact that "No Control" was used in the Spongebob Squarepants musical. ...What the heck?

When I was in my teens and twenties I loved the Spongebob cartoon. In spite of the often silly things going on, there was a surprising bit of adult humor sprinkled in there too -- things that kids just wouldn't get, but adults could appreciate.

[gojikranz]

there was a 7 inch of it released at record store day that I indulged in. it is very weird.