Brian Eno - favourites & recommendations

Posted by: JamieL_v2 on 22 November 2010

Brian Eno - favourites & recommendations

Just looking through my Amazon recommendations the new Brian Eno album 'Small Craft On A Milk Sea' came up, and I quite like the samples.

Apparently it is his 25th solo album, and that probably doesn't scratch the surface for collaborations.

What are forum members favourite albums by Eno, and also collaborations and productions?

Those I have and like are:
'Drawn from Life' (2001) with J.Peter Swalm
'Thursday Afternoon' (1985)
'Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks' (1983)
'The Pearl' (1984) with Harold Budd
'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' (1981) With David Byrne (original 1CD version)

I also have 'Evening Star' (1975) with Robert Fripp, which I like the first side of, and 'No Pussyfooting' also with Fripp, which is hard work.
I like a few tracks on 'Another Green World' but find it patchy, and do not like his vocals.

I must also say that I have tired Roxy Music, and am not a fan, OK once in a while, but not a band I would buy an album by. I also have a couple of his U2 productions, and really do not like them (anymore).

I know with such a long and broad career others will like some very different areas of music he has been involved in, as is the case when people post about Pink Floyd for instance, but based on the albums I do like, what other releases by, or featuring Brian Eno would people recommend?

Just for reference, here is his Wikipedia discography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Eno_discography

Posted on: 22 November 2010 by Nick Lees

Hi Jamie,

You have most of my favourites. You'd have most Eno fans votes cast for the more song-based Another Green World (excellent) and Here Come The Warm Jets (less so in my view). I like his ambient stuff a lot though they mostly don't come up to The Pearl and Apollo for me. The Spinner, the album he did wirh Jah Wobble is very good, but if I were to pick one from left-field for you it'd be his synthesized bell chimes for the mad project to builld a clock under an American mountain to run more or less for ever: January 07003 / Bell Studies for The Clock of The Long Now

It's just that - a series of bell chimes, some of them running ten or twelve minutes. It may sound unappetising, but I find it really addictive, the chimes subtly shifting beautifully.

Best I can do re: samples is at CD Baby here.

I bought Small Craft On A Milk Sea last week and I like it a lot - a mixture of ambient and not so ambient. Still absorbing it, which is why it's still a bit early to do a best of year list - this may well be on it.

Posted on: 22 November 2010 by Lontano

I really like the new album a lot. Sounds great with the volume jacked up. I have all the albums that you mention but really need to spend more time with them to firm up my opinions.

Posted on: 22 November 2010 by Andy1912

Never get tired of Wrong Way Up with John Cale.......

Posted on: 22 November 2010 by Bluebeard

Hi Jamie,

I'd recommend all his "singing" albums from the 70's but you say you don';t like his vocals...(Here Come the Warm Jets, That's Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, Another Green World, and Before and After Science). Two box sets from the 90's are worthe chasing up Eno: Box 1 iNstrumentals may be more up your alley than Eno: Box 2 Vocal.

As Andy has indicated try some of his collaborations with other artists for some interesting stuiff. Besides Wrong Way Up, in particular I'd chase down 801 - (which is with Phil Manzanera) still has some singing by Eno but also some ferocious live work, including a sublime cover of Tomorrow Never Knows - his two albums with Cluster - After the Heat and Cluster and Eno are also important landmarks in the ambient scene.

regards,

Giles

Posted on: 23 November 2010 by JamieL_v2

Thanks for that everyone. A few there definitely tempt me.

'801', 'Spinner' and 'Small Craft On A Milk Sea' all sound like good places to start. I'll have a look around for the box set too.

One I can really recommend if it has passed you by is 'Drawn From Life', it sounds especially good on a Niam system.

Thanks again.

Jamie

Posted on: 23 November 2010 by backfromoz

taking tiger mountain by strategy.

Fabulous.

Also seems to last a lot longer than normal lp's once the last track went on for 15 minutes.

David