Eno

[royalstilton]

I'm in the process of digitizing my vinyl collection and have begun to work on Brian Eno's several LPs.

I started with Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_Tiger_Mountain_%28By_Strategy%29).

Is anyone familiar with this work? What do you think in terms of how music has drifted far away from the "art rock" scene of the 70s?

[Michael K.]

What do you think in terms of how music has drifted far away from the "art rock" scene of the 70s?

Aw, cheer up, Eno kid.

[Crimen y Castigo]

Eno's a total poseur.

Can't believe he had the nerve to cover "Tiger Mountain." I only listen to the original...

http://www.jneil.com/jneil/tiger_mountain/img/tiger_mt1.jpg

[Crimen y Castigo]

What do you think in terms of how music has drifted far away from the "art rock" scene of the 70s?

PS: Hi!

http://www.elviejovinilo.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Dearscience_TVOTR.jpg

[royalstilton]

Eno's a total poseur.

Can't believe he had the nerve to cover "Tiger Mountain." I only listen to the original...

http://www.jneil.com/jneil/tiger_mountain/img/tiger_mt1.jpg
is this supposed to be TIC?

[luftmensch]

My favorite Eno album, one of my tops ever. And I don't particularly think of it as "art rock," it's more like really skewed pop to me, but I suppose it falls under the art rock umbrella for people who care about that sort of thing.

And I don't think "art rock" has gone anywhere, it's just evolved with the times, through certain strains of post-punk, "college rock," alternative & indie rock. To me a more interesting question is why Eno stopped making the kind of music he made in the mid-70's, but I guess he evolved with the times too.

Whatever, ridiculously good album.

[minorthreat]

A couple of my friends are blaming Eno for the mediocrity of U2's latest album. Personally, I blame Steve Lillywhite - one can only assume that, during the course of his work with Dave Matthews and Phish, their suck rubbed off on him.

[royalstilton]

My favorite Eno album, one of my tops ever. And I don't particularly think of it as "art rock," it's more like really skewed pop to me, but I suppose it falls under the art rock umbrella for people who care about that sort of thing.

And I don't think "art rock" has gone anywhere, it's just evolved with the times, through certain strains of post-punk, "college rock," alternative & indie rock. To me a more interesting question is why Eno stopped making the kind of music he made in the mid-70's, but I guess he evolved with the times too.

Whatever, ridiculously good album.I've now gone thru Before and After Science, Here Come The Warm Jets and the first side of Another Green World.

Overall, I think Taking Tiger Mountain comes off as more satisfying as a pop music project than any of the others. What is missing from B and A Science, especially Side B, is the melodic sensibility that TTM has. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy the "ambient" touches that Eno has crafted into much of the later stuff, but I think "Judy's Jungle" and "Burning Airlines" are genius.

But maybe my all-time favorite Eno line is: "You have to make the choice between the Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch and me".

I read that the song is about a guy from Paw Paw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.W._Underwood), Michigan who set things on fire by breathing on them. It's a good thing that Eno still could use the word "negro" in 1974, or the line would be ruined by having to say "the Paw Paw African-American blowtorch".

That just doesn't work...

[royalstilton]

A couple of my friends are blaming Eno for the mediocrity of U2's latest album. Personally, I blame Steve Lillywhite - one can only assume that, during the course of his work with Dave Matthews and Phish, their suck rubbed off on him.
or...U2 has run out of good musical ideas...

i do think that we must credit Eno substantially for the artistic achievements of Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Daniel Lanois ain't no slouch, neither.

[taosjohn]

A couple of my friends are blaming Eno for the mediocrity of U2's latest album. Personally, I blame Steve Lillywhite - one can only assume that, during the course of his work with Dave Matthews and Phish, their suck rubbed off on him.

Not ready to call it mediocre yet, but I have been kinda struggling with it.

Seems almost like "U2 for Pink Floyd fans" with its psychedelia-lite
arena-rockish sound atmosphere and occasional outbreaks of widdly-woo... its just a weird place to find U2 tunes hanging out.

[minorthreat]

or...U2 has run out of good musical ideas...Eh, U2 have made some really ill-advised experiments before and they're still around. Going Christian rock with October was a bad move. Going from being over-the-top earnest to ironic with Pop was a bad move. They've bounced back from such things before, so I hesitate to put them in the 'out of ideas' category alongside, say, Metallica.

[nicodemus]

I'm more into Eno's ambient stuff. Music for Airports is a favorite of mine.

[royalstilton]

I'm more into Eno's ambient stuff. Music for Airports is a favorite of mine.
how does that compare with, say, Aphex Twin?

[Crimen y Castigo]

I'm more into Eno's ambient stuff. Music for Airports is a favorite of mine.

how does that compare with, say, Aphex Twin?

Sort of the way a hummingbird compares to a cloud bank.

And that's said with great affection for the ambient work of both artists.
Not to mention hummingbirds and cloud banks...

[Dr. Wankler]

For the most part, I'm with Nicodemus. However, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was one of the the last three vinyl discs I parted with.

His collaborations with Robert Fripp are pretty interesting.

[HerthaBerwyn]

I dont know anything about this bunch other than this album. Ive loved it ever since my brother left it behind when he moved to somewhere in...whenever. Great tunes, particularly 'Miss Shapiro" and "Babys on Fire"

http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:xa6O1ukPnDw_SM:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NnRlLXFxd4I/SclmZ_lGRAI/AAAAAAAAAC0/1jxpuuObfmY/s320/o18923.jpg

[luftmensch]

I dont know anything about this bunch other than this album. Ive loved it ever since my brother left it behind when he moved to somewhere in...whenever. Great tunes, particularly 'Miss Shapiro" and "Babys on Fire"

http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:xa6O1ukPnDw_SM:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NnRlLXFxd4I/SclmZ_lGRAI/AAAAAAAAAC0/1jxpuuObfmY/s320/o18923.jpg

And a killer cover of Tomorrow Never Knows. Something that on paper sounds like crap but totally works.

I heard a studio album of theirs too, wasn't nearly as good.

[Dr. Know]

Eh, U2 have made some really ill-advised experiments before and they're still around. Going Christian rock with October was a bad move. Going from being over-the-top earnest to ironic with Pop was a bad move. They've bounced back from such things before, so I hesitate to put them in the 'out of ideas' category alongside, say, Metallica.

October was followed by 3 brilliant albums in a row (4 if you discard Rattle & Hum), Pop was followed by All That You Can't Leave Behind which is a pretty good record. They've now put out two mediocre records in a row.

They'd have to come out with something really good after this for me to think they still got it.