Brian Eno Albums (30)
'Another Day on Earth'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 11
Label Ryko/Wea
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What The Critics Say
Finally bored with ambient music, a genre he pioneered in the 1970s, pop polymath Brian Eno emerged with Another Day on Earth, his first solo recording of "conventional" songs since Another Green World. From the rhythm track of opening song "This," the sound is unmistakable. A quirky hook covered in layers of atmosphere and a bouncy loop, it's a smart little tune with additional guitars by Leo Abrahams. Lyrically, Eno's process is poetic, employing not only his own strategies, but a computer generating words as well. At three-and-a-half minutes, it's a fine pop song, albeit one that would never get played on the radio. "And Then So Clear" is more evocative of Eno's work with Daniel Lanois, utilizing a very simple loop adorned with sparse guitars while keyboards pulse softly as a completely treated human voice paints a landscape both exterior and interior. "A Long Way Down," is pure mood, a tense, taut mood offered by electric piano, spectral keyboards imitating strings, and the layered guitars of Steve Jones and Abrahams. Eno multi-tracks his voice across the angular melody, and it slips and falls out more than it flows. And that's a basic problem with Another Day on Earth. Once again, despite trying to work with song forms and structures, they feel tossed off, half-baked. "Going Unconscious" isn't so much a song as an ambient soundscape with spoken word accompaniment by Inge Zalaliene. "Bone Bomb" is the same. "Under" feels like a demo rhythm track with a lyric draped loosely over it. But there are some fine moments too, such as "Passing Over" with Jones guitar cruising over the tune like a spaceship and Eno's sung lines intersecting at (mostly) just the right moments. "How Many Worlds" is almost a child's ditty full of existential questions. Another Day on Earth is a re-entry for Eno, who has the tremendous pressure of always trying to do something new. Nothing here feels new, but so what? If lightweight, it is often pleasant and amusing, if not utterly engaging. Fans will want to seek it out to see what the brainy one has been up to, but those just coming around should go to the back catalog first.~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Bell Studies for the Clock of the Long Now'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 15
Label Opal
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What The Critics Say
Following four years after The Drop, Drawn From Life sees Brian Eno collaborating with German DJ J. Peter Schwalm. (Music for Onmyo-Ji, a previous Eno/Schwalm work from 2000, was released in Japan only.) Those who soured at the distant crispness of The Drop will find this to be a more inviting listen, even more so than Eno's 1996 collaboration with bassist Jah Wobble on Spinner. Jazzy, shuffling rhythms and strings that sway from cutting to sighing lay the foundation of most of the tracks, with some repetitive nonmusical effects often falling somewhere in the mix. If there is a fault of the record, it's that the vocals often get in the way of some fine background listening. If you don't have an affinity for Laurie Anderson's voice, you might be troubled that "Like Pictures, Pt. 2," which otherwise happens to be one of the record's most melodic and tranquil tracks, is interrupted by her intonations. One might find the babbling contributions from Eno's young daughters on "Bloom" to be far less obstructive, but that's because they're more a part of the fabric of the song, rather than an interruption or distraction. There's plenty to enjoy for devoted Eno fans, although nothing truly sticks in the mind after the most attentive listen. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'Music for Civic Recovery Center'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 1
Label Opal
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What The Critics Say
Subtitled "The Quiet Club," this was a souvenir of Brian Eno's installation at the Hayward Gallery, London, April-June 2000. Eno has said in interviews that he often recycles his past music, and on this CD it's obvious -- this is a 45-five minute reworking of "Ikebukuro" off of Shutov Assembly with some treated vocals from Kite Stories mixed in. Another one of Eno's claims, that the music was really made just for the exhibition and wasn't really made to be released commercially, is also borne out here. Not that it isn't in keeping with his ambient ethos -- this is prime background material. ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
'Music for Onmyo-Ji'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 20
Label Victor Japan
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What The Critics Say
A double-CD, released only in Japan, which marks the first major team-up between Brian Eno and Peter Schwalm before their widely released Drawn From Life CD. The music on disc one is comprised of 14 tracks of traditional Japanese instruments, which are more appropriate for this CD, which is meant to accompany the Reiko Okano/Baku Yumemakura manga. The second disc leads one to ask what Schwalm actually adds to the mix in this collaboration. The sonic palette is very typical of Eno, with treated piano, synth washes, and a general modal sound to the floating proceedings. "Faraway Suns" has a rhythm to it, as well as some silvery, manipulated vocals, but it's not too far removed from Music for Films III. Schwalm would be more equal on Drawn From Life, but here he seems in awe of working with the master. An expensive purchase, by the way, import as it is -- worth it mostly to the Eno fanatic. ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Music for an installation with Mimmo Paladino at the Roundhouse, London, this one long piece takes its title from Paladino sculptures of prone figures. Over his usual treated piano, Brian Eno drops in sudden sounds: spoken fragments ("ing," "of"), looped, disintegrated, sped up, or brought down into conspiratorial whispers. It strangely turns what is background music into something more participatory -- as if a close listen will reveal a hidden message. One of the more fascinating of Eno's hard-to-find installation discs. ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Music for an installation in the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, the original music was eight layers of sound, each one playing on a CD player somewhere in the gallery -- as all the CDs looped, the combination of elements was infinite. The souvenir CD is, therefore, only a half-hour glimpse into an ever-changing work that lasted for two months. In Brian Eno's notes, he says that some of the sounds were 20 years old, while some were created just for the exhibit. Modal, ringing guitars, drifting, falling tones and textures, and mysterious insect sounds are close in feel to On Land or The Shutov Assembly. Eno also includes the heavily treated vocals of Kyoko Inatome (apparently a waitress from his favorite sushi restaurant) reading extracts from "Onmyo-ji," a Japanese ghost story -- an interest that would pop up later in Music for Onmyo-ji. ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
'Lightness: Music for the Marble Palace'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 2
Label Opal
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What The Critics Say
For a short sabbatical of sorts after the release of The Drop, Brian Eno relocated to St. Petersburg, Russia, and began working on music specifically for installations. Lightness was one of these pieces -- two long ambient tracks, about 30 minutes each, reminiscent of Thursday Afternoon, but with more shine and less glitter. The first track, "Atmospheric {^Lightness,"} has a few more elements, including a high, brittle tone that breaks apart as it gets louder. As this was meant to accompany visuals, it is minimal in the extreme. The original print run was only 500 -- those not bought by gallery attendees were sold privately by Opal Records. However, demand was such that a second run was produced, and may still be tracked down. ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Drop finds Brian Eno replicating the floating, trancy sound of Neroli, creating a shimmering collection of ambient music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
