Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

Sounds FEBRUARY 4, 1978 - by Jon Savage

A FAR CRY FROM THE USUAL...

Brian Eno & Snatch: RAF / King's Lead Hat (Eno only)

'Montage music'? Perhaps. Whatever - a perfect combination of music, subject and atmosphere. SO strong, it's almost like a movie: you're right IN there, sucked into the mood. Reeks of air-conditioning, rarified aeroplane air, hidden tannoys, cameras, bugs - contemporary technological paranoias of complete control which would only have bred AND resulted from the Red Army faction (RAF) - Baader/Meinhof sympathisers. No Judgements, no conclusions - just the presentation of a scene that allows you to make them if you will. Unspecific: it's too early, too complex.

Begins with rock solid discoid beat/massive bass, with a German newscast on top. It's possible to pick out the words: 'Polizei' / 'Dr Schleyer' / 'Stammheim', and you can hear the 'authority' in the woman's voice as she TELLS you what's happening. Synthesiser does little fear things in one channel, disorientating, unexpected.

Moves to walkie-talkie mutated urgency, then to Pat Palladin: 'These seats are so uncomfortable too... guess I might as well go do my make-up / I wanna look good in those pictures... my only claim to fame this far.'

Judy Nylon: 'This may be your only contribution to being alive. Pat: 'You think anyone's worried about you?' (twice). No answer. In the plane at Mogadishu: women terrorists or the beauty queens? No answer. Ends with a whistle, a 'Heil', a shot, and a screamed 'No sacrifice!' After all that, in mentioning the strict A-side it's possible to say that it's uptempo Eno in a playful mood in a surreal short story, featuring brilliant playing from the album which you should have anyway blah blah but just catch RAF.