Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

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Record Collector CHRISTMAS 2024 - by Ian Shirley

EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN ENO

His brief tenure as a peacock-ish, electronically disruptive presence in Roxy Music was memorable enough. Brian Eno went on to become one of rock's most consistently inventive and influential producers. His solo records ran the gamut of styles from proto-new wave to ambient and his collaborative projects included enabling Bowie in Berlin. Ian Shirley picks fifty Eno hits.

Brian Eno burst onto the music scene back in 1972 with Roxy Music At that time, much was made of his status as a "non-musician" although his tape effects, synth wrangling, strong visual image and verbosity were as essential to the Roxy recipe as Bryan Ferry's songs. Striking out alone in 1973 after two Roxy albums, Eno threw himself into a solo career that included eclectic collaborations with the likes of King Crimson's Robert Fripp, former Velvet John Cale, Cluster and many others.

Like The Beatles after 1966, Eno did not tour, which gave him more time to experiment with loops and master the recording studio where he bathed instruments in tape and other effects. He would also pull open the curtains on a range of ideas from his Obscure label to his own pioneering ambient instrumental music.

Eno's contribution to Bowie's 1977 albums Low and "Heroes" were crucial, showcasing that he was not an exotic recording artist, but someone with his fingers on the pulse of the future direction of music His fast-developing production work dropped anchor in the early works of Gavin Bryars and Ultravox! He helmed albums by Devo and Talking Heads, showing that he could pull off commercial card tricks without diluting his own musical thirst for challenge, new sounds and developing technology. Eno read, Eno listened, Eno travelled, Eno loved, and Eno laughed. This curiosity fed into the music he made either alone or with others.

As well as on turntables and cassette players - and the occasional airport - Eno's music appeared in TV programmes, films and documentaries. As the decades stacked up, his production work rippled into many musical styles including the swaggering rock of U2, the understatement of Jon Hassell, the guitar washes of Slowdive and the mainstream anthemia of James and Coldplay. Eno's own solo and collaborative work continued apace, whether it was vocal or instrumental and culled music from an increasing sonic palette, endlessly re-using drum patterns laid down for him in the '70s by Phil Collins. From the '80s, Eno also branched out into art installation, showcasing his interest in generative electronic music and the immersive power of sound and vision.

While a lot of Eno's later work would later appear on his Opal imprint, it was apt that, in 2010, he found a home on Warp Records whose own questing electronic ambition and back catalogue matched his own. While he had nothing to do with Aphex Twin's Ambient recordings, he no doubt recognised another artist walking down a road he had paved.

Over the next eight pages I've chosen fifty key Eno albums, ranging from solo work to collaboration to efforts where he helmed the ship as producer. I could have easily featured fifty more without a loss of quality control.

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CORNELIUS CARDEW: THE GREAT LEARNING (Deutsche Grammophon, 1971) - Eno became involved in avant garde composer Cornelius Cardew's vocal Scratch orchestra where, for various members, enthusiasm was more important than musical knowledge. Some scores were graphic pictures rather than musical notation. Eno's first studio experience was as part of the vocal ensemble that recorded their vocal passages in Chappell Studios, New Bond Street in February 1971. He appears on the twenty-minute track, Paragraph 7, on side 2.

ROXY MUSIC: ROXY MUSIC (Island, 1972) - The hype surrounding this space age science fiction glam confection was justified on the release of this debut LP. Lest we forget, vocalist Bryan Ferry was the piano and mellotron player. However, Eno's magical electronic shards and use of tape effects elevate classic tracks like Ladytron and the application of his VCS3 on Sea Breezes is sensational. Eno's synth solo on their non-album Top 5 debut 7" Virginia Plain is electronic nirvana.

THE PORTSMOUTH SINFONIA: PLAYS THE POPULAR CLASSICS (Transatlantic, 1973) - Set up by composer Gavin Bryars, who would record for Eno's Obscure Music label from 1975 onwards, Eno used his Roxy Music fame to secure a deal with Transatlantic to record this album in downtime at Island's Basing Street Studio. The Sinfonia romped through material from the William tell Overture to Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra. Eno (clarinet) featured on the front cover. First pressings also sport a picture sticker stating: "Produced by ENO Roxy Music."

ROXY MUSIC: FOR YOUR PLEASURE (Island, 1973) - This second album was as polished and compelling as the first. Ferry wrote everything and while his route towards Tin Pan Alley and mainstream songwriting was clear, Eno's work on tracks like The Bogus Man and In Every Dream Home A Heartache showcased Roxy's experimental vision. Eno's visual image, quotable quips, fan adoration and Bryan v Brian tension saw him leave the stage, and Roxy, mid-set at the York Festival in the summer of 1973.

FRIPP & ENO: NO PUSSYFOOTING (Help, 1973) - The King Crimson leader and Eno had a natural affinity. The first side was recorded for £12 at Eno's flat in July 1972. Eno's contribution was his delay-infused reel-to-reel treatment and looped feedback of Fripp's Les Paul guitar. The two tracks are compelling and mark the genesis of "Frippertronics". A supportive Island were worried No Pussyfooting might be the musical equivalent of the death star to their investment in the now solo Eno.

ENO: HERE COME THE WARM JETS (Island, 1973) - Eno danced in front of the rugby team of musicians assembled to elicit musical responses for some backing tracks. Lyrics and songwriting were abstract, and his vocals were a taste many of his fens were delighted to acquire. Pure art-rock, with Baby's On Fire and Driving Me Backwards being two highlights. Island also danced when it went Top 30 although the supporting tour ended after a few dates when Eno suffered a collapsed lung.

GENESIS: THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY (Charisma, 1974) - Brought in near the end of the recording process, Peter Gabriel insisted that Eno be credited with "Enossification" for his sonic treatment of tracks like The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging and Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats. Keyboard player Tony Banks thought it a bit rich that Eno got credited at all for "twiddling a few knobs". Eno's affinity with Phil Collins would see him draft the drummer into future solo projects.

KEVIN AYERS, JOHN CALE, ENO, NICO JUNE 1, 1974 (Charisma, 1974) - A surreal arc-rock supergroup constituted by the former Soft Machine frontman at the Rainbow in London. Like The Beatles after 1966, Eno had retired from touring, so it was fun for him to sing Baby's On Fire and Driving Me Backwards onstage with two former Velvet Underground members. Cale's take on Heartbreak Hotel is an acquired taste.

JOHN CALE: FEAR (Island, 1974) - Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was a loyal friend, vital foil and supporter of Eno's various musical outpourings. As executive producer of the former Velvet's first solo LP for Island, he added Eno to the mix where his measured approach chimed well with Cale's more immediate grasping of the musical muse. It was like the old Roxy days when Eno processed Manzanera's guitar solo on Gun.

ENO: TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN (BY STRATEGY) (Island, 1974) - Eno took the title from a series of postcards he bought in Chinatown, San Francisco. With a confection of musicians including Phil Manzanera, Robert Wyatt and Andy Mackay, Eno served music ranging from the fantastic alternative pop of Burning Airlines Give You So Much More to the almost lullaby-ish Put A Straw Under Baby. Bauhaus injected the necessary steroids into Third Uncle on their 1982 cover.

ENO: ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Island, 1975) - Eno worked from a blank slate on this third solo LP, the cast of musicians including Phil Collins and bassist Percy Jones. At one point, Eno booked a different instrument - trombone, marimba - each day to see what musical possibilities they would open up. Also, working alone with his treatments, the influential LP contained five songs and seven instrumentals. The title track became the theme to the BBC's Arena arts programme, earning Eno £28.45 per week for fifteen years.

ROBERT CALVERT: LUCKY LIEF AND THE LONGSHIPS (United Artists, 1975) - Eno had played synth on a number of tracks on Calvert's first solo album, Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters. His first full production was this follow-up, a concept album about how America might have developed if it had been colonised by Vikings. With Rhett Davies taking care of engineering duties, Eno helmed a fine LP that included a contribution from science fiction writer, Michael Moorcock, on banjo.

BRIAN ENO/PETER SCHMIDT: OBLIQUE STRATEGIES - OVER ONE HUNDRED WORTHWHILE DILEMMAS (Private edition of 500, 1975) - This original set of 113 cards. Artistic prompts included "Use an old idea", "Give way to your worst impulse" and "Faced with a choice, do both." A second edition of 1,000 (128 cards) came in 1978 and a third (123 cards) in 1979. Schmidt died in 1980 and no further sets appeared until 2001. For all those inspired, there must have been some musicians who rolled their eyes when Eno asked them to "pick a card, any card".

GAVIN BRYARS: THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC (Obscure, 1975) - Eno set up his Obscure label to champion avant-garde composers. The label launched on December 5 with four simultaneous releases in Eno-designed sleeves selling for £1.99. Produced by Eno and engineered by Rhett Davies, The Sinking Of The Titanic (paired with Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet) was recorded in down-time at Island's Basing Street Studio. The other releases were by Christopher Hobbs/John Adams, David Toop/Max Eastley and...

BRIAN ENO: DISCREET MUSIC (Obscure, 1975) - "Honour thy mistake as a hidden intention" ran the motif on one of Eno and Peter Schmidt's Oblique Strategy cards. Eno had played Fripp a backing track in advance of the "mobile unit"'s live gigs at half-speed. It sounded wonderful. Wind On Water appeared on their Evening Star (1975). A thirty-minute version formed side 1 of Discreet Music's pioneering Ambient Music.

PHIL MANZANERA: DIAMOND HEAD (Island, 1975) - Manzanera had always been non hand for Eno as his solo career developed and it was only right and proper that Eno returned the favour. Eno appeared on five of the nine tracks doing everything from serving up lead vocals on Big Day to processing Manzanera's guitar on the title track. He was also an early part of Manzanera's 801 that came together when Roxy went on sabbatical.

BRIAN ENO: MUSIC FOR FILMS (Editions EG, 1976) - There was an entire industry of library recordings distributed to film, radio and television companies to provide off the shelf music. This version of Music For Films contained twenty-seven tracks that ranged from already released Eno material from Evening Star to unused segments from Another Green World and synth fragments Eno had recorded for the soundtrack of Derek Jarman's Sebastiane film. The album was limited to five hundred copies. A different version was released commercially in 1978.

ULTRAVOX!: ULTRAVOX! (Island, 1977) - Crucial. Eno guided the band while a young Steve Lillywhite took care of the technical engineering side of the recording process. Loving the material, Eno encouraged and challenged creativity by deploying his Oblique Strategies and suggested sonic risk. Slip Away, I Want To Be A Machine and The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned are amazing. My Sex was written in the studio and the resulting album showcased the band's Roxy and European influences.

DAVID BOWIE: LOW (Island, 1977) - Recorded initially in France and completed in Berlin, Low is seminal. Credit must be given to producer Tony Visconti, whose deployment of the Eventide Harmonizer on literally everything gave the album its unique sound. The instrumental-only second side - recorded in two weeks - was an audacious move from the Bowie hit-making machine. Eno co-wrote Warszawa but his fingerprints are evident on Breaking Glass, A New Career In A New Town and Art Decade.

CLUSTER & ENO: CLUSTER & ENO (Sky, 1977) - Cluster was a duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius, who started their career with electronics in 1971 but developed a more pastoral, loop-fed melodic style. Eno met them when he saw them play with Harmonia in Hamburg (1974). Travelling to Conny Plank's Lower Saxony studio, the trio created this alchemical affair in June 1977. Holger Czukay played bass on Ho Renomo. It was only pressed in Germany, France and Portugal but was imported into the UK.

BRIAN ENO: BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE (Polydor, 1977) - Low was released in January 1977 and Eno's contribution sent his stock sky high. Previous solo LPs were quickly re-pressed. This new LP dropped in December and is a classic. All bases were covered from the proto-No Wave funk of No One Receiving and Kurt's Rejoinder to the pastoral beauty of By This River that featured Cluster's Moebius and Roedelius. King's Lead Hat was a single and anagram of Talking Heads whose second LP Eno would produce.

DAVID BOWIE: "HEROES" (RCA, 1977) - The international success of Sound And Vision and strong sales of Low vindicated Bowie's turn towards a European sound. Eno was pan of the reconvened team at Hansa in Berlin that alchemised something even better. The title track is the peak of the Eno/Bowie collaboration although Eno was all over the second instrumental side. He also brought in "Captain" Fripp to contribute guitar whose run at the end of V2 Schneider is one of his finest.

DEVO: Q: ARE WE NOT MEN? A: WE ARE DEVO! (Virgin, 1978) - Before they had a major label contract, Eno personally flew this Ohio band to record at Conny Plank's studio in Germany. Sadly, Devo wanted to replicate demos of their songs rather than explore Eno's ideas for tracks like Space Junk, Shrivel Up, Mongoloid, Jocko Homo and Uncontrollable Urge. Eno walked so Bowie mixed. One review described the album as sounding like "Devo through a keyhole". They chose the lock, although the album has aged well.

HAROLD BUDD: THE PAVILION OF DREAMS (Virgin, 1978) - Gavin Bryars introduced Eno to the music of this American composer in 1976, which quickly led to this album being recorded. Along with Budd and saxophonist Marion Brown, Eno assembled a sixteen-piece ensemble including Bryars and Michael Nyman in Island's Basing Street studios. A cornerstone of instrumental music. I always wondered if it formed the template for Cocteau Twins' Victorialand (1986). The Pearl (1984) is also essential.

BRIAN ENO: AMBIENT 1 - MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS (EG, 1978) - This named the genre we know so well. For 1/1 Eno curated, looped and played at half speed a brief passage of Robert Wyatt's piano from an improvised session. His own treated playing on an ARP synthesiser was the basis of 2/2. Two other tracks were formed from vocal loops. At the end of the same year the commercial version of Music For Films was also released.

DAVID BOWIE: LODGER (RCA, 1979) - The third 'Berlin' album was not recorded in Germany. Eno was, however, in the driving seat at sessions held in New York and Switzerland. The fantastic Boys Keep Swinging was a totally Oblique Strategy call - musicians having fun playing different instruments. Whilst Yassassin, African Night Flight and Red Sails looked back to Low/"Heroes", D.J. was the sound of Future Bowie. Beep Beep.

JON HASSELL/BRIAN ENO: FOURTH WORLD VOLUME 1 - POSSIBLE MUSICS (Editions EG, 1980) - This New York-based trumpeters beautiful enigmatic treated instrument had already graced two albums released on small American labels in 1978. With Eno living in New York their paths and musical visions crossed leading to this Eno-produced classic. The intergalactic clarity and sheer audio joy of tracks like Chemistry and the looping Rising Thermal 14° 16' N; 32° 28' E are as fresh today as when they were recorded.

TALKING HEADS: REMAIN IN LIGHT (Sire, 1980) - Ironically, it was Eno's restraint as a producer that gave his first Talking Heads productions - More Songs About Buildings And Food (1978) and Fear Of Music (1979) - their edge. By Remain In Light he was literally a fifth member. Recorded in the Bahamas, the album was built from improvisation and loops. The sonic undertow of Once In A Lifetime might have been experimental but it became a massive international hit.

BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE: MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS (EG, 1981) - The connection between Eno and David Byrne was as intense as that between Eno and Fripp. The duo dived into African rhythms, funk and proto-sampling of radio broadcasts in this collaboration that remains a touchstone of musical development. As essential as Holger Czukay's 1978 inspirational masterpiece, Movies. After this, other members of Talking Heads asked Byrne to choose them or Eno. Byrne stayed with the band.

BRIAN ENO WITH DANIEL LANOIS AND ROGER ENO: APOLLO - ATMOSPHERES & SOUNDTRACKS (EG, 1983) - Guitarist and engineer Daniel lanois collaborated along with Eno's younger brother, Roger, on this album kick-started by NASA asking Eno to record music for an upcoming documentary. Eno utilised a Yamaha DX 7 digital synthesiser on tracks like Under Stars, Drift and Weightlessness. The documentary, For All Mankind, finally appeared in 1989. Deep Blue Day later appeared in the soundtrack to Danny Boyle's 1996 film Trainspotting. Eno's last LP for EG.

U2: THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE (Island, 1984) - Co-producer Daniel Lanois was an insurance policy in case Eno's outlandish ideas and methods threatened to debase Island's biggest-selling act. Bono and Edge were totally up for it and Eno's guitar and other treatments, ideas and general sparkle helped to redirect the behemoth without loss of momentum. The majesty of The Unforgettable Fire as a single would have been impossible without Eno and Lanois.

U2: THE JOSHUA TREE (Island, 1987) - After Eno and Daniel Lanois had produced The Unforgettable Fire, Eno refused further work with U2. He was eventually worn down by a loquacious Bono. The resultant album was their best although, at one point, Eno had to be physically stopped from erasing the difficult but definitive track Where The Streets Have No Name, which had taken up half of the session time.

ZVUKI MU: ZVUKI MU (Land, 1989) - In 1988 Eno took part in a live "TV Bridge" where he - along with Peter Gabriel, Chrissie Hydne and U2 manager Paul McGuinness - spoke to Russian rock musicians via satellite. This led to Eno going to Moscow to produce this album by Zvuki Mu (The sound of moo but nothing to do with The KLF) who formed in 1983 and were fronted by Petr Mamonov. It was all sung in Russian despite the English titles.

ENO/CALE: WRONG WAY UP (Land, 1990) - The long, fruitful and, at times, tempestuous creative pairing of Eno and Cale from Fear (1974) onwards generated some great music. This collaboration served up a mainstream almost radio-friendly album that would not have looked out of place in the charts. An edit of Spinning Away paired with the non-LP track, Grandfather's House, was issued as a 7" but got nowhere. A lost classic housed in a lacklustre cover.

GEOFFREY ORYEMA: EXILE (Land, 1990) - The debut LP by this Ugandan musical exile was recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio. Musically sparse and acoustic, it showcased Eno's ability to extract the full flavour from the material from Ye Ye Ye to Makambo. Eno was also involved in the followup, Beat The Border (1993), which broke Oryema internationally.

BRIAN ENO: THE SHUTOV ASSEMBLY (Opal, 1992) - While Eno's earlier ambient albums garner deserved plaudits, this early '90s set is a lost gem. Compiled from recordings made between 1985 and 1990 for some of his audiovisual art installations, it still plays as an organic whole. Side 2 is that rare vinyl beast that clocks in at nearly thirty minutes. Spread over a 2LP set in 2014.

SLOWDIVE: SOUVLAKI (Creation, 1993) - Eno turned down a request from this Reading shoegaze band to produce their second LP. He softened the blow by spending a couple of days in the studio with them and co-wrote the ethereal Sing and brief, but beautiful, Here She Comes that you can imagine him singing. The resulting album swam against the tide of Britpop upon release but is now considered a stone-cold classic.

LAURIE ANDERSON: BRIGHT RED (Creation, 1993) - Anderson's fifth solo LP is a sparse lost gem that requires your attention. Eno produced and co-wrote a number of songs that featured a cast of collaborators like drummer Joey Baron, guitarists Marc Ribot and Adrian Belew. Anderson's boyfriend, Lou Reed, sang on In Our Sleep. Love Among The Sailors coils my rope. The drums on Poison are the best repurposing of Can's Oh Yeah beat I've ever heard.

DAVID BOWIE: EXCERPTS FROM OUTSIDE (RCA, 1995) - Black Tie, White Noise (1993) was produced by Let's Dance helmsman Nile Rogers and here Bowie reunited with Eno. Rather than revisit the Berlin trilogy, Eno helped shape Bowie's delightful foray into a kind of audio film noir based around murder and central character Nathan Adler. Musically inventive and lyrically dramatic, the curtain closes with the beautiful commercial gem Strangers When We Meet, which doesn't appear on this rare 'abridged' vinyl version.

PASSENGERS: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS 1 (Island, 1995) - Achtung Baby is a key release but on this collaboration, Eno challenged U2 - and himself - to record music for imaginary films. The results were suitably widescreen, ranging from A Different Kind Of Blue to Miss Sarajevo that featured a lead vocal from opera legend Luciano Pavarotti. Every track had a corresponding film tide from Elvis Ate America to United Colours Of Plutonium.

ENO/WOBBLE: SPINNER (All Saints, 1995) - Eno originally worked alone in his Kilburn studio on the soundtrack to Derek Jarman's last film, Glitterbug, based on the filmmaker's historical super 8 footage. Eno sent these tracks to Jah Wobble who either left them alone, added his bass or used them as the basis for new songs. A wonderful confection from the sepulchral Where We Lived to the short pout of Space Diary 1.

HARMONIA & ENO: TRACKS AND TRACES (Rykodisc, 1997) - Eno recorded these tracks with Harmonia - Roedelius, Moebius and guitarist Michael Rother - in September 1976 during a relaxed eleven-day session. After two LPs, Harmonia had already gone their separate ways, so the music was not intended for release. The tapes resurfaced in 1996 and displayed a wonderful empathy from the electro-chug of Vamos Companeros to the extended prowl of Sometimes In Autumn. Released on vinyl in 2009.

JAMES: LAID (Fontana, 1993) - The fifth James album was recorded in six weeks at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios as that was the only window in Eno's busy schedule. Even then he could only do a four-day week. Yet the results satisfied both musically and commercially, spawning two Top 30 singles - Laid and Sometimes - while the album went Top 3.

JAMES: WAH WAH (Fontana, 1994) - Talk about a game of two halves. When recording Laid, Eno encouraged James to jam live - "late at night and in very dim light" - and everything was recorded. These tracks were edited and mixed either by Eno or his assistant Markus Dravs and stitched together and spread over this 2LP set. Basic Brian is anything but. Jam J went Top 30 and the album - billed as James and Brian Eno - went Top 20.

BRIAN ENO: ANOTHER DAY ON EARTH (Hannibal, 2005) - Gorgeous vocal album and Eno's first in twenty-five years. It's a delight from start to finish. Going Unconscious with spoken words by Inge Zalaliene is a gem as is Just Another Day, managing to evoke the feel of Harmonia beneath Eno's relaxed vocal. The only problem with Another Day On Earth is that it has yet to appear on vinyl.

BRIAN ENO: 77 MILLION PAINTINGS (Hannibal, 2006) - The current contemplation of the uses of AI will eventually, one imagines, see Eno's music reimagined by computer code. He has explored computer generated music himself for many installations projects and this release combined random Eno-created artwork with generative Eno music. There is also a thirty-four-minute interview on here.

COLDPLAY: VIVA LA VIDA OR DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS (Parlophone, 2008) - Some sniff mightily about Eno working with Coldplay on their fourth album, but the band wanted to escape their comfort zone and he was just the man for the job. The opening ambient passage of the mosdy instrumental Life In Technicolor throws down the gauntlet and anthemic title track Vida La Vida remains life-affirming. They also worked together on Mylo Xyloto (2011).

BRIAN ENO: SMALL CRAFT ON A MILK SEA (Warp, 2010) - This album was a collaborative effort between Eno, Leo Abrahams and Jon Hopkins. The material was recorded between 2009 and 2010 and much was made of Eno releasing it on Warp, a natural electronic home. It was a multi-format release with this version probably being the one to get as it included four bonus tracks along with a fine art print by Eno.

ENO/HYDE: SOMEDAY WORLD (Warp, 2014) - The pairing of Eno and Underworld frontman, Karl Hyde, was a delight. With live drums on the album there is a feel of a band spirit, on tracks like the pulsating Daddy's Car and meditative Who Rings The Bell. When they mixed this beast, Eno suggested they carry on recording, and this led to the equally enjoyable High Life.

BRIAN ENO: MUSIC FOR INSTALLATIONS (Opal, 2018) - This sumptuous 9LP set compiled together music that Eno had recorded and generated for a number of international audio-visual installations between 1986 and 2017. Eno helpfully wrote notes for the booklet explaining his intentions for the various pieces: "I like records and I like repetition but what I dreamed of was to be able to make pieces of music that didn't repeat, that just kept running and running on and on, always changing."

Eno (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is on UMC.