 "Another Green World On A String" | 2009-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By Big Daddy from Akron, Ohio |
An earlier reviewer referred to this album as "bubble-boy music". After I stopped laughing, I realized this WAS bubble-boy music. Eno had created a little cube-room in the middle of his N.Y. loft that was just big enough to house him and a few instruments. This musical shed was where he did lot of his composing.
This was the second Eno album that I bought, Eno & Cluster being the first. It was all very liberating to my Midwestern ears, and the effect was astonishing. It seemed at once to be a soundtrack for the subconscious mind. No prog-rock artist had displayed this much creativity and aural stimulation before. After this, there was no going back to Pink Floyd or Genesis.
My favorite moments here are some of the more enigmatic sounds featured, like the ripping screech that hangs above John Cale's viola on Sky Saw, and the air-raid siren sound of Sombre Reptiles. After this, the bubble had burst for a lot of synth players. This was not the sound of crushed velvet- it was a strangely beautiful alien landscape generated from the mind of Brian Eno, and it suggested many possibilities not yet considered. Genius is like that. |
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| "now why would a guy with such a great voice ..." | 2009-02-17 |
| - Reviewed By vpcnk |
... make instrumental albums?
unless ofcourse he thought he had more to offer. but this great album makes you doubt that! |
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| "a world where your problems go away forever" | 2008-12-12 |
| - Reviewed By B. E Jackson from Pennsylvania |
Another world indeed- a world where everything seems to come to life and change in front of our very eyes!
I like how the first song has a riff that actually SOUNDS like a saw, but somehow making it beautiful, instead of noisy. The bass in the background is awesome here. "The Big Ship" has a tropical vibe, and highly memorable vocals. Yup, vocals you can sing along with (and while you're alone and taking a shower, I KNOW you'll be singing them!)
"I'll Come Running" is quite awesome too. In fact, I haven't mentioned the instrumentals yet because even though they're very melodic and fit in perfectly with the theme of the album, I just ain't got nuttin' to say about them, baby. "Little Fishes" is the one instrumental that catches my attention more than all the others- it sounds like some Asian voyage with weird images appearing before your eyes with pretty piano playing in the background. VERY bizarre, trust me on that!
Absolutely *love* the vocals on "Golden Hours", and "Becalmed" is a perfect example of a song that might need to grow on you to fully appreciate. "Zawinul/Lava" is kind of boring though, since it just sounds like four piano notes repeating like crazy. "Everything Merges With the Night" is a flawless pop song. You will love it, I just know it!
A masterpiece... YES! |
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| "A wonderous journey through ever-changing aural landscapes" | 2008-12-03 |
| - Reviewed By Michael J. Price from Butler County, Ohio |
First off, I am a huge Eno fan. From the first two Roxy Music albums, through his 70's "rock output", finally to his ambient work. I have an older cd without any re-mastering or 'incomplete tracks'. The sonic quality is superb. This is his 3rd solo album and one of my favorites in my entire collection(700 plus cd's). Eno really went down the experimental road on this one. Even more than his previous two. A few of the tracks contain vocals, and Eno does posess a fine voice. Alot of this record is short "musical statements" formed with a wide variety of instruments. He will build up a theme and let it play out for awhile, then fade it, and on to the next creation. Also a couple of more "standard" type songs. Then also some oddball stuff that maybe non-fans would really hate(I've read the reviews that call this garbage). To each his/her own, but I still am on the verge of goosebumps when I listen to any track on AGW, even after hundreds of listening 'sessions'. This is really an album to play from start to finish as it takes you on a pleasant musical journey. A little edgy, somewhat unsettling toward the beginning(in a good way), then some great fun along the way. Throw in a few top-notch Robert Fripp guitar solos, and it ends with 'Spirits Drifting' which I consider to be one of the most beautiful, reflective, kinda melacholy maybe, pieces of music I have ever heard. Puts me in a mood not unlike 'On Some Faraway Beach'.
I know I've rambled here, but I truly LOVE this album. We all have opinions, and mine would be that if you are unsure, go for it with this one. In all honesty, if I was on that proverbial desert island and could only have 10 cd's with me for eternity, this is without a doubt one of them. Thank you for taking your time to read what is only, my opinion. |
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| "Pop Goes Ambient" | 2008-06-28 |
| - Reviewed By Lost Johnny from China |
This was Brian Eno's first album on which he really applied the ambient techniques he had developed on music such as "Discreet Music" to pop. There result was a classic, probably never to be bettered by Eno.
The album have some of the most hauntingly beautiful instrumental parts and the Lyrics are some of Eno's most accessible.
A classic album.
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| "A nice mix of quirky pop tunes, prog rock and moody instrumentals" | 2008-06-02 |
| - Reviewed By Jeffrey J.Park from Massachusetts, USA |
This 1975 album is my favorite of Eno's "rock" records and the contemplative, moody soundscapes really made it work for me. Overall, Another Green World presents a nice mixture of Eno's quirky pop tunes, gloomy instrumental tracks and a few instrumental pieces that feature some great playing by Phil Collins (Genesis, Brand X) and Percy Jones (Brand X).
Along with Brian Eno (guitars, synthesizers, electronic effects, keyboards, percussion and vocals), the personnel listing on this excellent 1975 release includes a few prog luminaries such as Phil Collins (drums and percussion), Percy Jones (fretless electric bass) - they play on two vaguely jazz-rock flavored pieces including Sky Saw and Over Fire Island and a mood piece entitled Zawinul/Lava, while Robert Fripp (King Crimson) contributes some great guitar work to St. Elmo's Fire, I'll Come Running, and Golden Hours. There are a host of additional musicians including guitarists, bassists, drummers and a few string players - most notably John Cale (viola).
The 14 tracks on the album are fairly short and range in length from 1:34 to 4:00. My favorite tracks include those that feature Phil Collins and Percy Jones - they were a great rhythm section and their contributions are reminiscent of their work with Brand X - in fact, a few themes would turn up on the 1976 Brand X debut Unorthodox Behaviour. In addition to the more adventurous pieces, Eno is also capable of creating simple and melodic songs as well that feature vocals. In large part however, this is an instrumental album.
Although the ensemble work is very enjoyable and Eno's voice is pleasant enough on his quirky pop pieces, what makes this recording so interesting are the gloomy mood pieces that just feature Brian Eno. Armed with an arsenal of synthesizers, treated Hammond organ, piano, various pieces of percussion, and "desert guitars, electric elements, and unnatural sounds", Eno creates massive soundscapes that are presented in miniature - that is, the arrangements impart the scope and grandeur of a much larger composition, yet are fairly short. Unfortunately, I think that the shortness resulted in at least a few of the tracks sounding unfinished. It really is not too noticeable though - the tracks seem to blend into one another.
This remastered effort features good sound quality but very little in terms of extras.
This is the Eno album for progressive rock fans and possibly even a few electronica fans. In that I like both styles of music, I found that Another Green World appealed to me on a number of levels. Highly recommended. |
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