# Am I the only one to prefer Brian Eno's early work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 15, 2015, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100 "2015-05-15T12:25:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/1 "2015-05-15T12:25:06Z")
From his start with Roxy Music where I think magic was made with him having to temper the weirdness, to his wonderful first two albums of deranged pop music(he is lieing when he says he picked random words for lyrics, there is sly humor).
But it seems everyone loves his later ambient stuff, or the almost ambient stuff. People extol it as genius.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/2 "2015-05-15T13:35:39Z")
The ambient stuff _is_ genius, but yeah, I’ve always missed the craziness of those early albums.
Ever seen [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQTyVNyMDIw) clip?
And as it happens, today is Eno’s birthday.
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### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/3 "2015-05-15T14:41:26Z")
I thought most people preferred his early work and only a few really like the ambient stuff. Certainly among people I know (and I’m a musician who knows many other musicians and a lot of music obsessives) that’s the case. I like both, but I only really _got_ the ambient stuff later on, the earlier stuff is a lot more accessible.
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### Author:  [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/4 "2015-05-15T14:47:28Z")
What I do know is that sentences that start out with “Am I the only one” are never true.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/5 "2015-05-15T14:59:42Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#):
>
> What I do know is that sentences that start out with “Am I the only one” are never true.
Nah, I’ve seen some where the only appropriate response is “Yes. Yes you are.”
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/6 "2015-05-15T15:01:29Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#):
>
> The ambient stuff _is_ genius, but yeah, I’ve always missed the craziness of those early albums.
>
> Ever seen [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQTyVNyMDIw) clip?
>
> And as it happens, today is Eno’s birthday.
Heh, I was unaware of that.
I wasn’t even born when most of his stuff came out(at least the stuff he is famous for) so discovering his earlier stuff was a delight, after being well I wouldn’t say put off but under impressed with the ambient.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/7 "2015-05-15T15:06:15Z")
> [@Shakester](#):
>
> I thought most people preferred his early work and only a few really like the ambient stuff. Certainly among people I know (and I’m a musician who knows many other musicians and a lot of music obsessives) that’s the case. I like both, but I only really _got_ the ambient stuff later on, the earlier stuff is a lot more accessible.
Most people and music sites give the spotlight to the later work.
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### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/8 "2015-05-15T15:58:19Z")
Taking Tiger Mountain and Warm Jets are two of the best albums ever. I was never super thrilled by his ambient stuff, but it’s pretty good for _not_ listening to. I put “Music for Airports” on my headphones when I’m working and don’t want to actively listen to anything, just zone out.
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### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/9 "2015-05-15T16:44:57Z")
> [@grude](#):
>
> Most people and music sites give the spotlight to the later work.
Well, as I said, not in my experience.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/10 "2015-05-15T17:23:17Z")
“Before and After Science” could wake up the dead…it’s scientifically proven! I also did like his Robert Fripp collaborations.
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/11 "2015-05-15T17:43:49Z")
> [@DrCube](#):
>
> Taking Tiger Mountain and Warm Jets are two of the best albums ever.
Agreed. I came to Eno’s early stuff via Bauhaus, who covered Third Uncle. It’s a hell of a tune from 1974 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zSrkb5pkrQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zSrkb5pkrQ)
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### Author:  [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/12 "2015-05-16T19:02:57Z")
Eno’s early albums seem to be doing fine on the Amazon sales rankings.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/13 "2015-05-16T21:35:01Z")
Eno’s first couple of albums contain a number of great songs. After that, he apparently got it into his head that he had to produce Art, leading to a severe case of dullbore.
Am I the only one who thinks “not accessible” is synonymous with “lousy”? 🙂
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### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/14 "2015-05-17T06:40:07Z")
I like his body of work. Baby’s on Fire is just amazing decades later. I remember he spoke at UC Davis in ~1982. Had a deck of cards that he wrote one liners on. One was “do nothing for as long as possible” and the buddy I had that actually bought the cards and drew that one came close to flunking out. 🙂
As I bing it, these are called “oblique strategy cards”
> **[Oblique Strategies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies)**
>
> Oblique Strategies (subtitled Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas) is a card-based method for promoting creativity jointly created by musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt, first published in 1975. Physically, it takes the form of a deck of 7-by-9-centimetre (2.8 in × 3.5 in) printed cards in a black box. Each card offers a challenging constraint intended to help artists (particularly musicians) break creative blocks by encouraging lateral thinking.
> In 1970, Peter Schmid...
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### Author:  [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2015, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/15 "2015-05-17T06:44:19Z")
Whenever _Another Green World_ was made, was the period I prefer.
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### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/16 "2015-05-17T16:07:21Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#):
>
> Agreed. I came to Eno’s early stuff via Bauhaus, who covered Third Uncle. It’s a hell of a tune from 1974 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zSrkb5pkrQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zSrkb5pkrQ)
Yeah, that’s how I came to Eno as well. Awesome song, with an insane bass line.
I like just about everything I’ve heard from Eno, but those first two solo records are the ones I hunger to listen to.
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### Author:  [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/17 "2015-05-17T16:13:39Z")
I think he peaked with _Before and after science_, but I dig his earlier and later work as well.
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### Author:  [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/18 "2015-05-19T14:39:43Z")
> [@Art\_Rock](#):
>
> I think he peaked with _Before and after science_, but I dig his earlier and later work as well.
I think he’s so prodigious that you can pick up nuggets of brilliance throughout his career but I reckon 73-78 was his pinnacle.
And “by this river” is the clearest example of how you do more with less… genius. I once made the mistake of having my shuffled music play that track followed by “who knows where the time goes?” by fairport convention and “welcome to the machine” by Pink Floyd. I’d suggest it is physically impossible to be any more relaxed than I was then. I don’t do drugs but if I did I reckon it may have been a rabbit-hole I was never climbing out of.
He’s probably the most influential musical artist that the majority have never heard of. Of course they may not know him directly but you can’t exist in the modern world and not hear his work. Need a moody musical interlude? there’ll be a suitable Eno track for every occasion. Desert Landscape? that’ll be “sombre reptiles” then!
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### Author:  [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/19 "2015-05-19T21:11:49Z")
My chance to boast…😃
I’ve taken afternoon tea with Brian Eno, his brother Roger and a Scottish guy whose name I can’t recall, in his back garden in Woodbridge, Suffolk. (late eighties)
Now for the scandal…:eek:
He made the worst cup of tea I’ve ever had in my life. A bloody great china pot with one teabag in it. Pisswater. And one biscuit (McVities Fruit Shortcake, in case anyone’s interested). He then said “You’ve got to have a look at what I’ve got in the garage.” I was expecting to see an early Moog or a custom modular synth. He opened the doors and there were… two Sinclair C5s, which he and Roger rode round the garden for a bit. He said it was his preferred form of transport to and from the local pub.
Now for the confession…:o
I was only there as hired muscle to deliver a mixing console and a 24 track tape machine…
That said, I’ve been a longtime fan, I had quite a few of his records and quite a few of the releases on “Obscure Records” (75-78). I wouldn’t say any of them were my favourite tunes but, along with John Peel, they taught me to broaden my horizons.
Nice bloke. That still doesn’t make up for that shit cup of tea, though. One must have priorities in life.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-to-prefer-brian-enos-early-work/720100/20 "2015-05-19T21:45:39Z")
> [@mascaroni](#):
>
> Pisswater.
Considering that passage in [A Year with Swollen Appendices](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Year_with_Swollen_Appendices)where Eno tastes his own urine, I hope you don’t mean that literally.