# What album is being referred to in this rock review?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588 "2009-05-15T23:22:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![katie9264](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@katie9264](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie9264)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588/1 "2009-05-15T23:22:33Z")

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Can someone help me identify what “Environments” is in the rock review below by critic Robert Christgau? I presume it’s an album, but can’t find anything on Wikipedia.

\*\*Metal Machine Music \*\*[RCA Victor, 1975]

Lou’s answer to \*Environments \*has certainly raised consciousness in both the journalistic and business communities. Though it is a blatant rip-off, it is not–philistine cavils to the contrary–totally unlistenable. But for white noise I’ll still take “Sister Ray.” C+

[http://www.robertchristgau.com/get\_artist.php?name=Lou+Reed](http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Lou+Reed)

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588/2 "2009-05-15T23:51:07Z")

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[Environments](http://www.discogs.com/Unknown-Artist-Environments-New-Concepts-in-Stereo-Sound-Disc-1/release/345315) was a record that came out about 1970 with one side consisting only of the sound of the ocean on a beach, and the other of birds in a forest. It was meant to be used as soothing ambient background noise. I’m ashamed to say I owned this thing.

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**Author:** ![katie9264](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@katie9264](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie9264)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588/3 "2009-05-15T23:54:08Z")

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> [@Voyager](#):
>
> [Environments](http://www.discogs.com/Unknown-Artist-Environments-New-Concepts-in-Stereo-Sound-Disc-1/release/345315) was a record that came out about 1970 with one side consisting only of the sound of the ocean on a beach, and the other of birds in a forest. It was meant to be used as soothing ambient background noise. I’m ashamed to say I owned this thing.

Thanks so much! I never could have found that out on my own.

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-is-being-referred-to-in-this-rock-review/496588/4 "2009-05-15T23:54:09Z")

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A series of synthesized music/“natural soundtrack” albums released in the 1970’s by Syntonic Research, Inc.