Best Eno solo album from 70s/80s

I first heard that album on cassette, where it's sequenced differently: "Energy Fools the Magician" is second on side 2, and "Julie With..." follows "Kings Lead Hat" on side 1. It had made sense to me that the four bounciest tunes were all at the beginning, and then when I heard the LP sequence later it felt wrong. On the other hand, 12-year-old me just wanted to hear those four bouncy tunes sometimes.

Somewhere I read that Eno had recorded something like a hundred songs when preparing the album. I'm guessing Eno's not interested in releasing the leftovers, but I don't think there's another artist/period whose outtakes I'd rather hear.

Huh - I expected way more votes for Ambient 1.

"MUSIC FOR FILMS 2 (or MORE MUSIC FOR FILMS) " this isn't even a full eno record, is it? I know 3 isn't.

it is afaik, but there's a lotta overlap with Apollo for some incomprehensible reason, also it was US-only?

pretty sure it first appeared in the 11LP "Working Backwards" box set as an exclusive

It would be interesting to know if "Taking Tiger Mountain" has always been ranked as highly as it is in this poll, I could be wrong but I suspect not.

Rolling Stone "Blue Guide", 1983:

HCTWJ - 3 stars (lol)
TTM - 4 stars
AGW - 5 stars
BAAS - 4 stars
Music For Films - 2 stars
Music For Airports - 2 stars

and

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts - 5 stars

fuck you, Bart Testa

lol indeed

christgau

Here Come the Warm Jets [Island, 1974] A
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) [Island, 1975] A-
Another Green World [Island, 1976] A+
Discreet Music [Antilles, 1977] A-
Before and After Science [Island, 1978] A-
Music for Films [Antilles, 1978] B+
Music for Airports [Ambient/PVC, 1979] B
On Land [Editions EG, 1982] B+
Apollo: Atmospherics & Soundtracks [Editions EG, 1983] B

All of the albums other than AGW would've probably ranked higher in the absence of AGW. It's just that the bar is set so high.

I'd write in for Thursday Afternoon if I were to vote today. I was awake in the night and listened to the whole thing for the first time in a while. It's perfect.

I wrote this, half asleep.

I was ill once and so exhausted that consciousness was reduced to something close to a flat line, or a background hum. I made it to the garden, where I didn't process as such but lay in the thinnest of October sunshine, and let what was there fall into what remained of me: light spilling through oak leaves, the bonewhite arc of an aeroplane contrail, the subtlest of shift in breeze and air pattern, the flit of bird and insect. I don't recall if it was a Thursday.

I've been listening to a lot of Eno lately. I have never been a huge fan beyond his production work. I really like My Squelchy Life and Michael Brook's "Hybrid" which is listed as a collaboration with him and Daniel Lanois. From his older stuff, Before and After Science has been enjoyable.

before and after science is my favorite, with another green world my first love

xp Hybrid is a great and possibly under-appreciated LP

My daughter (9) has been going to sleep while listening to Thursday afternoon for probably as long as she can remember.

That stuff gets in your DNA, I swear.

Drifting off to it recently, I've convinced myself the birds in the backgrounds are long-tailed tits.
https://xeno-canto.org/species/Aegithalos-caudatus

Eno + tits checks out.