Reviews (page 3 of 8)
It does what it says on the label. If only airports were as calm and soothing as this.
i love this album so much.
it was fun, it was ambient, it was a four
Nice, calming music. Boring in a good way. It'll be kinda weird to hate it.
Listened to on my Apple EarPods. 'Ambient 1: Music for Airports' is an album I'm already a bit familiar with, as one of my conscious choices for ambient listening, alongside Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Vol. II'. This album, and ambient music as a whole, is a very interesting prospect for music in general, as it's easily ignorable nature makes it that much more thought-provoking. The ignorable part isn't even my own conjecture--the artist Brian Eno agrees. He is quoted as to saying that the music of ambience should be "as ignorable as it is interesting." I think this really conveys Brian's creative process for this work. Lately, I have been listening to albums for this project whilst going on walks, and there is hardly anything more appropriate--I find--for the activity than good ambience such as this, because it really facilitates the ebb and flow of attention span that can be found on walks. I listen intently, then my mind drifts, and I fall into thought about something or other in my life or the environment around me. Will I get to see the dog Noodles that walks my route with her owner? I wonder what those goats are thinking behind that fence over there. Time to pause for the traffic, and wait to cross. It's these subtle thoughts that drift in and out of my mind as I go on my walks, and it can shift focus away, sometimes without even really noticing. What 'Ambient 1' says is: good. Let it happen. Let the music serve you. Let it blend into the environment. Think of the subtle presses of the piano keys while birds tweet in the trees ahead. Let it sink into your subconscious while you have an internal debate about a particular thought that has been clouding your mind lately. Just let it drift in and out. This, I think, is what can make ambient music so enticing to listen to. It's not just it's spacey, often peaceful, gently rhythmic quality that makes it good for filling the air, it's that when done excellently like done here, it truly serves you in the moment, on a deeper level. Specifically noting the four tracks, I find myself enamored particularly to the opener 1/1, with it's piano keys that feel assuring, and subtle synth droning that feels quizzical, an opening for thought. 1/2 is also a track I find myself attached to, in it's combination of heavenly sounding choral adornments with drifting piano. 2/2 also ends the listening experience on a strong note, with it's pure synth sounds rising in and out of each other, like waves crashing in the ocean. It feels like clarity, not of a particular end goal or certainty, but of an emotional understanding. Really, the only track I find not as interesting is the second track 2/1, with it's focus mainly on see-sawing vocal samples, which I find to be missing a little bit of something, which the next track makes up for with vocal samples in addition to piano. 'Ambient 1' was not the first ambient work, nor what Eno considers his own personal first, but it was the signpost for the genre moving forward. It gave it direction, it gave it a vibe, an understanding, and simply, a name. It's a fantastic work that does something entirely interesting for the world of music, and it finds that by stripping it down piece by piece until there's almost nothing left.
For many years I didn't much care for Eno's ambient music, but it has really grown on me. I still prefer his more 'conventional' albums, such as Before and after Science, but I think he was an important influence on the ambient genre.
Weird. Good background music so 4* I guess
AMbiente Musik, gut zum Einschlafen
It’s ambient music, obviously, but still pretty interesting to listen to. And it’s probably some of the best music to have on in the background while doing something else. Still I prefer Eno’s more straightforward pop/rock stuff
So gentle, so so gentle. One of the easiest records to listen to because of it's...ahem...ambience. The compositions are soft and flow so slowly, weaving together moments of being present for a listener. To think this came out in the 70s is refreshing, knowing that musicians and creativity like this existed and was distributed at a high level. This is one of those records that everyone should listen to before they die.
Credit for being the inventor of the term "Ambient". Good music to work to. As expected quite calm and monotone.
Very peaceful album, just straight to the point chill-out music. This is like the definition of minimalistic and sparse music. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, not a whole lot, but it's semi-interesting for sure. Reading the Wikipedia page - because I've been semi-interested in this album for quite a while now - makes it sound more boring than it actually is, when reading a Wikipedia page about an album usually does the opposite for me. I'd recommend this album. Highlight Song/s: "1/1"
I thought this was really good. I think it hit the mood I was in right. It's ambient, and maybe it's not all that different from a lot of ambient music, being an innovator in that genre is pretty cool.
One of my favorite ambient albums
Great ambient music. Really enjoyed listening to these songs during work! Very slow but beautiful sounds incorporated.
The most relaxing thing the generator has given me so far.
Probably the artiest music album to ever art. I'll give a quick rundown. 1/1: what you came for 2/1: creepy voices and shit idk don't feel that ambient to me I guess 1/2: combination of past two tracks and works well (of course) 2/2: arp 2600 synth solo perfectly majestic good stuff. giving a 4/5 only because 2/1 was 2spooky4me and not quite ambient >_<
serene
Despite being a big Ambient fan and knowing this to be the most important ambient album, I actually haven't heard before this. It's definitely really well made ambient and most tracks beside the second one are quite interesting though it doesn't hit me emotionally like ambient should
1:1
banger
I wouldn't listen to this in an airport, probably, but it's extremely pleasant.
mmmmmmmmm…. mmmhmmmm…. ssshhhhhhhhhhhh…. mmmmmmmmmmm…… sssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh
Great to fill the space while working. Almost made me fall asleep
It does what it says on the tin. I guess as the first full ambient album, it's pretty cool but I would've happily read about it rather than listened to it.
Pleasant, pensive, reflective. Call it music, not music, background music, ambience, whatever the fuck you think it is - it’s quite nice. And maybe the world would be a little less stressful if this was the background to our lives.
This is great stuff, provided you start your journey into ambient with this album. If you instead start with all the modern ones, this might seem pretty basic - because this is the one that inspired them all. But it's still a great listę on a Łazy Saturday afternoon.
The ambient album that revolutionized the genre and one of those instances where I think the most influential example is not the best. In fact, I think "Ambient 4: On Land" is way better than this one, and "Dunwich Beach, Autumn, 1960" is one of my favourite ambient tracks ever. About this record, it is a compilation of 4 very minimalist and ethereal pieces that only consists in the use of looped melodies with a lot of silence in between and without any sense of rhythm. While this might sound very boring, what theses song portray is a very calm and relaxing feeling, which makes the project an immersive experience, and even encourages the listener to have this as background. The first one is the lengthiest cut, clocking at around 17 minutes, and it is basically a loop of a beautiful piano melody to which they add some spontaneous ethereal textures that come and go. The next composition uses vocal loops instead of piano and as a result, it loses strength. While still relaxing, the voices don't work as well as the piano. The third track is another beautiful piece that combines the two previous by mixing the same vocal loops as the second piece and a new piano loop that has a sad tone to it. Finally, the last cut do things different, using a synth instead of piano and vocals. Regardless of being more immersive than the second and a strong song, I don't find it as beautiful or hypnotic as the first and third ones. Ultimately, this is an incredibly influential and great project. I may not find it to be the most captivating amibient album, but still a great and calm experience.
Love this album, concept and all. Reminds me of jerkcurb or vice versa
Foundational ambient album, a criminally underrated genre. Brilliant, calming, ethereal but at the same time, completely ignorable (Eno’s own words, I believe). 4.5/5
i didn’t know airport music could be depressing
8.5 / 10
I see why people dislike it but to me this is a really great record to listen to. Yes, it's a slow instrumental effort where not much is going on, but it somehow manages to never be boring.
Torn. It's interesting and up my alley, but I'm not sure it's 1001A interesting.
I don’t generally like piano led ambient music, after a bit it hammers on my eardrums, but this was softer and hypnotic. Very good to drift off to.
"Outstanding." - Me. "Brian Eno's finest work." -Also me. "A no skip album." - Also me, again. No truly, I understand the hate surrounding this. Atmospheric and ambient music is always a tough pill to swallow. But through my avid gaming soundtrack consumption and time online with vaporwave this album refreshed my soul. A wild switch from the artsy stuff he tried to pull off they didn't resonate with me. I'll accept this as one of life's mysteries i may never fully grasp. Cool albo Beno.
This is a great chill out album. Very much time and place music.
This hit the right spot right when I needed it. It was perfect for calming my mind and clearing my head. Would I listen to it again.? absolutely in the setting I was in right now. For my normal rating, I would ordinarily give this a 3 because it ok but nothing special, but considering when this was released in 1978 I find it remarkable that he produced this almost 50 years ago on the back end of Disco and in the middle of the punk and new wave movement. This remarkable fact alone makes me want to give this a 4. So my rating is 3.5 upgraded to a 4.
"Some critics called it boring, missing the point by a mile" (quoting the book)
made me cry first time i listened to it. wasnt a great idea was already having a mental breakdown but its just that beautiful.
I've been meaning to listen to this album for a while as I was curious and never really got around to it, but it seems like today is the day! The music is beautiful and I can see it fitting a variety of moods; day, night, busy, relaxation, going to sleep... Never a distraction, and always a choice to actually pay attention. However, it's very hard to rate ambient music, especially in a project like this. Yes, it's quite pleasant, so I think I can rule out giving this a bad rating. But at the same time, it's not really captivating. Not because it's not good music; on the contrary, it's because it's good ambient music, and ambient music is not meant to be distracting. It shouldn't catch your attention and take your focus away from something else unless you actively choose to focus on the music. In the words of Brian Eno himself, "ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting." How can you compare it then to most other albums on the list? Usually they try to catch your attention or demand an attentive listen to be fully appreciated. Still, the ambient genre is music that must exist. Not just for artistic expression, but also because ignorable music is necessary in the world. I often think that the most important qualities in a piece of music are originality, quality and purpose. The purpose is tied to the context and the reaction/use that the creator wants or expects for their piece. I'd say purpose is the aspect in which ambient music shines most. So even if it's hardly comparable with basically most other genres, ambient music can still be labeled as "good". What I do know for sure is that this album deserves to be on the list, as it's one of the most important ones (if not THE most important) in history of ambient music, and a truly innovative idea. Maybe not the first ambient record, but I bet it had its huge roll in laying the foundation of what ambient music should be. I can say, though, that I will be adding this album to my regular rotation of music for studying/work.
Finally found an Eno (solo) album I like, really enjoyed it more than I expected
Cozy but long
"As ignorable as it is interesting": what a perfect description of this album. Although it apparently was designed to be calming and tension-diffusing, my first impression was that it inspired a deep sadness; the title of the album combined with the music evoked memories of my own experiences in airports, but only the goodbyes without the hopeful excitement. The feeling of leaving a time, place, person you know deep down you’ll never see again. Once the loop set in and I eased into the music, the poignancy wore off, and it faded into the background like it was intended to. Still, it certainly maintains the “interesting” aspect as much the the “ignorable” one. I think this is something I’ll find myself returning to in the future. A lovely work.
I love this.
Enjoyable
I felt the stress melting off my body. Beautiful and boring.
Funny, I've had this album in my collection for years, but never got any further than the first track, because I always put it on to relax before falling asleep at night. So, this is the first time I've listened to it as a whole, and it was a beautiful journey. And then, of course, it also has its cultural significance -creating a whole new (music) genre with this record - so a star for that too. 4/5
More like music for airports that have been abandoned by humanity then monitored with time lapse photography to see nature gradually take over again and turn them into luscious ecosystems
While some people, probably with too much anxiety issues, see this a boredom. I see myself tripping in acid on top a glacier as it melts in ultra slow motion. Of course there's a time and a place for this, but nonetheless it is an immersive and contemplative sound.
My first venture in Brian Eno. Great album to relax to. Perfect background music for working, studying, etc. I’ll be checking out his other ambient projects.
another holy grail amongst the ambient albums, has a very minecraft-ish calm sense of tranquility with a touch of classic side.
beautiful songs that rlly put me at peace 8/10
This is exactly what it says on the tin. And does it perfectly
Already knew this one, great for focus
+ Sykt for å være fra 1977, avslappende, crisp produksjon, piano slaps - Kanskje litt anonym, altså ikke så mye særpreg, selv om det er ambient kan sangene dra litt til tider.
Genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Music to relax to
I love me a good instrumental album, and Brian Eno's name alone immediately interested me - specifically, how he'd approach a concept (music for airports) as opposed to a U2 album. This is an album you can ignore, which is to say, it's quite peaceful and you forget about it. Piano heavy, soothing choir, contemplation in its tone. Maybe a bit "mystery of the vista / great unknown" - maybe for a plane ride? - rather than something that's actually suited for an airport. Then again, this was the late 70s, and airports were a much different, more romantic place then. I like this music for work, massage... but not much else. 2/2 does sound a lot like the music in the movie, OBEX, where the hero goes on a long journey outside the safety of his home in search of his dog... in a video game that's all too immersive. It has the power to invoke thought, but isn't demanding that. We're now at a time where lo-fi and work music is its own genre. At the time, this was among the first - and its influence is clear 45+ years later.
Was recommended before by Brandon F. in music history, great ambient
Hmmm. It's fairly boring, but by design. It's kind of beautiful in a minimalistic way, and it succeeds in being generally soothing. So it hits the target...but did I enjoy it? I still don't know. I guess I'll go with a 4, but barely. 3.5
Enjoyable background music.
This album was the first ever album dubbed "ambient" music, so it's inclusion on the list is an absolute must. The music itself achieves exactly what it it says on the tin, and it holds re-listen value as background music. That said, this is a struggle if you're trying to actively listen. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
Have spent many contemplative hours with this one. Always enjoy when I put this on and find myself sliding into a state of relaxation.
why is this important? Eno started it all that's why - this album is 48 yrs old and I am guessing that all the ambient lounge and instrumental cafè del mar stuff all stems from here. Briano Eno has changed music in many ways and has always been a front runner. So glad he exists.
This isn’t so much at the airport for me, but heading to LaGuardia Airport in NY. The moment the plane starts to coast, gently drifting downward over the lit up Manhattan skyline. It’s serine. A pause before the energy spike.
Whilst this isn't my favourite of Brian Eno's works, it's still a hugely important album in the shaping of a genre, and a wonderful listen. The piano arrangements are deeply affecting, invoking such a sombre and reflective mood, whilst the modular synths embody a cathartic release of agonistic tension. The final track "2/2" gives off a more optimistic impression, not just longing for what could have been, but also what might be. Fantastic album and one which works a treat for me regardless of the headspace I'm in.
Okay for ambient it does exactly what it says on the tin, the album happened without me noticing. Usually I'd give a 2 or a 1 for that, but here it's the whole point of it.
Wauw
Ok yes I actually rest and sleep to this album.
Sí, este es un album que presenta una contradicción que otros ya han destacado: cómo escuchar algo que ha sido diseñado para ser ignorado. Pero creo que esa contradicción es aparente y en realidad sólo atiende a la superficie de lo diseñado por Eno. El resultado de estas 4 pistas, cada una de duración variable, pero todas con una clara intención, es un disco que, curiosamente, se deja escuchar tranquilamente. El hecho de que pueda acompañarte mientras trabajas, estudias, hacer ejercicio, etc., sólo viene a confirmar que no se trata de un simple ruido de fondo: esto no es un podcast.
Dreamy
1/1 great. 2/1 is at times just a voice saying "aah". 2/1 and 2/2 both great. Probably not an album for active listening, but superb ambient music. I have a bone to pick myself with the top-rated review here: "What makes this example special other than it being the first?" - I think you answered your own question. Brian Eno was very influential, and this album is part of musical history and its inclusion is there to expand your musical horizons. If you're not prepared to do that, why are you even doing this project? Anyway, four stars, which is a mark of my personal enjoyment, the only way I think I can honestly and consistently rank these albums.
Brian Eno of course is all over this list, as a producer and now an artist, and I can't say I'm mad to get this one, it is brilliant, so is he, and I do recognise it. I like ambient, and I kinda love this. I think it has most markers of a great album, vision, ambition, scope and an interesting soundscape. Those are crouch under the concept of ambient : it is there only if you listen. I guess I am not a fan of every track as much as the other, the third one being a bit repetitive for my taste. That being said, when I don't enjoy a fourth of your album, you can't get a 5, but it is a very well deserved 4.
Got the fear with this one when I saw it was only 4 very long tracks. But actually I really enjoyed this - big fan of instrumental soundtrack type stuff like this and it was very nice to listen to
Ooh, I like this one. It's like a new and improved Tubular Bells (with fewer different instruments), which itself is a project I seriously underrated when I first listened to it. Brian Eno, in this project and many others, has near-perfected the art of understatedness, and (especially) of not sounding too pretentious. The opener, 1/1, glows softly for its entire 17-minute duration. This effect is largely due to having lots of space between melodic phrases and the long reverb on every note. It approaches being a solo piano piece, and I like that, though admittedly there isn't all that much to analyse in terms of texturing when every moment of the piece sounds like any other moment. 2/1 is a harmonic showcase, focusing particularly on suspended chords. The arrangement is much less impressive if you know it's a keyboard, not a choir, but it's arranged to make it slightly ambiguous. A choir could definitely cover this piece, and it would sound beautiful. Probably more so. 1/2 is a combination of the first two tracks and inherits the strengths and weaknesses of each. 2/2 is the most instrumentally complex track, involving a slew of brass and string instruments (or brass/strings voices on keyboard). But harmonically, it's all the same rehashed suspension and resolution. The highest-rated review here gives this record 1 star, and asks just one question: "What makes this example special other than it being the first?" Is that not reason enough? And come on, you need to let your enjoyment have some bearing on the rating. If ratings were done purely on uniqueness, then sure, Ambient 1/Music For Airports tanks. Hundreds, if not thousands, of albums have been released since 1978 that sound exactly like this one. But then the same is true of the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night. And you don't see that one getting slandered (much) for everyone copying them later. It's a darn good record. And so is this one. 4/5 Key tracks: 1/1
I expect this will have a low rating here with many calling it boring and bland, and this may be another case where the story of the album is more interesting than actually listening to it. I'm a bit concerned that I have pre-existing bias for the album: that because the name "Brian Eno" is attached to it, I must believe it's good. Would the album be on this list if his name were not attached to it? That is kind of the wrong question, because we must remember that this album coined the term "ambient music". That is, if another artist had done exactly this, the album may be here anyways. But that begs the question, would an album like this even be noticed if not for a name like Brian Eno? He did not have the same mythology around his name in 1978, but he certainly was famous enough to be noticed. Did Brian Eno make this album popular, or did the album make Brian Eno popular? I think it's a bit of both. Certainly it took a while for this to enter the zeitgeist, and some of it may have been due to Brian Eno becoming more famous as a producer after this album was made. But on its own merits, this is an important seminal album in an innovative genre of music. It's boring, but that's sort of the point. It's hard to pay attention to, because its intention is to lull you into a peaceful state and induce some sort of clarity in you. Like calming, meditative music. More experimental and intentional than elevator muzak or the bland pop they blast over airport speakers nowadays. You'll feel good after listening to it.
Dobrze mi się uczyło przy tym albumie
So therapeutic and special, could return to this once a year
Been a fan of this one for some time now. The best way I could describe this album would be in the word peaceful. This album can remove the chaos from an environment. It moves and sways in ways that aren't always predicitble. It's unpredictively repetitive, and something for the background. A soundtrack for nothing.
This is a fantastic album for what it is aiming for. If I close my eyes I can imagine the PA announcements, moving walkways, and departure/arrival boards. Ambient stuff like this is good to put on in the background but there’s not much here I can really grab onto. Great stuff, but just in a very specific way.
Although it's not my favorite Brian Eno album and I don't listen to it very often, it's something truly special, groundbreaking. As a science fiction fan, I recognize all the sounds that accompany fantastic film landscapes. A worthy album.
I enjoy Brian Eno's art. ★★★★
I love the way that the current top review on here (1 star: "What makes this example special other than it being the first?") not only answers its own question, but is also beautifully countered by the second review (5 stars: "This is the album that transformed ambient music from a concept that some artists used to toy with to a de facto music genre"). That. So, having accepted why it's here, let's move on. I really enjoyed it. It's relaxing and intriguing. Sparse, looping musical patterns. It's less "Berlin" than I expected (I thought there might be a few more hints of Station to Station or Low, as there were on Before And After Science) but I do hope that David Bowie found this relaxing, too, amidst his coke-fuelled craziness around this time. I've enjoyed all of Eno's albums, and contributions to albums, on the list so far. Whilst perhaps not THE man, he's very much one of them, especially when it comes to synth.
Eno is one of my faves. I love this, though I do like Eno’s stuff that moves a little more. But his ambient music is so nice and comfy.
Great for relaxing
3.5
Super chill, amazing that this was done in the 70s, left me feeling very relaxed
Perfect soundtrack for wandering in NMS. Ambient and uplifting.
I think the title perfectly tempered my expectations - wonderful album to have on in the background. My only issue with it was the vocals that popped up in the middle two tracks - they were too much for me to not ignore.
This was really nice for what it is. Fantastic project idea. Was actually good to fall asleep to. 4/5
The album the defined ambient music. Simple and excellent
Ik hou wel van ambient en ik vind dit dan ook helemaal geen vervelend album, al wordt de muziek hier wel heel erg uitgekleed en uitgerekt. Het is blijkbaar zo'n grondleggend album en we weten allemaal dat daarná pas de beste werken ontstaan. Normaal vind ik het leuk als er veel laagjes zijn die zorgen voor een grote wazige hypnose, maar hier ontbreken die laagjes een beetje. Dit is een album lang Avril 14th van Apex Twin maar dan soms nog met een electronisch keyboard die op geluidseffect 'Choir' is gezet erbij. Twee instrumenten met een bak reverb om het wazig te maken. Ik vind het alsnog wel prima voor een keer. Het is wel prettig om te luisteren en gewoon 'mooi'. Als heb ik wel het licht megalomane idee dat ik zoiets ook nog wel zou kunnen maken. Ik maak er 4 sterren van want ik kan dit toch wel goed hebben.
I was introduced to ambient music in the 90s when the new wave of electronic wizards would cite this album, and others like it, as influences on their work. That was a catalyst for me to investigate Eno’s catalogue. I am in awe of Eno’s approach and innovations. Reading his notes describing the experiments which lead to some of his 70s albums reveal some inspirational critical thinking. It also reveals how many of his complex approaches could now be achieved with just a few basic settings being selected in any music making software. Something tells me the results would be rather sterile compared to what Eno achieved with his more arcane and primitive technology. He achieved better than this, but this is still a solid touchstone of the genre. Probably more of a 3.5 stars but I’m happy pick 4 tater than 3.
E æ nesten litt glad for at flyplassen ikke spille sånn musikk mens æ vente? Ja. E det aller aller mest fordi æ tror æ hadde sovna i tide og utide? Veldig ja. Det va på en måte gruelig fint, og æ hørte på Ambient 2 og 3 når æ først va i gang, men det føles ikke som musikk? Eller, det e slemt, men det e bakgrunnsmusikk, ikke sånt æ høre på for konsentrert lytting. Og det kan hende at det e et tilfelle av at det e av sin tid og det e for mye som bygge på det som kom etterpå, som e det æ har hørt på, men det kan man jo ikke vite. Men fint va det!
Sounds shocking modern in some spots, especially 1/1.
Legendary stöff. +1 fyrir að stofna genre.
Tímamótaverk í sögu flugvallatónlistar. Fullkomin vinnutónlist.
Extremely pleasant for working
Very illustrative of why Eno is the ambient master. Really enjoyed the first track. 3.5/5
Obviously not for every moment, but I love the atmosphere.
More music for an art gallery vs airports if you ask me but definitely ambient. Really enjoyed this.
Very Chill, Very Good ..... night night.
Got to listen in an airport. Very relaxing
L’album dello studio, unica ragione per cui credo in Brian Eno
Listening to this while working - all my emails end in “Have a wonderful day” as a result. I will go take a nap now.
Wow ambient music that I dont hate outright? What is this opposite day? Its actually good and not being me to tears. Amazing. I've had another eno record with David bryne and that sounded like it would be a home run but it kinda stunk if I recall. This is good though. Oh no my shit gamer brain is coming out.... it feels like its the backing track in something that is explorative. Like the new open air Zeldas. But more journey or abzu for the deep cuts. Where its playing in the background of swimming a character through an underwater cathedral.... OK gamer brain deactivate. It just sounds nice and doesnt get too repetitive. It is kinda but it doesnt feel to bad. Just good stuff that was actually worth listening to. Very surprised
Quiet and calming.
I enjoyed this. Simple, airy, conceptual, ambient. Probably foundational in the electronic music space.
I guess I'm an airport, I really enjoyed it. Chill, meditative. I think it feels a bit too empty after the first song though
Das Album wurde 1978 in London in verschiedenen Studios aufgenommen und markiert den Auftakt von Enos Ambient-Serie. Der britische Musiker wollte damit eine Klangumgebung schaffen, die beruhigend wirkt und zugleich aufmerksam gehört werden kann. Die vier Stücke tragen die schlichten Titel „1/1“, „2/1“, „1/2“ und „2/2“. Sie bestehen aus sich überlagernden Tape-Loops, Klaviermotiven, synthetischen Flächen und Gesangsschnipseln, die sich langsam verschieben und neu kombinieren. Bekannte Songs gibt es hier bewusst nicht; das Konzept setzt auf Ruhe und atmosphärische Wirkung statt auf Melodien oder Rhythmus. Mit diesem Ansatz hat Eno Ambient-Musik nachhaltig geprägt. Das Album wirkt heute wie ein Fundament für viele spätere Produktionen im elektronischen und experimentellen Bereich. Die Wirkung kann je nach Situation zwischen beruhigend und melancholisch schwanken. Insgesamt ein prägendes, minimalistisches Werk, das durch seine Zurückhaltung überzeugt und als Meilenstein der Ambient-Musik gilt.
I put this album on and caught up on 2 weeks of work I needed to get done. It soothed my fiery heart. It quelled the mountains of rage that had grown in my soul. It saved my family from existentially deathspiraling. It repayed all my debt. It sent me back in time to kill Hitler. Very chill. Put it on in a dark room and just exist. 4/5, will add 1/2 of it to an ambient playlist.
This should be annoying, dull even, right? Yet, it's more that it soothes and caresses something inside you. This works for a particular few, and I guess I'm among them.
Elevator music. Dull by design.i t succeeds in that goal. Even though it's kinda dull, it's also quite a powerful album.
Excellent for meditation or sleeping. Very calming, no vocals.
Un grand classique de la musique ambiante.
A pretty good album, I liked track 2/1 and 2/2 the most. I enjoyed the unusual music style.
Lovely little peaceful ambient music.
I did not know I’d like this album at all. I am not an ambient music guy, but there’s some taste to this album that makes me feel in peace.
Beautiful album
if this actually played in airports I'd be significantly less anxious about layovers. My job requires a lot of sitting in silence crunching numbers and this is perfect music for that.
Ambient music relies very heavily on the setting you listen in, which makes it a bit tricky to review. It’s not ideal for full, attentive listening, but it's also very easy for any distraction to break the atmosphere it’s creating. If you can strike the right balance and give it the space it needs, though, Music for Airports offers some gorgeous soundscapes to completely sink into. I could imagine this pairing well with a chill Minecraft session, or some fully locked-in solo office work. Looking forward to keeping this in rotation! Standouts: 1/1 • 1/2
Have heard this album before, good ambient music for being on an airplane and reading, but it also is a bit repetitive at times and kinda can drive me crazy, but it is overall calming and meditative. Pretty funny that this is the first album chosen due to it being extremely ambient, or after reading reviews, a pioneer in ambient music. It pushes the boundaries of what conventionally would be considered music. I think if someone asked you vaguely to "put on some music" and you put this on, it would be provoking an argument almost immediately. I think I was first introduced to Brian Eno through MGMT in their album Congratulations. He has a lot of influence on one of my favorite artists, Fred Again.. and he has an amazing body of work as an original artist, producer, and collaborator. I don't know how in-line this album is with his other music, as he's spanned a number of genres, but the case could be made that this album is punk as hell. Having listened to it through, the tones and the sounds selected are introspective, calming, and make for nice background music. Shoutouts Brian Eno.
The last time I got an album that sounded like music for insomniacs, I gave it a 3 for being background music. So how do you rate an album where that is the intention? This is the king of sleep music, and it's the first thing I would put on if I was wide awake in the middle of the night. It doesn't seem to be too bad as background music for reading either. So 3.5 instead of a 3, and I'll round up because it does what it says it does.
Do I respect the hell out of Brian Eno for inventing a genre I actively choose not to listen to? Yes. Do I get stuck listening to this music when its on, because its meditative? Also yes. I mean, he's the GOAT for background music. Which is fascinating. This is so punk rock in that it is completely anti-rock. It is ego-less. Its purely made to invoke peaceful feelings and be played at an airport. And that in itself, is pretty damn cool. However, I don't find myself seeking this out very often. I need to be in a very specific mood to choose this.
Aphex Twins musical dad did good!
Sounds like the easiest album to make, and at the same time, the most difficult. Could anyone else put this out and get it on the top 1000 albums ever though?
Beautiful. I really didn't expect much of this. It lives up to its billing as something that can exist in the background or foreground depending on however much attention you want to or are able to give it. The way Eno has layered the loops is really satisfying to engage with but the album is also just really pleasant existing in the background of life. I read that Eno created this in response to and in disgust of canned Muzak that was traditionally played in public spaces and man he really knocked it out of the park. It's very calming and ethereal, it has layers and can be analyzed intellectually but doesn't ever demand that of its listeners. I did not even a little bit expect to enjoy this. Ambient is not a genre I've ever considered listening to. I can truly understand why this album is seen as seminal in the genre.
I like simplicity and minimalism of Ambient 1. It works well playing in the background. Still, I like Eno's later works in the series better -- feels like this album wants to build to something more, but never gets there. Favorite song: 2/2
Love
invented ambient music…literally
One of the best ambient albums ever
Good ambience
This is not an album I would ever listen to. That said, I can see how people like it.
In a nutshell: music for airports, savasana and insomnia. Overall: 7/10
what an atmosphere!!!
It never occurred to me to discover the genesis of ambient music. I listen to this music for relaxations or focused activities without much thought to the artist behind it. There’s something very charming about the original. I will save this album and revisit.
this is what airports should sound like
Literally a genre-defining album, and IMO one that succeeds in its goal of giving the listener a feeling of inner peace and tranquility.
good!
This was a super pleasant surprise. I had the most meditative, calm commute into work this morning listening to this album. By chance, it's raining today, and the sound of rain on the windshield and the flashing on/flashing off of brake lights all added to the mood set by this album. I can't wait to listen to this again in the car, but at night, with the windows down, with absolutely no where to be and by no particular time.
Relaxing, sparse, instrumental
So chill
If you like NIN’s Ghosts albums or Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross soundtracks, you’ll love this album.
I do love a good ambient record, and can absolutely see why this one would make it into this list. Favourite tracks: the whole thing is lovely. Great, warm synths.
On top of being influential and essentially creating a new genre of music, it’s pretty nice ambient music as well. 7/10
Go-to relaxing album
Soothing. Good for yoga
I previously listened to this in an airport last summer (August 24). I was going from O'Hare to San Francisco at the ungodly hour of 4am all so I could make it to the Oakland Coliseum before the A's and all that history was over. This was pleasant to listen to in an airport terminal through ear buds, much better then on my early drive to work in the car. If this was played at even some airports just some of the time that would be great. Outside of airports maybe not so much
Unlike anything else, very very calming even on the tube. Good vessel to think to
Nice sound
A wonderful, mesmerising album. It works very well as background music, but also stands up as a listen on its own.
Very experimental and truly ambient, but accessible and engaging. Perfect work from home soundtrack.
Review 1 (the 'objective' one): I'm so glad this album exists. In a way, it's like a very simple modern painting in a Guggenheim eliciting a plethora of "I could have done that"-s. And they're right, most musicians *could* have done this, yet they didn't. Brian Eno's career had been leading up to this point, and it simply had to be made. And then, once it was out there, the world of electronic music would never be the same, and so many fantastic Ambient releases wouldn't exist without it. 5/5 stars. Review 2 (the subjective one): But really though, these aren't very great compositions. They're not very rewarding listens compared to all those other works it inspired; hell, it's not even close to being the best ambient work by Eno himself. The songs run on too long with too little colour, structure and variation, the sound palates are far too limited and those artificial ooh's that sound like cheap keyboard presets get a bit grating. The first track is really quite emotive, but afterwards... you quickly get the point and with every passing minute, that skip buttons seems ever more tempting. 3/5 stars. Conclusion: Essential yet flawed. 4/5 stars.
I rather liked this for what it was, nice ambient music for relaxation, meditation or as a calming background music. I would happily listen again.
4/5
Hypnotic, and vaguely sinister after the first one which i enjoyed. Really transportive overall. Liked the first one the least, which is gratifying as he wrote the rest entirely himself so clearly it's his style I'm after.
Liked it. Maybe because I’m going to an airport tomorrow so this was a fitting choice by the generator. It’s solid chill out music that will remind me of travelling going forward. My favourite Eno album from this list.
Never has an album title fit the content better than this. I found this to be a really interesting listen as it remained in the forefront as an active listening experience but it wasn't distracting and never took me away from what I was doing, which seems to be exactly its goal. Just perfect for tasks where focus is critical but when silence is deafening.
"Ambient 1: Music for Airports" is the sixth studio album by English musician Brian Eno. Ambient, minimalist and electronic are the wiki-listed genres. Yep, that defines it. Eno made the music with the intention to induce calm and as a place to think. One of the moments of inspiration came when Eno, who is a nervous flyer, was at an airport, heard "canned" Muzak and easy listening music and decided he wanted to make music to defuse the anxiety he was feeling. The album was dismissed initially by critics but is now credited with defining the ambient genre. The album is four songs. "1/1" leads off the album. Robert Wyatt of Soft Machine is on piano along with Eno on piano and synth. Soft piano keys looped for the entirety of the song. There's also a low drone sound Areas of silence. The second and third songs, "2/1" and "1/2" are very similar using female vocal loops with matching synthesizer tones. The songs differ by tonal changes and lengths. The closer "2/2" is all synths. Well, I do agree with Eno's intent; this ambient music is better than background Muzak. The music is relaxing and can definitely be put in the background. I don't really consider myself an ambient music expert but I have enjoyed listening to it from time to time. Even within the ambient music that I've heard there is an extreme minimalist approach to these songs: very few changes within songs and long pauses of silence which are just as important as the music. I recommend this album to any ambient electronic music fan and anyone who wants some soothing background music.
Perfect background music
gorgeous, relaxing, spacious and soothing album.
I feel like its quite hard to judge purely ambient music on a typical standpoint of good/bad, because it obviously can't compete by any rhythmic/lyrical standards, so it think the only real judgment you can make it to judge the 'atmosphere' as a whole. And I think totally this nails the atmosphere, as his vision for this album is kind of simply summed up in the title and doesn't need any more description for you to understand the vision. Also in terms of influence, this (and other Eno/other artist projects from this time) could possible be some of the most influential albums ever (for electronic music as at least). The only complaint is that it’s really minimal (I know that’s kind of the point) Favourite songs: all, especially first and last 2 Overall around 8/10
Another good one for a busy workday. 4/5
Loved this, though I listen to these albums while I'm at work and this was not the best "working" music for me. Very relaxing and verging on putting me to sleep - great for some situations!
Really beautiful, kind of haunting at times but perfect background noise while at my desk.
Great music to hear just before you die! Very soothing. Good for doing taxes, too. 3.8
I'll admit that I don't listen to this album often, but when I do it truly does calm and open my space to think. Given the speed at which the world moves today maybe I should be listening to this album more often?
This was made in the '70s?! Seems like modern day ambient. Timeless ig
Poses interesting questions about the utility of music. Some reviewers seem perfectly happy with music that has the power to induce dancing, contextualize personal experiences, or change mood, but for some reason draw the line at music whose purpose is the absence of these things. I, for one, am for it.
This was really nice for what it is. Fantastic project idea. Was actually good to fall asleep to.
This will be my third Brian Eno album to review, after Here Come The Warm Jets (3 stars) and Before and After Science (5 stars). I really loved Before and After Science, and based on the description of this album, I think I’m going to really like it. Here’s to a relaxing Sunday of ambient music! I didn’t fall in love with this, but I really enjoyed listening to it, and it’s an album that I would listen to again. The arrangements were absolutely beautiful, and I loved how the music really both put me at ease but also demanded my attention as I listened to it. It was a really strange experience to listen to something both actively and passively at the same time. I don’t think I could pick out a favorite part of this album, but I also couldn’t pick out a least favorite part either. The album moved seamlessly from song to song, and even though each song brought something unique to the table, this album was really cohesive. My only complaint with this album is that I think it would have been better to shorten these songs and add a couple more songs. While this music was beautiful and easy to take in, the length of these songs made them pretty tedious after a while.
I first gave this a listen to many years ago after reading reviews. I found it annoying and frustrating. As I become more and more of an Eno fan, I would come back to this album when I needed some background music. This and Apollo work so well when I need non distracting background music. So how does one rate music that's not meant to engage the mind? I feel a 3.5 but being in a very great mood I've give a 4.
I like this record for what it’s intended for: ambient music that your mind can tune into and out of. Great for listening to on a plane (not so much an airport itself) or for calling asleep, as Sunday morning background, or getting through a pile of work.
Ambient music hooray! I love listening to ambient music while I work, and I know nothing about the history and development of the genre, so this was a fun learning and listening album for me.
Day393 - im not sure this belongs on the list even though its good and i’ve had it on all morning and i’ll probably listen again
Great for sleepless nights or rainy days with a cup of tea
Good reading music
the man who pioneered yoga playlists
I remember that this was a great ambient album. Brian Eno does a good job.
Exactly as described. If I heard this in an airport, it would probably brighten my mood.
Very soothing! Felt like I was at a spa.
Been avoiding this record - although I love myself a good ambient record - this one seemed like it was going to be too spacey… but the opening track is hauntingly beautiful - it came on during a ran on a foggy morning - a perfect soundtrack and I was hooked. The rest is good too but that first track - chef’s kiss
Its super interesting to me how this is still as relevant today as it was in 1978. '1/1' reminded me a lot of the Minecraft soundtrack where C418 managed to make some music that nobody noticed and yet it has wormed its way into the collective consciousness of a generation. And is now inspiring a whole new generation of musicians Standouts 1/1 4/5
Great music to be productive at work for
It is what it says on the label: ambient music. Super chill and slow paced. If you like ambient music you should really enjoy this.
Wow. Stunning stuff, especially that first one literally had me getting lost in the Whole Foods lol.
Album 642 of 1001 Brian Eno - Ambient 1/Music For Airports (1978) Rating : 4/ 5 Perhaps one of the most peaceful and I have ever heard. Serene would sum it up nicely. Would certainly be perfect for the noisy and bustling atmosphere of an airport. Nice listen.
I love the idea behind the album, "music as ignorable as it is interesting... capable of inducing calm and a space to think". Also the fact that this is the first piece of music to be called "ambient" is quite astonishing. In 1978 synths were very expensive and new, so not many artists used them and even fewer made music that focus around them. While modern ambient or even 90's modern style ambient, is quite different, I can hear the seeds of the soothing music in this record. I might've listened to this at the wrong moment, it was morning and I just started working, but it still held my attention wonderfully well. Lovely.
The album that invented ambient as an art form and it's well worth a listen. A soothing balm that will definitely go onto my "bedtime" list. I've listened to a bit of ambient over the years some of it I like, some of it is screamingly affected by the desire to be atonal. This is definitely in the musical side of the genre. It is what it is, and absolutely belongs in a list that tries to demonstrate the development of music in all forms.
Quite relaxing and meditative. I could see myself coming back to this while I'm working on something in the office.
7.5/10
4.0
Good background noise.
ambient and chill
Important for historical reasons
I enjoyed this. Relaxing and good background music. 4/5
My appreciation for Brian Eno continues to grow as I make my way through this list. This is incredibly peaceful and calming to the nervous system. My favorite is 1/1, which immediately reminded me of the score for The Social Network (Hand Covers Bruise specifically).
I think Brian Eno is one of the most fascinating and creative people in the music biz, so it’s a bit hard for me to be objective, but I think it’s fair to say this genre-defining ambient album is groundbreaking. It takes a certain stroke of creative genius to reimagine the way we interact with music - to say, in the height of the disco era, that music doesn’t need to be melodic or even phrasal but can exist as a texture to subtly morph our surroundings. I think the intent of this album is pretty contrary to the intent of the 1001 Albums project, or at least the way I like to listen to my album of the day, which is intently and carefully with minimal distraction. It’s hard to know how to rate this album because the content is hardly even musical. But I have so much respect for Eno and have in fact listened to this album several times in my life and always enjoy it, so I’m gonna say 8/10? I guess?
Really nice and chill awesome to listen to
wowza uil music for sure love it
Ahhh. The birth of ambience. Spectacular album.
Great ambient sound to walk late at night
Lovely chilled relaxing ambience, beautiful.
Love
J'anticipais tellement peu cet album et j'ai vraiment été agréablement surpris. Bien que son but était purement de litérallement faire de la musique de fond pour des aéroports, le résultat est quelque chose qui s'écoute vraiment bien pour le plaisir. Il y a vraiment une atmosphère particulière à cet album. Une bonne trame sonore pour un après-midi tranquille à lire un bon roman. 7.5/10
Ambient always first evokes images of forests, more so than airports, but I can easily also picture myself awaiting the dry void of a crowded plane in a dry void of an architecturally indefinable airport.
Like a pleasant, comforting coda played at the end of the line. The irony of the title (and the album's intent, I suppose) is that no airport would actually play this eerily calm music (though parts of e.g. 2/1 are more ”active” and heightened, for lack of better words); Eno's sounds are meant for a far stranger terminal, a transitional limbo to an alien country.
That was peaceful and influenced a whole genre
Excellent! Tails off in the middle a bit so not perfect but I liked it a lot.
Well, I was really in the mood for this yesterday whilst working. It is then ultimate in minimal background noise. To say I listened to it would be a stretch. We were in the same room and it made that room extremely chilled and tranquil. I'm not sure about its suitability for an airport what with all the announcements, people being in a rush for their gate, bright lights and overpriced goods.
Ambient music: "as ignorable as it is interesting"; which, I guess, this album achieves. 4 for the calm.
Primer acercamiento a este trabajo de Brian Eno. Ambient 1/Music For Airports se trata del sexto álbum de estudio del artista en solitario. Este trabajo involucra una versión más reduccionista de su sonido, el cual tiene como consecuencia un álbum minimalista que dio estructura al género del Ambient. Eno no fue el primero en hacerlo, pero si probablemente el más importante. Así, este trabajo nos lleva en un viaje por cuatro piezas musicales, las cuales ponen como protagonista un piano y un sintetizador. Sin mucho más que ello, el artista se dispone a crear loops de diferentes composiciones que van tomando posición sobre las extensas canciones. Lo más característico de esta decisión es que Eno va agregando capas de sonido en cada una de las mismas, e incluso vuelve sobre elementos contemplados en canciones del mismo trabajo (como es el caso del sintetizador de 1/2 que volvemos a escuchar en 2/1). No obstante, es importante destacar que esas adiciones nunca buscan crear canciones sobresalientes ni instrumentalizaciones gigantescas. Por el contrario, el artista comprende que el objetivo más importante con este trabajo es el confort del oyente, lo cual no arriesga en ningún segundo. Con una duración de 48 minutos, este trabajo involucra la creación de diversas atmósferas que envuelven a quien lo escucha en la más cálida de las reflexiones. Mucho se ha dicho sobre que este género no es realmente música, puesto que "no está hecho realmente para ser escuchado". En lo personal no podría estar menos de acuerdo. Si bien este trabajo no contiene letras introspectivas o instrumentales épicas del artista, sí invita al oyente a descansar y pensar. Estamos tan acostumbrados a que la música se trate de una voz acompañada de instrumentos que olvidamos a veces que la calma puede venir de las cosas más mínimas. En este sentido, el artista no decepciona y lograr crear un álbum sumamente influyente e indispensable para cualquier fan de la música. En síntesis, gran trabajo de Brian Eno. Recalcar que si bien 1/2 es mi pieza menos favorita de este álbum pienso que todas las canciones aquí son buenas. FAVTRAXS: 1/1, 2/1, 2/2 LEASTFAV: 1/2
Love this album. Great background music for focusing on just about anything. No one was really packaging up stuff like this until Eno.
Excellent Ambient...
It would be great to live in a world where the music was the problem to be solved with regard to air travel. I feel like I understand this album more in relation to *contemporary relational art* than to album-based music. Both in regard to the clear thesis and also the tendency of artists to conveniently find solutions that can fit their own immaculate sense of aesthetics. In other words, I'd love to come across this in a museum with an indecipherable text on the wall and a small listening booth. I would be utterly baffled to come across this in the wild.
does what it says on the tin
sure, beam me up dude
I enjoyed it
Gets the extra star for Robert Wyatt on the piano
Heard of Brian Eno thru this site. This music is easy to work while playing in the background.
This is will be a lovely addition to my Reading on a Train playlist. Simpsons: had a few songs used, but no references.
A great album to help you fall asleep, and that isn't a criticism. I listened to it last night and it did a great job. Would also play this again whilst studying, or if doing some kind of yoga/meditation. I've used the term 'background music' to criticise quite a few albums on this list, but this one is intentional and I definitely appreciate it. Also had a good laugh imagining El Grande absolutely raging whilst listening to what should be a peaceful and relaxing album.
Something completely different to most other things on this list. Super enjoyable to listen to while eating my breakfast and staring out the window at the world going by
Brilliant. Perfectly encompasses what ambient music should be like.
I kind of want to know what the production process behind this was. Was Eno pacing angrily around the studio, occasionally stopping to press a key on the piano and angrily scowling at the sustain pedal for it's usefulness to the music. What I absolutely cannot imagine is this being played in an airport. It's not bad. But it also by deliberate choice not something you want to listen to actively. Eno is incredibly influential in music but I can't help belive that's in spite of him being Eno, rather than because of him being Eno.
Fabulous ambient album. 3.5/5
You can just always put this one, what a great experience, and texture
These are the album titles that get me out of bed in the morning. I've heard of this one before and understand, going in, its appreciation by music critics in general. Never have I listened to it before, but I've enjoyed the Eno on the list thus far. Opens on a warm / heavenly tone where you can actually hear a bit of background static that wraps around your ears like a warm blanket. On top of the static, a sparse layering of keys and bells plink around. Swelling slowly over and over without any sense of urgency. This seems like prime music to eat mushrooms to and stare off into the void. Ya know this was nice, and it did wrap around me like a warm blanket and make for an enjoyable background listen, but it really is hard for me to get too overly excited for ambient music. I say that having listened to quite a bit... Like I can appreciate that this is top execution, but I can't understand anyone getting off to this. For me, the production quality and layering push me to a 4, but I lacked the emotional response to push this into 5 territory.
Fitting that I am listening this right before going to the airport. Not something I would like to listen to in the airport, unless this was the score for a movie that I am in where I am having an introspective/melancholy flight. This is something I would listen to early in the morning to feel peaceful and focused during work though (exactly what I am doing now). Very beautiful album that I will likely never listen to again. Maybe my favorite Eno album so far? It's very different from his other 37 albums that are on this list.
ENO I actually listened to this one in the past year after going down an ENO hole. Can't remember if it was at an actual airport or not. This is really good rainy day music, or music for falling asleep (not a bad thing). Great background music for working. Just feels super lush. Thanks for the hug ENO.
A very good album, but I do think that having recognizable "melodies" does hurt this album. Especially when they are repeating for 10+ minutes.
Great mood album
I was aware of Brian Eno, but hadn't listened to much of his work. He is definitely a pioneer of ambient music, with this being released in the late 70s. Without this would there be Moby, Air and FSOL? Definitely worth checking out if you're into your ambient music. 4/5 #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie
This was designed to have a calming effect on airport travelers, and I think it is perfect for that. I was especially thinking about the tunnel to Concourse B at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. As for car travelers on the highway, I don't recommend it. The calming effect is not beneficial to attentive driving. I am impressed how this did, in fact, create a common genre of music. It's hard to remember that when it sounds so commonplace now.
Shoot, I don't know what to say. It seems to be just what it says it is...I suppose...
goated ambient, muchos no lo entienden, pero el propósito es ambientar un espacio o momento y quien mejor que brian eno para ello
I forget how beautiful and serene Eno's music is.
Ambient 1: Music for Airports is the sixth studio album by Brian Eno, originally released in 1978. This record was the first in a series of four compositions that Eno would release under the "Ambient" label. I'm not going to pretend like I know a ton about ambient music but this record is a pillar of the genre. I believe Eno was actually the first person to coin the term "ambient" to describe this style of music. The tracks on this record are as described: ambient. They leave a lot of space and I think that's what really sets this style of music apart from your typical easy listening. Eno obviously envisioned a future where public spaces would play this style of music. This is an interesting thought especially in the context of busy, anxiety-inducing public spaces. This music reminds me a lot of the frutiger aero vibe that a lot of companies were pushing throughout the 2000s-early 2010s. Maybe that's the future we could've realized had this music been played in airports.
As someone with moderate flying anxiety, I appreciate that he made something designed to calm the airport/flying experience. Super cool that it’s known for sort of creating the ambient genre. Not an album I’d crank up in the car on a road trip, but it’s very pretty and soothing for what it’s intended to be.
Not my favourite Eno's album, but very nice to listen if you are waiting at the airport
Would fall asleep to again
I’m surprised by how much I love Eno’s ambient stuff, but he does it better than anyone else. I could listen to him tinker with a soundboard for hours. One of his greatest works. Thinking A-
Well it is exactly as the title says. Ambient. Pure, early form.
Brian Eno accidentally discovered and invented ambient music as a form in itself and pioneered the idea with ‘Discrete Music’. However he codified it and made it listenable with this one. Just formless enough to be an atmosphere, just musical enough to be something more. I think the Apollo album is my favourite of his. But this one is the most essential and is very deserving of its place in this list as a source point and milestone of so much that followed.
Música instrumental. Sin más. Agradable. En todo momento pienso que estoy en el espacio :D.
Harmonics, subtones, and overtones
Well, I've already listened to the collaborative album Brian Eno had with David Byrne, and thus I get to hear one of his earlier solo works. This was the first album in a four-part series of ambient music where the intent was to make them meaningful with irregular patterns and various motifs. It's a pleasant album to listen to in the background while working, with enough going on to keep it interesting, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
I find ambient music endlessly fascinating, and this is so far head of its time. Works well as wallpaper music, but I recommend putting on a decent pair of cans and giving it a proper audition.
hyvä brian... älä laula... pysy hiljaa... hyvä brian... lentokenttämusiikkia ilmeisesti, taustamusiikkia, ei kuullu kuunnella, ei keskittymistä tähän... olen eri mieltä... keskityin tähän enemmän kuin oman elämäntilanteeni parantamisen jahtaamiseen... mikä nuotti tulee seuraavaksi? ai se sama taas... ei aina tarvitse olla yllätyksiä... suuntaa... musiikki on tyytyväinen tarkalleen siinä missä se sijaitsee.. kiirehtijät, kiirikot, pääkaupunkikeskuksen veikot oivat kommentoimassa, onpa tylsää... ei ehkä oikea elämä ole vielä tuttu... tuleeko koskaan olemaankaan... kaikilla on kiire, ei mihinkään.. muutan kuusamoon... hyvä brian, hyvä brian 2/1
I can see how this would not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoy the ambient genre and this seems to be the start of it. I could have this playing in the background all day.
Don't really know what to say about this except that it does exactly what it tells you it's going to do and it does it very well. Great studying music and very relaxing
fínasta afslöppunar/vinnutónlist. fær aðrar umferðir. 4
Minecraft - Volume Alpha by C418 is really fantastic ambient music. Highlights for me include Minecraft, Wet Hands, Sweden, Cat, with Mice On Venus being the standout track. Can definitely be enjoyed outside the context of Minecraft. Surely Remain In Light will be on here. We can give Eno his flowers then.
🥰
The most surprising thing about this album was that I could actually identify that I had heard 2 of the songs before in the wild, with suspicions confirmed by the wikipedia page. It's a sound bath. It's music for airports, backgrounds, interludes.
This was a pleasant listen. Was keeping me calm in traffic. Sometimes I didn't notice it was there and it was over before I knew it.
Super relaxing. Quite enjoyed it!
i don't know if ever there's been an album titled so aptly. the title does indeed make me chuckle. i'm not surprised brian eno created such a beautiful album, nor about him birthing the ambient genre. eno has a great many talents but there is something about his instrumental work. the piano in particular was just lovely throughout the album. he created music that's delicate and peaceful. something that calms you down in the middle of chaos (read: an airport).
This was mega chill, I would never have chosen it, I cannot remember any of the songs but it was an easy listen 4/10
Quite pleasant. 4/5
It may only be ambient, but Eno makes it his own beast.
Top notch ambient
For background music I'm only supposed to hear while I'm in line at TSA, it sure did trigger a mini existential crisis. Honestly, I just can't believe the goofy little gremlin who made Here Come the Warm Jets also made this gorgeous ambient album. Like, the range!!! Full transparency, though, I think Music for Airports is one of those albums where a star rating feels inappropriate. It's kind of removed from pop music criticism. I'm not going to actively listen to this all the time, but I do thoroughly enjoy it, and I will definitely listen to it passively. But it's also not an album that I'm meant to "enjoy" by definition; it's an artistic statement, closer to a composition than a pop album. That also means it's a bit unstuck from time, and places Eno in the lineage of your Bachs and your Beethovens and your Mozarts, not in line with his contemporary rock/pop peers. At the end of the day, though, this is a gorgeous album, a genuine work for art, and essential listening that I really enjoyed, and I'll be using this as my writing background music moving forward.
Did its job very well
its nice grew on me
Like the title says "Ambient" 2/1 and 2/2 are probably the best. Overall, I liked it and will listen again. 4 of the best
Very rarely is an artist able create something wholly novel that also feels like it should naturally exist, but Eno’s creation of ambient music does exactly that. It’s not some obscure, avant-garde creation that few can appreciate, but a genre that serves a purpose and excels at it. This is music that anyone can hear and appreciate at any level, totally fulfilling the goal of creating music as forgettable as it is engaging. The story behind the album is more interesting than the album in a vacuum.
It was born of its time so it could talk to the future. It’s probably the quietest musical revolution in popular music history. In ‘78 there was Muzak but nothing this minimalist and haunting. Now you can’t walk into a public space without at some point encountering ambient music. Eno was a visionary who helped other bands in their quests, but his Holy Grail might be this record.
Great for relaxing background music.
Listened to this while playing Imperium Classics. The game is still in progress. The whole time I was listening to this, I kept thinking "if only Satie had been alive to hear this." My dog loved it...she passed out the whole time. There was one time in an airport where for over 2 hours, the airport lost power. There was this emergency alarm that was blaring so loudly, they gave everyone earplugs and you could still hear it. I would have given anything to have this piping into my ears instead.
Good tunes, nice to play games with.
Well, it is what it says it is. Unobtrusive in the background, somewhat interesting if you listen to it. Repetitive in a non-annoying way. I bought this when it first came out expecting something more experimental. It actually is for its time, but just not in the way I was expecting I guess. Other than if you actually work in an airport, I suppose there are lots of scenarios that you could have this playing in the background. It would be decent studying or relaxing music I guess.
A simple and straightforward ambient chiller. Not too dense and changes tone each track. A wonderful companion during a walk on a warm sunny day. 1/1 and 2/2 are my favorites
Great yoga music
This album introduced me to ambient and it's a banger
I really wanted to love this one but its sterility does not leave me enough to latch onto. The experience of listening to Music For Airports through headphones while I sit at a desk feels like only half of what could be. What would this sound like at high volume? Or in a totally black room? Maybe in a sensory deprivation float tank... or an airport?
Loved it, very thought provoking and relaxing
This album was soooo nice to study to
Of course, this is the one that started it all, the trailblazing ambient album—but it's really only half good: '1/1' and '1/2' being a billion times better than '2/1' and '2/2'. All that being said, even if it's a 50% F-grade record, it's an important recording I hold dear to my heart. I'd just have preferred to encounter Eno's later Ambient 2 or Ambient 4 on this list because those are absolute 5s.
ALs dit is hoe een Tia is dan wil ik een Tia
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance of this album. The ability to use a minimalist approach to create music is very enticing to me. This album for sure won't be for everybody but if you don't mind space and repetitiveness I think you will enjoy this album
послушал только часть первого трека - но уже очень впечатляюще и круто
I was familiar with the history of this album but I don’t think I ever listened to it all the way through. I was listening to it driving through a snow storm in the early morning so it was weirdly appropriate. Not sure it will ever be an album I listen to regularly but I liked it.
Música instrumental. Sin más. Agradable. En todo momento pienso que estoy en el espacio :D.
This is really beautiful, and as someone who likes to always have some sort of background noise so I am never alone with my thoughts, I am eternally grateful for ambient taking off as a genre. It sounds like an alien church choir, it is simple, but the layers are all interesting to focus in on and see what they are doing. Lovely.
Where were you when Brian Eno invented ambient music? I wasn't born yet, so it doesn't matter. Okay, maybe Eno didn't invent ambient music, but his contributions to the genre definitely legitimized it to a wider audience. Eno is perhaps best known for his production in a number of widely-regarded albums, which extends into the immaculate detail imbued in Ambient 1/Music For Airports. What may seem like just piano and background synths at first becomes a comforting presence. It's music you can envelop yourself in. Even at it's worst, I can't help but appreciate the cheap choir synths and their dynamic floating in and out of the soundscape.
Nice background music for working. I feel like I've heard of Brian Eno for a long time and never consciously listened or sought out an album. Not sure if I'll do so again, but it was a pleasant listening experience nonetheless.
I really liked it, i wish airports would actually play this stuff.
Soothing relaxing meditation music. Introspective
Fire
I think this album has been surpassed by so many ambient artists now but you've got to respect the elders, man. To make an ambient album with minimalist choral work was a rather bold move for Mr. Eno. He took what was once reserved for artists like Arvo Pärt or Penderecki and made it his own. This isn't as revolutionary as it once has been, but this is still highly enjoyable.
The definition of soft, soothing, atmospheric and minimalist music. It's a blueprint to the genre.
Peaceful and at times ethereal. Though it tends to have a very light touch, the music undeniably adds a richness to the background. Cool for a pretty specific purpose.
Jeg ville aldrig tage toget til Danmark igen hvis lufthavne var så afstressende
Great for studying,cool synth though it obsviously gets boring after sometime cause its looped.
This album achieved exactly what it set out to do.
I thought it was really good. Just not something I feel like I need to listen to again. Definitely interested in listening to some more Brian Eno solo stuff. I loved the other album I listened to
To be honest, my only previous exposure to Brian Eno was the work he did with Coldplay. I’d always thought of him as a musical genius and said that “one day” I’d listen to Music for Airports. Glad that this is on the list - even though ambient music isn’t my thing (I fought many times with myself to skip to the next track when the repetition was getting to me), I found an appreciation for the art of minimalism and restraint. I don’t know if I’ll come back to this one though.
Surprisingly, I liked this one. Great background music that's not distracting
Nice background ambient music