Reviews (page 7 of 9)
This album introduced me to ambient and it's a banger
I consider it a great accomplishment that I did not fall asleep during this album.
1-2
I’ve definitely not heard this album…or maybe I have heard it a hundred times, in movies, in the spa, in the airport. It’s exactly what the title says. I am more likely to listen to this again than a lot of albums from the 70s.
Too long and too dull
Amazing!!
Not bad. Not really good, either.
Cool stuff. Good background music. I get it, will listen again some day.
Interesting as an historial artifact, and for who produced it - but not interesting as music
A bit meh
Brian Eno has an incredible career in the music industry. He has been involved in a wide range of projects, with an almost impossible list of different recording artist. Among his various projects, he has recorded a few albums of ambient music. Ambient 1: Music for Airports is a collection of pretty, but fairly innocuous ambient tracks. These are pleasant tracks, but not particularly memorable.
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?
Great background music to work to. Not sure of its place in this list, though. Better than some of the other offerings tbf.
What did you want him to call it — “Soundtrack for a Movie Where Nothing Happens”?
Very pleasant.
#145. Just like that Barry Adamson soundtrack album that isn't actually a soundtrack for anything, the main question I have for this is- Why? Why does this exist? Why would you intentionally make music for the sole purpose that no one will want to listen to it? 1/5: dumb Song added to playlist: 1/1 I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
It pleases the ear, but why does it exist? Totally inoffensive.
It’s definitely ambient music, but was I wrong for expecting more given it was on this list?
Half of the album reminded me of the sound that comes from tap when you open it, but there is no water, just the air is coming out.
La música que ponen en los spas cuando te das un masaje. 100% ambient.
It's just too ambient for me. There is very little there to listen to.
I can’t really add much to Tom’s review. I think it might have been you that introduced it to me and I love it for the same reasons you do. It’s almost more of a well-being tool than a record, but it’s precisely the fact that it has musical value that lifts it above the kind of ambient pap you hear in any spa or masseuse’s office. It’s genuinely moving and hugely influential. The simple repetitive melodic figures are wonderful, but the beds he creates underneath them are amazing, there’s always a bass note drone or harmony note swell coming in or out, but it never feels cluttered and the mix is perfect. Doing this with the technology of the time is so impressive. You can tell how influential it’s been too - I imagine every member of Radiohead, Kate Bush, Daniel Lanois and Peter Gabriel have well worn copies. People go on about the healing power of music, but this is one of the few albums I could point to as evidence of it.
Ambient 1: Music For Airports I love this album and after giving Another Green World 4 I can’t not give this 5. I listen to it a lot, sometimes when I’m working, sometimes commuting or driving. The beauty of it for me is that I find it genuinely calming, and it works as background music or something I actively listen to. It’s slow and without distinctive melodies or structures, but it never feels slight or pointless. The more you listen the more you hear and connect and the better it gets. Of the four tracks 1/1 has the closest thing to a recognisable melody, and I really think it is a beautiful piece of music. The piano is obviously very Satie influenced, but for such a simple arrangement of just synthesiser and pianos it does an incredible job of evoking a mood and a feeling, while musically holding your attention. I like how 1/2 pulls together the piano elements from 1/1 and the vocal elements of 2/1 to create a kind of denouement or crescendo to the first two tracks before 2/2 is a kind of end credits piece, taking what’s come before and transposing the previous ideas and themes into synthesised horns. I really do adore this album, it gets better each time I listen and it genuinely has a physical and emotional effect on me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Favorite Track: 2/2
Perfectly forgettable
Best ambient. Listen to it all the time.
If this played at actual airports air travel would be much less stressful.
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.
Nothingness. Not cool, mysterious, thought provoking nothingness. Just... nothing.
I've grown into this album (and ambient music in general) in my middle age in a big way. Gorgeous.
It was sub par! I wanted to take a nap the whole time pretty much but some noises were really enjoyable
More like music for elevators am I right? Good for studying or falling asleep to but I don’t think I’d be in the pit at this show 2.1*
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Boeing af
1/1 - interesting, defined, loved the little melodies dancing throughout. The long draw of the organ puts you in a place. The piano warms it. Really liked the ambiance it builds. 2/1 - not interesting, unless you like really slow swells made from boring vocal samples. I wouldn't listen to this while doing yoga, but I'd play it if I was struggling to sleep at night. 1/2 - Took the good piano from the first song and ruined it with the same bad samples from the previous song. 2/2 - Now, let's turn the bad samples into some okay sounding horns, but keep the swells. I wouldn't listen to this in an airport. It's not for an airport. It's more suited to a late night drive after you broke up with your S.O., or as a soundtrack to a short indie film about a someone struggling with depression. But, that's what most ambient music sounds like to me.
Perfekter Soundtrack um verstrahlt in der U-Bahn zu stehen. Noch nie vorher von gehört.
The OG of ambience. I aspire to be this good.
ALs dit is hoe een Tia is dan wil ik een Tia
Maat. Hoe dit ooit in de top 1001 is gekomen is me een raadsel. Maar dit is top. 5 sterren all the way.
Another great Brian Eno album - my favourite of all his ambient work.. Perfect for background music while working, but also great for listening to when you want to relax.
This one's a real banger. I've listened to this album a lot. I find this type of music helps me focus and stay calm. Mellow. One of my favorite ambient albums.
This is exactly what I needed today. And possibly every day. Fantastic job, album generator! A true gift. As the origin story of ambient music, this album clearly deserves inclusion on this list.
Música ambiental agradable pero un tanto cansina por repetitiva. Ni fu ni fa.
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.
And why is this in the list for people to hear this????? Seems more that someone has a hard on for Brian Eno to include yet another one of his voring albums. So it's minimalist music... Big deal... why did I need to hear this for review?
Yoga music, but I don't mind it
Once when to the Amsterdam Schiphol airport where this was played live, as it was meant to be! Music composed in a way it fits the airport sounds, "Mr Smith", last call for the flight to Athens" and it worked. Am into minimal music, and he is a pioneer as he is also in the popular music world: Roxy Music, producer of Talking Heads and U2, his African album with David Byrne. Full marks of course
Nicht meine Richtung
Just ok. Kinda interesting from a historical perspective, but not really a great album to have on here
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.
I think this is the music that is playing when you take the underground walkway between terminals in Detroit. Interesting listen....but not for me.
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.
Great music to listen to when you're not in the mood to listen to music. Ya know?
Erinnert sehr an Arvo Part.
Not saying it is bad, I just don’t think this should be in the list.
I feel like this was probably groundbreaking at the time if ambient music wasn't a thing. I feel like ambient music is now very much a thing, and this feels a little boring in comparison. It was nice relaxing background music for work, but didn't blow me away.
It works as ambient music, not as an album to sit down and listen to
Background music that fades into the background
I got a bit behind with my albums so I didn’t have time to give this album a full and fair listen but because it was so minimal I think I was able to get a good idea. It’s hard to rate ambient music. I liked it. Listens: Almost 1 (heard each track which didn’t change much throughout) Fave Track: 1/2 Rating: 3
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.
Technically music I suppose. Inoffensive. High 1. Might be useful for occasions when you have a relative lying in state.
No
What an absolute waste of time – I don't care if this was the first ambient album or has any historical significance therein, it is elevator music plain and simple. I have ranted about this at length, but it's immensely disappointing that electronica is one of my lowest-rated genres here when it's one of my absolute faves in real life. The selections are so heavily weighted towards the generic breakbeat and ambient of the 90s that it's a joke, music that hasn't aged well at all. This is the genre that is redefining what music can sound like and truly be through crazy synths, imaginative sampling, and wild instrumental developments, and yet the project thinks this is what matters? Fucking bullshit I say.
Not sure that was music sounded like Ross on Friends playing his keyboard. Have traveled a lot and have never heard anything like that in an airport.
Emh....as an ambient music adept; this one seemed pretty avetage to me. Probably i am missing something. But i did not liked it too much
Not my cup of tea.
Definitely suitable for airports
I really liked it, i wish airports would actually play this stuff.
Brian Enon taustamusiikkialbumin Musiikkia lentokentille (Ambient 1/Music For Airports) heti ensimmäinen kappale joka on nimetty 1/2:ksi saa Z-sukupolvea kantavan pikkumiehen mieleen minecraftin taustamusiikin. Ei lyömäsoittimia, vaan pelkästään piano tai joku samankaltainen instrumentti, joka ylläpitää melodiaa. Bassoa ja matalia taajuuksia saattaa ylläpitää jokin yksinkertainen syntetisaattori. Kuitenkin, minecraftin kappaleet jättivät yksinkertaiuudessaan vaikutuksen ja muistot, jota tämän albumin äänet tuntuvat herättelevän. Mikä sitten teki siitä musiikista nii hyvän, pelkkä nostalgiaharha? ## Tunteet ja sanat ovat aivoissa niin eri paikassa että jos onnistun sylkemään paljon sanoja tähän se tarkoittaa että minecraft ihan loogisesti OBJEKTIIVISESTI hyvä musiikki) ## Pelissä, jossa ei ole selvää ajanjaksoa ja yhteyttä ihmishistoriaan ja sen kehitykseen, luulisi että mikä tahansa musiikki sopisi. Mutta mikä sitten tähdentäisi pelaamista? Einstürzende Neubautenin työkalujen äänet ja ahdistava ja alitajuntaan ulottuva atmosfääri se ei olisi, vaikka badminttoniin se musiikki on nastyä Ehkä kappeleeksi sopisi jokin rauhoittava taustamusiikki, koska peli on luova. Mutta minecraftiin ei kuitenkaan tullut tälläistä taustamusiikkia, näin luovuudenvapaata, yksinkertaista. Toki, musiikkia voidaan kuvailla rauhalliseksi ja yksinkertaiseksi, mutta siinä on myös narratiivisia sävyjä jotka erottavat sen mistä tahansa muusta taustamusiikki hörheilystä. (Uskon siis että yksinkertaisen taustamusiikin luominen on mitä helpointa työtä, josta ei saa missään nimessä tulla palkkaa "työntekijälle") Takautuvasti sanottuna, on helppo huomata että pelkästän rauhallinen taustamusiikki olisi ollut huonoin asia pelille. Sillä eihän minecraftissa ole rauhaa laisinkaan! Kun pelaa minecraftia ilman kavereita ei ole keskusteluja. Maailmassa ei ole ei-pelattavia hahmoja joiden kanssa seurustella. On vain sinä ja kaunis palikoista koostuva maailma, se jylhä maailman laajuus. Sitä Volume Alpha on täydellinen kuvastamaan. Tunnelma on yksinäinen ja pianon hitaat soinnut kuvastavat hitaita askeleita jota pelaaja tekee edistyksessään. Selvästi tämä ei syntynyt sattumalta. 1/1 ja 2/2 on erityisen hyvä esimerkki tällaisesta narratiivisesta musiikista. Kappaleet 2/1 ja 1/2 eivät ehkä ulotu siihen narratiiviselle tasolle johon nämä kaksi kappaletta jotenki onnistuvat pääsemään. Onneksi nämä parhaat kappaleet sijoittuvat albumin päihin, joten albumi alkaa ja loppuu parhailla esityksillään. Neljän kappaleen albumin tekeminen on kuitenkin säälittävää. Uskon että Artisti pelkää rikkovan oman löytämänsä kauneuden jonka kappale 2/2 lopettaa. Tässä on sorruttu himoihin joita olen ainakin itse kokenut. Joskushan sitä teke jotain kreatiivista ja luovaa vallan suurella sujuvuudella, ehkä uskallan käyttää anglismia “flow” ja “flow-tila”. Kuitenkin mitä tapahtuu on kun poistuu näistä tiloista, niin on se että löytää mahdottoman hankalaksi jatkaa. Ja jos jatkaa, tuntuu siltä että pilaa omaa aikaisempaa "täydellisyyttä". Vaikkei, noh, yleensä ole mitään sen kummempaa saanut aikaan. Volume Alphassa on useampi kappale joiden atmosfääri on selvästi homogeenisempi kuin tämän albumin pienet heilahdukset. Heilahduksina voisin kuvata myös albumin sanomaa. "Mitä sä kaveri haluut hei!" -huudahdus pääsee valloilleen. Chilling and wibing at the airport.. thats whats been up.. hankala genre pitää suuri jakauma.. annetaan 3.. genre and kasvuolosuhteet huomioonottava rating system....
Too ambient, if anything
Sometimes, an album can be influential and beautiful and also an absolute chore to listen to.
As someone who likes ambient music, it's nice to come back to where it all began. This isn't a terribly interesting insight but like Velvet Underground, it's revolutionary in its approach, but to a completely different end.
Fully forgot I was listening to music as I worked. Liked the first track nest but doubt I'll revisit
my mood is vastly improved from what it was before i clicked play
Soothing relaxing meditation music. Introspective
Forgettable, but in a good way.
A little to ambient for me... sleepy time
Crap
Boring but I think that was the point. Don’t feel like I NEEDED to hear it
Title sums it up
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.
If Airports were a spa brand.
The definition of soft, soothing, atmospheric and minimalist music. It's a blueprint to the genre.
One of the most appropriate titled albums possibly ever
Hard to say much about this. Obviously a lot of quality, but it's not much fun. Admire it more than I like it.
„Fahrstuhl-Musik“… aber für Flughäfen etc.
About as good as ambience gets. Still not an album or genre i'm likely to listen to often but inarguably perfect anyway.
Wonderful album that kicked off an entire genre!
Is this musak? Inquiry minds want to know. Maybe I'll learn to appreciate it at some point in the airport. But most recently, all I hear is, "Smithers, why are we not taking my private jet? Why are you forcing me to listen to stuff? Any one of these plebians will infect me with God only know what diseases." So really, in the vast land of bread, this is probably saltine crackers. Except that you could die taking the saltines challenge. Maybe this is what this challenge is about. Can you actually listen to all 1001 albums without dying? Saltines, it is.
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.
i mean it’s called Ambient 1 so you know what you’re in for. and it’s cool for a little while and then about 25 minutes in it becomes boring. nothing much you can do i don’t think
meget god og chill musik at lytte til mens man arbejder men ved ikke helt om jeg synes det er den bedste brug af Brian Enos talent....
Jeg ville aldrig tage toget til Danmark igen hvis lufthavne var så afstressende
Fin baggrundsmusik. Ikke noget som jeg lagde ekstra mærke til end andet, men nød det ! O.G. ambient
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
didn't like it
The most chill music. I'm going to be playing this a lot.
Sounds like reiki music
An album that gets better the older (and sleepier) i get. I didn’t understand the point of this album when I first listened maybe a decade ago but now I have more patience and willingness to listen to this beauty. Kinda invented ambient music as we know it
Kinda a banger
This album is exactly what it says on the tin. I love Brian Eno, especially early Roxy music, but ambient music is never a thrilling listening experience. it works well as background music, but it is thoroughly forgettable 2/5
Simple and relaxing with not much going on. nice but not my bag, could help people go to sleep though.
Blue skies behind panes, A soul longing for relief In an empty hall. The first "ambient" masterpiece. No haiku ever uttered in any human language can do it full justice. Number of albums left to review: 353 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 294 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 154 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 206
This is the type of music I always have in the background while I'm at work.
It's fine for what it is. Not my favourite ambient album.
i will TRY to listen to this entire album. Wish me luck No, i couln't. This is giving me Clonachu vibes
If you manage to stay awake through the majority of this album you’ll be saddened to learn that there is not an accompanying film to go along with this score-like 4-parter. It’s really just repetitive noise and pulsating crescendos. Nothing remarkable, at all. Dreamy background tunes.
4.5 stars. Beautiful, calming ambient music. Pretty impressive that this album was sorta the first of it's kind when it comes to this genre. Works equally well as background music while focusing on something else, or as interesting standalone art on it's own.
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.
i'm sorry this album was just annoying
I refuse to listen to this. I don't love him to begin with, but knowing that this was written basically *not* to be listened to makes me not want to listen that much more. Sadly I can't give 0/5 stars.
Surprisingly, I liked this one. Great background music that's not distracting
The album consists of four compositions created by layering tape loops of differing lengths, and was designed to be continuously looped as a sound installation, with the intent of defusing the tense, anxious atmosphere of an airport terminal. Interesting. Could be some good background music for today then. Well it's definitely an Ambient sound. It's very peaceful and relaxing.
I listen to ambient almost everyday. So when I Review this differently than other albums. It's not about how catchy or how well it is composed it is, it's about the feeling you get from listening. I personally feel the tranquility of standing at an empty airport. The juxtaposition of imagining a usually busy place being empty often gives me an odd sense of calm. I understand why people don't enjoy it or don't know how to review an album that have very little change, it can seem boring and repetitive but that is kind of the point. I can feel how influential this album been in the development of ambient but i am skeptical on having it on this list. Still a pleasant experience.
detta är rent funktionell musik. Jag lyssnade lite när jag skulle somna igår och då funkade det utmärkt. Satte även på i morse för att väcka barnen. Men visst, det är ju ingen vidare verkshöjd. Såg att det fanns en live-version på spotify. Det ser jag verkligen inget behov av.
Filosofiskt intressant på så sätt att eno utforskar gränsen mellan ljud och musik
Va? Medvetet för att spelas i bakgrunden. Ledsen men det är ingen bedrift. Fuck you Eno!
Pretentiöst bajs. Får tuppjuck på sån här skit.
Svår genre att betygsätta. Det är ju behagligt att lyssna på, men verkshöjden mycket begränsad.
Nice background ambient music
Super chill. I dig it as background music
Already one of my favorite ambient albums. Really a genre defining album, and still very good at what it was designed to do.
Incredibly chill. Sleepy music.
Oh the perfect album for me to explore at this time. I've been considering the artistry of André 3000's New Blue World for the past few days. Additionally after listening to King Gizz's Extended Silver Cord for the past month... I've been wanting to explore more long form music... be it jazz, psych-rock, techno or in this cause ambient music. The beauty of this genre is music without all the mental clutter. And the Ambient music genre as we know it was birthed by this release. Although this is not my favorite Eno album, but it is a pleasure to dwell in the moment with this record. The opening and closing tracks 1/1 and 2/2 beautifully fulfill the album's purpose. Unfortunately the synth voices on 1/2 and 2/1 were a distraction to me.
This is exactly what it says it is. I never really thought about people creating ambient music. Always just kinda felt like it was just “there” kinda cool to think about I guess
Ok....I guess
This was my first Brian Eno album I think. I knew his name through the MGMT song but remember trying this one out while travelling for work and really enjoying the ambiance. It is very relaxing and makes me think I'm soaring above somewhere or just generally thinking about travelling. Angelic synths/choral voices and the title help set you in this outer worldly space. It makes me think about how there are so many of us going so many places and doing so many things and how there is some missed beauty in the chaos of all of that.
Missed my flight vibes.
I am alive, but sleepy. Great!
It's cool if you're trying to space out, but it's only a step up from elevator music.
I was listening to this while working. It does exactly what it intended to do, blend into the background. The first song is 17 minutes longs mostly consisting of 2 sparse piano phrases looped over and over. This belongs as the end credits to a movie, or the selection menu of a video or DVD. I get that it was the first of its genre, and inspired all ambient music to come, but it just fades into the background. Which I guess, is it's point.
I love the shit out of this album; the end.
Very relaxing after a long day.
Can't remember
The name of the album points the way. Music to have on in the background when you require very little to happen. Relaxing, it doesn't really go anywhere particularly fast.
chill
Very calming; In a time of high stress I slowly let go of what I was stressed about and dug deeper into the background of Ambient 1. 1/1: Certainly the inspiration for Minecraft 2/1: Not a fan of vocals in ambience for ambience purposes, but induced nostalgia and reminded me of Dark Cloud 2 when Monica steals the ticket while dressed in rags. 1/2: Not a fan. 2/2: Pensive.
I remember buying this as a teen and having the reaction a lot of people probably had when it came out. I think I gave it to my brother who, funnily enough, ended up becoming a musician who uses ambient elements in his work. I wasn't ready for that kind of nuance in my music at the time, but it was absolutely lovely to listen to today. This is an elegant, minimalist masterpiece. I think the key to enjoying this album is finding it in yourself to let go. I mean, most albums we listen to have a bunch of songs, generally under 5 to 6 minutes each, so you're always anticipating something - a chorus, a bridge, a fairly speedy closure, the next song. This album forces you to sit with the quiet in it and not have expectations of what comes next. It fades away, it comes back, it pulls you in and releases you. Each new element becomes a surprise when you aren't waiting for it. It's transcendent in a way most music is unable to be. Ordinarily I dread songs that pass the 10 minute mark, but once I was able to just let the music be and not check on its progress like I'm cooking an egg or something, the whole thing flowed really smoothly here. I loved it, and can see myself coming back to it a lot. No favorite tracks, it was all pretty sublime.
Niet bij te houden hoeveel uur ik op dit album heb gestudeerd. Ambient perfectie, Brian Eno is een tovenaar
I meannnn… is gewoon ambient Wat verwacht je
Interesting and very well made. Little reapearing after some time but really relaxing
I listen to this kind of fall asleep music all the time, and it is amazing how little it has evolved in 50 years, Eno nailed it the first time
The most soothing album there is, I love it. From the first few piano notes on the first track it announces what it is: spare melodies, vibrating textures, slow, calming waves of tranquil sound and gentle dissonance that resolves quickly into the settled swelling of ethereal synths. Tune in or zone out, pay attention or let it course through you, it's reassuringly there, rising and falling like the sky breathing.
Too slow for my taste. More like elevator music.
the naming of the album is absolutely perfect. it's like purgatory, which is very often how airports feel.
Why do we cry, when it's the onions that are getting hurt? The eyes are the nipples of the head.
Mo Salah plays shit again but scores 2 goals. Penalty and a tap in. Kids who only look at G/A stats think he's an incredible footballer. He is not. Rattled.
Absolutely what the title says it is, and next time I'm in the airport, I'm putting on my 'pods and playing this on a loop until I get on the plane.
Its good for background tunes to create a calm atmosphere while reading or having a dinner and i try to use it as my sleep helper! 3.5 its not outstanding or a casual listen for me as long it not fits right.
1001 albums you should not listen to before you die
Love ambient music. An album i will listen to again. Standout track: 2/1
I don't know, why this is on here... I'll say it's not for me, but I genuinely don't know what would make this album special. I suppose it started a new genre? But even then it just seemed very very boring.
not my cup of tea
I'm sure everyone has an album on this list that speaks to them in a way that just doesn't seem to happen for many people. This is one of those albums for me. It's so simple, just the same soft themes repeating over and over again. A little piano, a little synthesizer, and little bits of silence. And yet, I love this album and listen to it with some regularity. This album is incredibly influential as well. It showed many musicians that they could do more by doing less. I love Brian Eno, and I love this album 5/5
This album marks the start of the ambient music genre. In retrospect the album title is perfect.
boring.
While I love this album and think it is incredible sleep and ambience building music I would never set out listening to it to get through my day and would rather listen to Brian Enos art rock music on a more regular basis
Great for a relaxing massage in a spa, maybe good in a zen garden or meditation retreat, but not much else
Points for being the originator of ambient, but by its very ambient nature, it's not something you spend attention listening to. Four stars, but not necessarily on the same scale as non-ambient music.
1. ambient 1 - 1.5 2. ambient 2 - 1 3. ambient 3 - 2 4. ambient 4 - 1.5
Shidt
This has always been one of my favorite albums of all time. The beauty packed into such brevity is unparalleled. And to think this is start of the genre, no exemplar to follow—outstanding.
it’s THE ambient album for a reason. truly amazing soundscapes, and i really love the movement each piece has. put this on while i was working and just vibed, great album.
Boring. I know boring is a super boring descriptive term to use but there’s just not a lot going on here. I’d cruise down the middle with a three if I could find anything to differentiate between the tracks but it sounds like the same idea spread out across the album. It’s inoffensive, I’ll give it that.
It was really pretty but honestly this was not for me.
It was ok, not an unenjoyable listen, but I fear it went over my head quite a bit, I didn't really see what was that special about it.
So pleasant
Track one is beautiful, obviously. The synthetic choral sound on 2/1 and 1/2 gets a little old, and feels a bit dated now. Last track is also very beautiful in a melancholic way.
WTF? I Rate this .75.
perfect for what it is and yet somewhat boring nonetheless
It's literal music to fade into the background. For that reason I've added it to my playlist I play when I need calm relaxing music. As an album itself, it's okay? Nothing really special. Probably a unique idea back then but now it's bland.
if i heard this in an airport it would be a 5 for sure, relaxing and not distracting
Great album by Eno, title says it all, perfect vibe for airport waiting
Much craft here and it sort of had to exist and be made to push and showcase electronic and ambient music but I just wanted it to end or change or do something. I doubt I could even use it for focused work.
Love this album! Peak Brian Eno, so beautiful, so interesting, so relaxing!! It sparked a thought of how amazing it is how much music can affect our mood and even behaviour - cool!
Nice and very calming to listen to
I already love this album. I think my favourite Brian Eno. So calming and peaceful. I often do yoga to it and did again this week when it cropped up!
Stansted?! Lovely album, very nice. I knew of this album already but never heard it. Definitely a keeper for when needing some peaceful music.
I guess I understand why this is here, and it's certainly nice, but it is what it is, which isn't exciting
Against the backdrop of an industry that's always chasing music that's faster, louder, and harder, sometimes you need to go quiet instead. Here Eno coined the term 'ambient music' and effectively launched a genre that's (in his words) "as ignorable as it is interesting". By eschewing rhythm and predictable patterns, the sounds can surprise and intrigue the listener, just enough to shut out anxious thoughts, while remaining quiet and calm enough to prevent new ones. The music is perfect for study, self reflection, or sleep. It's also a welcome change of pace when other music starts to all sound the same. A calm-inducing, and secretly chaotic, palate cleanser. In the words of John Lysaker, "it holds together no better (and no worse) than a cloud."
Very nice music
Album title is accurate. Wouldn't choose to listen to this again.
Brian Eno comes off as a bit of a dick, but I don't think I knew he was credited for inventing Ambient music. Definitely an important album in that regard and really capitalizes on the "as ignorable as it is interesting"-ness of it all, in Eno's own words.
I actually liked this as background or relaxation music.
Sounds like the music they play at the vet to help keep the animals calm
This is a great album to have playing while doing work that requires concentration. I discovered Brian Eno’s ambient work some time ago. I also listen to Tim Hecker’s ambient work. In fact, I have Eno and Hecker on an “ambient” playlist already.
not really my cup of tea, NPI, but I'm thinking a fall rainy Sunday afternoon drinking tea blanket and a book with headphones listening to this.
Really enjoyed this one! Would never have listened to it, but it was very relaxing
I imagine being at an airport nowadays would be bad enough without having to listen to this snoozefest. Yawn.
Although Eno himself stated that this was to be nothing more than background music, I still thought it was a pleasant enough experience on its own
This is the type of album that would hit differently at 3AM
I guess this was significant at the time. The ambient genre is something that requires the right mood. But it was good for what it was I suppose
I put this on as background music, as I guess that's the point of it, and it was alright. It was completely what I was expecting which is ambient music you pay no attention to at all. Is it something you have to hear? No, absolutely not. It's not terrible but very much skippable.
August 15, 2023 500TH ALBUM 🎵 Honk if you love the Joshua Tree 📯 Honk if you love the Spore soundtrack 📯 and the Minecraft soundtrack 🎺 and the Hyrule Field theme in BOTW 🎺 And looking up liminal space pictures at 3am 🎺 🎺 By my logic, this is an album that should be boring (no sense of progression, no percussion, not one single trombone) and is instead a haunting & beguiling experience for me. Though this is the 1st time I’ve actually listened thru the whole thing, I already have some regret at not seeing a live performance in my hometown earlier this year. It's a fitting album for #500, not only are its liminal qualities perfect for a pseudo-halfway checkpoint (I've heard about 40 more records that I haven't logged on this website, which is closer to the real halfway point), but I also feel like I'm dancing a liminal limbo in my actual life, while relationships, my job, and creative prospects all feel like they're on the precipice of change. HL: “1/2, “2/2” And now to celebrate this milestone, some albums that I feel I didn't appreciate enough the 1st time: Nas- Illmatic (no. 17) : listened when my rap vocabulary was very limited. one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of... (no. 18) : there's a few albums I didn't actually properly listen to- distractions, questionable speakers at times. Guess that's why I mostly ignored this triumph in gospel/soul/reggae/rap fusion Magazine- Real Life (no. 58) : a crossroads of post-punk, prog & glam that sounds better every listen Dinosaur Jr.- You're Living all Over Me (no. 93) : didn't really like this much on the first listen, but noise rock has grown on me and so has this Prefab Sprout- Steve McQueen (no. 120) : still not crazy about 80s sophistipop, but this might be the best example I've heard of it, or 2nd to Songs From the Big Chair Bowie- Blackstar (no. 127) : easy 5-star, felt wrong as soon as I gave it 4 The Pixies- Surfer Rosa (no. 130) : same reasons as Dino Jr. Spiritualized- Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (no. 143) : been on my mind too much this year to just be a 4-star Thelonious Monk- Brilliant Corners (no. 200) : 2nd only to Head Hunters in jazz albums I've relistening to Justice- Cross (no. 230) : recent listen-thru was still a bit exhausting, but some tracks ("Stress", "Phantom Pt II", "Let There Be Light") are excellent, and even "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" sounded better on relisten
Does what it say on the tin. I love the idea of Eno's ambient works, but actually prefer the song-based albums more. Pleasant enough but don't remember much about it. Ground-breaking at the time, but I guess the music world has caught up with the concept now and the novelty has worn off somewhat.
An album that has a gentle touch running throughout. It achieves that rare feat of passing you by, yet still being memorable. It also sounds modern, yet also analogue. Bloody love it.
Good ambient music with a very sparse vibe that allows you to soak in every despondent sound Eno plays.
It was nice. I can't say anything particularly impressed me or moved me.
Healing
need more composers so invested in being so hella specific. ambient my good friend ambient.
Very relaxing to listen to, and definitely the start of a real identity for ambient music. But it's background music, designed not to really be listened to.
Something special
I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS
bloop.
It’s background music. Music for airports indeed. Does what it set out to do, can’t say I enjoyed listening though
That was truly dull and maybe I don’t get it.
This is the perfect album for relaxing in an airport or airplane. Perfectly named album.
I've always thought Brian Eno was kind of underrated.
Love me some ambient. This is a little to airport at times though.
This is about the most accurate description I've seen of any album yet. Pretty slight, but exactly what I needed this morning.
It seems he achieved his goal of making this equal parts ignorable and interesting. It sounds so commonplace now - something you might hear at a spa - but the fact that he was forging a new genre of music is amazing. The story behind the album is more compelling than the listening experience - another one that I wish I could go back and time and hear without the baggage of everything that followed it.
I'm a big fan of systems and I admire the way he constructed this. This is not something I come back to often, but I consider it art.
An album whose story and mythos are maybe greater than it's actual output. It's almost quaint at this point in terms of Ambient and to me there are many much better ambient albums to date. But, huge respect for this album for sure, it's just not what I'd wanna listen to these days.
I guess it does what Eno intended. Bloody boring.
Effective studying music, and pretty cool that Eno coined the term 'ambient music'.
Interesting concept and many one early examples of the genre. But not for me.
Don’t get me wrong this is pleasant. I’m not sure it’s groundbreaking. But it’s fine twiddling along in the background. In fact I think I’ve heard friends practise their instruments and sound just like this. I also don’t think it’s music for airports. Song one – music for reflexology treatment room Song two – music for theological museum Song three - music for gritty BBC drama series Song four - music for planetarium entrance hall. And to be honest, if it was used as Hold music I might be less irate every time I have to ring IT services!
Thanks to Brian for making this and thanks to this project and Wikipedia for teaching me about the origin of Ambient Music.
I guess this falls under the "what do I know?" category. As a practicing massage therapist for 15 years, I listened to my share of schlocky new-age, wind chime-laden, wanna-be mystical "soothing" music, and maybe, after 4 hours in a quiet meditative environment, this might have made me feel like I was in a waking dream. But not in a pleasant way. How is this any different than the hundreds of other albums that sound just like it? I tired of that orchestral vocal-synth patch about three minutes into the first track. I appreciate Eno for his production. We've listened to more than one brilliant effort of his (Bowie, U2), but why this? Aggravating.
My usual way to listen to these albums (while walking) wasn't working for this one, so I did what I think I was supposed to do and that was to put it on in the background while I worked. It was nice, though I often found the music more distracting than ambient. I don't know. Maybe I was doing it wrong. In the end, I liked it OK, but I think there are better ambient albums out there, like Avec Laudenum by Stars of the Lid.
There is a place for these sounds but it wasn’t my head yesterday.
It exactly what it says it is and good at what it wants to accomplish just not what i would ever play when looking to listen to music
Classic
Already listened to this
Wow. Slow goins, huh, Brian? What a boring album. First track was single piano notes, next was mind numbing aahs. Half expected the third song (if you don’t mind me calling them songs) to be a single snare drum being hit slowly and melodically, but no. The aahs stayed and the one fingered pianist was brought back for an encore. Final track, and there are only four, was the most exciting and if you just listen to the final track you’d be like “This is the exciting one?”. Also, what was with the 20ish seconds of silence that closed out each track? Truly an atrocious piece of work. The only kind of good thing I can say about it is that it sounds like an intriguing idea in theory. I realized that I had actually listened to this album before, but I forgot because it was so uneventful, and, please I beg of thee, let me forget the 48 minutes I wasted enduring this again. 1/5
Weirdly enough, I got this album exactly one week after Another Green World, but given my enjoyment of that album (and Before And After Science), getting a third from him so quickly is a welcome surprise. Besides, this is a far different album from those two, leaning in completely on ambient music; in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the only ambient album on the entire list (I know Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is on here, but that’s really more of an IDM album with ambient influences. Anyway, as ambient music, this is really just meditative, calming music, and I love that. The first song of the four in particular is nice, with the piano playing being something that brings it all together. Honestly, what more can I say? Anyone interested in ambient music should listen to this album.
Didn't listen at airport, didn't work for me.
Rating: 6/10
Miksi tämä levy on tällaisessa listauksessa? Voi juma...
Ei ollu sopiva hetki kuunnella, joten meni vähän ohi. Varmasti toimis tosi hyvin oikeessa paikassa oikeella hetkellä. Tällä kertaa kuitenki kakkonen
Good but not my vibe
This was some excellent background music. But is that an accomplishment that the guy made an album that could be in a David fincher movie. Overall this was very bland but as good as bland could get. I didn’t hate it but can’t find myself listening to it again unless I hear it in the airport as my life slowly passes. 3.6/10
Wack
I like this kind of music, but why the fuck is this on this list lmao
Very zen
“Music to get a massage to.”- Matt
Bizarre
The birthplace of ambient music, so I read. It’s difficult to listen to with any close attention, really by definition. I will say it is inoffensive.
Perfectly fine as background music, but not something I would chose to listen to. Would be a great backing to a movie scene exploring an old church. Basically, pretty much what you'd expect from the title.
I mean... it's ambient music. What am I supposed to say about it? It's pretty, but the whole purpose is to be calming background music. I listen to ambient stuff when I'm studying or just need something on in the background. Of course Brian Eno is the one who coined the term. But, on a list of 1001 albums I have to listen to, is this necessary?
Am I in the wrong place
Ambient indeed. Simple, easy background music that's intended to be simple, easy background music. 4/5.
I don't understand why this would be good for airports. This would be perfect background music for a David Attenborough documentary or something, but the music by itself is extremely boring. Nobody needs to hear this album before they die.
Proposta ousada e perfeitamente executada. Som integrado ao espaço e em expansão.
Definitely, an album that meets the goal of background music. It was very relaxing to listen to, but not something I can really appreciate musically. It was too background for me and I found myself not engaging with the music as a result. Which is probably the point, but why make 45 minutes of music not to move people?
I enjoyed this while working on routine tasks at work. It was fine.
Although I can't help but agree with top Global comment with only 1 star, I enjoyed this album. It was a slightly meditative listening experience that was thoroughly calming and peaceful.
This is legit music for Airports...
Not my thing
It is exactly what it says. Really nice, soft & gentle. Perfect background for working.
😴😴😴
I could die perfectly happy without ever hearing this album
Very peaceful and something I could meditate with.
so boring
Fue una experiencia diferente, no se como describirla por eso voy a poner tres estrellas, pero definitvamente es otra onda.
Alright for ambient music
Weird and somehow boring
This was very peaceful and relaxing but why is it an album I need to hear before I die?😂 I listened to it while studying, which was pleasant, but nothing special. Apparently it's like the first ambient music album tho so props for that I guess. Now that I think of it, I actually got a lot done while listening to this, so it def made me focus well. I would've liked some creativity in the title choices tho...😶
Favorite Song: N/A Sounds cool, but I realize now that I listened to it incorrectly. I should have put it on in the background while doing other stuff, but I listened with headphones. Rather, as ambient music, it is meant to merge with the environment and be forgotten. Whoops. Fun fact: Brian Eno produced for U2 and Coldplay!
Ergens in de Wieringermeer staat een enorm datacentrum van Google. De servers draaien op volle toeren, slurpen energie en kraken van de enorme hoeveelheid data. Waarom? Omdat Youtube vol moet staan met gegenereerde video's met titels als '6 hours relaxing piano music for study', of '6 hours of beautiful ambient celtic harp music' en '6 hours of chill romantic jazz and bossanova for focus and memory'. De samenleving gaat ten onder aan het gewicht van overbodige muzak. Onze laatste dag op aarde zal in ieder geval opgevrolijkt worden door zes uur 'Relaxing smooth jazz for meditation and stress relief'. De aanstichter van al dit kwaad? Brian Eno, die in 1978 al deze LP volpingelde met zijn slaapverwekkende pianoakkoordjes en daarmee kennelijk trendsetter was. Heel goed om bij in slaap te vallen waarschijnlijk, maar daar hadden we 'Slaap kindje slaap' toch al voor?
Gepingel waarbij elke toon zo lang mogelijk ter gehore wordt gebracht. Het is de uitdaging om net geen stilte te laten vallen tussen de toetsaanslagen. Bij voorkeur wordt op de achtergrond nog een langgerekte tweede toon toegevoegd, zodat je een onderwater-effect krijgt. En klaar. Af te spelen bij het slapen gaan. 1,5 ster.
Soort hypnotiserende muziek, waarbij je moet mediteren gok ik. Het is best rustgevend, maar ik ben niet zo'n fan van dit soort verzamelingen klanken. Ik noem dit geen muziek, maar geluid. Wel fijn dat hij er niet bij is gaan zingen. Alleen daarvoor krijgt hij een extra ster.
Relaxing. Love the album
Þessi rennur inní annað og útum hitt og er bara fín. Algjörlega óeftirminnileg en ljúf, eins og stefnt var að. Og ég þarf ekki að hlusta aftur.
I am somewhat surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The opening track was the standout - great blend of natural and synthetic sounds. It also felt like the piece that evolved the most over the duration of the track. I could have done without 2/1 - the vocals worked better as an element in the broader soundscape of 1/2 than they did in isolation. 5/5 for 1/1, 2/5 for 2/1, 3/5 for 1/2 and 2/2. 3.25
Very fine. Very accurate album title.
Awesome, nice piece of background music.
great cars down feel good party record banger slap
Definitely gave me movie soundtrack vibes (Social Network, LotR, Spirited Away). If I need something to meditate and/or nap to, this is it
So good.
What were people expecting for an album titled Music for Airports? I just don't get what is so interesting? Were these sounds novel in 1988?
At first I thought “wait, another AC/DC album??” Then a few minutes in I realized it was a different artist. I could see myself playing this while trying to relax on an airplane. But not many other situations call for it. At many points this gave off “sad movie soundtrack” vibes. That said, I don’t think the intent with this was to record a #1 hit. Had to skip through some because I try to avoid things that shift my mood in the direction of complete emptiness. But… the goal here was to create ambient music and I suppose this album accomplished that.
I don’t know how to review this really. I was calm? It did job
Maybe this will calm down my dog when he’s fired up. Outside of that, can’t figure out a good reason for this to exist. Eno = Oh No
I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Nice background music to work. I didn't even notice but the album had finished and new ambient music started. I'll listen again while working.
pretty sweet I still like it
Atmospheric Excellence
I'm not one to listen to Ambient music - but this decent background music/sounds for office working or something that requires focus. The piano tracks are significantly better than the synthesizer tracks in my opinion. I don't think I'd ever listen to this again. It's cool that this was inspirational for some artists I guess.
This album is perfectly suited for deep thinking. Deep thinking that may be the seeds of Game Theory. Deep thinking that may earn you prestige in the academic world. Deep thinking that develops into paranoid schizophrenia. Deep thinking that ends up with Russell Crowe playing you in an Academy Award nominated film. I’ve gotten into ambient music over the past couple months, so I enjoyed this venture into one of the first albums to create the genre. Eno, baby. The most notable aspect I found was the light organ noises acting as a sort of gospel choir singing. Was pretty cool. You have to be in a particular state of mind when listening to ambient music. Bangers aren’t really to be expected. They are repetitive, which I actually love, as I find it puts me in a meditative state when working or walking. All that said, I don’t know if I’m particularly moved by this individual record or not, because most of it is fairly similar to some others. So, even though I appreciate the style, I can’t say this is better than any others within the genre. Eno, baby.
I can see this album being good for meditating or some other low-brain-activity thing, but as an album of music to just listen to there isn't enough going on to be worth the time. The noises are pleasing enough, but this is background music. These tracks could be great in slow and ambient sections of a video game, maybe one of those indie games that has an emotional scene where the character is learning about their dead/estranged parents' pasts. That or just music on the main menu. It could also serve as backing music at a planetarium show. Musically, each track is very long and basically features just piddling around on instruments (mainly synth) without any kind of structure or much development (also, 30 seconds of dead air at the end of the first track, whyyyy). You could probably recreate this on the fly from an electric piano and maybe a couple of friends running their fingers on the rims of crystal glasses. As negative as that review was, I don't dislike the album. It kind of lulls you into a happy place. This is good to work to if you're doing something interesting enough to keep you awake. I got some good coding done with this on. When evaluated based on what I personally look for in music however, such as instrumentation, musicianship, melody, and song structure, it just doesn't rank very highly.
It was indeed music for airports. Boring but somewhat pleasant.
Snoozefest but i guess i like it as far as it's ambient so boosting one star. hopefully this will be as good as the name sounds.
I'm actually listening to this in an airport. It's pretty, but quite dull. 2.5/5
Loved it. Enjoyed having it the background which was its intended purpose
This was so lush for a slow Monday morning
Absolutely lovely, this was great to just have on while reading and sounds fantastic
lofi-girl before lofi-girl
Difficult to find more relaxing music than this!
Ambient albums like this one miss that pop feeling so are not particularly exciting. Still, this is such a landmark album in the genre, it must be given 5 stars of course.
Puts you in a calm, meditative, mood. Never tried it at an actual airport, funny enough.
Magical sounds in an otherwise boring piece of work.
very ambient, very boring