My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
David Byrne
1981
Album Summary
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a studio album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, released in February 1981. It was Byrne's first album without his band Talking Heads. The album integrates sampled vocals and found sounds, African and Middle Eastern rhythms, and electronic music techniques. It was recorded before Eno and Byrne's work on Talking Heads' 1980 album Remain in Light, but problems clearing samples delayed its release by several months. The extensive sampling on My Life is considered innovative, though its influence on later sample-based music genres is debated. Pitchfork named it the 21st best album of the 1980s, while Slant Magazine named it the 83rd.
WikipediaHoward: I'll tell you how it works, right? I took a note, sawtooth wave, right off this pantomime four, ran it back here, re-jammed it through itself, looped it back, mixed it with the sound of this crab committing suicide, and let it stew in its own reverb for about three hours, right? And then I pump it all out through this shoe, to give it that oaky timbre.
I feel like I can understand the influence/importance of this album in terms of shaping the perception of sampling in modern music, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy it very much. It’s not bad and I can almost get into some of the songs but I feel like there is a significant lack of payoff compared to more traditional song structures. Maybe I’m not enough of a genius to understand this or maybe I’ll appreciate it when I’m older. For now, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love this. There's ambition, a kind of cinematic aspect to much of the music, and despite all the electronic bells and whistles there's a lot of humanity and heart. It seems to be quite faddish in this era to incorporate elements of 'World Music' into your sound, but this is probably one of the more successful attempts to do so. Great album.
Experimental avant-rock classic. There would probably be no Radiohead without this LP. There would probably be no a-lot-of-modern-music without this LP.
All of Eno is the template for Moby, but this one sticks out above the others. Sprung basslines, globetrotting rhythms, awkwardly cool whiteboy funk, and ambience that grows like spreading moss. Byrne adds a degree of nervousness that lets the wider world in, but his influence dies back on the second half.
The thing I don't understand about these types of albums is who actually enjoys listening to these? It just seems the artists are trying to make it weird, and not trying to make it good.
After recently being exposed to early Talking Heads music I was anticipating I’d enjoy this offering from their lead singer Brian Eno. I found the tracks too experimental for my taste though and way too repetitive. I felt kinda worn out by album end. 1 Star!
I feel like I can understand the influence/importance Love this. There's ambition, a kind of cinematic aspect to much of the thing I don't understand there would probably be no radio head without this sawtooth wave the sound of this crab committing suicide and then I pump it all out through this shoe, to give it that oaky timbre would probably be no a-lot-of-modern-music without that oaky timbre that oaky timbre I'll tell you how it works, right? I took a note, I'll tell you how it works, right? this one sticks out above the others globetrotting rhythms globetrotting rhythms right off this pantomime four, a degree of nervousness that lets the wider world in, and an exorcist and an exorcist especially good for driving at night I'll tell you how it works, right? I took a note, I took a note a giant mess of sounds. I can understand its significance I took a note a vital funk injection что это очень интересный для меня материал. Ранее полагал a giant mess of sounds and an exorcist the sound of this crab commiting suicide that oaky timbre Bom simploriedade um dos malucos fez música com o Caetano. pretty OK, bit repetitive. bit repetitive bit bit bit bit bit bit repetitive repetitive bit repetitive ran it back here, re-jammed it through itself, looped it back, mixed it with Ранее полагал and let it stew in its own reverb for about three hours, right? bit repetitive there there I took a note a vital funk injection Bom simploriedade Globetrotting rhythms I'll tell you how it works, right? there there there bit repetitive sawtooth wave especially good for driving at night I'll tell you how it works would probably be no a-lot-of-modern-music without that okay timbre ----- Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 800, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter
Half this album is Beverly Hills Cop II and the other half is FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). four stars
Interesting but not necessarily enjoyable. A lot of unique sounds, but very little musical cohesion and flow.
Debut Brian Eno / David Byrn album. Eno described this album as a "vision of a psychedelic Africa". Rather than conventional pop or rock singing, most of the vocals are sampled from other sources, such as commercial recordings of Arabic singers, radio disc jokeys, and an exorcist. So sampling here is the main vocal. In later years this album has come to be regarded as a highly influential album. I liked it. Especially good for driving at night. :)
This LP was way ahead of its time. In addition to influencing many artists, I think it may have inspired David Byrne most of all, if you listen to the the singing style he adopted for some of the songs on Remain in Light. Sampling was a fledgling field then and the way Eno & Byrne built songs around samples was unparalleled (and still better than much of what is out there today). After "Regiment", the evangelical samples are my favorites, especially the line "She was intended by God to be a virtuous woman. You have no right to her. Her husband is the head of the house."
One of Eno's best collaborations, with David Byrne and the entire continent of Africa adding a vital funk injection.
Wow. I can hear most of the sample driven world of pop and hip-hop of the past few decades in this. Some of these tracks sound like they could have been made yesterday.
This is a wild album. Eno has a knack for the bizarre while Byrne had just recorded Zimbra. You can hear both their contributions and they worked very well together. I wish Eno would have focussed on having his music on albums like this rather than on side 2 of Heroes. It fits so much better here. I quite like what would have been side 1 (the first 5 songs incl the one Spotify hid) and also like Moonlight in Glory. The remaining songs were hit and miss for me but that comes with the territory with music that is a little out there.
This was interesting but it's not an album I will likely listen to again. Some of the songs are almost enjoyable but it all gets lost in a giant mess of sounds. I can understand its significance but it's definitely not my thing.
I like Brian Eno and I love David Byrne but this did not do it for me. 5-6/10
Adelantado a su tiempo, usa samples de música africana creando un disco mágico. Avantgarde, rock experimental, psicodelia étnica. Una locura.
Outrageously gorgeous and funky soundscapes; a pitch perfect collaboration with David Byrne, another genius.
I took the advice of the Apple Music writers and put this on in the background while I was getting ready for work. By the time I got into the car, I was hooked. Loved it. I especially liked “The Jezebel Spirit.” It kind of reminds me “Frontier Psychiatrist” by The Avalanches.
Brian Eno's music is like getting little kisses on your brain. I've always mixed this one up in my head with some of Talking Head's later stuff. There's a lot of crossover here (even more than usual)
Honestly how have I never heard this before? To be fair, the title is the kind of thing my dad would say "put this on in the car" and I would groan and try to change the subject. When I texted him about it he said "it was my favourite album when I was your age. I played it all the time" When will I start listening to my parents? I thoroughly enjoyed it but will need to give it another listen to fully appreciate it I think. Both Brian Eno and David Byrne are some of my musical heroes and have had profound impact on me. This is a great marriage of their creative abilities. The range of sounds from all over the world and their ability to produce such a seamless album is so impressive. Five Stars.
Unique. Interesting. A great soundtrack to my day! The first time through I liked it. But I listened to this more and its appear climbed steadily. Really great!
Much less noisy and more musical than I'd assumed from the description. Outstanding! Very enjoyable.
Revolutionary electronics album combining international sounds. unfortunately didnt listen enough 8/10
I think this has lost a lot of the impact it once had, but still stands as a groove ass album.
Yes to sonic exploration. Yes to music gadget greenery. Yes to Eno. No to how it actually sounds.
About what you'd expect when these two get together, but that's not a bad thing. Firmly avant-garde.
Pretty cool! I liked it more and more as it went a long. It’s interesting that I feel like I can never tell what’s gonna happen next over the course of the song. 3.5 because I wish there was some singing/lyrics
Awesome atmospheric and weird album with Talking heads influences combined with synth-ambient music
Всегда про проходил мимо, а оказалось, что это очень интересный для меня материал. Ранее полагал, что это некий гитарист-экспериментатор, а это один из основоположников эмбиента. Позор мне.
This is a WEIRD album. And it as fascinating as it is weird (and trust when I say, it is truly WEIRD). Interesting that this album is under the Eno name and not a collaborative title as this definitely feels just as much a David Bryne album as it does an Eno one. I guess Eno's masterful as always production does really flesh it all out but part of the bewildering beauty and effectiveness is in how Byrne (known of course for The Talking Heads) decided that this avant-garde afro/worldbeat/funk project would be his first without the band that put him on the map. It continually surprised me with how well it all works, how well Byrne plays as a counterpoint and partner in crime in an album that is sonically pure Eno madness (and such great madness it is!).
I had high expectations for this one, being a Talking Heads fan. Overall the album did not entirely live up to those expectations, but I did really enjoy it. 3.5 stars, which I will round up to 4 because I liked the album more than most others I rated 3 stars. Really liked track 4 (Help me somebody).
A really interesting listen and unique to what I've listened to so far. 8/10 for this one
A strong recommendation to anyone looking for a more "Remain in Light" or "Speaking in Tongues" with an experimental spin.
Brian Eno and David Byrne are both certified musical geniuses in my book, so one would expect something really special when they collab on an album. They (mostly) deliver here with truly innovative (for its time) samples from obscure songs and exorcisms and add atmospheric African beats and rhythms. Some of it is brilliant like Jezebel, but some falls flat unfortunately. This album went on to influence a host of others that also sampled arcane audio recordings and imbue their sound with African grooves. Of note was KLF who did a bang up job with their seminal Chill Out album. This album sags a bit in spots so it’s a 3.5 to me but I’ll round up because of its groundbreaking sound and influence
My only exposure to Brian Eno, up until this point, was via his involvement in the iconic Talking Heads record Remain In Light, which only came out a year before this album did. Naturally, I was curious. I have never seen a producer-centric album outside of hip-hop, and I was intrigued to see if there would be any overlaps in influences between Eno and his work with the art-punk band. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts was truly an aural journey; a sprawling soundscape from start to finishing comprising of krautrock-esque beats, hypnotic keys, and oddly expressive looping vocals. The result is a captivating album that would not be out of place as part of an installation art piece. The liberal featuring of afro-funk guitars and drums on tracks like The Jezebel Spirit confirmed the aforementioned confluence of inspiration with Talking Heads, invoking a spirit and drive like that on I, Zimbra. Little wonder too, then, that lead Talking Head and fellow creative iconoclast David Byrne features heavily on the album. Overall, this was a great album to work to, but also one that I would definitely revisit to devote my attention to. The mix of live and programmed instrumentation and spoken word parts of David Byrne result in an album that still sounds layered, intriguing and hypnotic, one would have to be forgiven for forgetting that it was made over 40 years ago.
God damn, Eno was just on fire around this time, his genius fingers were in so many lusciously-textural music pies; and Byrne was the undisputed king of the groove in this era as well. Much more freaky sounding than the Talking Heads work Eno produced but still with those toe-tapping head-pounding cross-rhythmic synth-warbling beaaats
I liked this a lot, I mean I'm a fan of both Brian Eno and David Byrne and this has a lot of both of them in it, so it makes sense
Due to the randomness of the 1001 songs generator, this is my second Eno album in a row. I really enjoyed them both, which is a surprise because this isn't my type of music. I'd heard some of Eno's ambient stuff and found it dull, but this was a return to form, no doubt helped with the collaboration with that absolute genius (and pain in the arse) David Byrne. I missed a lot of good music in the '80s, tending to stick to rock. I shall keep listening to more weird stuff.
3.5/5 Very cool and innovative Byrne and Eno, but it’s no Talking Heads 🤷♂️
finally something from brian eno i like. obviously, huge into him as the godfather of ambient music. that's my jam (not jam?) a solid amount of the time. But like, i didn't love roxy music, and his solo career is meh, so i'm glad david byrne was able to steer this into a direction i enjoyed.
Just a demonstration of Eno and his classic production innovation in my mind. Not always the perfect foreground music, but almost always well done.
Artworkið á albúminu er banger! Langar í þetta til að setja upp á vegg. Tónlistin er eins og við má búast þegar tveir skrýtnir og skemmtilegir listamenn koma saman: skrýtin og skemmtileg.
This album feels like just an eclectic collection of sounds, but it's somehow still cohesive. The music theory as a whole escapes me but this album just feels overly complex in a good way. 4/5
What do you get when you combine the minds of two creative weird geniuses? You get something experimental that many will find mindblowing and unique, while many more will find nonsensical, directionless, and unsatisfying. It mostly sounds like an Eno album, but you can hear David Byrne's goofiness thrown in, along with his love for afrobeat, funk, and punk. With its comfortable and extensive use of sampling and electronic ambiance, this album is over a decade ahead of its time. Runner-ups to early 80s sampledelia came in the form of silly old-school hip hop acts like Malcolm McLaren, but this is so much more mature and in control. The major weakness is the length of the songs. There are only 11 songs, but due to the extensive repetition, if you don't like an idea, then you have to sit through it for the next 4 minutes. Combined with the abrasiveness of some tracks, this can be a chore. "The Jezebal Spirit" comes to mind as the major example, being nearly 5 minutes long, and that's supposed to be the single. There's also a dramatic tone shift in the second half, getting increasingly atmospheric and mellower. Bonus tracks are fun, but also a bit too much. For anyone interested, there's a removed track called "Qu'Ran" you can find on Youtube which is fantastic: dark, psychedelic, and funky. Favorites: America is Waiting, Mea Culpa, Regiment, Qu'Ran, Very Very Hungry, Come with Us
The cooky spacey sample thing only those Eno & Byrne boys could come up with. Thank you Wikipedia for applying the context ‘a vision of psychedelic Africa’
Never heard of this album but am glad I got the chance to listen today. Enjoyable vibe and the experimental sounding stuff works. A definite keeper.
A very minimal and very entertaining album. If you don't like much of anything but want lot of everything in other places. Lot of tribal rythems and also lot of gospel vocal. If you thought this was boring I wouldn't blame you
David Byrne is a national treasure, and so are his big suits, and so is Brian Eno. It's easy to see how a collaboration from these two could go incredibly right or horribly wrong, since they are both incredible visionaries. This album isn't as pleasant to listen to as a lot of stuff made by these two in their previous solo/group work, but it is really cool. The use of heavy sampling to compose an album makes this album highly significant, but more than that, it's good. The music is as diverse, global, and polyrhythmic as you might expect from David Byrne, and not quite as ambient and electronic as you might expect from Brian Eno. Definitely well worth a listen 4/5
Actually a really interesting album. I can’t say I loved every single song but many were super groovy with really fun samples. It feels like the much older, more pessimistic/depressed Since I Left You by The Avalanches, but a really good listen nonetheless. 8/10
It is just a glorious, weird experiment. You can see how Talking Heads evolved through this.
я пока не очень поняла альбом, но он меня привлекает, вдумывает пока слушала, в какой-то момент правда наполовину оказалась в другом измерении брайан ино великий, конечно
When I bought this back in the day (being bog fans of both artists) I thought it was an experiment by two musical compatriots. While I still believe that is the case, its influence over the years has been profound. The use of sampling and tape loops were revolutionary at the time. The fact the loops still sound funky after all these years surprised me. Perhaps the use of found objects as sources of percussion is simply better than most of the garage band-esque beats we have today. The vocals, taken from disparate sources (many religous) is a technique that Bynre would revisit over the years, but not as successfully as this album.
I usually find these experimental albums to be pretentious and self-indulgent but this was pretty enjoyable to listen to. Probably wouldn’t seek it out again very often but it was simultaneously interesting and soothing.
“I wasn’t a huge fan of the Bolognese stuff” - Bill Hader, Documentary NOW Definitely a kooky album. Exactly what I expect from Eno and Byrne. But like everything these guys put out, I ended up really enjoying most of it.
This was the first album title that I heard of from Brian Eno, but I never listened to the album. It is not difficult to hear that David Byrne collaborated on My Life In the Bush of Ghosts - some tracks seem to echo sounds from live tracks that I've heard from the Talking Heads. The album could be categorized somewhere between ambient and world music. Some of the spoken word recordings were distracting, yet there were some vocals / spoken parts that did swirl into the mix of sound and became part of a general audio landscape. After listening to the original release, I listned to the bonus tracks on the re-release. Overall, "Qu'ran" and "The Carrier" were the tracks I liked the best. These two tracks may have had the least amount of vocals / spoken word. I could come back to this album for a second listen.
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’ is a record I find hide to describe. It’s an uneasy, queasy listen with a dreamlike quality. I was underwhelmed when I first heard it, but I adore it now. It definitely rewards repeated listening and is actually quite a nice companion piece to ‘Remain In Light’.
4.2 - An impressive collaboration that draws on Eno's skill at creating textural soundscapes and Byrne's ear for rhythms. The innovative use of samples makes the sum of this project greater than its parts. I especially appreciate how they handle Quranic chanting without descending into preciosity; for example, I love how the guitar voicing on "Regiment" echoes the plaintive vocals. Eno and Byrne could've easily puttered out something safe but instead took bold risks that they were able to execute beautifully.
Очень смелым было решение основать поп рок альбом практически полностью на сэмплах. Как результат, получилось довольно интересно, хоть и местами слишком экспериментально даже для меня. Определённо чувствуется рука Дэвида Бирна, я как будто послушал что-то от сошедших с ума Talking Heads. (7.5)
I appreciate what they are doing on this album, and kudos to David Byrne for taking this step among so many he'd take over the decades into something new -- he could have easily stayed only on the Talking Heads' path and done just fine -- so I genuinely admire his curious mind, eagerness to explore, and desire to collaborate with Brian Eno and his desire to work with countless others through the present. There are some very interesting (at least to my ear) tracks on this album. 'Regiment' is just one example. Really drew me in. Sometimes "sampling" kind of annoys me, just a personal preference, but I understand why some artists like to create works with samples in them. Overall, though, the exploration of sound and textures is very interesting to me. Good work here.
This was interesting and not at all difficult to listen to. I can see pulling this one back up from time to time for some background listening.
Great time, thoroughly original and gripping most of the time, in spite of lacking the focus of the heads' other members. A great record.
It is great hearing two artists really going for it and trying to get what's in their heads out into the world. It doesn't always succeed and some of the cut and paste from world music feels a little pilfered and unearned but a fascinating listen all the same.
One of those albums about which you can say that though it didn't sell a million copies, everybody who bought it was a musician. It's still a fantastic listen, and great working music. Got to love an album with nods from Kate Bush and Public Enemy.
Can understand why it's important, but it's too long and nearly gave me a headache. 6/10
I don't know how to rate this one. I understand it is 'good' and an innovation at the time, but it also doesn't really do anything for me. Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 8 are the strongest, to me. But it's a 3 star album, maybe 3.5
I liked the techno/electrical vibe to it. Feels like something Moby would’ve taken inspiration from.
A bit out there, early electronica I guess? A couple songs were region blocked on spotify :( but it's experimental overall and a bit out there. Maybe worth listening to again in a different state of mind.
I like David Byrne and all, but could you imagine him singing over these tracks? Good call to take the instrumental path here. That said, while I was digging the hell out of the first couple songs it definitely ended up a bit too repetitive for my tastes. I wouldn’t mind having it on while writing though.
I seem to enjoy each Brian Eno album we get a little bit less. This one was ok, but not fantastic.