My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Probably the best Eno album I've heard. Super experimental, but doesn't really get me going?

It’s ok for what it is

Forgive if I’m mistaken but music is meant to make you feel emotions. Like, literally any emotion. Even one singular emotion, to however low a capacity. Maybe that’s just me

Una piedra angular de la música electrónica, el sampleo conceptual y la vanguardia transcultural que ha envejecido bien como un fascinante laboratorio de experimentación antropológica y sonora. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción despliega una mezcla que entreteje los sonidos del mundo moderno a la vez que lleva al místico origen del universo, dando claridad absoluta al diálogo entre líneas de bajo funk, polirritmias percusivas y retazos de transmisiones radiofónicas cortadas a mano. El ensamble proyecta una fuerza y calidez en la interpretación que transmiten autenticidad pura, imponiendo una autoridad superior a través de una sincronía hipnótica donde las voces anónimas de predicadores, cantos del Medio Oriente y locutores adquieren una vitalidad espiritual arrebatadora. Pasajes determinantes como la paranoia rítmica de "America Is Waiting", el trance devocional de "Help Me Somebody", la majestuosidad oriental de "Regiment" y la quietud ambiental de "Mountain of Needles" dan forma a un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un lúcido llamado a la conciencia frente a la saturación mediática, la pérdida del ritual y la búsqueda de lo sagrado en plena era de la información. Una obra cuya cadencia ondulante y constante sensación de paz y fluidez la vuelven excepcionalmente versátil para múltiples usos, destacando como un catalizador extraordinario para estimular el trabajo creativo, acompañar el ritmo del ejercicio o sumergirse en una profunda reflexión solitaria.

Average, not good enough

Weird AF. Listened to it as a kid. Explains a lot.

I could’ve died without listening to this.

i liked it a lot, would probably appreciate more with a few listens

Great stuff and intro to Brian Eno

Colaboración casi perfectamente balanceada aunque para las últimas dos o tres rolas se nota que Brian le quitó el control remoto a David e hizo un poco lo que le dio la gana. Aún así, perfecto. Está versión de Spotify le sobran varias.

Half is extremely excellent, highly interesting, and wonderful to listen to. The other half is hard to listen to, repetitive, and harsh on the ears. I can respect that they were pushing music forward and I think it's inspired lots of modern music. However, I think some editing would improve it greatly. One extra star for the sproingly bass tones.

Good

Mhhh interesting

This is one of my most interesting finds so far. Two musicians are really enjoy on a collaboration I didn't know about. A period of experimental musical which really paved a way for current genre blending artists. Just always a strange feeling about this weird time in the 80s where a load of white guys decided to explore African music for their own records

I love both of you weirdos, but there's no way in hell I'm ever listening to this again (for reference, I gave Music For Airports five stars).

Not an album for regular listening, but if you’re in the zone it has a lot of great moments.

This album was written simultaneously with Talking Heads' Remain in Light, which Eno and Byrne also worked on together but released a little later. Well, more accurately, it was less "written" more "glued together," as it's entirely composed of looped musical fragments, and the vocals feature religious and Eastern cuts: Lebanese singers, evangelical sermons, and even exorcisms. And here it's clear how important humanity is in music. The sound style here is just as East African as Remain in Light; they're literally brother albums, only this brother feels somehow frail and premature. I find it hard to even call this a full-fledged album; the artists simply wanted to experiment with sound and then release the results. Does anyone actually listen to this for pleasure, not just historical reference? Oh well...

Quirky and experimental, loved the percussion based writing.

7/10 – Good

Hmmm

Too weird.

1. 4.5 2. 4.5 3. 4.5 4. 4 5. 4.5 1. 4 2. 3.5 3. 3 4. 3.5 5. 3 6. 3.5

A zero for the music, a 5 for the guts to explore.

Some people like this. I find it void of any emotion. It sounds like AI.

What a pleasant surprise this was! Incredible sampling for its time

It's uncomfortable to see wealthy white westerners appropriating so much from other cultures, but the music is good and tasteful. It has a bit of the cold cleverness I don't like in Talking Heads though. I think I prefer Eno without Byrne. .

Confusingly good.

I just couldn’t

Simulacrum

It’s background music and I’ll leave it at that

Some have called this “background music” but I disagree. The first half, anyway, is too interesting for that. Plus, I was listening to the album outside and a neighbor walked by during the “Jezebel” exorcism song, and I quickly turned down the volume so he wouldn’t hear. That’s not background / boring! But… is it good? Is it something I’d want to listen to again? I don’t know. The slower, more ambient songs in the 2nd half really drag it down. I think I can appreciate this album, but I don’t think I *like* it.

3+

:0

As Mr. Spock would say...fascinating.

A cool album that holds up over time. Reminds of what I’ve heard from Holger Czukay from around that time. It starts to feel a bit repetitive by the end.

I did not care for this, though I suspect it's very good music theory in action. I think I recognized the Byrne (rhythm) and Eno (ambiant) stuff, but that could be my imagination.

They work well together but a lot of this felt like filler

Two epic talents coming together to create . . . something largely forgettable, I'd say.

Not sure how I would feel about this album under normal circumstances, but this morning I am listening to it after catching up on yesterday's album, which was Haunted Dancehall (the second studio album by English electronic music group The Sabres of Paradise.) And compared to THAT album this sounds like the greatest music ever recorded. I love David Byrne but am not wild about anything I've heard by Eno other than his production work. Parts of "A Secret Life" reminded me of Bowie's Blackstar album. I liked how funky "Defiant" was. This is a little more avant-garde than I am into. Some interesting sounds and songs on here though. And reading up on it, I see that it was considered pioneering in the art of sampling, so kudos to them for that. This is not something I can see myself putting on to listen for pleasure though.

yo i love this

Alright, look. I love David Byrne... and I respect Brian Eno. These are two very eccentric and talented dudes. For the casual listener, however, this just doesn't land. Interesting and impactful I'm sure, but for me, not so much.

Another sonic warfare on my eardrums. It's not that it's not listenable, it's that it actively resists listening. It's like the album was raised by wolves. It's just... sounds. Lots of them. One star for effort, one for execution. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Regiment - The Jezebel Spirit

Bon, à quand un des albums d'ambient de Brian Eno ? Pas pour aujourd'hui, en tout cas. Aujourd'hui, je me retrouve avec un album collaboratif créé avec David Byrne (Talking Heads), qui tire un peu sur l'ambient parfois, sans jamais en être. Et c'est pas foufou. L'une des grandes attractions de cet album, c'est la lourde utilisation de samples dans chaque titre. Pour un album sorti en 1981, c'est tout de même sacrément avant-gardiste. Le truc, c'est que même si la plupart des titres parviennent à développer une petite atmosphère, tous manquent un peu de direction et de structure. Ce qui est dommage parce que c'est clairement ce qui tire l'album vers le bas, à mon avis. D'un autre côté, comme je le disais, c'était une expérimentation assez folle pour l'époque et il y a plusieurs passages qui marchent très bien. Résultat : je sais pas trop si je devrais noter ça 2 ou 3 sur 5. On verra bien demain au moment de noter.

Wasn’t aware these two had worked together. Decent

Enjoyed this, great bass

Good music for some sort of party I wasn't invited to

not my kinda thang

If I could give it a 0 I would. Holy dogshit. Actually just random fucking sounds and samples. What a painful listen. What a disgrace to music and art. Is this even music? It's just sound effects. Get a monkey behind the editing screen and it could probably do better than this steaming pile of horseshit. Genuinely worst piece of music I've ever listened to. Just experimental garbage

This is my sort of thing. Usually. But they decided early on that they wanted minimalism more than they wanted rhythm and that was the wrong choice for me. When they had it it was very good.

w o a h d u d e 5/5

love it

Not bad

the whole album like someone gave him a soundboard to play with over a completed album and weird streams of consciousness. Its fucked, but its still pretty fun to listen to at least once.

Super weird album. I enjoyed it but it’s probably a one and done for me. The use of weird samples was fun though. Especially the exorcism over a very Talking Heads beat

Oh well! Yes, I understand, these two guys tried something new. It's just, that I don't dig the result much.

Heard Before? Surprisingly not. Notes: - many many cool sounds crammed into songs that mostly go nowhere. - i mostly tuned out the dialogue samples. perhaps they are the key that unlocks the album. I'll never know. - did I mention lots of cool sounds? i felt more compelled to track down the sources of their musical ideas than to give this another chance. Verdict: Funky ambient with cultural tourist passport. Listen Again? Maybe. I sent it to my kid who is a huge David Byrne fan.

# An In-Depth Review of *My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts* by Brian Eno and David Byrne ## Album Overview Released in 1981, *My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts* is a landmark collaboration between Brian Eno and David Byrne, created during an extraordinarily fertile period between two of Talking Heads' most celebrated albums, *Fear of Music* and *Remain In Light* . The title was borrowed from Amos Tutuola's 1954 novel about a young man's journey through a supernatural Nigerian wilderness, though the album's connection to the book is primarily thematic rather than narrative . What Eno and Byrne created was something radically new: an album built almost entirely from sampled voices—radio preachers, exorcists, Lebanese mountain singers, and Muslim chants—set to hypnotic, funk-infused grooves . ## The Music and Production **Analog Innovation:** In 1980, digital samplers didn't exist in the mainstream. Eno and Byrne constructed the album using two tape machines running simultaneously—one playing the instrumental track, the other the sampled vocal—waiting for serendipitous moments where the two would synchronize . This was collage music made with scissors, tape, and real-time performance, a painstaking process that required "trial and error" and "seat-of-the-pants" instinct . Modern listeners accustomed to grid-snapped digital production may find the "knocked-together arrangements" refreshingly organic; tape loops, as one critic noted, are "funkier than laptops" . **Instrumentation:** The duo assembled an impressive cast including Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz, bassist Bill Laswell, and percussionists Mingo Lewis and Steve Scales, alongside Eno and Byrne themselves playing guitars, synthesizers, bass, and an array of "found objects" and percussion . The rhythm tracks are dense, knotty, and irresistibly funky—a blend of African polyrhythms, funk, and electronic textures that sounds both tribal and futuristic . The basslines in particular are described as "counter-intuitive and contortionist" . ## The Sampled Voices and Themes **Found Vocals as Lead Instrument:** Neither Eno nor Byrne sing on the album. Instead, sampled voices take center stage, transforming the album into what one reviewer called a "State-Of-The-Musical-Union Address" . The sources are diverse and provocative: Pentecostal preachers, an exorcist casting out the "Jezebel spirit," Muslim chants, radio talk-show hosts, and isolated gospel singers from the Sea Islands . The opening track, "America Is Waiting," features a radio host's disembodied voice declaring "America is waiting for a message of some sort or another," a line that casts a thematic shadow across the entire album . **Emotional Intensity Through Borrowed Passion:** Critics noted that the album drips with emotional intensity, but it comes from the found voices rather than the creators . Eno and Byrne—described as "progressive sorts trapped within modernity's rationality"—were drawn to the fervor of true believers, creating an album that evokes fear, ecstasy, and conviction through sampled sermons and chants . Tracks like "The Jezebel Spirit" are electrifying yet morally ambiguous; the exorcist's patriarchal conviction raises hair on the back of the neck even as liberal sensibilities recoil . This creates a productive tension: the listener cannot simply enjoy the sounds divorced from their original meanings, forcing engagement with uncomfortable ideas . **Cultural Appropriation Debates:** The album has sparked passionate exchanges about cultural imperialism—West meeting East, but not as idealized fusion . Eno himself described it as "Fourth World music," collage work that grafts pieces of different cultures together . Byrne found radio evangelists "mesmerizing and exotic," tapping into what he called "an older, weirder, more Gothic America" . Whether this constitutes respectful appreciation or appropriation remains debated, but the album's deconstructive impulse—challenging conventional standards of authenticity and authorship—was prophetic . ## Controversies The album faced significant legal and cultural hurdles. The original track "Qu'ran," which set verses from the holy book to music, was removed after complaints from the Islamic Council of Great Britain . Another track, "Into the Spirit World" (featuring evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman), was reworked as "The Jezebel Spirit" after Kuhlman's estate refused to license the vocals . These controversies underscore how the album's sampling approach—so innovative at the time—inevitably collided with questions of ownership and respect . ## Influence and Legacy **A Watershed Record:** *My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts* is widely considered one of the most influential albums of the past half-century, a "watershed record for future genres from world music to electronica" . Its echoes can be heard in everything from Public Enemy's Bomb Squad productions and DJ Shadow's sample collages to Moby and Kruder & Dorfmeister . Alongside early hip-hop, it helped inaugurate the popularization of music sampling, challenging traditional notions of creative authorship . **Producers as Curators:** The album signposted the way for producers to become "curators," transforming the studio from a recording environment into a compositional instrument . As Eno had done with his ambient work, he and Byrne elevated found sounds to starring roles, a practice that is now commonplace but was revolutionary in 1981 . **Political Resonance:** The 2006 reissue took on new significance in a post-9/11 world; reviewers noted how the integration of Christian fundamentalist and Arabic Muslim voices felt uncannily timely, transforming the album from a significant musical statement into what some called a "political manifesto" . The collision of disparate theologies in the album's grooves mirrored the widening gap between American right-wing fundamentalism and the Muslim world . --- ## Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Groundbreaking production:** The analog tape-splicing techniques were revolutionary, and the album remains a masterclass in studio-as-instrument creativity - **Incredible rhythm tracks:** The grooves are dense, funky, and still sound fresh decades later, with tape loops that feel organic rather than mechanical - **Thematic depth:** The album engages with religion, technology, cultural collision, and emotional authenticity in ways that reward repeated listening - **Massive influence:** Its impact on hip-hop, electronic music, and world music is undeniable and well-documented - **Warmth despite experimentalism:** Given its cerebral nature and collage-based construction, the album remains remarkably inclusive and even danceable ### Cons - **Inconsistent impact of sampled voices:** Some voices, particularly the less-chopped samples, can feel dated; the shock value of evangelist recordings has diminished over time . As one critic noted, taping crazy evangelists has become "the art music equivalent of broadcasting crank phone calls" - **Cultural appropriation concerns:** The album's "Fourth World" approach raises valid questions about who gets to borrow from whom, and whether the decontextualization of sacred materials respects their origins - **Artsy to a fault:** Some listeners may find the album more interesting as an idea than as a listening experience; it "meanders a bit" and can feel redundant - **Bonus tracks dilute the original:** The 2006 expanded edition, while welcome, includes outtakes that one critic described as "sketchy and substandard," diminishing the "immaculate construction" and sense of conclusion achieved by the original album's sequencing - **Controversial original content lost:** The removal of "Qu'ran" and alterations to other tracks mean the full original vision is no longer available on standard releases --- ## Conclusion *My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts* remains a near-masterpiece, a record that looks both backwards to musique concrète and forward to the sample-based music that would define the next four decades . It is, at its core, a testament to serendipity—an album built on the magical moments when two tape machines, one playing music and one playing disembodied voices, would coincidentally synchronize as if "they were always intended to" . For all its flaws—the dated shock value of some samples, the uneasy politics of cultural borrowing, the sometimes-uneven bonus material—it stands as an undeniably awesome feat of rhythmic ingenuity and creative vision . "It remains a very warm and inclusive record," the BBC concluded, a remarkable achievement for an album that never features its creators' own voices .

An album I’ve not listened to in a while - a very good listen, and very influential. Favourite track: Help Me Somebody

Phenomenal album. Love these two. Can't believe this was only my second time listening to this. I need to listen to it more.

🤨

Great album, if what you are looking for is spy movie background music or new age spa relaxation music. why this is a top 1001 album of all time is beyond me.

I really appreciate what they’re doing here. It’s just too bad I listened to this while deeply irritated. I should come back to it ready to relax into it. Even in this state though, I can’t help but appreciate the layers.

3.5. Just not that good and kinda repetitive

Great sound for just chilling and vibing with other people!

המצאת הטכנו וההאוס בלי קיק ומשהו מייחד, היה לי די קשה לשמיעה, יותר מכל האלבומים של צארלס ריי ששמעתי בלל הדבר הזה

Pretty chill stuff, just a step or two above ambient music as might be expected from Brian Eno. Each track is arranged around a spoken-word sample, often of religious significance. In some ways it seems like a precursor to Moby's Play, his album of remixes of blues and spirituals, but Eno is a lot weirder and more experimental. I like that kind of thing, but this isn't to my exact taste. Still, a more mind-expanding experience than most albums on this list, a fact that needs some recognition.

I am a fan of both these artists and had not heard this so was excited when it landed. As always, there is a lot to love. The smooth eno production marries well with Byrbes more jangly sensibilities and wrapping it up in world music allowed a variety that kept the album fresh to the end. It also sounded completely timeless and could easily have been released last year than 45 years ago which is an impressive trick. The biggest downside is that is engaged too much with my head and not enough with my heart. I enjoyed it, can see its value, but after 2 listens i didnt find a tentpole track tonlift everything else up and hook me in.

Quirky and weird. I'd listen again.

I don't know what I was expecting but I certainly wasn't expecting an instrumental Afrobeat-ish album with a bunch of totally random samples. It's a great album, and it's so incredibly David Byrne, but it's such a weird concept. I can't really complain, I love weird concepts. It's crazy to think that this came out in 1981, too. There are a few other albums on this list that sound kind of similar to this that came out in the mid-90s. I think the best part of this album is the samples, and that's probably what gives me the "how did this come out in the 80s?" feeling. They're fairly minimal, but they all add a lot to the music itself, especially the little vocal sample in Mea Culpa.

Not sure how to feel about this. Very beep boop in a way that is not super interesting to me, but I recognize the well crafted experimentation. 5/10

lots of "psychedelic" records on this list but none that bring me back so viscerally to brain-ruiningly bad Experiences as to fuck up my whole day. i think that alone is evident of this B & D's spooky power here, but should you need more evidence, look no further than the cavernously deep funk of Regiment, Qur'an's heaving, humid morass, the unsteady float of The Carrier. it's hard for me not to miss the Byrne on side two of this record, such a synthesis do they present in the first handful of tracks, but there's wonderful stuff all over this and it's undoubtedly a very one-of-one album. great stuff!

Feels like a compilation of music for commercials or movie music. Quite entertaining Some good moments

I appreciate the innovation and there are cool moments. Feels more like an experiment than i'd like.

Debe tener su gente, pero a mi me disgustó

Has not stood the test of time

conceptually and historically interesting but not something I need to listen to it's fine

Challenging and fresh despite its age. Not an easy listen but I’m impressed.

Nope.

Something a bit different. Probably not one I'll put on much in future, unless I need some non-distracting background music while I read, or do a complicated crochet pattern, or finally get round to renewing my driving licence...

Recontra re sisisisi Nota: 3.9

If I were a horse you'd have shot me to prevent further suffering

This was very unique and kept me entertained throughout. Definitely weird.

Weird, but pretty solid honestly.

Totalmente prescindible como el “ Lulu” de Metallica y Lou Reed

experimental indeed

норм, но музыка из аэропортов больше понравилась.

It's flowing, chill, electronic and avantgarde. Wasn't so sure at the beginning, but at the end I loved it

You know how sometimes you’re in an art museum and you see a painting of a bridge and you’re like “cool” and then you see a painting of a sad clown smoking a cigarette and you go “ok, not my thing, but ok” and then you see a banana duct taped to a piece of drywall and you go “ok, this makes no fucking sense?” This album is that banana art, but for your ears.

No me ha dicho nada

Odd

This was dumb. Just random sounds and noises on repeat. Why is Eno important? I don’t get it.

Bunch of random sounds & samples strung together. There-I saved you some time. Not “innovative” or “cool ambient”. Just random sounds strung together

Admittedly, I'm more of an Eno guy than a David Byrne guy; I have to say, I think Eno's vision of an electric, ambient, psychedelic Africa pretty much carries this album. Maybe Byrne was just along for the ride? I don't know. I did a cursory dive and I didn't see much written about the creation of this album. It's pretty good though.

Interesting enough bleep boop. A good length too

What a pleasant surprise this was! Incredible sampling for its time

pleasantly surprised at this album, literally had no expectations but this experimental ambient but also a bit of everything album just had interesting song after another interesting song. pretty damn cool.

This is an album that shines best for those who listen with good-quality headphones (the intricate depth of sound I got on headphones compared to my car speakers is dramatic). For the actual review itself, the album is well-produced and shows interesting sampling work by these two that would have been influential in the development of electronic music. However, I'm really not a fan of this sound, especially in the more experimental second half, where it becomes a lot more nonsensical. I'd rather listen to Remaining in Light (which I got four days after this album and just listened to before writing this very review (I still need to review that album)).

this is really cool and while i didn’t really pick out any particular favorite songs, the whole thing felt like an immersive experience that i would definitely return to. a super unique sound that combines the uniqueness of both of them for sure.

Surprised me how innovative the sampling here was for its time! However, usual Eno caveats apply for me - African rhythms too muted under the production and the overly academic - even didactic - approach here.

I admittedly approaced this with a very negative attitude having taken a great dislike to the last Eno album we were served. Well, what a surprise it was! Experimental, yet in a restrained way, varied throughout, and with an overall sound that is ridiculously ahead of its time for an album recorded in 1980! A real treat. Himself

Big time classic for a reason, one of those hipster choices cool people always cite as an influence but for good reason, this is really great!!

Bleep bloop music. Honestly enjoyed it more than the reviews led me to believe I would, but some of it kind of escaped me. It feels like a spiritual predecessor to tame impala or lcd soundsystem. 4*

3 de 5 Álbum revolucionario y destacado por el uso de samples, ritmos globales y un collage sonoro psicodélico, mezcla de funk pesado con percusión africana y de Oriente Medio. Marcando el camino para géneros como la electrónica moderna, el hip-hop y artistas como Public Enemy o Moby. Considerado una obra maestra de la experimentación sonora que desafió los límites entre la música occidental y la global. A destacar: Track 1 - America Is Waiting Track 3 - Regiment Track 4 - Help Me Somebody Track 6 - Very Very Hungry Track 7 - Moonlight In Glory Track 8 - The Carrier Track 9 - A Secret Life

More innovative than influential - some really interesting parts, and some not even reaching meh levels

There’s interesting sounds in here but I’m not really sure how to rate this

ok . seemed to be making a lot of random noises for the sake of it

Just a bunch of noise :( did not enjoy my listen thru.

No.

5/10

The album cover shown here is from the 2006 reissue, and the web page directs to the 2006 reissue. One track from the original release was removed because of pressure from religious leaders. Otherwise I listened to the original release. This album consists of African beats, electronic background, and extensive samples. There are no vocals in the traditional sense. Apparently the album was influential as it was perhaps the first to use extensive samples of existing music, talk, etc. It’s very well done as an experiment but nothing I’d want to hear repeatedly.

From Byrne to Byrne! The algorithm's on one! 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' is a fun album title* because it seems like there's a typo, but which one? Annoying wordless album cover, unless it's a Magic Eye situation, which would be even more annoying. *Originally a book title, apparently, which "seemed to encapsulate what this record was about". Did it?? Is this.. proto-hip hop? What is happening? I hope we avoid the elusive triple-Byrne tomorrow, there might be diminishing rebyrnes. Not quite bad enough for a 2 but it's on thin ice!

The music on the album—which I’m listening to for the first time—sounds interesting. But it’s definitely not my cup of tea! I do listen to world music, but this particular style relies far too heavily on sampling and electronics for my taste. It might sound interesting at first, but the longer the record plays, the more annoying it becomes.

227. boring

I wouldn't say it was boring, but it didn't do what I was hoping. It wasn't ambient enough to feel like Brian Eno, but wasn't quite weird enough to feel like David Byrne. Just kind of a weird middle ground.

Not super easy to listen to. Not gonna lie, but I couldn't make it through this album. Probably listened to 3/4 of it. While the sounds and vibes were inventative, the lack of coherence made it too hard to listen to.

I can hear that this has influenced so much music that I love even decades later. Hard to believe it was released in 1981. Love some of the samples and sounds. Misses a 5 as it does go a bit spa background music at times

i owe u my life mr eno

It started strong, especially the first and third tracks, but quickly devolved into something that was not fun to listen to.

Eno and Byrne, one hell of a combo

America Is Waiting 3.3 Mea Culpa 3.1 Regiment 3.5 Help Me Somebody 3.3 The Jezebel Spirit 3.3 Qu'ran 3 Moonlight in Glory 3.1 The Carrier 3 A Secret Life 3 Come with Us 2.8 Mountain of Needles 2.9 Score: 3.118181818

365/1089 1 year into this project! this was an interesting one to have for that milestone, i liked it and it was atmospheric but it’s not immediate for me. could see myself liking it more on relisten potentially? 64/100

I wanted to like this but this was just rough

meh

2.5 - Meh, thought I'd like this more

Really enjoyed this. Can hear sone of those fragments that made Fear of Music and Remain in Light what they are.

the most intentionally challenging album so far; i was really expecting something different when i saw byrne in the credits this work represents a break with the norms and the creation of a new paradigm; eno's experimental philosophy is combined with byrne's non western musical influences with the almost obsessive intention of answering the same question that, if we had to formulate it, would be something like 'are the lost voices of the past music in themselves?' one of the greatest exponents of the principle popularized by eno of using the recording studio as a musical instrument, despite the technological limitations of the time, they transformed the recordings into a musical reality that could only exist within that studio they are able to bring together worlds that do not normally coexist, such as funk, african music, radio recordings, or spoken word, in a chaotic mix as distinct as it is digestible, inviting you to walk alongside them even if the path is truly weird

This has some Laurie Anderson vibes to it, but certainly through a Byrne strainer. I never knew these two collaborated. I wish I had heard it when it came out (though sadly at my lofty 6 years, 23 days of age it would have been lost on me then). This sounds much later than 1981. I can see why it was divisive in its day and lauded later. When you think this predates digital recording and this was all tape and splice it is astounding the skill and patience required to birth it. The sampling would obviously inspire Malcolm Maclaren's Duck Rock two years later and hip hop in general for the rest of the 80s, but it's overall feel wouldn't really be capitalised on until much later with Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead. The best part is that it holds up to listening today. The sound is overall more optimistic than what would emerge today from the same idea. The second half changes gear and delivers more of a soundscape, film score sense. This is the half the public and radio were not ready for in '81.

what the hell is going on here

Absolutely a sibling project to Remain in Light in its worldbeat influence / pilfering over a funky sound followed by a more spaced out sound, but taking the focus way more into pushing the ideas of the sound along into “The Vibe Space” like a Brian Eno album (or hell, like any amount of electronic albums in the last 45 years) rather than into the lyricism of Talking Heads. Bringing the found sounds in as a “vocal” over the top gives you this great feeling of just sort of plugging into a weird radio experience, which I unsurprisingly love, as well as the funk base of a lot of the tracks (especially first side) here. Undeniably experimental, but plenty approachable, it’s kind of the play when you see these two paired up and at this time.

This grew on me after the first track, quite enjoyed it to my surprise, but then these two are Gods🙏🏼

Not sure how to summarize it, the album balancing on the edge of being to weird but at the same time stays interesting

The first half of this album is absolutely killer to me you can tell that this was the precursor to the absolute best Talking Heads album... And also the kind of stuff that peter Gabriel would explore on his fourth self-titled album. The second side seems to rely less on the beats and more on the World Music Experience, which was good, but I'm much preferred the direction of the first half. Actually listen to this album on YouTube so I can hear the original album. The first time I listen to this album on my 1981, i use the standard version with "Qu'ran" replaced. (8.85) ★★★★

This album is interesting, but I don't particularly like it. 2.5 stars

I think this is a pretty cool blend of afrobeat and sample-heavy electronica. It kind of feels like a sister project to *Remain in Light* at times. While I don't think it's as good as the Talking Heads projects around this time, it is a cool project in it's own right, though I think I would've preferred some Byrne vocals over some of the found sound samples here. Highlights for me are "Regiment", "The Jezebel Spirit" and "The Carrier". 3.5 stars.

Brian Eno is a great bunch of lads but David Byrne is a massive twat so I can’t give this one any higher than two stars. The opening track is the most irritating by far and overall this is still patchier than the patchiest of Apaches. There’s the odd few bits of decent ambient and afrobeat chase music but overall Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack offers similar stuff but of higher quality. Or maybe not but would recommend that over this any day.

I absolutely hated (hated!) the first Brian Eno album I heard on this project, but this one was more interesting, perhaps because of the juxtaposition of cool African beats and crappy experimental music. The lyrics are weirdly religious, but I could tune those out for the most part. Some of the tracks are unnecessary and stupid, but I will say I am surprised at how I didn't hate this album. Against my better sensibilities, I'll give it a 3.

terrific album art Is it just me or does Mea Culpa sound a bit like a Butthole Surfers song? I enjoyed the album from start to finish. I even listened to the bonus tracks which I hardly ever bother with.

This was just plain awful

I liked this and found it interesting. But one listen is probably enough, if I was going to listen to a TH/Byrne record it wouldn't be this one

I knew I was gonna hate this but I didn't think it would be THAT bad

I read the wiki and the reviews and it may have laid groundwork for other music but I found it very hard to listen to and get through.

Pleasantly weird, or maybe weirdly pleasant.

I see Brian Eno come up for my daily album, and I just sigh because I know it's going to be boring.

David Byrne i know you’re the goat but i just cant get into this 💔

They were ahead of the tech on this one

Title of your sex tape!

This wasn’t too bad. Kind of Talking Headsy electronic music. I can dig it. Oh wait, now we are getting real middle eastern and then going off into an hour of classic Eno-wankery. I am less able to dig it as the album goes on. Oh wait again, I was supposed to stop at “Mountain of Needles” but Amazon Music’s insistence on playing the expanded edition of everything fucked me yet again. Who knows if I dig this or not? Probably not. Brian Eno was just this giant nerd Frankenstein monster roaming the countryside of the 70’s and 80’s music scene, glam metal and disco groups chasing him with torches and pitchforks while he tried to understand human emotions but just ended up hurting everyone with his overwhelming nerd strength. It’s tragic.

Big fan of Eno and Byrne. My Life isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fantastic ambient artful album.

yeah, honestly younger me was onto something - this was my favorite album many years ago but i hadn't listened in forever. Still love it. Still dear to my heart. never expected to see this on this list. happy it's here.

Un sonido muy ambiental y tropical, no es lo mio

Honestly this was awful. Trying to be creative sounded like high school band tune up.

Nice and weird and strange but it never really takes off. I've tried a few times in the past but it won't stick.

America is waiting - 2 Mea culpa - 2 Regiment - 4 Help me somebody - 2 The jezebel spirit - 2 Qu'ran - 3 Moonlight in glory - 2 The carrier - 2 A secret life - 2 Come with us - 2 Mountain of needles - 3

Why?

i just waited for it to end.

Interesting. I love me some early Eno and a.big Talking Heads fan, I will probably have to spin this again.

If you were to make a list of music artists who have collaborated with Brian Eno, you’d end up with a who's who list of relevant musicians of the last 40+ years. And so it’s cool to hear one of these early collaborations with David Byrne. And while it was cool to hear this and some of the interesting ideas they generated, I can't help feeling like I’m hearing something incomplete. Many of these 'songs' if you can call them that would benefit from a singer or lead instrument. Rather we have these experimental soundscapes that don't seem to go anywhere.

It was cool to finally hear something from Eno, the grandfather of ambient music. This is a collaboration between Brian, who was an original member of Roxy Music and worked on David Bowie’s Low, and David Byrne, the lead singer and co-former of Talking Heads. This was a pretty trippy, experimental experience that had plenty of interesting moments and ideas. I still felt underwhelmed at times and this isn’t something I’d be likely listen to again but it was cool to hear what two of the most important minds in music at the time were able to create together. 1 listen Favorite Track: Regiment

Expectation: -> No idea what to expect here…genre, decade, nothing. After listening: -> Not really my thing. Some ineresting sounds for sure. Some sounds I do not care for. An overall mish-mash that I won't go looking for. After a more intented second listen and at the 11th hour, I nudged this up to two. Track ranking: Regiment Solo Mountain Come America Moonlight Pitch 8 Help Two Defiant Hungry Secret Jezebel Mea Carrier New Vocal

I'm not sure who this is for but it's definitely not me

The bass on a few of these tracks is so juicy. My favorite track is Regiment. However, most of the tracks lose the funk and go straight to that herky-jerky percussion that only David Byrne knows how to dance to.

No sé amigo creo que no.

Interestingly bizarre

This was a strange one.

What happens when two of the most overrated folks in music make an album? I don't know, as I have not heard this yet, but I suspect I will not love it. My suspicions were correct.

I like sampling mixes, but this is not your tipical album. It's interesting, but it seems like more the artist trying to explore mixing different sounds an rhythms, prominently the tribal ones. After that first track, its actually ok as ambient, just as ot says on this page (especially tracks 2 to 5). Regiment and Help Me Somebody are actually decent tracks, at least 3.5, but the rest nah. They save tehm ig

This is definitely a Yin Yang type of album to me. Love Brian Eno but hate Talking Heads so by extension that includes David Byrne. Trouble is not very keen early Eno much preferring his ambient stuff. So that makes this album a Yin Yin. Or should that be Yang Yang? 1/5 28/6/26

I liked this one for the most part but it definitely lost me at a few points, maybe a week bit expiramental to listen to for an hour straight

Didn't click until the third track, but holy fuck once it clicked. Great use of sampling, very modern EDM/between genres style with a more holistic approach to the musical style.

No strong feelings. I think Eno and Byrne were mega talents. This isn’t my thing though.

Like-able, and interesting, probably won't reach for it again.

Goo Eno/Byrne music.

Sikkert nyskapende for sin tid, men utrolig repetitiv og kjedelig for meg.. hadde nok vært spinnvilt å oppleve det når det kom ut

Interesting but no standouts. Worth the listen.

Hey, this album. I've seen it while flicking through the book. I assume it's a matter of reissues and copyright laws, though it's a shame that Spotify uses this ugly, streaked design over the original album cover since I thinks it's pretty neat. Anyways, this is my fourth Brian Eno album, this time coming off the back of Music for Airports. I thought that album was solid and had a unique sound, though it's difficult for me to feel one way or the other about ambient music, which I suppose is by design. I didn't know until now that David Byrne collaborated on this album. I can hear the product of Eno and Byrne's sounds being fused together already, though the question remains as to whether this will feature vocals or not, which will obviously tip the scales as to whether this is more of an ambient or new wave album. Judging by the album cover, I think it's more likely that this will be an ambient album. Here goes. I was kind of right in assuming that this album would be a fusion of Eno and Byrne's sounds, though I was also completely blindsided by the prominent world music influence and the proto-hip-hop sound. I wanted to like this album, though I think the appeal is muddied by the high signal to noise ratio. The quirky instrumentation (notably the funky, Talking Heads-esque bass guitars) occasionally gives way to some solid chord progressions and melodies, though these stretches are few and far between and never last long. I can't say the sampling was implemented in a thoughtful or deliberate way, either. Overall, I found this album to be a bit dull, though I was content to let it wash over me. Book time. Inspired by Holger Czukay's Movies album, which definitely makes sense now that I think about it. How fortunate that I listened to that only a handful of albums ago. Meant to release ahead of Talking Heads' Remain In Light, but was caught up in legal troubles, presumably due to the clearance of its samples. "Qu'ran" was replaced on some pressings of this album with a B-side track after my favourite group of people got on their case for sampling an Islamic chant. Released years ahead of the popularisation of sampling and world music in the West. Wikipedia says the name of this album was taken from a Nigerian novel of the same name and backs up this album for being an innovator in sampling. Critics have been very receptive to this album and a few prominent musicians have cited it as an influence. It only performed modestly in the handful of countries where it charted, though New Zealand especially liked this album, with it peaking at No. 8. Yeah, this seems like a solid pick. I cosign this inclusion.

Just wrote a lengthy review and deleted by mistake. More upbeat and industrial than expected. Still beautiful in places. Very much enjoyed. 5.

annoying shite

Why didn't I listen to this album my whole life? A timeless record which will hopefully spin around my head for the forthcoming 45 years more often. 5/5

At times it does feel like a Remain in Light lite, just two dudes fucking around with samples and mixing and having a good time.

These concept albums that are for people who want to hear weird experimental music that isn’t very enjoyable to listen to should not be on a list claiming you should hear them before you die. This is for a niche set of fans only. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but it’s not fun to listen to.

This was interesting- mostly instrumental with some vocal stims thrown in. You could very much hear David Burns influence- reminded me a lot of some of the repeated vocals and instrumentation on Remain in Light. The songs were good overall- sometimes a little cacaphonous at parts. Overall- good background music

RATING: 8/10 HIGHLIGHT: Moonlight in Glory LOWLIGHT: America is Waiting

Encore de l'experimental-funk-punk..... Idées sympathiques ! J'aime bien l'esthétique "vieille radio" mais je n'ai pas les connaissances nécessaires pour apprécier cet album à sa juste valeur je pense

This is an oddity and I hear Byrne coming through stronger than Eno on many tracks. Props for the collab with Bill Laswell. Interesting that this was made before there were samplers, so precision playback wasn't a thing, putting the "art" into the artistry. Psychic TV comes to mind, who made similar music around the time of this release, but much noisier and without ethnic field recordings. The improvised instruments gave some freshness to the sounds as well, like cardboard boxes as kick drums. The experimental nature of this piece demonstrated what was possible for the electronic, industrial, and avant-garde music to come. There are some standouts (Solo Guitar with Tin Foil for me), but this stands more as a study on influence and a turning point in music history than an album I'd put on just to enjoy.

This is my jam. Starts off super strong with America is Waiting and Mea Culpa, and then just keeps going. I was going to list some of the tracks I really enjoyed, but I realized halfway through that I was just putting down the whole album. Shocked that two dudes known for their cool shit ended up making some super cool shit.

A bit Cronenbergesque, which I enjoyed. Otherwise, it is a very boring album.

The repetitiveness of Eno's solo work with the spookiness of some of Byrne's more annoying output. I'm so grateful for both of these men and what they've given music, but this album didn't do it for me.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - America Is Waiting is very futuristic and creates its own musical atmosphere that tis really interesting. The samples of different voices on this album are incredible. The quirky funk contrasts nicely with the more reflective moments such as A Secret Life.

Interesting and cool

How have I never listened to this before? Especially as it's basically Remain in Light vol. 2

Started off weird, then it got quite good in the middle, then ended even weirder than it was originally. Not quite sure what to make of this one in all honesty.

I enjoyed this more than I thought. It was actually a good sit-on-the-porch album for the my morning tea.

Sehr schönes Album, Chillout mässig

Was ready to give the first 1 star, but kind of enjoyed some of it

I have seen this album cover before but, never heard of it or listened to it, all I know is that it is like very experimental and electronic. This isn’t really an album you would listen to on a walk or to relax but, it’s more of an album you put to listen to it and pay full attention. I saw some people say they thought that it was just random sounds put together, which it kind of is but, honestly the more you listen to it the more you feel the rhythm and start to enjoy it! I’d recommend America is waiting, Mea Culpa, Regiment, Jezebel spirit, Very very hungry, The carrier, Mountain of needles, Pitch to voltage, Defiant and solo guitar with tin foil.

i guess im listening to a raga in the middle of the album huh

I'd probably love this on a second listen-through, so, 4 I guess.

It was a pretty cool album, it started off strong then tapered off. Very conceptual. Very, Very Hungry is the last song that caught my attention because I think it used a sample that reminded me of a Red Axes song. The Jezebel Spirit and Help Me Somebody make excellent use of sampling too.

Really interesting album, somehow not all the ideas work. High 3

Lots of cool ideas not fully realised.

When I heard about My Life In The Bush of Ghosts I wrongly assumed it would be David Byrne doing his full on David Byrne vocal performance over the top of a Brian Eno record, and the concept got me very excited. Nothing was ever going to live up to the idea that I had in my head. Instead it's a very tasteful instrumental meeting of creative minds, a blend of the two artist’s sonic palettes. Byrne’s bouncy, eccentric instincts come up against Eno’s more patient, atmospheric ones. Together they are manipulating sounds, textures and samples from Africa and adding a psychedelic flare, leading to a unique sounding Western record. We have different ideas nowadays about how appropriate it is for artists to draw so deeply from non-dominant cultures but it does look like Eno and Byrne made efforts to be respectful to the (admittedly sometimes unwitting) collaborators who make up the record’s samples. The results speak for themselves, with this being a curious exploration of culture, even if it's not exactly my favourite mode for either artist.

What a strange record, i find it oddly mysterious and compelling but also quite boring. Really hard to tell how much or how little impact this might have had. Going low to solid 3.

The soundtrack to autism. I love it.

everyone thinks this is frontloaded except me. the Eno side is honestly maybe even better than the Byrne one. wonderful use of samples to create effective ambient music. and the avant-funk numbers on side A are pretty great too. i’ve seen some say this is derivative of Can but i don’t agree with that. this is clearly coming to a different artistic conclusion. deserves to be one of the 1001? i mean this is revolutionary in the world of sample based music. i really should’ve checked this out earlier since this is the father of John Oswald and Negativland n all that. yes this does. secretly really important

I feel like this is going to be one of those albums that I absolutely love after I've listened to it five or six times

Not really a fan. DNF

Not very memorable.

This is the kind of album that I would buy because I heard it playing at the record store and then I would play for my friends and they would look at me like I was crazy for liking it. It's a whole lot of fun, it is as innovative in style as it is technologically, and it sounds like something that could have been made today. This is a super cool album and I'll definitely be listening to it again. Favorite track: "Regiment"

This list has already taught me how criminally under-appreciated Brian Eno is, and a collaboration with David Byrne is bound to be something worth hearing at least once.

Put off listening to this one for a bit because I expected a Brian Eno record to be weird. And it was, although in a slightly different way to what I thought. It was...fine, I guess. The music was OK, I found myself toe-tapping at times. I felt it was a bit of a weird shift into Middle Eastern and African sounds in the middle, then it kind of fizzled out. I've pretty much already forgotten it.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to.

I thought it was okay until it got to Mountain of Needles which then turned it into a slogfest. I had to look up the original track listing of the album and beg that this was the last song. Thankfully it was so I stopped after that track.

Since starting this experiment, I have been listening to sounds which have been described as music, but I've decided that I'm limited in what I like and this album was not it. I actually liked the music in the commercials between the songs better than the songs themselves as I listened to this album through youtube.com. Not a fan! The only redeeming factor was that most of the songs were around 3 minutes long, although there were a couple of times I had to check as I couldn't wait to go on to the next song.

Best: #5 The Jezebel Spirit

This album is way more interesting in theory than it is in reality, unfortunately. The constant sampling is cool for a little bit and I guess it's revolutionary sort of, but they don't really go anywhere with it? Others would figure out better ways to handle the combination of grooves and randomly sampled stuff, but Eno and Byrne fall short here.

Lo que hace Byrne tiende a caerme bien. Me gustó la atmósfera que se genera en algunos temas. Dificil album igualmente, no es accesible a primera escucha, ni tampoco para cualquier día o momento. 5/10

I’m not doing another Eno album. 2 because a 1 without listening wouldn’t be fair.

3.5 regiment was the standout for me. I was maybe a bit more drawn into the rhythm section than whatever else was going on. There was a description of this being 4th world music and i would say thats pretty accurate

I enjoyed the David Byrne bits. The Brian Eno bits, not so much.

I respect what it's trying to d and it's originality but it was just not fun to listen to.

I had very low expectations for this album and it met them with flying colours. 2 stars or D-.

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts was certainly a really interesting album as are most of Brian Eno's solo works. This time around, he teamed up with David Byrne which makes a lot of sense since Eno and Byrne alongside his band were practically joined at the hip during the late 70s and early 80s. This album was quite a mix of rock and electronica with some dashes of world elements as well. I thought this little mashup worked shockingly well as these songs had a real nice atmosphere top them. The very heavy bass did irritate me but not because it sounded bad (which it didn't) but actually because it constantly made me think my phone was vibrating. Despite that annoyance, this album was shockingly pretty good. Best Song: Mea Culpa Worst Song: Moonlight in Glory Side note: Last album where Brian Eno is specifically credited, time to rank them 1. Ambient 1/Music For Airports 2. Here Come The Warm Jets 3. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts 4. Before And After Science 5. Another Green World

A ghost of its former self

I respect the hell out of this album. I can see how inventive and influential it is for 1981. But as a listening experience, I don't care for it that much. Faves: Regiment

Hallmarks of what’s to come, but nearly as good as their other work

Didn't love it, but it wasn't so bad

Very good. 3.5/5

Can definitely hear some Remain in Light vibes.

The Good: We get to find out what it’s like living in a bush… The Bad: Not the bush we’d hoped for… The Ugly: Nobody bothered telling us that a ghosts bush really is just a smoke screen… Without knowing it, I had been waiting to listen to this album for a long time… this due to the colorful album cover, which, for me, deserves a 5* just because… Then I started listening to the music, and I started scratching my head… Then I listened to the music a second time, and I found myself in a slight trance at time. Then I listened to the music for a third time and time flew by. I will skip all the “start of sampling” rhetoric. I will skip all the “what the fuck” thoughts. I will enjoy, and to those who enjoyed as well, you understand. To those who didn’t enjoy, maybe try it a couple more times… 5*

Half of it sounds like demos for "Remain In Light" and the other half is just two guys messing around in the studio.

Couldn't get into this one at all.

My mistake was listening to this sober. I appreciate the strangeness of this and will be putting a few of these into my repertoire.

Why? Why did this make the list? 2 stars for production value. This doesn't need to be an album it's a passion project.

Two highly innovative guys. It’s a pleasure to listen to whatever they come up with. This sounds great on headphones.

No one else but Eno and Byrne could have created this dense fusion of electronica, world music, and crazy samples. It's a nightmare dreamscape and, coming right after Talking Heads "Remain in Light," it's the natural progression from that album. Songs like "Mea Culpa" and "Jezebel Spirit" linger in the subconscious. They explore religion and its effects on people in songs like "Jezebel Spirit," "Help Me Sonebody" and "Mountain in Glory" and its pretty disturbing. It's not all dark as there are some eerily beautiful songs as well like "Mountain of Needles." These guys produced some incredible collaborations together and I hope they work with each other again.

Pioneering fusion of world music, electronic, and Talking Heads-style psych freakouts. I didnt realise that this is considered one of the first albums to use extensive sampling, but not surprised. Eno in particular will (really, already does) have a legacy as one of the most innovative artists of all time. Dream-like, sometimes a little nightmarish collage of sounds

Nope

Really cool album, the combination of Brian Eno and David Byrne works really well. I like the world music influence on here a lot, from Indian to Arabic to African. The relatively sparse mixing works well too, it’s not too busy of an album even with all the different influences. If I had to critique it, I suppose it doesn’t really go anywhere. The songs are atypical and don’t really feel like they could be hit singles.

Garbage.

Absolutley not a fan of this weird singing and talking stuff

Noise

Very impressive work of samples here. Interesting to see the history behind the copyright for all of the samples and how it was all a mess. Debated on how influential it really was, its still very innovative and quite a fun listen. Impressive considering it started work in the late 70s.

first 5 star album. this one was truely special and an amazing listen.

Not for me

Inescuchable. No le pondría estrella.

Well, I had that damn Throbbing Gristle album a couple of days ago, so I guess this is pretty ho-hum by comparison. I could see myself getting used to this (and maybe even liking it) if I listened to it a few more times.

Did not know what to expect with this album.

What a trip. I had never heard of this effort from these two musical legends until now. Occasionally good.

This is NOT for me.

Experimental, weird nonsense. 1.5/5.

Quite experimental for its time. It’s synth and shoe gaze, but also has middle eastern influences? Not surprised that Eno produces something like this.

3.5/5. A question I had while listening to this collaboration between legendary producer Brian Eno and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne was “was this the first plunderphonics record?” as this album sees the two digging through a ton of samples from a ton of different sources and forging them into strange, atmospheric soundscapes. The album is essentially the two musicians experimenting with sounds, and like all experiments not all of them necessarily fully work. But it’s still a fascinating listen and there are some great cuts on here like “Mea Culpa.”

incrível esse aqui valeu só pq me colocou num humor de (finalmente) tomar vergonha e trabalhar experimental p caralho (com sucesso)

eh bem o que eu esperava mesmo. eletrônico, maluco, experimental. o uso de samples aqui eh duma maestria absurda. no mais, arte demais né. nao eh pra todo dia, mas eh extremamente interessante e bem feito!!

I mean I guess

Hadn’t heard of this one before but I really liked it. Will definitely be listening to it again in the future. Great stuff.

This album is a big deal for me. I heard it in about 1983, in my mid teens, and it had a huge impact on the music I've listened to ever since. A lot of the artists I discovered by exploring off the back of this are still favourites of mine today. It's an album I still listen to frequently and so an easy 5 for me.

Kind of exactly what I expected - it might grow on me with more listens. A three but only just

One of those albums I thought was okay sober but love high. So cool and weird and funky, the sampling is cool. Kinda over it near the end but still real good stuff

Wanted to quit listening after the first 5 seconds. Then I red that this album was a big influence for modern music so i gave it another shot. I like some rythmic parts of it or some melodys but most of the time i was not enjoying it. Really crazy sound effects in "come with us".

It insists upon itself, Lois.

As with anything David Byrne touches, it works best as long as his voice is not heard. The worst moments were built off samples of his voice. By the middle of the album they gave up trying to build a song from the random scraps of sound they produced. I agree with the wikipedia article that the influence of this album on sample-based music is debatable. Because if this was supposed to have convinced me, I'd rather have not bothered with the concept.

Aight

Ol' Sourpuss himself

Very chill album with a variety of ambient sounds. Despite it being completely instrumental, I found it interesting from front to back.

1 - might be historically significant because of what it presaged but it was a bad listen

Disappointed in this one

Blind album and artist. This album was so dumb I swear I could gave Fallen asleep while driving on my commute. Maybe David Byrne shouldn't have left his band and done solo work. 1.

Well that was interesting I really get more out of these albums when GPT tells me about them. I connected way more with the groove-oriented and atmospheric tracks than the harsher experimental ones. “Regiment” stood out immediately because of the Middle Eastern vocals and hypnotic vibe, while “America Is Waiting” felt abrasive and harder to enjoy. “Mea Culpa” clicked more for me because it had a stronger rhythmic anchor. “The Jezebel Spirit” was a big turning point for me — I loved the groovy intro and got really interested in the origins of the exorcism sample after finding out it came from a real religious recording instead of a movie. I also enjoyed “Very Very Hungry” because it balanced experimentation with groove and flow. By the time I got to “Moonlight in Glory” and “The Carrier,” I was especially drawn to the Middle Eastern/Lebanese vocal samples and the immersive atmosphere they created. Overall, I appreciated the album most when the experimental production served rhythm, trance-like repetition, and mood rather than chaos or tension. This was a great album. 4 stars.

Very interesting, but was disappointed not to hear any David Byrne singing. But I’m sure this was ahead of its time, with the synths, samples, and world music vibes.

This album felt inspired and fresh. It came across as the distinct vision of artists exploring all sorts of sounds, mixing interesting samples with their own artistry. It is experimental to the core and showcases a variety of rhythms, including African and Middle Eastern influences. The sounds, the ambience, and the guitar work layered over the samples made for a great listening experience. To some extent, it even feels like a precursor to trip-hop as a genre. Its first half is much stronger than the second. The best songs for me were "America Is Waiting" and definitely "Regiment".

I love both of these artists, but I've always hated this album. Self indulgent, meandering and too "bleep bloop, click clack" in its production. The first time I heard these two put out an album (not just a Talking Heads album with Eno producing but a bona fide album of the two of them), I was so excited. Every time I listen, I'm reminded of that disappointment.

Not my thing

As always, I give albums a fair shot, even if I don’t like the genre. I go in hoping that by the end, maybe I’ll have a new appreciation and/or find a new song from an artist that I enjoy. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with Brian Eno.

Cool to listen to once, but not something I would put on a second time.

Instrumentalexperiment mit hohem Anspuch aber langweiligem Doodle-Erlebnis.

Experimental music. I see. The essence of the experiment is to try and throw a bunch of random shit together and see if it sells And now I got a melody stuck in my head that never even appeared in the album but popped in my head while listening to it Despite thinkig it was clown music I enjoyed the first song and freestyling to the last three. Not sure if the latter should count but I'll count it

decent enough tbh

Not bad jam music. I don't need an entire album of it though.

Bigger than the sum of its parts. Trippy, wordly, experimental and yet very engaging. Great collab.

Too weird for me

Interesante, tendré que volverlo a escuchar 3.5

Sampling before sampling was popular. Problem being this is incredibly irritating. Has none of the humour or groove of later sampling. Just achingly trendy

On the plus side, I can appreciate that this was a trailblazer in the field of sampling (this would have been mind-blowing in 1979-1980). And, honestly, it DID keep me toe-tapping throughout; so, unlike most other experimental albums we've had on here, it DOES have SOME musical quality. However... it does feel a bit rough around the edges... which I suppose is unavoidable given what it is and when it was made. It's not something I'd want to necessarily have on repeat, but it's more polished than, say, 'Duck Stab' (another experimental album I appreciated more for its pioneering groundwork than for its standalone content), and I gave that a 3, so this deserves nothing less for the same reasons. In fact, I'll round up to a 4 because this feels like a genuinely important step in technical development (and I did like it, besides).

I don’t know why but this collaboration didn’t hit like it should have. It was good, but nothing compels me to go back again.

Where do I start, this album is both what I expected and not what I expected. It is experimental, has definite African, South American and Eastern influences. It's ambient and yet not ambient. On the whole it's liked it, but would i buy it? Well I certainly might, I mean, welle its not on my go out and get it now list. But, as part of a multi disk offer I probably would. Now what to score it? Much better than a 2, but is it a 4? No so 3 it is then.

Some very interesting samples, loops and noises. Thought it tailed off in the second half of it, or maybe I just lost interest. Stand out track ‘Regiment’. I’ve been singing it out loud for ages now.

A nice surprise! On paper the thought of listening to this had me cringing, but it worked very well. Great taped material over the top of fantastic drumming, the other sounds just worked. Two geniuses playing around and created the grandfather of rave? What ever it is, it's excellent. Better than the sum of ita parts. As for using a recording of a TV exorcism as a soundtrack, class.

Never listened to much Brian Eno despite understanding how influential he is. I was astounded by how well this held up. It could have easily come out 30 years later than it did. All the clunky use of sampling I hear today and to think that someone had it this dialed in back in the ‘80’s…

I'm historically a bit of a Byrne skeptic, Talking Heads do nothing for me beyond maybe four or five songs (and don't worry, I've tried all of them!), and the rest of his musical output feels a bit, let's say, 'colonial'. This record also features Brian Eno, the ambient work of whom I'm a tremendous fan, but who's other output often leaves me a little cold. How, then, do you imagine I found this generally well-regarded album from a pair of music giants? It's okay. There's a few good tracks up front and the last couple are interesting, but the middle just devolves into a morass of world music slop. Sorry Dave, sorry Bri, this just ain't doing it for me. 2*

Very, very cool. A hippy soundscape, warm and inviting, filled with these fascinating little sounds. There's some super fun n funky basslines Half the album is very ambient, which makes sense for Eno, and the other half is this sort of capital-W World music (as much as we all loathe the term) that's got some groove. Some neat ideas for sampling about, too. It's definitely an album that's both a) greater than the sum of its parts, and b) not really for fun easy listening, despite the ambient tag. It's more interesting as an experiment as music, but it does make for an excellent experiment. Fav tracks: Mea Culpa, Help Me Somebody, The Jezebel Spirit, Moonlight in Glory

Well. Electronica, not really my thing.

Enjoyable background music.

Not sure that I needed to hear this before I die.

i dind't expect to like this as much as i did. very cool and weird

not something i would listen put on for myself, but i'm happy that i listened to it. i could glean a lot of influence that i've heard elsewhere, namely DJ Shadow and other electronic music. pretty good overall, but not my cup of tea.

Just not my idea of fun

Honestly, my least favorite Eno album so far. Ended up not finishing it because I basically already knew what I was getting (I did skip through the later tracks to make sure, but yeah, just jammy, vibey electronic music that just isn't my thing).

Eno and Byrne create an interesting and innovative collage of sounds here. It's exactly the sound you'd expect from these two collaborating. However, it is a bit substandard compared to their respective works of this era. It's never dull, but it does tend to get repetitive. It doesn't really develop much past its starting point, which is a shame because this album is an absolutely brilliant listen at times. Favourite track: Regiment

Not as bad as I thought it would be. Yes it’s experimental but all songs had a nice consistency to them. Cool production.