My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Two insufferable guys making insufferable music.

Experimental and hypnotic, sometimes leaning towards atmospheric electronica, sometimes more focused on grooves and rhythms. I tended to enjoy the rhythmic tracks more, though I think the Eno-produced Talking Heads album "Remain in Light" does that style better. (Wikipedia tells me that "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" was recorded the year before "Remain in Light" but came out the year after that album. That makes sense to me. This feels like the experimenting that led to an even better, more focused album.) The music is fascinating and full of interesting sounds and grooves. But very few of the tracks develop into what I would consider songs. I suppose the album was made in a more of an ambient spirit than a pop one. Still, I wanted more development and structure. Most tracks just do their thing for a few minutes without introducing any new ideas. (I think my favorite was actually “Very, Very Hungry” — it’s the one that sounded most new and strange to me.)

Both of these acts are super respected but I never really listened to them too much. I think David Byrne is great and loved what I've heard in Talking Heads. Brian Eno I know less about but I know that he is revered as an experimental guitarist and that is definitely on display on this album. In Track 1, "America Is Waiting", I really liked the minor tonality sad synth that is played behind the wild rhythmic elements in the foreground for the second half of the song. It added a layer of intrigue. I think it comes in around 1:38. Track 2, "Mea Culpa", also has a darker synth layer behind the focal point elements in the foreground. The synth behind these is dark, tense, and full of staccato stabs that push this tension further along- that I think the foreground layers wouldn't totally convey alone. Track 3, "Regiment", was a nice change to the tension. Here we have a very sweet funky bass groove that sits really nicely in the pocket of some reverbed out minimal drums. Vocal riffs were a fun and unexpected change too. After some middle eastern (or Indian? I think that was a Tabla?) timbres in Track 4, by Track 5 I didn't know what was coming next. This concept continued throughout the record and resulted in a really pleasing listening experience! It's a bit cacophonous in a good way, but like most experimental music it is kind of tied to it's time period and as exploration happens, the idea of "experimental" becomes more normal, and after time it turns old experimental art into dated art. I kind of feel that way with this record (and others on this list have had this issue as well). Looking at it from a different vantage point- a "Dan shut up and enjoy it" perspective, I found it to be enjoyable once I shut up and let myself enjoy it. It's silly, goofy, fun, energetic, and still has a surprising amount of depth. This was a great album to put on and go along for the ride. Not quite a 4/5, but a high 3/5.

This was what I imagined Brian Eno music was like before actually hearing it. A bit left of centre to say the least. Kooky.

This was some kooky stuff. That said, it went well alongside a Saturday board game.

I appreciate the experimentalism and the amount of sampling, but I'm sure each song could be better without certain aspects or noises. Overall, it's different. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed listening to it. Fave track(s): Regiment

David Byrne sure knows how to ruin everything he touches. 1 But at least Eno is there to make it listenable 3

I feel like this album is rated at like 984 out of all 1001 albums. Who is this for? When do I listen to this album? What purpose does this album serve?

Música mezcla ambiental, electrónica y experimental. Para escuchar y relajarnos. Bien construida, pero sin nada especial a destacar

I don't like Brian eno

It's mostly a bore

I am so glad I got through thus album. I can't even call this music, just noise. I hated it. Absolutely hated it.

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.

I’ve just listened to too much aphex twin for this to be good, defo good moments but overall it felt a little stale

Just an instrumental album with minor vocals but goes on for way too long. Typical Brian Eno work. 4/10.

2, is interesting musically but flat out unenjoyable to listen to and a bit too experimental for my taste.

Heel toffe sounds

JMC Nice experimento

No me gusta

Listened to the 3 songs NOT on Apple Music Canada first, “Regiment”, “Qu’Ran”, & “The Carrier”. (2/3 of those songs were apparently cleared of copyright issues and reinstated on streaming services. Not so.) Liked all 3, but all felt transitory. Kind of like how “Any Colour You Like” glues 2 other songs together in DSOTM. Upon finishing the rest of the album, that’s just how most songs are here. The mix of organic percussion, cut up vocals & cold synths can be really eerie (Mountain of Needles). Lived up to the “Ghosts” in the album title. HL: “The Jezebel Spirit”, “Very, Very, Hungry”, “The Carrier” October 28, 2022

ehhh

I am very restless with this album. It irritates me.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: America is waiting, Somebody help me

I must not be cool enough to understand this album. It makes sense that it's weird with Byrne involved, but just too much for me.

Not for me at all.

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

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

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.

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

big thumbs down. i’m not one to usually critique what music is considered, but honestly this was a bunch of sounds out together. it was almost insulting. i really disliked it because i feel although anyone could do this. i understand that this was influential because nobody had done it before, but there was a reason. it should have stayed undone. 👎👎👎

Listening through hundreds of albums, one of the artists I've rediscovered has been Brian Eno to the point where I definitely consider myself somewhat of a fan. This one might be thrown in the exception pile. I get the concept though - it was probably a *lot* of fun to make, in the same sense (but far far more advanced) as when I first got a 4-track recorder I was making all sorts of weird shit and sounds and I loved it. I seriously doubt I could have sold a copy :D With apologies to experimental music and with a few exceptions, this one doesn't serve as much more than almost an aural equivalent of a whiteboard - trying out ideas that could (or should?) have been left in the garage and further developed. ["Regiment" is an outlier - I really love that groove. But it could or should have been used for a better final product.] Actually.... I could see this as a great repository for *other* artists to use and sample from. Like a sound/sample grocery store. "..ok, gimme some of Mea Culpa, i'll take 16 bars of Regiment, and ... yeah, a touch of Moonlight In Glory. All at 90bpm please, thanks." As a proper "album" though - it's a little disappointing and not that easy to listen to, even as background. 4/10 2 stars.

Awful. Two stars cause David Byrne.

No like sounds

I like the beats under this but I could do without many of the vocals. "A Secret Life" and "Come with Us" could make good muzak for a budget haunted house. "New feet" might be the strangest song on the album.

This is an album I actively did not want to listen to. Too much going on

I don’t know what to think about this album. It’s inbetweem something, I can’t discribe

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’

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)

Howard: 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 had already heard about Brian Eno's solo work, and this album is what I was expecting. I understand why this is one of 1001 albums to be listened to before dying, but this doesn't make it much better. I like some noise in some songs, but JUST noise is not so good. I'll increase my rate from 1 star to 2 because it's nice to understand some musical tendencies better and, as I said, my expectations were completely fulfilled, even the worst ones.

Ahead of its time re collaging and world music? Sure. Interesting? Not so much. This suffers from the science experiement effect and a massive lack of lyricism and musicality.

If you’re not going to have a chorus in your songs, you better be Sigur Ros.

I have this CD, because on paper it sounds great. Unfortunately, I just did not care for this. The first few tracks are pretty good, though.

It was fun to listen

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

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

Rock experimental. Ni fu ni fa.

1981. Regiment

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.

Brian Eno's bullshit is usually mostly benign. This was an assault on my ears. Best track: N/A

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.

Weird

I liked it in the background

I am not a big fan of Brian Eno or David Byrne and an experimental album full of samples was not something I was really looking forward to. And yet.. it kinda worked for me. Not by a huge amount but it wasn't as awful as I was expecting. It's albums like this that make me appreciate this challenge. There is no way I'd listen to this otherwise and I probably won't again, but I'm certainly happy I did.

Wild, weird, fascinating and clangy.

This was a really cool, thought-provoking, and groundbreaking album. It is amazing seeing the sheer influence this thing had; I can see it's resemblance in things like Beastie Boys and The Avalanches. It is so interesting. But... I just didn't care much for the songs themselves, honestly. When speaking purely on the actual music, with no context, I could take it or leave it for most of the tracks. Oh well.

Just a demonstration of Eno and his classic production innovation in my mind. Not always the perfect foreground music, but almost always well done.

Shite

Nice to listen to while working. I think I'd rather choose a different ambient themed collection next, however.

I feel like experimental music is wasted on me...I just don't get it and can't appreciate it. This album very much faded into background music, albeit interesting background music. I feel like if I gave it proper attention (with a certain substance assistance), I would give it more stars.

Experimental music isn't meant to be listened to sober IMO. Thus, listening to this in the AM wasn't a good experience. Lot's of sounds with not much substance. Before I realized I wasn't really paying attention anymore it was over. I guess if you need some sounds in the background this could be for you.

This was obnoxious noise that I hated but weirdly my 1 year old enjoyed.

Weird, decent background music.

Incoherent noise

Mad respect to David Byrne and Brian Eno because they are titans of musical production and artistry. But I just don’t like electronica. I tried, but I’m not into it. Sorry dudes, I prefer Talking Heads and Roxy Music to whatever this is.

Classic.

Didn’t listen to the whole album, but definitely some stuff I would enjoy in the correct setting

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.

Nope, don't get it. Absolute art wank

New to me but I loved it.

6/10 Best song - Regiment

I have a hard time getting into Brian Eno. Not the worst, but wouldn't go out of my way for it

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.

Nice jams v pretentious

world music by brian eno if your idea of world music is a brunch at the u.n. the production and engineering are top shelf, as expected, but this really isn't the eno i love. it's a little "try hard" for me. give me "here come the warm jets 8/7 days per week.

Petit coup de gueule au sujet du morceau Moonlight in Glory. Alors que je déambulais joyeusement dans les rues d'Hambourg à la recherche d'un matelas gonflable et que le titre précité commença à défiler dans mes oreilles, je me surpris à me décaler plusieurs fois sur la droite, pensant entendre une sonnette de vélo. Après une dizaine de pas de côté et aucun signe d'un quelconque véhicule à deux roues dans les parages, je compris que Brian Eno venait de me jouer un très, très, mais alors très mauvais tour.

Bryan fait absolument n'importe quoi pendant tout l'album. Ce dernier possède en effet une boite sonore, où chaque bouton représente un son différent. Il se contente donc pendant 40 minutes d'appuyer frénétiquement sur ces boutons, dans le hasard le plus total. Ceci ne peut donner lieu qu'à un cafouillage incompréhensible.

A collection of bizarre instrumental tracks, reminiscent of a relaxation CD you'd buy at a garden centre. A no from me.

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.

I can't pretend to say I understand or enjoy the music, but I can't say I dislike it. To me, it's experimental, avant-garde noise sounds and it's no wonder Eno composes soundtracks. Collaborating with David Byrne helps and they work well together, so I might have another listen in a different state of mind.

Well two of music's greatest legends meet and make an interesting album that no one will really love. You might have it on your shelf, but really, would you ever pull it out except to pretend you're onto something? Maybe it's a dance album, but really? Which of these tracks will you party to? I guess it's bound to happen - it's not offensive, it wasn't annoying, it's just feels unnecessary.

5/14/2022 - ALBUM #108 Today's Album: "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" by Brian Eno & David Byrne - This album got me really excited right off the bat, with the name Brian Eno resonating with me as a name I have definitely heard brought up and compared to within music discussions. Alongside that is also David Byrne, who I have heard a decent bit of material from in both the Talking Heads and his own solo work. I have to say that although I am underwhelmed by the album I got out of this collaboration, it is still very interesting. Given my experience with albums so far, I expected the very strange ambient opener with lots of eclectic samples to simply be an introduction into some more digestible or lyric-driven music, but this album just keeps continuing with track after track of stranger and stranger instrumental grooves with no vocals, but many strange and random samples throughout. No track particularly stands out, but as you get deeper into the track list, the quick and fun dance grooves of songs like America is Waiting and Regiment slowly turn into experimental noise pieces like A Secret Life and Come With Us. It doesn't really get worse as it goes on in terms of it's presentation or style, but since many of these tracks focus on laying down a solid beat with little worry towards musical progression, the more experimental tracks do just end up sounding a bit more boring. When this album picks up and demonstrates a fun beat, it really pops off with a ton of fun auxiliary instrumentation and really groovy and varied percussion, but it honestly would be nice to hear a bit more of a cohesive song structure on at least some of the tracks given how awesome the band is. Overall, it's a really cool experimental work that doesn't ever apologize for going off the rails and being a weird experience from start to finish. It's an essential listen for anyone that loves the sharp and clean instrumentation of the talking heads or very experimental music in general so give it a listen if that sounds like you. Highlights: America Is Waiting, Mea Culpa, Regiment, Help Me Somebody, The Jezebel Spirit, Moonlight In Glory, Score: 7/10 Great experimental art-pop that gets less enjoyable as it goes on.

awesome

So, I like to think that I have a bit more of an eclectic taste in music. This album was a bit too much for me. There were songs I liked (two against three is a cool one) but many were just a bit too weird for me taste.

Half this album is Beverly Hills Cop II and the other half is FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). four stars

Another British-man-creates-"world"-music-sampler record. At least here it all sounds good; However, the production choices add almost nothing and sound especially out of place when they're on their own. Middling-to-solid if you like Eno or Byrne.

too big to fully understand, might revisit later

Pretty ok. Bit repetitive and not much in the way of memorable tune. But a good portfolio of cool music experiments.

not my jam but still iconic

Not really music, more like a showreel for advanced production techniques. Could be used as background music for some sort of sci-fi movie set in the future, where the director doesn't want the music to distract from the dialogue. Interesting, but only rarely enjoyable, not one I am likely to come back to. Still far from the worst album on this list (*cough* Nico *cough*)

3.5/5 Very cool and innovative Byrne and Eno, but it’s no Talking Heads 🤷‍♂️

Perfect, amazing, never been done before, ahead of its time, etc. 4.0

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.

Bom simploriedade um dos malucos fez música com o Caetano.

Always

His holy mush be offsetting any positives from this album

Did not enjoy

I'm not sure what it is, with the last Bob Dylan album and now this one. My least favorite Eno album and I have been loving his other ones. This one just felt way more frantic and unfocused compared to some of his calmer albums we had. No doubt he has become one of the rising stars of this list for people I didn't know prior, but I'd put this one at the bottom of what we have gotten.

Not bad! A combo of Eno, whose albums I've really enjoyed, and David Byrne of Talking Heads, whose albums I've not enjoyed as much. It's extremely quirky music, and I love the tracks that really lean into that outlandish spirit, like "Solo Guitar with Tinfoil." Plays more like an archival collection of noises and songs than an album, but it's good. Favorite tracks: Regiment, Solo Guitar with Tin Foil, Mountain of Needles, America is Waiting. Album art: This lined one is a reissue, the original is a bit more textured and blocky. Some cool art either way. 3.5/5

Oh gosh, why?!

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

Thought I'd love this, but it wasn't the easiest listen. Did sound very cool though and points for weirdness.

Andy called it post-Berlin, pre-ambient, avant- funk and I call it cool noises.

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

no

So, it's 1000 albums I need to hear, and this one tossed in. What a waste of time.

2nd Brian Eno album, it better than the the first one, but still not a fan. A few songs are okay to listen to, but for me it would do better on the background.

Brian Eno raises his bald auteur head again in this list and this time with a man in an oversized suit who occasionally wears a stiletto as a hat. That should give you a clue about the music herein. It's a mix of samples and rhythms. More of a party album than Eno's previous ones (though the kind of party where you'd listen to music, stroke beards and nod your head to the progressiveness of such an album) and that is probably David Byrne's influence. Definitely ahead of the game when it came out. I can agree it's an "important" album - I just don't know if it's an enjoyable one. Best Tracks: Mea Culpa; Regiment; The Jezebel Spirit;

adorei

Not my stuff.

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.

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.

Great

good for listening during work

I don't get Brian Eno, and I don't think I ever will. He makes some nice soundscapes but they are, fundamentally, broing to listen to. High quality background music for sure but I don't think that's really a compliment. Jezebel was a nice track in that it actually had something to attach to, but the rest is just...there.

Wel prima, maar niks bijzodners

I'll be honest, I got quite bored of this and couldn't finish it.

One of Eno's best collaborations, with David Byrne and the entire continent of Africa adding a vital funk injection.

Super dope and weird.

I'm sure this is very important in the history or electronic music and sampling, and there are some interesting soundscapes, but it otherwise is not that much fun to listen to

I like the texture of this record - have had the vinyl for years

It was okay but not anything I will likely listen to again.

this came out in 1981?? i think this is the first of his albums i've actually sat down and listened to, and after 4 rounds of it, i'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that release date. this was honestly so far ahead of its time it's almost impossible to believe eno doesn't have a time machine tucked away in his studio somewhere. america is waiting sounds like it could easily be a talking heads track, which places it solidly in its own timeframe - but mea culpa, the very next cut on the album, sounds at times like it's channeling autechre, or maybe skylab, directly from about 15 years in the future. and throughout the whole adventure, the whole audio collage thing they're doing here just screams negativland, who incidentally achieved incredible underground fame 10 years after this album with their release of the u2 7". i understood eno's impact on music was pretty significant. i did not understand the degree to which he really was seeing the future. in short: incredible. and now, if you'll excuse me, i have really an awful lot of brian eno albums to get caught up on

Wow? I appreciate the creativity and some of the tracks were very cool but overall this isn’t my cup of tea. It was thematically consistent and interesting but too jarring.

Brian Eno is a hack.

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 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."

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

esse brian já passou por aqui ein..

strange vibe but ok

Experimental instrumental, expected talking heads and it was not.

Interesting but not something I’d want to listen again.

I did not care for the album. It is just a bunch of mixing but not good. I was not familiar with the group or any of the songs. No need to listen.

First time I've listened to Brian Eno outside of Roxy Music. Not for me but I guess it's influential for its sampling.

2nd Listen. More interesting sounds from Brian Eno. This time paired with David Byrne. 3/5

LOVELY

I like Brian Eno but this one sucked

Estremamente sperimentale. Un po' faticoso. Non dico che non sia interessante, ma devi proprio avere la voglia per ascoltarlo.

Experimental. Intriguing.

unique sounds !! this was a very well put together album, and was very easy to listen to. there werent any songs that really blew me out of the water, but i did enjoy pitch to voltage. 3.5/5

Mostly unlistenable. Terrible

no

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno (1981) Is there any religious sentiment Brian Eno fails to mock? It’s like skeet shooting at beach balls. Big ones. Listening to this album forty years after its release, it sounds like the experience of rummaging through your grandfather’s tool box. It’s sometimes curious, once or twice intriguing, but oh, so dated. Cool cover art, though. The subsequent releases omit the verboten track “Qu’ran” (sic-should be “Qur’an”), at the request of The Islamic Council of Great Britain because they found it ‘blasphemous’. This track (unsurprisingly) cannot be found on Apple Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music. Damn shame. If that ethical sensitivity had been applied to other tracks on this record, there wouldn’t be any album left. [UPDATE: It can be found on YouTube. Shhhh!, before they take it down. I listened to it for you (you’re welcome), and it’s as milquetoast as the rest of the tracks.] Overall, Pfllrt. 1/5

I love David Byrne. I did not like this

Decisamente non il mio genere

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. :)

I wasn’t into this one but it’s damn influential

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.

Didn't stand out to me much

Well, that was interesting. Enjoyed this one more with headphones on and no distractions. Amazing sounds and sampling. Love to hear more. For now, first listen, a strong 2/5.

This was kind of hard to listen to

Kinda funky and odd electronic. Good background music. 3.5

I don't even know how to pretend like I understand what is happening here. I think it's a very important album for the sound and shape of music, especially in regards to sampling. It's super cool, but I don't know man. However, moonlight in glory fucks. Check that one at the very least.

Love this. But will never listen to the whole album. Will probably never dip in again. great work though!

Listened to this on a plane. Even then, it was too long and experimental for me.

I feel it was a bit too uneven. There were some interesting experiments, and then there were some experiment experiments (e.g. New Feet). I don't know if there is anything here to bring me back.

Meh

It's sort of interesting and I guess it must have been very original at its time. From a modern day perspective it's fine as background music, but nothing too special. I like some of the funk influences that liven the soundscapes up a bit.

Woodshedding music, not interest keeping. Sounds cool I guess

This is an album people play when they're trying a little too hard to make everyone think they're interesting. The only saving grace is there's a chance this album led to Paul Hardcastle's song "19". At least he made sure we'd forever remember the average age of the Vietnam soldier.

Yup, influential as a library of audio tools

Funk rhythms reminiscent of Remain in Light side 1, but not be as fun. Undeniably clever and technically forward thinking, but not that enjoyable.

Непонятно, почему не указан Дэвид Бёрн из толкин хэдс как соавтор альбома, вроде как везде они вместе. Было бы больше мотивации слушать. Ну что сказать, в целом, наверное, норм, есть отдельные интересные моменты, но всё-таки фоновая музыка по большому счёту. Особенно зашла The carrier — похоже на прообраз того, что сейчас делает Лингва Игнота. В остальном душа не сильно легла — вряд ли когда-то вспомню и вернусь, разве что на сэмплы порезать (получатся вторичные сэмплы, найс). Такое, 6/10

Снова тот случай, когда после нескольких прослушиваний осознаёшь, что, оказывается, слушаешь не оригинальный альбом, а какую-то странную компиляцию. Ну да ничего, с оригинальными треками для справедливости тоже ознакомился. America Is Waiting – первый раз себя даже поймал на том, что взгрустнул, что трек закончился, с середины началась интересная партия клавишных, которую можно было бы интересно развить. Mea Culpa – партии голоса интересные, жаль, залуплены и не получают развития. С середины балдёжные этнические мотивы. Думаю, этот трек можно было бы репрезентативным синглом пускать, а не The Jezebel Spirit. Moonlight in Glory – норм почилить, вайб главного меню Hotline Miami Pitch To Voltage – отметил для себя просто как хороший трек от начала до конца. На удивление, в оригинальном издании его нет. Все остальные треки, добавленные опосля, а это Two Against Three, Vocal Out-Takes, New Feet, Defiant, Number 8 Mix представляют собой залупленную жижу, что я себе обычно и представляю, когда речь идёт о всяком старом экспериментальном авангарде. Разве что закрывашка Solo Guitar With Tin Foil благозвучна, только она будто вообще с другого альбома залетела. А вот Regiment, Qu'ran, The Carrier - нормальные темы, этника тащит, музыкальные темы развиваются. Видимо, с авторскими правами на сэмплы не удалось разобраться, так что ре-релиз вышел кастрированным, но с приделанным страпоном, так скать. По итогу, удивительно приятный для такого формата альбом. Как саундтрек к чему-либо вообще отлично бы зашёл, возможно. Была мысля даже 4 ёбнуть. А потом задал себе вопрос: Есть ли желание в будущем переслушать хоть что-то? Ответ, конечно: «Нет». Разве что для саундтрека к какому-нибудь проекту утащить. Так что 3. Но с плюсом.

A strong recommendation to anyone looking for a more "Remain in Light" or "Speaking in Tongues" with an experimental spin.

Eclectic sample album of David Byrne and Brian Eno. All kinds of musical styles from all over the world combined to danceable songs with spoken word vocals samples from all kinds of sources. Intelligent, but also very funny.

A really interesting listen and unique to what I've listened to so far. 8/10 for this one

Rollo patatero.

Weird psychedelic album that's fairly enjoyable. 0RS

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.

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).

Solid rock

Innovative...sure, but no real musical enjoyment for me 2 stars

Nah not my cuppa

Just sounds!

Some tracks where pretty nice. Some were pretty bad. Great cover art // Favs: — Score: Strong 2

Not for me.

Not really for me. I can see some value, but it's not my cup of tea.

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!).

Horrible

Very good work by Brian and David

Didn't like any of this. 1/5 stars.

Really great, unique record

Meh

Outrageously gorgeous and funky soundscapes; a pitch perfect collaboration with David Byrne, another genius.

Dobar album gospon Briana uz pomoć Brynea. U jednom djelu se vidi to što je Eno napravio za Remain in Light, osjeti se i na ovom albumu. Nosi tu groovie/futuristic/afrobeat melodiju.

Muss man schon hören wollen. Experimentell und für seine Zeit sicher avantgarde

25th June 2021 Listened on my phone while working at home home. Mum said "that doesn't sound very cabinet" I really want to like arty music like this, but it's just not my bag.

I'm not a huge fan of solely instrumental music if it isn't classical and this is not much of an exception.

I don't know what to say 'bout this record, I need to give it another listen

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.

Y'know, I've read enough times that Brian Eno is very influential but the music just isn't for me. It's not melodic enough, it's understated, it's repetitive... I feel weird every time I rate these albums low, like I'm missing the things I'm supposed to appreciate!

I wish I loved anything as much as this list creator loved Brian Eno. At least it was better than the first two.

An interesting and engaging listen but doesn't quite have the same meditative appeal as some of Eno's more esoteric records.

Couldn't connect with this. It was a clash between Eno's ambient work and Byrne's rhythms but it didn't mesh. Will revisit at some point.

Sounds like something you'd hear in a Northern Quarter vintage clothes shop.

Not for me.

Instrumental noise

Not his best but he manages to create rhythm in seemingly random sounds. Very clever.

kind of like an electronic Tom Waits, not quite sure when I'd put it on

Awesome atmospheric and weird album with Talking heads influences combined with synth-ambient music

Adelantado a su tiempo, usa samples de música africana creando un disco mágico. Avantgarde, rock experimental, psicodelia étnica. Una locura.

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!

Really catchy electronic funk with a shit ton of sampling. I liked it, but I could have done without most of the "vocals". Something thats good for cruising or background music, but not something I want to really sit and listen (or replay) too often.

Gekmakend

Interesting and different. I enjoyed it enough to listen twice ! ***

Weird. Like an album of the strange interludes on other albums.

Beetje raar, maar wel lekker!

Ik weet dat dit heel invloedrijk zou moeten zijn, maar op een zondagochtend is dit niet de meest voor de hand liggende muzikale keuze. Eigenlijk op geen enkele ochtend.

Het begon heel aardig met een paar lekkere Talking Heads-achtige nummers. Maar daarna verviel het in te wazige sound-collages en gefrobel.

Mooie albumhoes. Verder: leuke stukjes maar over het algemeen te avantgardistisch voor mij.

Brian Enon nimi on edelleen takuu laadusta! Ei tämä kuitenkaan ihan yhtä epämiellyttävää ollut kuin Talking Heads tai tylsää kuin Music for the Airports. Jonkilaista äänitaidettahan tämä kai on enemmän kuin musiikkia ainakaan perinteisessä mielessä. Harmittavasti levyn paras raita oli ”Regiment”, joka ei ollut Spotifyssa saatavilla, mutta onneksi YouTubesta löytyi!

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

Pretty good! I liked Regiment and Help Me Somebody, though the songs got a bit samey toward the end. Transitions were cool, I could never tell when a song had ended / another began

electronic music. Interesting, but not my style

No. Maybe I wasn't paying attention but sounded like someone trying to tune a radio.

Really cool sound.

unoffensive

4

Very innovative and creative... ok, thanks, next

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.

america is calling is cool, mea culpa sucks. The album is a cool expirament with sampling. Jezebel spirit is a rad track. A secret life is really rubbing me the wrong way

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)_/¯

Meh

Entertaining and kinda groovy. A little weird tho

I seem to enjoy each Brian Eno album we get a little bit less. This one was ok, but not fantastic.

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 think I'm too late for this one.

Sounded like a bunch of noise to me

I like Brian Eno and I love David Byrne but this did not do it for me. 5-6/10

About what you'd expect when these two get together, but that's not a bad thing. Firmly avant-garde.

Love this. Not background music.

Excellent. Always loved this one.

Yes to sonic exploration. Yes to music gadget greenery. Yes to Eno. No to how it actually sounds.

I wanted to like this but it was just too tense for me to really enjoy it

Interesting but not necessarily enjoyable. A lot of unique sounds, but very little musical cohesion and flow.

I enjoyed some, not all.

Ahead of its time by

Noniin, aiemmin kuuntelemani "Here Come The Warm Jets" -levy oli melkein kuunneltavaa Enoa mutta tämä menee taas vaihteeksi "vittu mitä paskaa" -osastolle. Teki mieli luovuttaa jo ensimmäisen biisin aikana, mutta taistelin urheasti kerran loppuun asti. Ei enää näitä pliis.

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 think this has lost a lot of the impact it once had, but still stands as a groove ass album.

Good album but very distracting to listen to while problem solving.

This is distracting noise, not music. It can't be soothing or meditative even in the rare occasion I need something a bit repetitive and I actively listen to it.

A critics choice special... why does it have to be so bad?

Would listen to again. Very funky and psychedelic vibes

I liked the techno/electrical vibe to it. Feels like something Moby would’ve taken inspiration from.

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

Can understand why it's important, but it's too long and nearly gave me a headache. 6/10

Qur'an is missing from streaming versions btw

Revolutionary electronics album combining international sounds. unfortunately didnt listen enough 8/10

5