In 1995, English musician, composer, producer, author and visual artist Brian Eno (b. 1948) teamed up with the Irish rock band U2 on a side project called Passengers. They released one album, Original Soundtracks 1. Eno chronicled the Passengers project in his 1995 diaries, published in 1996 as A Year with Swollen Appendices (the appendicesContinue reading “Miss Sarajevo”
Tag Archives: Brian Eno
Spring Frost
Today’s selection is the eighth track I’ve shared from the 2020 collaboration album Mixing Colours by English ambient musicians and brothers Brian Eno and Roger Eno. In my June 2021 post on “Iris,” I provide a link to an earlier post that, in turn, links to the other six. The extended 18-track collection was theContinue reading “Spring Frost”
Iris
It has been a while since I posted something from Mixing Colours, last year’s ambient music collaboration between brothers Roger and Brian Eno. I appreciate the compilation and have shared several pieces from it, as you will note if you read one of my previous posts, the one on “Verdigris.” At the end of aContinue reading “Iris”
Heaven
I remember one night very clearly, after closing time, at the McDonald’s restaurant where I worked part-time during the mid- to late-1970s. The night-time cleaning crew had arrived; two grown men with long hair and beards, and plenty of attitude and bravado. They would work all night, cleaning the greasy kitchen and all areas ofContinue reading “Heaven”
The Scientist
One of the first songs I remember hearing by the British band Coldplay is “The Scientist,” from their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). Today’s selection is the fourth song I’ve posted by a band I used to listen to almost incessantly once I came to know their music. Previously, IContinue reading “The Scientist”
In Your Eyes
In 1993, Peter Gabriel was touring in support of his 1992 album Us. I’m not sure all the places that his Secret World tour played, but during two nights at the Palasport Nuovo in Modena, Italy, a crew filmed the concerts. The resulting film was Secret World Live, released in 1994 on VHS tape, thenContinue reading “In Your Eyes”
Moonlight
The first movement (Adagio sostenuto) of the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Major, Opus 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight Sonata”) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), is a very well-known piece of solo piano music. Some might even say it’s overplayed. Not me. Beethoven wrote the sonata in 1801 and dedicated it to a studentContinue reading “Moonlight”
No One Receiving
Cruising around my YouTube feed this morning, I stumbled upon a full album stream of Brian Eno’s 1977 record, Before and After Science. (It seems I can never go too long before posting another piece of music by this brilliant artist and creator. My latest was from his 2020 collaboration with his brother Roger, MixingContinue reading “No One Receiving”
Verdigris
Sometimes when you’re not at your best, overtired, or simply overwhelmed by the world, it’s good to have someone that you can trust and count on to speak for you. Tonight I feel that way, and not because something terrible happened. Quite the contrary: I received my first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine today. ItContinue reading “Verdigris”
Can’t Let Go
This week, former Roxy Music founding member and frontperson Bryan Ferry released a live solo album, Royal Albert Hall 2020. The collection was recorded in London, England during the a world tour that was to be cut short soon after the UK shows due to the global pandemic. Today, an email blast advertised that theContinue reading “Can’t Let Go”
Always Returning
After a wonderful morning that began with a delicious cup of coffee and then went on to reading, journaling, meditation, some music and a moderate bike ride early this afternoon, I’m resting before meeting a friend at Canadian Blood Services. We are former colleagues and haven’t seen each other in a long time, so weContinue reading “Always Returning”
Reap the Wild Wind
In my post on former Japan front person David Sylvian’s “Orpheus,” I talked about my weekly record shopping excursions of the mid- to late-1970s. On one of those trips, I discovered the British new wave band Ultravox (which went by Ultravox! from 1976 to 1978) and their 1977 debut, eponymous album. I don’t remember ifContinue reading “Reap the Wild Wind”
An Ending (Ascent)
Yesterday’s post held many thoughts, and one element of it, the Moon, is still high in the sky of my consciousness. Last month I posted “Capsule” from the Brian Eno/Roger Eno/Daniel Lanois album, Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks – Extended Edition (please check out the post for more about the album and the documentary film For All MankindContinue reading “An Ending (Ascent)”
The World Song
Time is such an interesting concept. A few weeks ago, well, January 17 at 10:03 pm, to be exact (according to the Shazam app), I heard a song, and my iPhone told me it was Petula Clark singing “The World Song.” Based on that time of the evening, it had to be while my sweetyContinue reading “The World Song”
Carry
A few weekends ago, I browsed the always-reliable Deutsche Grammophon YouTube channel, looking for interesting examples of classical music for Classical Sunday. At that time, I found an orchestral rendition of the Eno/Roedelius/Moebius electronic-rock piece, “By This River.” I also found a piece by alternative rock singer-songwriter Tori Amos (whose music I have featured twiceContinue reading “Carry”
By This River
Today’s selection is the classical reimagining of a piece from Before and After Science, the fifth studio album by Brian Eno, released in 1977. The album was Eno’s final foray into rock music before pioneering and diving headlong into the ambient music genre, a place where he still lives and works. However, he has returnedContinue reading “By This River”
Life in Technicolor ii
In my September 28, 2020 post on a song from Sweety’s and my wedding CD, “Lovers in Japan,” I talked about the album it’s from, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. In my opinion, the British band Coldplay reached their peak with that album. They’d attracted a group of four musical productionContinue reading “Life in Technicolor ii”
Capsule
Today is a fine day. A morning meditation shared with friends across the country; appointments made for car and house maintenance; a few text chats with various friends and family; then this afternoon, time outside with my sweety. We walked along the river path in the sun with the temperature hovering around freezing. It wasContinue reading “Capsule”
Stay
Seventy-four years ago today, English singer, songwriter, musical innovator and actor David Robert Jones was born. Professionally he became known as David Bowie, an artist who crossed and mixed many musical genres and performance styles in his long, influential career. I’ve featured Bowie’s songs several times before on this blog: “A New Career in aContinue reading “Stay”
New Year’s Day
Happy New Year, and welcome to 2021. This blog will be one year old in a few days, and I’m looking forward to sharing more music with you, each day this year. It might be a corny choice for today to pick “New Year’s Day,” the lead single from Irish band U2’s 1983 album, War.Continue reading “New Year’s Day”
Good Mother
Yesterday, I shared reminiscences of my record collection and one of my favourite artists, Brian Eno. Ah, memories. As each December ends, Sweety and I look at memories we’ve made together, and with family and friends, in the past year. We also look ahead to what we would like to do in the coming twelveContinue reading “Good Mother”
Mother Whale Eyeless
When I listen to Brian Eno’s music and the recordings of bands he has produced in his long musical career, it is hard for me to grasp the idea that he has called himself a “non-musician.” Eno studied painting and experimental music in the 1960s and joined the glam-rock band Roxy Music as its synthesizerContinue reading “Mother Whale Eyeless”
Paul Meets Chani (from the film, Dune)
Today on “Classical Sunday,” I’m featuring a piece by the 1980’s pop-rock supergroup Toto. Yes, that’s right, members of the band composed the original motion picture soundtrack for David Lynch’s 1984 epic science-fiction film, Dune. Brian Eno, who produced the album, also contributed a piece, “Prophecy Theme,” that he composed with brother Roger, and DanielContinue reading “Paul Meets Chani (from the film, Dune)”
Cinnabar
This morning during a chat with a friend from Atlantic Canada, we both recalled fun times we’d had at beaches in our respective provinces this past summer. That has caused me to think about vacation travel. Today, the stairs and sidewalks outside the house were all covered with slick ice. It would be a greatContinue reading “Cinnabar”
Vermillion
I awoke sometime in the middle of the night last night with the worst, most vivid and horrifying nightmare I’ve had. And it’s stuck with me all day. To ease the memory of that, I’m sliding into an ambient track from, you guessed it, Brian and Roger Eno’s 2020 collaboration, Mixing Colours. Please also checkContinue reading “Vermillion”
Wintergreen
Today there’s been light, off-and-on snowfall and some blustery winds. A good day to hang about indoors and maybe do a virtual bike ride on the trainer. Instead, after the usual morning routines dictated by Perry Como the cat, then a Zoom meditation and a meeting, then lunch, I had a snooze while my sweetyContinue reading “Wintergreen”
Father and Son
Back before the pandemic lockdown, before all the changes thrust upon us from the outside, and before all those changes we perhaps sought in ourselves, maybe often in solitude (or to be more blunt, in straight-on loneliness), I shared a post about the song, “Where Do the Children Play,” by Yusuf / Cat Stevens. TodayContinue reading “Father and Son”
MLK/Pride (In the Name of Love)
My philosophy on anything the British musician, visual artist, sound designer, music producer, theorist and activist Brian Eno puts his name to is simply, “buy it.” That practice has never failed me since first picking up one of Eno’s albums at the behest of one of my brothers in 1976 (as I’ve mentioned before here,Continue reading “MLK/Pride (In the Name of Love)”
Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)
Coldplay’s second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, came out in 2002. I bought it quite a few years after its release, when I became quite interested in the band after hearing the track, “The Scientist,” among others, but don’t recall exactly when that was. Then I bought their first album, Parachutes (2000)Continue reading “Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)”
Taking Tiger Mountain
Today I was thinking of posting an ambient piece — something to chill out on. You see, last night, I was not feeling tired at all, and so I stayed up to watch two episodes of a new series I found on Netflix, Away, about a NASA mission to Mars. I enjoy a quality scienceContinue reading “Taking Tiger Mountain”
Listening Wind
Today I was thinking of the 1980 album by Talking Heads, Remain in Light. In my opinion, it’s their best and most inspired work. A visit to the vinyl collection in the basement and a look at the album and liner notes reminded me that Brian Eno, David Byrne and Talking Heads co-wrote the album’sContinue reading “Listening Wind”
Celeste
Tonight I’m revisiting the 2020 Brian and Roger Eno album, Mixing Colours. The album has been on my mind again lately, and later today, as I travelled through the various aspects of the day. (Please see my previous thoughts about the album, Brian Eno and his musical roots, in my posts on the pieces “Ultramarine”Continue reading “Celeste”
Ultramarine
Today, I’m feeling a little low on energy. I’ve been cycling in the high heat and humidity, so am taking a couple of days off. It also has been an emotional day, attending the COVID-socially-distanced, outdoor interment service for our dear friend’s mother; she was a delightful, vibrant and kind soul who was taken tooContinue reading “Ultramarine”
Black Stations/White Stations
Serendipity is something one of my brothers and I talk about a lot. He and I both experience it all the time; maybe we’re just more open to observing and receiving it; I don’t know. Anyway, I thought it was time to venture down the basement to visit my vinyl collection to find an oldieContinue reading “Black Stations/White Stations”
Tomorrow Never Knows
In 1976, ex-members of Roxy Music Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera, the latter also formerly of Quiet Sun along with Bill MacCormick, plus Lloyd Watson, Simon Phillips and Francis Monkman formed a side project they called 801. The collaboration took its name from a verse in the Eno song, “The True Wheel,” a fabulous selectionContinue reading “Tomorrow Never Knows”
if i grew up
As many of you know, today, Bandcamp is waiving all its fees so that 100% of purchases on their site will go to the artists. It’s one of several ways for us to help musicians and for them to benefit from your support as well as the kind gesture by Bandcamp in this time ofContinue reading “if i grew up”
Comptine d’ un autre été, l’après-midi (from the film, Amelie)
Soon after our first grandchild was born, Sweety and I travelled to London, England to meet him. We figured we’d spend a few weeks cooking for and helping the parents as this was their first child. But they were doing so well that we decided to take a five-day trip to Paris, France in theContinue reading “Comptine d’ un autre été, l’après-midi (from the film, Amelie)”
I Feel Love
In the 2017 article, “Song from the Future: The Story of Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder’s ‘I Feel Love,’” Pitchfork.com contributor Simon Reynolds writes, “The reverberations of ‘I Feel Love’ reached far beyond the disco floor, though. Then unknown but destined to be synth-pop stars in the ’80s, the Human League completely switched their direction afterContinue reading “I Feel Love”
Blonde
After a busy but enjoyable few days hosting the visitors who put on our house concert, and today with the dreaded and archaic change to Daylight Savings Time, it feels like a good day for a chill piece of music. (I find “chill” is an odd way to describe something intended to promote relaxation andContinue reading “Blonde”
Oh Yeah
Oh, yeah… so I told you that when I bought my first stereo, a brother of mine urged me to buy Brian Eno’s album, Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy). (My post on January 6, 2020 talks about this, and I’ve mentioned Eno so many times, I won’t link to them all here, or we’ll neverContinue reading “Oh Yeah”
Under a Stormy Sky
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, long trips to cottage country in northwestern Ontario meant some CDs and some radio, but FM stations didn’t reach too well in rural areas, so it was often AM radio. Near noon on Saturday meant CBC’s Quirks and Quarks (with Jay Ingram) and Basic Black (with the lateContinue reading “Under a Stormy Sky”
A New Career in a New Town
David Bowie collaborated with Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and others on what’s referred to as his Berlin Trilogy, three albums made between 1976 and 1979 (Low, “Heroes”, Lodger), all overseen by his long-time producer, Tony Visconti. The albums, particularly Low, are a real departure from the soul and funk of Diamond Dogs and ‘Young Americans’Continue reading “A New Career in a New Town”
Go!
When the Dr. Who TV series’ lead actor Jodie Whittaker hosted an instalment of BBC 6 Music’s special guest program, Wise Women, one of the first tracks she played was “Go!” by the London, UK band, Public Service Broadcasting. As an Apollo 11 enthusiast (for more on that, please see January 6, 2020 post onContinue reading “Go!”
January 6, 2020 – Deep Blue Day (from the film, For All Mankind)
When I bought my first stereo in around 1976-77, one of my brothers told me that the first record I really needed to buy was Brian Eno’s Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy). I found it, and was very glad I did; it touched off a lifelong love for Eno’s music. From his time as theContinue reading “January 6, 2020 – Deep Blue Day (from the film, For All Mankind)”
Song of the Day for Today 