COMPACTED ENO (ANOTHER DIGITAL DIVERSION)

Artist: BRIAN ENO; Title: ANOTHER GREEN WORLD; Label: EDITIONS EG/VIRGIN; 
Format: CDS (CD Single); Cat. No.: CDT 41 (EDSCD 4); Year: 1989; Country: UK

Following on from the previous post on Frank Zappa, the next logical place to go is the other CD single mentioned - so here it is.  And this one was the first CD I ever bought - Eno's "Another Green World", from the Our Price shop in Carlisle in 1990.

So on the music. The title track "Another Green World" is the title track from Brian Eno's 1975 album, and was used as the title music for the BBC2 arts show 'Arena', and probably (like it was mine) their first exposure to that genre of music normally associated with him - Ambient.  Despite what some might tell you that the guitar work's done by Robert Fripp - it isn't, and it's Eno you're hearing on that plus all other instruments.

Next up is "Dover Beach" - dating from 1978 and written specifically for  Derek Jarman's debut feature 'Jubilee'.  Again it's just Eno solo - and creating one of those amazing soundscapes in the process - ironic considering where the track was originally used.  And prior to this release the track was unissued on CD.

Next up is "Deep Blue Day" dating from the 1983 'Apollo Atmospheres And Soundtracks' album project that also features Eno's younger brother Roger and sometime Dylan and U2 producer Daniel Lanois.  The best way describe the style of this can be summed up as Ambient Country & Western and features Daniel Lanois on guitar.  The track probably reached it's widest audience when Danny Boyle used in his film 'Trainspotting' and that scene featuring the worst loo in the world!

The proceeding are rounded off with "2/1" from 1978's 'Ambient 1: Music For Airports' set.  The parent set is the first of Eno's fully fledged Ambient Series - although elements of the ambient had appeared as early as the 1973 collaboration with Robert Fripp 'Evening Star' - and was inspired (appropriately enough) by being stuck in an airport for three hours in the mid 70's.  The wordless vocals on this track come from Christa Fast,  Christine Gomez, and Inge Zeininger - and the title itself just denotes which track it as on the original vinyl release i.e. Track 2 Side One.

And thanks to whoever it was that posted the Eno info on AllMusic and Wikipedia as well!

SOMETHING FROM SWINDON'S FINEST

Artist: XTC; Title: SENSES WORKING OVERTIME; Label: VIRGIN; Format: 12" EP; 

Cat. No.: VS 462-12; Year: 1982; Country: UK

Focusing today on this 12" EP from Swindon's finest - XTC, and their 1982 classic "Senses Working Overtime".  They're one those British groups that seem have been more popular in the US than they were over here, which is a bit of a shame as Andy Partridge and co had a lot more going for them than the hits you're maybe lucky enough to hear on the radio.  The lead track being a case in point - "Senses working Overtime" is a great tune with all the inherent quirkiness that you tend to associate with this band (check out what they did to 'All Along The Watchtower in their debut LP for further research).  Next up is "Egyptian Solution (Homo Safari Series No. 3)" which is a case in point - instrumental electronica that sounds like it's more at home on a David Byrne, Brian Eno or Jon Hassell album from this period - and rather good it too - so go and check it out!

Side Two's opener gives you "Blame The Weather" (an apt title for what we're currently experiencing here in the UK!), which is more in the traditional XTC style - ie it's got vocals on it and played traditional instruments, and the catchy choruses that Andy Partridge is at good at coming up with, and with a nice bit of guitar work on the fade.  The proceedings are rounded off with "Tissue-Tigers (The Augers)" - which to me at least has more in common with their stuff from the late 70's - with a nice choppy rhythm and structure, and one of those tracks were you can see the influence on the US indie bands that emerged in the mid 80's - early R.E.M. comes to mind.  Worth a listen to see what you think - and as with the other tracks available somewhere on there on the web.