801 "Live" 1976*****

As wikipedia says "801 Live is the live album by 801". Well, who would have guessed? You shouldn't let the literal and unimaginative title fool you though, there's lots going on here despite the fact that it seems to be a spontaneous and low-key affair. First things first, just who is 801? One could rightfully call them "Phil Manzanera and friends", as the Roxy Music guitarist is obviously in charge here. But Brian Eno merits equal billing since he wrote many of the tracks and sings lead on them. The other players are also listed on the album cover, but none of them is a household name so calling 801 a "supergroup" as some do is a bit of a stretch. The band played a total of 3 gigs, the last of which was recorded for this album. The LP rightfully got great reviews and was considered at the time to be the best-sounding live album ever, due to recording technology used. Indeed it combines the clear sound of a studio recording with the exhilaration of a live one. The album opens with ambient guitar instrumental "Lagrima" segueing into an unbelievable cover of The Beatles' "TNK (Tomorrow Never Knows)" with spacey keyboards, nimble bass and dreamy vocals. Dare I say better than the original? Too close to call really, but in any case one of the best Beatles covers ever. "East of Asteroid" is an instrumental jazz rock mix of two Manzanera tunes called "Mummy Was An Asteroid..." and "East Of Echo". Amazing playing, especially the guitar and drums - difficult to believe that drummer Simon Phillips was only 18 at the time! "Rongwrong" is a semi-pastoral ballad that reminds me of early Pink Floyd. Eno's "Sombre Reptiles" sounds livelier than on Another Green World, while on "Baby's On Fire" he reminds us that the man we think of as a production guru and master of ambient music could rock out with the best of them. Great guitar solo, too! "Diamond Head" is an atmospheric Floydian instrumental with beautiful solos by Manzanera, followed by "Miss Shapiro", another song that sounds livelier and better than the studio version on the Diamond Head LP. Afterwards the band lets loose with a rocking cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and closes with a galloping version of Eno's "Third Uncle" from Taking Tiger Mountain... Now this is a song I first heard by Bauhaus and always associate with them, which makes me realize how far ahead 801 were from the rest: just as the music world was starting to split between "classic rock" and "punk", they were playing a mix of prog, glam and post-punk unlike anything else out there. Even in 2021, they don't sound a bit outdated! So, this is what you get with 801 Live: interesting compositions, classic songs turned inside-out, amazing musicianship, and Eno at his rockiest and most fun. Normally I hesitate to award 5* to an album that isn't a stone cold classic but I can't find the slightest fault here - so I guess it must be a stone cold classic after all!

***** for TNK (Tomorrow Never Knows), Baby's on Fire, Third Uncle

**** for East of Asteroid, Rongwrong, Sombre Reptiles, Diamond Head, Miss Shapiro, You Really Got Me

*** for Lagrima

Brian Eno "Ambient 1 Music for Airports" 1978****

This is probably Eno's most celebrated album, yet I avoided it for years and only came around to buying it after finishing with his conventional, song-based, 70's  discography. I'm not a fan of instrumental music, still less of new age and ambient styles. But I thought I'd make an exception since this is widely considered the first (and, by some, the best) ever ambient album - in any case the first that was expressly created as a mood piece. Eno's purpose was to create music that, although interesting, would pass unnoticed while "inducing calm and space to think”. This is its saving grace as well as what separates Eno's ambient albums from shopping mall muzak, which steers away from thoughtfulness towards shopping-friendly mild euphoria. As you may have guessed atmospheric is the keyword here, tranquil instrumental music with no obvious hooks such as you might find in classical or jazz. Resonant melodies played by synths, pianos and human voices (I know I said it's an instrumental album, but the wordless vocals are strictly used as a musical instrument) are intertwined but, because the music is so sparse, the result isn't discordant or busy sounding. Rather like the calming sensation of lightly falling raindrops, birdsong and a running brook, if I may get poetic for once, the elements are neither harmonising nor conflicting. The first track "1/1" is the longest: 17,5 minutes of lovely piano snippets (composed and played by Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt) repeated endlessly over an atmospheric synth background. If you're listening intently, it'll bore you to death. Which makes it the perfect opener for this album: after 5 minutes or so, either the music has melted into the background and dug itself into your subconscious or you feel the need to yank the record out and put something more meaty. On "2/1" the piano is replaced by "angelic" female vocals inducing a choral spiritual/meditative feel. "1/2", opening what originally used to be the LP's side 2, blends the sparse piano and vocals of  the previous two tracks to great effect. Probably the prettiest piece on the record. While still being extremely calm and hypnotic, "2/2" is a fuller piece than what preceded it, almost like a conventional jazz/modern classical composition. The synths emulate a wind instrument playing an actual melody next to the usual wave-like sound. Apparently the record fulfilled its stated purpose for a time, serving as background music at New York's LaGuardia airport -until commuters started complaining that it was too "depressing". For myself, I couldn't disagree more. I find it a gorgeous piece of music that never fails to set the mood right when used in the correct occasion.

***** for 2/1

**** for 1/2, 2/2

*** for 1/1