BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE

An absolute art rock masterpiece. The first side is an attractive mix of songs, including upbeat songs like Backwater and King's Lead Hat. The entire second side of the album displays a serenity unlike anything in the pop/rock music field, including two songs that I rate amongst the best songs of all time. Julie with... gives the impression of a lazy summer day where time has virtually come to a halt. It is probably the most ambient of any Eno composition outside his pure ambient albums. Simply breathtakingly beautiful. By this river sees Eno supported to great effect by German space music band Cluster in a composition that is pastoral, pensive and atmospheric. After these two absolute highlights, the album ends with two other great songs, the instrumental Through Hollow Lands (dedicated to Harold Budd, and very reminiscent of the eno/Budd cooperations) and the peaceful Spider and I. In my opinion, Eno's best album.