ANOTHER GREEN WORLD

Having been intrigued by David Bowie's Heroes, I've decided to make my first venture into Eno-land. I have opted to begin at what is ostensibly the peak of his solo discography, Another Green World. It is often a cold and melancholic album with a few brighter breaks. It is made up of electronic instrumentals which don't always seem to develop and a few somewhat stiff pop tracks. As negative as that might sound, it works for Eno.

Like many albums, the mood you are in will have a serious impact on how much you will enjoy the album. The more you are prepared to relax and simply let the music simply wash over you, the more I think you going to be able to get from it.

My favourite tracks from the album are "The Big Ship," "Becalmed" and "St. Elmo's Fire." The Big Ship is reminiscent of V2 Schneider from Heroes, with its a slowly rising crescendo. It has an unfortunately abrupt finish, but that doesn't stop me from liking it. Becalmed is the most gentle of my picks from the album. It is soft and textural not unlike Vangelis or Tangerine Dream, but a bit less refined.

"St. Elmo's Fire" is one of those few bright spots on the album I mentioned earlier. It fits into the pop category, but it is highly eccentric. For one, guitars are provided by another Heroes contributor Robert Fripp. Eno also seems to allow himself to get a little more whimsical both musically and lyrically than anywhere else on the album. This one is highly worth a listen. (Not quite enough to break the top three but also enjoyable is "Everything Merges with the Night")

Before I wrap it up here, there are a few things I absolutely have to get off my chest. Golden Hours sounds like the music from my old Sega GameGear. Not a bad thing, but kinda funny. Second, Zawinul / Lava if it is indeed a name check of Weather Report's Joe Zawinul isn't anywhere near as electric as it should be.

If you find yourself in the right frame of mind, Another Green world can be an exceptional album. I would say however for most listeners in most frames of mind you'll find this album somewhat unremarkable. Perhaps save for a collection of tracks like the ones I've mentioned. Overall I'd give it three out of five; Good yes, essential no.