HERE COME THE WARM JETS

Until recently I knew Eno only as a member of early ROXY MUSIC and a famous producer, who took part in various albums in the last 25 years, ranging from top artists like Bowie or U2 to not so well-known like Bosnia's SIKTER. So, having seen this at local discount I decided to give it a try, especially beacuse I liked his last effort with ROXY of the same year, "For Your Pleasure". After first listen I was not so impressed, I even found several songs pretty awful and disturbing and wanted to throw it away immediately to the dust bin. But I liked two Fripp's appearances and started listening more carefully. Incredible! I was so wrong on the first judgement, after several repeated listens I found the album very addictive, and it is hard to explain. Surely this was a radical work at the time, mixing glam rock, avantgarde, art-rock and even forseeing the new wave spirit! "Cindy Tells Me" even by the name resembles the Lou Reed style, while my favs are "Baby's On Fire" with incredible Fripp on guitar and the closing title track. In fact entire album is quite astonishing and seems to be an extension of Eno's work with ROXY before going to the ambient territory. This is a sort of a pure rock'n'roll with artistic touch and avantgarde exploration. While not strictly in progressive vein, still highly recommended. Fans of KING CRIMSON should like it!

Brian Eno's first solo outing, 1973's self-produced HERE COME THE WARM JETS is an excellent album, for those who can appreciate inspired lunacy -- but it's nothing like his later ambient works, or the generally more serious and disciplined ANOTHER GREEN WORLD and BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE.

This recording is great fun, but it's certainly not for everyone. Along with the clever studio craft that would later make him perhaps the most sought-after producer in modern music, Eno shows a wicked sense of humour. If you have a hard time with "novelty" songs, and humour in music in general, be warned: silly songs like "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch" (try getting away with that title today!), "Driving Me Backwards," "Blank Frank" and "Dead Finks Don't Talk" may well drive you away from your speakers and toward the STOP button... but I welcome witty wackiness in music, especially when it's as well executed as this!

Yes, variety is good, and in addition to the prevailing madness, there is also sentiment, beauty, and just plain catchy, multi-layered pop pleasure to be found in plentitude on more restrained tracks like "Cindy Tells Me," the lush "On Some Faraway Beach," and the infectious instrumental title track.

The list of guest musicians is impressive: on board for maestro Eno's wild ride are Robert Fripp, John Wetton, Chris Spedding, Nick Judd, and Roxy Music members Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, and Paul Thompson. (If you haven't heard Fripp's absolutely blistering solo on the essential, acerbic "Baby's on Fire," then you're missing out on one of the best things he's ever laid down outside the Crimson fold!)

Why do so many diverse artists, from Bowie to Ultravox to James to Paul Simon to U2 hire Brian Eno to work his magic on their albums? The answer can begin to be discerned here. Tasty stuff -- if you like it - and a very strong debut from one of the most important and influential figures in modern music.

This album is truly awful!

..or is it?

It took me a number of spins to understand what's going on here. The opener' Needles in the Camels Eeye' sounds like early 80's indie/punk, but in a very generic way. In other words I cant make a direct comparison, and when you consider this album was recorded in 1973, it could be considered rather visionary.

It's as if Brian Eno is toying with the listener, in producing an album which is not only unique in its sound, but seems to be laced with a bitterness, and perhaps some of that bitterness may be levelled at Bryan Ferry. I may be wrong, but the second track 'The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch' sounds like early Roxy Music put through a blender with a hearty dose of sulphuric acid and profound sarcasm. I'm not sure if Ferry had upset Eno off, but there is an acidic irony to this track, that I find irresistable.

This album is acquired taste. If you've not heard it before then dont expect to love it straight away. It takes a while. I have found this is a good album for clearing unwanted guests out of your house late at night. Try to imagine a blend of glam rock and new wave punk (4 years or so before punk happened) with a strange electronic edge, as you may expect on an Eno album, and you've got 'Here come the Warmjets'

There is infact some good musicianship going on under the noise, indeed the album bosts some fine prog stars; Robert Fripp for one, John Wetton, Chris Spedding, Phil Manzenera and Simon King (Hawkwind) King even manages to play like a proffesional musician on this album! There is aso some groundbreaking moments too, and I'm inclined to believe that this album was probably a huge inspiration to a number of non prog bands in later years.

My favourite tracks are 'Baby's on Fire' featuring some great Fripp guitar soloing, 'Cindy Tells Me' the opening two tracks, and 'Dead Finks dont Talk'

'Here come the warm Jets' is an album of strange twists and turns and to say that I highly reccomend it would be an exageration. I would highly reccomend that you listen to it first. It's not going to be everyones cup of tea. But, I'm enjoying it very much.

Brian Eno's first solo effort. Unlike his 5th album, you shouldn't play this in airports.

Brian Eno, the ex-sound manipulator from Roxy Music, embarked on his solo career after splitting up with Roxy Music back in 1972. Apparently, arguments with frontman Bryan Ferry about how Ferry thought that Eno's disheveled appearance took away from the band's clean image were enough motivation for Eno to take his talents elsewhere. 2 years later, we are tossed a bone with this eccentric freak-pop-indie-punk mishmash.

First off, just looking at the musician's on this album is enough motivation to consider a purchase. If it was 1974 and you saw John Wetton and Robert Fripp together on an album, well let's just say that your money was gone fairly quickly. Robert Fripp makes his presence known on the third track, "Baby's On Fire", with a blistering guitar solo that lasts about 3 minutes, but Wetton's contributions are surprisingly hard to find because of the 4 other bassists used for the album.

The opening to the album, and you can quote me on this, sounds "quite Bowie". Although the opening song, "Needles In The Camel's Eye" has a very punk-rock rich vibe going through it, the second song, "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch", has a very glam rock appearance to it, combined with the glossy keyboards and weird lyrics. "Baby's On Fire" is one of Eno's most praised songs from his "vocal" period, mainly because of Fripp's solo that I told you about earlier. Aside from the manic soloing, Eno provides some excellently twisted lyrics and interesting sound manipulations. "Cindy Tells Me" is a rarity for an Eno album, a song that actually uses a nice vocal harmony. It's not my cup of tea however, and certainly isn't for a hardcore Eno listener, either. "Driving Me Backwards" closes out the A-side with some more interesting synthesizers and sound manipulations, but a little less actual music.

B-side, not as good as the A-side, but then again I consider the A-side of this album to be one of Eno's finest early moments. "On Some Faraway Beach" is an absolutely breath-taking song, and with its dreamy pianos and atmospheres you actually get the feeling of being on a beach. This just might be the only hint to Eno's future career in all of his first albums. The atmosphere is quickly shattered by the loud drum beating of "Blank Frank". Once again, kudos to Eno's production skills. All of the multi-instrument layering makes this song a very interesting listen, whereas any other producer might have turned it into a disheveled mess. "Dead Finks Don't Talk", with it's spoken lead vocals (save for the choruses) and lounge style pianos sounds like a bad song on paper, however it is actually a very enjoyable listen once you get used to it. The next- to-last song, "Some Of Them Are Old" is another stellar track, even if I never get to find out who Lucy is. The beautiful ascending chord progression going into the choruses is a touch of brilliance as well. The album ends with the title track, "Here Come The Warm Jets", and it is in the same vein as "On Some Faraway Beach", with the use of all the fuzzy electronics to create swirling atmospheres.

Before I recommend this album, I must say one thing. Eno's vocal albums are an acquired taste. If you don't "get" this album after 1 or 2, or maybe even 6 or 7 listens just keep trying, you will eventually find it to be a rewarding experience. Now, I would say that any fans of David Bowie or early Roxy Music should automatically own this album, while fans of anything from punk to glam rock and everything in between should try this a few times.

Not as progressive as his later efforts, but a stellar and different debut. 4 stars.

I came to Here Come the Warm Jets in a roundabout way. I'd won some contest on a radio show and they sent me a copy of a Manzanera 801 album, which had a live version of Baby's on Fire on it. So that certainly got me interested in what this Eno freak (for that's probably what I considered him to be, all glam and no chops) was all about.

So I eventually tracked down Here Come the Warm Jets. I'll admit to being unimpressed at first; this was just too pop-oriented for my taste, though there were some pretty good synthesizer sounds on the album - - keep in mind he was one of the pioneers.

Over the years, this has grown on me. The wall o' guitars on Needle In the Camels Eye is solid. The aforementioned Baby's on Fire is special, particularly considering we get a major dollop of Fripp guitar treatments therein. Cindy Tells Me, with its pleasant 1950's doo-wop influence, is endearing. But it all really hits stride on the title (and final) track, in which the various instruments keep toying with the song's rhythm and eventually all sync up. This is one masterful track! Considering this was made back in 1974, it's all fairly remarkable. I mean, 35 years later, put on a Foghat record from the time, then put on this, and it's real clear who had vision. I would guess many a new-waver spent some serious time with this album. The blueprints are all here.

In the end, however promising a start and whatever its historical significance, this is only an average album, and I rate it accordingly.

Brian Eno's debut LP entitled 'Here Come The Warm Jets' is an expressive and creative take on popular music of the time. Embarking on recording as soon as he left ROXY MUSIC, Eno recruited some 'big' names on the progressive scene (John Wetton, Phil Manzanera, Robert Fripp, Paul Rudolph, Bill MacCormick and Simon King, amongst others) to realise his own unique vision. Whilst I enjoyed the first 2 Roxy albums immensely, I was somewhat sceptical as to what this particular 'Eno' individual could provide. I was just born at the time of Roxy's debut release - naturally it was them I discovered initially (late 80's), then I looked into these Eno solo records at the time of my musical enlightenment, where my local haunt was the 2nd-hand vinyl shop not far from home.... Since I bought Eno's debut (I was told it was similar to the first 2 Roxy albums), it has taken many plays, and in recent years I must say that it has revealed its, rather peculiar, charms. The actual songs are not particularly complex, but there are lots of details that actually demand intense attention - the way he has arranged and performed these tunes is unlike no other. I can vouch that this album is really something different as well as being a pre-cursor of things to come, and this should be its strong-point. I can detect shades of music from the 50's through to the contemporary, and in the process he may well have pioneered a futuristic style of music. I give it 4 stars, but it has earned them dearly - not an immediate classic, but give it time. Favourite moment is Eno tripping out on his VCS3 Synth during 'Paw-Paw Negro Blowtorch'..........Quite an excellent Avante-Pop/Art-Rock recording on its own merits.

"Here Come The Warm Jets" is the debut full-lenght studio album by UK artist Brian Eno. The album was released through Island Records in January 1974. While "Here Come The Warm Jets" is the first Brian Eno solo album, he did release a collaborative ambient music album titled "(No Pussyfooting)" in November 1973 along with Robert Fripp (King Crimson) under the Fripp & Eno monicker. Eno co-founded Roxy Music in 1971 and played on the 1972 eponymously titled debut album and the 1973 sophomore album "For Your Pleasure", eventually leaving though in mid-1973 because of differences with Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry.

One of the main reasons for leaving Roxy Music was because Eno felt that Ferry wanted to control everything, and that he wasn´t allowed to have much input on the songwriting. And with two albums (a collaborative release and a solo album) released in quick succession over the course of a few months, it would appear that Eno had many ideas that hadn´t been accepted while he was with Roxy Music.

While "(No Pussyfooting)" is an experimental sound collage/ambient album, "Here Come The Warm Jets" sees Eno doing something completely different, but slightly closer in style to his contributions to Roxy Music (although "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch" is the only track on the album, which sounds a lot like Roxy Music). Stylistically the music on "Here Come The Warm Jets" is influenced by the contemporary glam rock of David Bowie. Loads of powerful guitar riffs, strong vocals from Brian Eno (who has a voice and vocal style somewhere between David Bowie and Bryan Ferry), and a 50s rock´n´roll element (heard on songs like "Cindy Tells Me", "On Some Faraway Beach"). Eno also adds a lot of keyboards/synths to the music, but not to the extent that your first guess would be that this is a keyboard player solo album (this is not a Rick Wakeman solo album...). His performance is actually relatively restrained considering that his primary instrument is the keyboard, but it´s just a testimony to the fact that his main focus is the good and effectful song, rather then the songs being vehicles for him to show off his considerable keyboard playing skills.

The album also features a couple of delightfully dark tracks in "Baby´s on Fire" and especially "Driving me Backwards" and in addition to all of the above mentioned musical styles and elements, a track like "Some of them are Old" feaures a melody which could be right off a Beatles album. While most tracks follow a vers/chorus formula, Eno still manages to put enough innovative and adventurous ideas into the songs, to ensure that the listener is never bored and the material doesn´t become too predictable. The album features quite a few guests performances from prolific artists like Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera, John Wetton, Andy Mackay, Simon King and Paul Thompson. Especially Robert Fripp´s presence on the album is audible in the way some of the guitars are played.

The sound production is powerful, detailed, and organic in tone, which suits the material perfectly. There´s a good balance between raw garage sounding guitars, catchy melodies, and a wealth of other musical details. "Here Come The Warm Jets" is a high quality rock album by Brian Eno and fans of adventurous and eclectic rock´n´roll (and especially fans of contemporary David Bowie) should be able to find a lot to enjoy here. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

A fresh element might always be requested for the music of POP. The element of the culture that is called not only of course POP but also modern Art might be conceived.

The attitude like the workman who acquires an existing method and polishes own capability might collect respect for the place and the listener from whom music is produced. However, an interesting culture will not arise if only the element is pursued. The existing sense of values might be converted and the road where a new creation is produced be indispensable.

The person who has such an element might be Eno. Eno never catches things from the viewpoint of music in the straight line. He who has both a certain kind of nature is contributing greatly in the kingdom of music. A lot of time when it starts the Solo album in the flow of his creation appears in the work in the 70's. He at that time was doing the activity in which it was very pungent and the forward existed in the item of Pop/Rock though he had the feeling deified as a leader of the Ambient music by present Eno. It is an element of a certain kind of strange tune and POP in his initial work. And, the work that takes the element of his charge of the song etc. is this album.

It participates in "Roxy Music" in 1972. And, the band has seceded immediately after 2nd album of Roxy Music is announced. The word said, "Two Non musicians per band do not need" that Bryan Ferry left is too famous. It is said that Ferry envied the fact that attention gathers in Eno according to other theories.

Eno that secedes Roxy Music does both Robert Fripp and the activity that belongs to the same office. This recorded album ..work that never feels old with the element still enough ..passing POP.... has finished in 1973 and.

His having begun to advocate "Ambient Music" was time after having produced "Taking Tiger Mountain". The impression that uniting and becoming familiar a complex a little sound are thin might be given if it listens to this work. However, his essence might be hidden in the composition of an advanced tune with the part where the feeling of the rhythm was excluded.

The tune in which Robert Fripp participated has finished in the world of New Wave ..influence.. as a trial, too. This album that the taste of the lock in Britain is satisfactorily demonstrated is a work that can exactly enjoy his sense enough at the same time as the history of the music of Eno starting.

First real solo album of ex-Roxy Music musician and future ambient genius Brian Eno. List of musicians is very impressive, but it tells,what the music there is all about. So, Andy Mackay/Phil Manzanera - doesn't it tell nothing to you? Put on 1973 year and Eno himslef. So, yes, you right, it is what it should be - perfect side-project album of Roxy Music.

And plenty of other highest level musicians there - Fripp, Wetton, Chris Spedding, Bill McCormick... So you have very interesting music; in fact, it is alternative version of Roxy Music , showing us what could be happened, if Eno, not Ferry stayed as their leader.

Generally, music is Roxy rhytms and multitextures, but much more filled by Eno's electronic sound and additional musicians prog-arrangements.

For me it's a bit strange to read negative reviews to this album. May be listeners, who came from Eno ambient albums, were disappointed. But qualified listener, coming chronologicaly from his Roxy Music time, will find just his first and very interesting step aside.

I can recommend this album for all Roxy Music fans, as well as Eno ( early before-ambient period) fans plus everyone who are interested in roots of art-glam-pop-rock ( early Dawid Bowie,etc.)

This album is only a lttle bit prog, despite all the familiar names on the credits, like Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera, and John Wetton. The fact is, this is at least as much punk as it is prog. Even more so, this album appears to be a precursor to the new wave music that was popularized in the late seventies by bands like The Talking Heads, and ran it's course through the eighties.

But despite all that, this is a fun album. Perhaps the most fun of all of Eno's output. You get the seminal Baby's On Fire, perhaps Eno's most famous tune. Other high points are Blank Frank, Driving Me Backwards and Dead Finks Don't Talk.

Listen to this with your sense of humor on, otherwise you might not get it.

I had this album when it came out. I remember I was quite disappointed at the time. Well, I was only 15 and I guess I was expecting something more like his former band, Roxy Music. And although much more ´rock´ oriented than a lot of his latter works, Here Comes The Warm Jets, is far from being your average pop rock album of the day. His experimentalisms were already blossoming here. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it doesn´t. Or so it looked to me.

Only recent I had the opportunity to hear it again and I was quite impressed. The guy was, or is, a visionary. Many of his innovations are now common place, but in the early 70´s nobody, or very few people, were doing so many different things on a single album. I specially liked his guitar treatments. That´s is something remarkable even by today´s standards. And some tracks are quite strong and pleasant. Baby´s On Fire is certainly a favorite, I just loved its tense, unorthodox backing arrangement behind the simple pop melody line. Other interesting tunes are Needles In the Camel´s Eye, Cindy Tells Me. Some Of Them Are Old and In Some Faraway Beach.

Backed by some of prog´s most outstanding musicians of the time (Robert Fripp, John Wetton, Andy Mackay, Simon King, Bill McCormick, Phil Manzanera, among many others)) this is a very interesting document of an era, a snapshot of a time even such groundbreaking and unorthodox album could make it to the top 40. It is not for everyone, I should warn you. It is still sounds different and experimental after all these years. Since I tend for the more orthodox side of prog (meaning the more melodic side of it), I will give it 3 stars. Important, ok, groundbreaking, ok, but not really essential in MY prog collection. I recommend it for the ones that like something different

Brian Eno has always been one of those artists who's music can almost go in any possible direction but there is always that distinct Eno-sound which according to the liner notes of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is called Enossification!

After departing from Roxy Music Brian Eno decided to test his wings at being a solo artist for a change. His first two albums are generally considered a trial and error period since both Here Come The Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) feature a very distinct Art-Rock flavor combined with glimpses of electronics music. Unlike many other talented instrumentalists Eno chose to add even more of his personality into the mix by singing all the lead vocals. I realized that his voice might be considered acquired taste for many people but I just think that it was a bold decision and, no matter the outcome, at least it's better than hiring a professional vocalist!

I've always had a soft spot for Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) that unfortunately never spread to Here Come The Warm Jets. I find this album a bit boring and particularly lacking in the songwriting department. Most of the compositions have a Roxy Music-sounding style and at times his vocals actually resemble those of Ferry but Brian Eno is by no means as artistic and memorable in his articulation. Songs like The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch have those Art-Rock sounding tendencies but Eno also manages to insert some electronic sounds into the mix which comes off a bit awkward and generally don't fit the music all that well.

Halfway through the album Brian Eno abandons his electronic experiments for a standard band arrangement but the different line-ups that are featured on the album distract too much and make the individual performances not that memorable. Some Of Them Are Old is the closest the music here comes to a potential highlight but it lacks a personal touch and ultimately fades in with the rest of the performances.

Over time Brian Eno would perfect his sound and push his music much further than the limited style that is featured on Here Come The Warm Jets. Therefore it remains a good, but non-essential album for everyone who is interested in exploring the origins of Brian Eno's sound.

**** star songs: Needles In The Camel's Eye (3:11) The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch (3:05) Baby's On Fire (5:19) Cindy Tells Me (3:25) Driving Me Backwards (5:12) Dead Finks Don't Talk (4:20) Some Of Them Are Old (5:11) Here Come The Warm Jets (4:05)

*** star songs: On Some Faraway Beach (4:36)

** star songs: Blank Frank (3:37)

Not bad for a "boring ambient guy." Eno's first "true" solo album doesn't just entertain the hell out of me; it basically defies a single classification. The guitars are often abrasive in a punkish sort of way, and the song structures are basically simple and "normal," but the arrangements are so thick and layered and intricate (not to mention avant-garde) that it has to be considered as a kind of art-rock (plus, the second side can be seen as a single extended suite of sorts). Think early Roxy Music (which makes sense, given that all of the RM members except Bryan Ferry participate in this album) crossed with a bit of Velvet Underground, a smidge of Beatles, and with the manic wackiness factor turned up to 11, and you start to form a picture of an album that will never ever leave my top 100.

Take the album's opener, "Needle in the Camel's Eye," for instance. There are layers on layers of Manzaneras aggressively playing single notes (at least, that's what it sounds like to me), coming together to form chords, which should please both fans of minimalism and of dense arrangements, and what is that chord sequence and vocal melody if not one of the loveliest, warmest Beatles-quality ditties around? It might be nice if Eno's vocals were higher in the mix, but then again that might overshadow the incredibly cool-sounding guitars, so I don't mind. And those start-stops in the second half? Don't they feel completely natural, completely organic, completely necessary to you? I know they do to me.

Lessee, then there's "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch" (what a wonderfully awful title), which has wonderfully goofy singing and a wonderfully goofy synth solo, which shows quite amply that a solo full of weird noises can compete with a solo full of weird notes any day of the week. And then, of course, there's the glorious "Baby's on Fire," an awesome, loud pop- rocker with a catchy-as-hell vocal melody (with a totally over-the-top singing performance to boot) and what just happens to be my favorite guitar solo ever. From the very first notes, the tone screams out "I AM AWESOME," and Fripp hits on note and sound combinations that make me grit my teeth and tighten my sphincter every time. It's not really a solo with any "purpose" to it other than just trying to rule as much as humanly possible, but that's more than enough for me.

The last two songs of side one aren't quite as walloping, but they're terrific nonetheless. "Cindy Tells Me" is a pop ballad that has always struck me as Eno going for a classic Beach Boys-ish sort of sound, only with vocals more nasal than Mike Love on his worst day (not that I'm complaining) and a piercing guitar solo that somehow manages to fit in perfectly. And then there's the menacing "Driving Me Backwards," centered around two notes on a piano (yup, Brian the minimalist ambient dude was there on some level from the beginning) that create an awful lot of well-placed, but still kinda goofy tension; it's dark, but dark in a way that I feel like it could be the background music of one of the grey, murky castle levels in Super Mario 3 or something like that.

"On Some Faraway Beach" kicks off side two, and to say it's fantastic is to say nothing. It's filled with one keyboard level after another that's incredibly easy to play and would probably be easy to write, but to put them all together into something like this is simply unbelievable. I'll tell you, one of the synth lines (you'll know it when you hear it) before the vocals come in, in the context of all of the other layers that have come before, ends up being one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous sounds I've ever heard in my life, and by the time we get to the lyrics about wanting to commit suicide on a beach, it's all I can do to keep from crying. And sheesh, way to strip it back down perfectly, Brian.

The noisy and ugly "Blank Frank," which comes next, is a bit of a letdown for me, but I still appreciate it somewhat; it's Fripp's second showcase of the album, and some of the rhythm work here is just insane. Not always really enjoyable to my ears, but interesting nonetheless. "Dead Finks Don't Talk" is better but not great, with both the singing and speaking parts of the song definitely dredging up thoughts of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music (e.g. "In Every Home a Heartache" or "Song For Europe," even though the latter was done after Eno left), but it's the goofy "More fool me, bless my soul" McCartney-esque pastiche in the second half that makes the song for me (not to mention the processed noise fest in the last half minute).

Fortunately, the album ends on a very strong note, with an INCREDIBLE pop ballad in "Some of Them are Old" and a nice instrumental (sorta; there are vocals, they're just very buried in the mix and only in the second half) keyboard number in the title track. The former is just sooooo warm, with some of the loveliest pedal steel guitar work you'll ever hear in the mid-song break before a bunch of beautiful layered synths come back to carry the main melody with gusto. And the mood, sheesh, the mood; I want to say it's nostalgic, but that doesn't feel quite right. It's unique, whatever it is, and the confusing bell sounds at the end (that come out of nowhere, really) only make it that much more puzzling. And the latter? Can you think of a more beautiful song about getting peed on? I sure can't!

Oh man, what an album. Anybody who wants to lay any claim to the status of "music snob" simply has to have this around. The buying public didn't really know what to do with it, but time has largely corrected that mistake, and you should join the critical masses and swipe this up as soon as possible.

When I think of Brain Eno's early solo works I can't help but think of the solo albums of Wyatt and Ayers.They all made this quirky, humerous music that was really different from the norm. While Wyatt and Ayers were in that Canterbury camp you have to put Eno in the "Rock & Roll" house. Sure he could be experimental and spacey, but for the most part his early albums were short tracks that really didn't seem to have anything to do with Progressive music. And I think that's important espeially with this the debut which was released in 1973 at the very peak of the Progressive movement. He bucked the trend here even though he had a who's who of Prog helping him out. This in itself was very progressive on his part. Lots of variety here but everything is just so well done. His stint with ROXY MUSIC served him well but lets face it Eno is a musical genius. He's proven it over his career even as a producer. You gotta love the list of guitarists here including Manzanera, Fripp and Spedding from one of my favourite bands NUCLEUS. MacCormick and Wetton among others on bass, while Simon King does most of the drumming.

"Needle's In The Camel's Eye" hits the ground running as vocals join in quickly. I like the guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. Great opener. "The Raw Paw Negro Blowtorch" is a catchy mid-paced tune. The TALKING HEADS had to have been inspired by this tune. "Baby's On Fire" is intersting lyrically. Love the scorching guitar that goes on and on. "Cindy Tells Me" sounds like a fifties song. "Driving Me Backwards" has the focus on the vocals. It's quite different. I really like the last minute of the song.

"On Some Faraway Beach" opens with piano and vocal melodies. Vocals do arrive in this uplifting and transcending track. "Blank Frank" is intense with vocals. "Dead Folks Don't Talk" features drums, piano and vocals standing out early. I like when the guy is yelling in the background before 4 minutes.Then it turns dissonant. "Some Of Them Are Old" is an excellent track with some slide guitar and sax helping out. It turns haunting late. "Here Come The Warm Jets" is the perfect way to end it.

A very influential recording that still stands up well after all these years.

This was a nice 're-'discovery. Back in the day I discarded this album for being too Brian Wilson instead of Brian Eno, but I gave it another try and was pleasantly surprised generally. Some of the music sounds old-fashioned but other songs are downright visionary.

We find Eno shortly after leaving Roxy Music here and his songwriting was still following the blueprint of the music he created with that band. So we hear a lot of Velvet Underground type art-rock mixed with more personal sonic experimentation. The result is somewhat uneven, some of the songs still sound fresh and modern, others sound hopelessly dated. Tracks like Needle, Baby On Fire, Driving Me Backwards and the title tracks still continue to inspire artists and are a must-hear.

Vocally, Eno does a decent job, but in this field he has competitors by the names of David Bowie, Bryan Ferry and John Cale, and he misses the depth and charisma of said heroes to be entirely convincing. Songs like Driving Me Backwards are a grating listen because of it, despite being original and intriguing. Other tracks work just fine.

This album deserves an excellent rating for its importance, personality and originality, but the songwriting is somewhat uneven, with too much standard art-rock fare burying the gems.

Nonsense lyrics, bizarre melodies, Art Rock, Glam Rock: This is "Here Come the Warm Jets", Brian Eno's debut album, true masterpiece of Rock music.

At first, I wasn't particularly enjoying the quirky songs and strange vocals, definitely they are an acquired taste, but when I finally was able to appreciate them fully, I was really pleased. As I suggested earlier, these fresh sounding songs are a delightful mix between Glam Rock (think Roxy Music, where Eno also was part of) and Art Rock as well as Avant Garde. The melodies are simple, no doubt in that, but the arrangements Eno uses are extremely original and give a whole new touch to the song. The vocals sound exaggerated, and are always a little quirky; sometimes Eno, who always sings, tries to imitate Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music, and again sometimes he has a more nasal voice. However, everything seems to work fine. There are several guest musicians, all friends of Eno's, such as Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera (both of them guitars) and John Wetton (bass). Despite being surrounded by tons of musicians, this is a definite solo album for Eno, as well as his first one.

Lyrically speaking the album is very original; for writing down the lyrics Brian used a very peculiar method. He used to sing to himself random syllables, without any form of sense, and then write them down and actually find a sense. He used this method all through the decade. The strange thing about them s that sometimes they are pretty good, with also a pretty good sense of humor.

Songs like "Needles In The Camel's Eye", "Baby's On Fire", "Driving Me Backwards" ,"Blank Frank" , "Dead Finks Don't Talk", and even the title track are perfect examples of what "Here Come The Warm Jets" is really about; a perfect portrait of eccentric, original and fresh music. Unfortunately Brian Eno after this release will never come back to this style, if we don't count the musician's following album, "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)".

An album to listen to again and again, a milestone in Art Rock music, and one of the artist's very best efforts.

This debut album from "Eno" does feature a lot of great musicians (on top of himself of course): MacKay, Fripp, Manzarena, Wetton and Spedding are the ones who really "speak" to me. But after having listened to this first solo release, I am absolutely NOT charmed. AT ALL.

This album has nothing to do with progressive electronics as far as I am concerned. You should not look for great soundscapes à la "Tangerine Dream" or "Klaus Schulze". Far from it! This album is much more of an experimental album. No vibrant melodic parts, no magical synths sections at all.

I am sorry but to my feeling, this album is just below average music. Whatever the category you would like this album to fit it in. I can't find any prog one though. This is no original music; this is no creative music either: this is just a long musical way to nowhere.

Two stars, no more. When I listened to this, I really wondered why he left Roxy. Anyway, he must know I guess?

Brian Eno's first solo album isn't a progressive electronic piece - it comes well before his acclaimed Discreet Music and Ambient series heralded his submersion in that genre. Rather, it's an arty, experimental, complex glam rock album featuring a range of collaborators from a dazzlingly broad spectrum of prog traditions, with members from Roxy Music, King Crimson, Hawkwind and Matching Mole amongst those helping out. Particularly significant contributors include former Roxy cohort Phil Manzanera and Robert Fripp, both of whom co-author some of the tracks.

With a sound ranging from the peaceful On Some Faraway Beach to the proto-punk Needle In the Camel's Eye or Blank Frank to the avant-garde Dead Finks Don't Talk, the album takes on a dizzying range of styles and proves that Eno is a composer to be reckoned with. It's also an emotionally warm album - and before you blame the titular jets, it's more likely that this is down to Eno's interesting studio techniques, which would include doing dances for the musicians to indicate the sort of mood he wanted to establish with the music. Of all the progressive electronic innovators, Eno is one who has always been very careful to include an emotional, intuitive aspect to his compositional process rather than simply relying on more and better electronics, and this album shows that this approach was there right from the beginning. Eno would create better art-glam albums, but this is a hell of a start.

Cooking from scratch (and some imported flavors)

It would be kind of unreasonable not to mention Roxy Music when reviewing this Brian Eno, 1973, "Here Come the Warm Jets". For starters one can realize his contribution in Roxy's 2 first releases as founder and later exiled member and second to understand his departure from the same. While founder member (& mastermind) Bryan Ferry was focusing on detailed and perfectly arrangedsophistication Eno was more in tune with raw primitiveness.

His irreverent view on Rock "stardom" could be compared with the roads of Rock in Opposition or Krautrock musicians, both in music composition and spirit and could hardly be related to what most Prog/Electronic artists were attempting around this 1970's era. I guess Brian Eno was inducted in PA around his later, closer to P/E releases, otherwise he as Roxy or Robert Fripp, would have ended in the quiet flexible "prog/crossover or eclectic" tagging or prog-related as the still missing "The Kinks" or Alice Cooper, if ever inducted, which are close relatives, music sound (style?) wise to this first ENO album.

Anyway and by the way this release, music composition wise, owes also its respective toll to Juan Garcia Esquivel,(although no one mentions it, this musician was playing along the popular electronic and Space age pop music since the late 50s), a bit to a lot of under the radar, then, 70's pop/rock musicians like the before mentioned and a lot to the R&B invasion happening in the UK around those same years. But adds a lot, in return, to the MUSIC WORLD in general, which is the best attribute Brian Eno offered and still offers with his unmistakable personal imprint which has grown to extraordinary heights in his quiet full musician's, collaborator's, producer's career.

From this eerie lands in 1973, full of surprising detours and alternate visions of the before mentioned styles and all Roxy's members (less Ferry), King Crimson's Robert Fripp and future collaborators and then close acquaintances playing and falling under the early but irresistible Brian Eno's futuristic touch. This work still is in 20016, in many ways, ahead of its time, quiet underrated as many works with this "misunderstood"characteristic.

****4.5 PA stars.

Originally released simply under the name ENO, the debut album of BRIAN ENO finds him recently straight out of Roxy Music after butting heads with the Bryan Ferry on musical direction and after a proto-ambient drone experimental album with Robert Fripp of King Crimson, ENO went solo and since has released decades worth of material. HERE COME THE WARM JETS falls more into the Roxy Music camp rather than the more famous ambient music he would dish out a few years down the road, however ENO shows without a doubt that he's more than capable of conjuring up truly addictive art rock with super catchy hooks all dressed up with his experimental frosting that resonates and reverberates well into the modern day.

In fact i'm beginning to think that all roads modern and musical lead back to the 70s. While this kind of playful art rock owes a lot to the juxtaposition of Bryan Ferry's 50s rock'n'roll fetish mixed with ENO's futuristic surrealism found on the first two Roxy Music albums, there is enough tweaking around the edges to give HERE COME THE WARM JETS a rather unique and innovative sound that echoes well into the 21st century. Think of all those indie rock and indie pop bands that have emerged since the 90s. I swear that tracks like "Baby's On Fire" could fit in undetected on albums by Animal Collective or Of Montreal. In fact i hear all kinds of sounds on this album which lead me to believe that bands like Built To Spill, Modest Mouse and the army of other indie disciples found a lot to latch onto from this early experimental rock phase of ENO's career just like metal bands worship Black Sabbath and progsters cite King Crimson as ground zero and so forth and so on.

The music on HERE COME THE WARM JETS is really nothing more than brilliant. It retains all the melodic catchiness and proto-punk energy of the first two Roxy Music albums and ups the ante for experimentalism which obviously displays the differences between ENO and Ferry as the Roxy Music albums became more mainstream after ENO's departure. This debut album also show's ENO as a fairly entrenched force in the musical world early in his career resulting in an army of guest musicians lending a hand on this one. Not only do we get Phil Manzanera, Paul Thompson and Andy Mackay from Roxy Music helping out, but also Robert Fripp and John Wetton from King Crimson, Simon King of Hawkwind, Bill MacCormick of Quiet Sun and Matching Mole fame as well as Paul Rudolph from The Pink Fairies and still others leading up to quite a diverse and full richness of sounds that gives this album an instant epic feel to it.

HERE COME THE WARM JETS is an excellent blend of art pop mixed with glam rock with sprinklings of avant-garde. While apparent from the get go that this is a branch of the Roxy Music school, ENO was allowed to shine without restraint proving that he had full control of his musical reins that allowed everything to be rationed into a perfect balance. With nasally vocals and screaming guitars mixed with pummeling bass lines and subdued doowop melodies ENO managed to marry some of the more esoteric idiosyncrasies of Frank Zappa into the accessible delivery of glam rock. Quite a feat considering how much is crammed into these tracks. At the end of the day, it's not the technical wizardry that makes this a fun ride, it's the clever catchy hooks that keep you coming back. ENO would put out a couple more art pop albums before venturing into his better known ambient phase however this music is as exciting and dynamic as anything in his other career phases and it's obvious why it was uncovered by all those indie rockers who utilized many aspects of this music that began way back in 1973. 4.5 rounded down

Even before Brian Eno's solo career led him to the creation of multiple beloved albums that have become so core to ambient, he showed his experimental approach to music through his quirky art/glam rock material, with this pursuit of unusual and often forward thinking ideas being most clearly captured in his debut, Here Come the Warm Jets. Eno's knack for sound design is also quite apparent upon listening to this, with the fusion of glam rock and a variety of unusual atmospheres and textures making for quite an interesting listen. That said, while definitely quite interesting in a few regards, the album is also one that's quite flawed in a couple of ways that ultimately bring down the experience by quite a bit, notably the fairly unfocused, scattershot nature of the album as a whole, and Eno's vocal delivery.

The album starts off well enough with the fun Needles In the Camel's Eye, with extremely thick distortion on the guitars almost creating a wall of sound at point, complementing the almost wailing vocals of Eno, making for an intense, yet energetic and fun song. The unfortunate aspect of the album starts to rear its head in the next two tracks unfortunately, both for similar reasons, with the quirkier nature of the songs working against them and just becoming somewhat annoying. The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch has some issues from a vocal standpoint, but my main issue with it is from the seemingly useless synth solo that really just goes nowhere, really just not a particularly great song, though not too bad either. Baby's on Fire on the other hand pushes these problems up to the forefront and seemingly want it to be impossible for the listener to look past these flaws, especially with the absolutely awful, nasally vocals that end up almost sounding like a parody of other glam rock artists. The solo here is really nothing special either, just drags the song out a bit too much, which once again is a shame, since the main instrumental backing here is actually really cool, having a certain feeling of tension to it that never really goes away and creates a marvellous, almost surreal atmosphere. While on the topic of songs being too quirky for their own good and ending up annoying, Blank Frank basically does the same sort of stuff as well but without as much memorable stuff to back it up.

Of course, the peak of obnoxiousness to me comes in on Driving Me Backwards, sounding at times to almost be an extremely unusual, warped version of David Bowie's Time , but without as much charm to it. This song also feels remarkably frustrating in the way that there's so much amazing stuff to be found here once again, especially once the rhythmic hand clapping comes in to only further add to the glorious chaos, as different elements erratically weave in and out, shame that I find Eno's shrill wailing to detract from the song, despite contributing to this uneasy atmosphere. I really feel that this album is at its best when it's focusing on its softer side, with stuff like On Some Faraway Beach and the final 3 songs to be the absolute peak of this album, making far better use of the amazing textures crafted throughout to create some genuinely breathtaking moments. In particular I'm quite a fan of Dead Finks Don't talk and the title track. The former is quite interesting to me as one of the few times that I feel one of the more bizarre ideas on the album works, that being the way Eno constantly interjects during the chorus to scream "Oh no", which honestly goes a long way to make it a pretty memorable song that somehow manages to succeed where a lot of others failed. I also feel that I can't mention this song without bringing up the amazing, dissonant outro that takes things to a far darker place than anything else here, yet another incredibly interesting moment here. The title track marks another one of the best moments here, bringing in yet another song with extremely prominent distortion, this time almost bordering on shoegaze, with layers upon layers of fuzz building and establishing an an almost melancholic tone that lets the album close off in the best possible way it could, having a real sense of finality that almost rivals King Crimson's Starless (almost).

All in all, this is an album that I both think is amazing in certain respects, yet don't particularly think is anything too great when looked at as a whole. For as fascinating and often incredibly enjoyable as the instrumentation and sound design is, the vocals often bring these detailed, experimental compositions down quite harshly. Similarly, for as much as I love how forward thinking in certain respects this album was, I also can't ignore the fact that there are many points where this felt like it came out in the form of mindless, annoying quirkiness over actual great ideas (though there's definitely some of both here). All in all, I find the album to be quite flawed in some key areas that distract form its merits. Even so, I'd still recommend people who like the quirkier side of art rock to check this one out, because there's definitely a lot of interesting stuff here that's worth checking out, even though I'm personally not a fan of how a lot of it ends up being executed.

Best tracks: On Some Faraway Beach, Dead Finks Don't Talk, Here Come the Warm Jets

Weakest tracks: Baby's On Fire, Driving Me Backwards, Blank Frank.

Brian Eno made a pretty good decision that he should go out on his own, so in 1973, he left Roxy Music in order to have more say in the music he was making. In hindsight, looking at it now, we can all pretty much see the influence he has had in rock and pop music (and continues to have), but also in his solo and soundtrack work. It seems you see his name everywhere now. But, he had to start out on his own somewhere, and the album "Here Come the Warm Jets" was that album.

Most people know that he does very little singing himself, and so this album is a rare occurrence where we get to hear his vocals on every track. But, also to prove that many other musicians agreed with his decision to go out on his own, he was able to recruit a lot of guests to help him out. He had a lot of help from former Roxy Music bandmates along with Robert Fripp (whom he had worked with previously on "(No Pussyfooting)"), Simon King and many others. He also made the smart decision to stick with the glam-pop sound and this made at least 3 of the tracks here sound a lot like the type of music Roxy Music was making at the time.

Needles in the Camel's Eye - Sounds very much like a Roxy Music track from that same period. Most of the songs on this side of the album are written by Eno and Manzanera, plus two other members from Roxy Music help out on many of the tracks. So the wall of noise is somewhat understandable.

The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch - The only lyrics on the album that really are based upon anything, the other songs are pretty much nonsensical. This one is based upon an urban legend about someone that breathes fire. This continues in the weird sounds of Roxy Music of the time, even with the kooky synths, but it's still quite a catchy song nonetheless, with a lot of Bowie influences.

Baby's on Fire - John Wetton helps out on bass on this one and so is Robert Fripp and Paul Rudolph on guitar. This one has a different atmosphere, but still has that evil sounding playfulness in Eno's vocals. The Fripp/Rudolph solo (which goes on for 3 minutes) in the break is great of course, and contrasts quite well with the "innocent-but-not" attitude of the vocals.

Cindy Tells Me - Manzanera returns one more time for this track. This track has a nice, retro doo-wop feeling to it, again not unlike some of Bowie's early songs. Some metallic effects swoop around over different parts of the track reminding you that this is not a typical pop track, but one with that avant-garde touch to it.

Driving Me Backwards - One thing I didn't mention earlier is that Simon King from Hawkwind is involved in the percussion on about every other track on this album, as he is on this track. This one has more of a later Eno sound to it, even with vocals. It is tense and a bit strung out in the vocals. Both Fripp and Wetton join in on this one too. The melody almost gives you a sense that you are listening to a song backwards.

On Some Faraway Beach - Busta Jones from Talking Heads and bandmate (from Roxy Music) Andy MacKay help out on bass and keyboards respectively on this track. This has a nice, mellow vibe to it and is centered around the piano riff. The vocals on this are multi-tracked wordless harmonics. It builds as it goes with synth layers giving it a nice, symphonic feel. Regular vocals come along far into the track, and has probably some of the most heartfelt lyrics and melody on the album.

Blank Frank - Fripp and Simon King come back on this track. This is the only track that gives Fripp co-writing credits. It has a very direct and hard beat and overall feel. The sarcastic sound is back in Eno's vocals and this matches well with the loudness of Fripp's hammered guitar strumming.

Dead Finks Don't Talk - Busta Jones comes back for this track and yet another Roxy cohort Paul Thompson helps out on percussion. Eno's vocals begin more as a spoken word lyric at first, but when he starts singing, it is much more understated this time, softer and quieter. It has some really kooky vocalizations later on in the track, just to remind you this is not your regular radio type music. According to the credits, Eno plays a snake guitar, whatever that is, but my bet is that it is on this song, as during the instrumental break, there is a guitar that sounds really slithery.

Some of Them Are Old - Eno plays almost everything on this track, except for some keyboards (which are played again by Andy Mackay) and a slide guitar by Lloyd Watson. This one uses multitracked vocals again in both the foreground and background. The harmonies are very nice here, somewhat similar to the harmonies that would show up a lot in the later album "Wrong Way Up" where Eno would collaborate with John Cale. The addition of the slide guitar is a nice surprise to the track.

Here Come the Warm Jets - Both Simon King and Paul Rudolph return on this last track. There is a weird effect here that sounds like a bunch of cellos playing on top of each other, or something like that while rolling percussion plays lightly behind it. It makes for a strange sound that Eno tries to make sound accessible, but I'm not so sure he succeeds. That's okay, because this is Eno after all, and we have come to not expect normal less often that we do expect it.

It's an odd way to end this art-pop of a record, but it still comes across as a nice bit of pop experimental-ism with shades of David Bowie, Roxy Music and King Crimson scattered throughout. How could that be a bad thing? As most everyone knows, Eno very seldom sang except for his first few solo albums, but I think, overall, the world is a better place because of it, as his strength was more in instrumentation and everything that doesn't involve him singing. But it's a pretty good album, not a masterpiece, but still one that would appeal to avant-pop and glam rock lovers. Needless to say, Eno didn't want to stray too far away from his Roxy Music roots in this case. There would be time for that later.