ANOTHER GREEN WORLD

Critics shower this Eno album with the highest accolades, and it does contain many qualities that have stood the test of time. However, if you are hearing it for the first time, it may be hard to discern its value as the pioneering effort of electronica and ambiance that it is.

One of the problems I hear with 3 decades of hindsight is that the effort is somewhat schizophrenic, with Eno alternating between quirky pop ditties and truly ambient atmospherics. "St Elmo's Fire" with Eno's stunned voice and Robert Fripps's sumptuous guitars is a major highlight from the poppy side, and "Everything Merges with the Night" shows sophisticated song structures and understatement that clearly gave some voice to David Sylvian's elegant works of a decade later. The mesmerizingly beautiful "Somber Reptiles", "The Big Ship" the Jade Warrior like title cut, and "Becalmed" all demonstrate the instrumental innovation at work. Speaking of Jade Warrior, it is worth mentioning that they were equally groundbreaking, if less widely recognized, and that they and Eno shared some significant inspiration.

Apart from the artifice of the juxtaposition of the two styles, the vocal material tends to be less interesting and even embarrassing at times, in particular "I'll Come Running". "Golden Hours" ls like a weak version of "Baby's on Fire" from an earlier album. So the album generally shows its best where no vocals are present.

The grass is not always greener in "Another Green World", but when it is, it is absolutely lush. 3.5 stars rounded up because of its influence.