Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) [Digipak] [Remastered] - Brian Eno

Advantages: Eno is ever creative
Disadvantages: but not as potent as usual.

...Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is my last review of Eno’s 70s (near) Pop work, a form he would pretty much abandon after Before and After Science, in favour of more experimental work and explorations as pop-producer (Talking Heads, U2 etc.). His second solo album, Eno had the problematic necessity of somehow following up the brilliance of Here Come the Warm Jets, in a meaningful way. And did he do it. To be honest no, but then Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) isn’t quite the same sort of album. It has a little more continuity, being something of a collaboration with Roxy Music (the band Eno had recently left) guitarist Phil Manzanera and as I utter ad infinitum, Manzanera cannot reach the musical heights of a Fripp or a Fred Frith. But this is not to say that Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is in any way a bad album (I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Introduction to the ambient and punk godfather
Disadvantages: Leaves you wanting more

...This Brian Eno creation is in two halves- a louder part and an ambient part , and all tracks give an insight into the methods used by Eno to create sound. His love of ambient- he created after all!- comes tjough in some beautifully crafted pieces, Here he comes drifts effortlessly into Julie with..., and By This River, - you can feel yourself there. These tracks are in stark contrast to the 'punk' style of Kings Lead Hat (an anagram of Talking Heads, with who Eno worked with great success in the 70s and 80s). The thumping guitar treatments take you back to the era when aggression was the norm. Buy it and experience the unusual sound of Eno's voice, rarely used in recent times and hear how Eno has beeen an inspiration to bands for the past quarter of a century.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Eno's first musical high
Disadvantages: One bad track

...with Robert Fripp) and his Discreet Music. Only Here Come the Warm Jets is something different. It is an unusual beginning in many ways when considered against some of her later works. Only his second solo album is comparable (Taking Tiger Mountain [By Strategy]) as they are both song based albums. Another Green World and Before and After Science may well have conventional songs (well, as conventional as Eno ever gets) but they also show his leaning towards pure ambient, though in Another Green World, his first excursion, tracks like Sombre Reptile preface his Ambient music and yet use a lot of conventional instruments. There is clear guitar and percussive sounds. His later work often uses ‘found’ sounds and those tapped simply from nature. HCTWJ though is the album Eno made after he split from Roxy Music after For Your Pleasure. Many... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful