In Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy’s ageing hipster asks …
‘But have you seen my records?
This Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, the Trojans, The Black Dice, Todd Terry, the Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna, Sexual Harassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, the Human League, the Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagra, Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra, the Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc, Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force, Juan Atkins, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil Scott Heron, the Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders, the Fire Engines, the Swans, Soft Cell, the Sonics … ‘
Now, have you seen Brian Eno’s records?
John Cale, David Bowie, David Byrne, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Laurie Anderson, Nico, Lou Reed, Penguin Café Orchestra, Slowdive, James Blake, Kevin Shields, Kevin Ayers, Robert Fripp, Robert Calvert, Genesis, Robert Wyatt, John Cage, Michael Nyman, Ultravox, Harold Budd, Devo, Lydia Lunch, The Contortions, James, Daniel Lanois, Zvuki Mu, The Neville Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, Arto Lindsay, David Lynch, Robert Wyatt, Can, Baaba Maal, Seun Kuti …
Over the last 50 years, Eno produced or collaborated with them all. Along the way he invented ambient music while recovering from an operation in hospital. He was the original synth player in Roxy Music when they were good. He was in Berlin with Bowie in ’77 and in New York with Byrne in ’78. And, on it goes …
Brian Eno has never had a hit in his own name. He wouldn’t get recognised on the street by many people. He may even get overlooked when the big shiny retrospectives of the last 50 years of music come to be written. But, as James Murphy says, he was there - with the cool kids. The very least he deserves is an episode of Sombrero Fallout celebrating his half century in music.
Tracklist: -
Do the Strand, Roxy Music
Fear is a man’s best friend, John Cale
Be my wife, David Bowie
Zopf: From the colonies, Penguin Café Orchestra
By this river, Brian Eno
Retrograde, James Blake
When the sun hits, Slowdive
In our sleep, Laurie Anderson
An ending (Ascent), Brian Eno
Warning sign, Talking Heads
The Jezebel spirit, David Byrne and Brian Eno
Source of infection, Zvuki Mu
Bismahillahi Rrahmani Rahim, Harold Budd
On some faraway beach, Brian Eno