I wasn't too enamored with my introduction to Brian Eno, but that was a long time ago, and I've listened to a lot of shitty music. Plus David Bowie was a big fan of Brian Eno, so he must have done something right.
I'm a big fan of the opening groove which is initially heavy on the funk. As the song continues the track gets laden with annoying sound effects. The pattern gets old pretty quick. Luckily the song is only 3 minutes long. I almost expected it to go on for another 8 minutes. I have become accustomed to artists confusing anything long with something "epic" and therefore amazing. The following track "Over Fire Island" is a nice short sci-fi interlude. I don't want a whole album of tiny songs, but the way Eno is fusing dark funk with a few sci-fi touches might make for an interesting album. As long as he doesn't get too repetitive.
Most of the tracks on Another Green World are instrumental. I'm relatively OK with that, since Brian Eno's vocals I don't think are that spectacular. I am a bit annoyed that the instrumentals are relatively simple affairs, mostly just a progression repeated over and over that builds a bit and soon fades out. But since the bulk of the songs are about 3 minutes long it's not that offensive. Slightly offensive is Eno's insistence on letting me know he'll come running to tie my shoe for the last 2 minutes or so of "I'll Come Running."
The album I'm mostly thinking of after hearing Another Green World is Oxygene. Similar to Jean Michel Jarre, Brian Eno has created something of a synthesized symphony that is hauntingly beautiful in many sections. Eno's vocals are subpar and annoying but infrequent enough that I can almost ignore them. Most of the music here isn't all that complex, but the arrangements offer enough of interest, and the songs move along pretty quick. 3 stars - I am pleasantly surprised.
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