Fretplay.com Brian Eno CD reviews Brian Eno guitar tabs Brian Eno CD reviews Brian Eno tabs Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks


Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks Audio CD

A fair review of the Brian Eno "Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Brian Eno reviews here, or go back to the Brian Eno tabs.

Brian Eno Band: Brian Eno
Title: Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-08-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Under Stars 2: Secret Place 3: Matta 4: Signals 5: Ending (Ascent) 6: Under Stars II 7: Drift 8: Silver Morning 9: Deep Blue Day 10: Weightless 11: Always Returning 12: Stars

NOT a remaster at all
A bit-by-bit analysis of any of the tracks from these supposed "remasters" and their original counterparts will show them to be exactly the same. Please be aware - the recent re-issues of Eno albums are not remasters at all, they are only repackaged. There is no difference in the audio whatsoever, it's just the packaging that's different. Buyer be aware.


Beautiful and Terrifying
It is timeless, gorgeous, eerie, and haunting, almost not there, but definitely there, everywhere, omnipresent in its tone. I cannot imagine not liking this album.

When I first got this, I put it on for my one-year-old son as he fell asleep, thinking it was peaceful and relaxing. Ten minutes later, I was in his room, and he was sobbing, crying that the music was "too scary," that there were "monsters in it. "

Then I brought my copy along on a long drive to California, and it turned the southwestern desert into a place of demented terror for me, though--and only people familiar with this album will know what I mean by this--not in a bad way.

This music is enfolding, ensconcing, breathtaking. It is ambient, experimental, and not at all New Agey, featuring ambiguous instrumentation. . . synth that seems unidentifiable, soft bass, quiet slide guitar. . . . It captures all the wonders of seeing Earth from space, all the terrors of the night, presents sonic eeriness and beauty but leaves room for listeners to project their own notions of beauty and their own fears into its empty spaces.

The standout track is almost certainly, "An Ending (Ascent)," which could be played at nearly any funeral and seem perfect for it, and which sounds a lot like the loveliest song of all time dissolving into something that is not a song at all. The whole album kind of feels like that, like some unreal thing wafting half-consciously along the edge between existence and nonexistence, and its ability to transform any scene you behold while you're listening to it is just astounding.

In conclusion: GET THIS, GET THIS, GET THIS! AHAHAHAHA!

Brian Eno is a genius, and you will not regret it. This is audio peace, audio fear, audio space. Peace and fear? Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. This is large. It contains multitudes. Get it. .


An Ambient Odyssey
On the other hand, the tunes will relax you, making it useful for falling asleep. I find "Apollo" to be a perfect active album- it's well suited for astronomy, hiking/backpacking, or simply quiet contemplation.

I ordered "Apollo" after enjoying For All Mankind - Criterion Collection, an awe-inspiring documentary about the Apollo missions. I highly recommend that you buy this as a companion piece to this album.

My Interpretation of the Soundscapes

1. Understars- The sounds of electronic shooting stars set to an aboriginal bass line.

2. The Secret Place- Eno takes us into the past- has a primordial sound to it with dinosaur like rumblings.

3. Matta- One hears the snort of a Triceratops and the sounds of a forest after a storm.

4. Signals- A short, quiet song about the beauty of the Earth below; has a beautiful melancholic feel to it.

5. An Ending (Ascent)- Orbiting the Earth at night. Rings both of sadness and hope.

6. Understars II- Begins where "Understars" left off; has a more otherworldly feel to it.

7. Drift- Approaching the moon from the Earth.

8. Silver Morning- Steel guitar song; suggests the contemplation of home on the voyage to the moon.

9. Deep Blue Day- A beautiful dream in space; with some countrified guitar echoing in and out.

10. Weightless- Suggests the wonder of walking on the Moon.

11. Always Returning- A breathtakingly beautiful song. The twinge of sadness of the module pilot as he orbits the dark side of the moon. .

12. Stars- The crew on their way home from the moon. Space will always be inside of them, and us- who live their experience a thousand times over.
.


Dreamy... But is it your kind of dream?
There are some ominous moments, but they are short lived. Brian Eno's Apollo sends us on a journey. This is not a light hearted romp with puppies and rainbows, but after you get past some of the colder compositions, it flowers into more positive sounding soundscapes, like a benevolent force is at work. The atmosphere he provides here is moody sometimes. But there are also many soft moments that will have you floating in space in your imagination. Deep Blue Day is a perfect example. It is a fine free flowing piece that you will likely enjoy. I have several other albums by Brian Eno and I like each one. I don't really have a favorite. They all serve their purpose equally well.


best eno ambient/one of the best ambient period
"always returning" is probably the best ambient piece of all times. apollo represents that ambient side of brian eno at it's best. "home" by david sylvian, "imagine" by rapoon & "1000 years" by trey gunn come close to questioning that possibility. however, eno had encompassed many aspects of ambient music such as dark, ethereal, noisy, even a piece with a country & western slant on apollo years before most artists that have composed ambient music. yes, apollo is the best. even better than music for airports! (which is a great album too).


You can see a complete list of all Brian Eno discography, or go back to the Brian Eno tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]