Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
Thu, Oct 13 2011, 7:18AM
hello everyone. Having found Brian Eno's latest CD, "Small Craft On A Milk Sea", deeply disappointing, I thought this Newsnight interview with him was interesting and I wondered what people think about the musical future Eno maps out? Some of his statements about young musicians combining styles willy-nilly could be misconstrued as a stylistic free-or-all; but his ideas about what it is to be a composer now, and about new technologies raises pertinent issues, I think. Good on Newsnight for broadcasting it.
Sun, Oct 16 2011, 9:20PM
#2
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
I agree that Eno is a problematic presence, but he's a kind of a fantastic problem to have. I found his comments about worthwhile composers today rejecting the idea of being an 'architect' of a musical world in favour of planting generative seeds that may, or may not, blossom is well worth trying to understand; also his idea that iPhone Aps etc create a space where composers can now work. Just sayin'....
Sun, Oct 16 2011, 9:36PM
#3
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
I agree that the old idea of the composer is jaded and less and less useful. However, instead of Eno's shiny, technology driven approach, I find the ideas of Anthony Braxton (multi-directional compositions plus improvisation) and Evan Parker (improvisation as composition) to be far more radical, imaginative and, most importantly, to result in amazing music. Both musicians/composers are very open to electronics of all sorts too (as you well know Philip).
Mon, Oct 17 2011, 8:40PM
#4
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
When the history books are written of course Braxton is going to be more significant than Eno, but if you don't mind me saying, I wonder if you've set up something of a false dichotomy? I always come away from listening/watching an interview with Eno feeling I've learnt something and been challenged to think about music in a new way. There's room in my life for them both. But the glory days of albums like Nerve Net do seem a long way in Eno's past, sadly.
Mon, Oct 17 2011, 9:12PM
#5
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
I suppose that for me Eno is the David Hockney of British music. He did some interesting work a long time ago, loves to dabble with new technology and is now producing work that is inoffensive but not terribly interesting. Sad thing is, you are far more likely to find a feature about Eno in your favorite Sunday paper than one about Braxton.
Mon, Oct 17 2011, 10:43PM
#6
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
Well if Eno could come up with a musical equivalent to this http://www.hockneypictures.com/works_paintings_00_18-2.php I'd buy my first album of his since 801!
Mon, Oct 17 2011, 10:51PM
#7
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
There was some chap in the early 1700's who used to do this improvisation as composition malarkey. Johann Sebastian someone I think. Anyone heard of him?
I thought Brian Eno was more into pop music than serious stuff, he hadn't impinged on my musical conciousness for years.
P
Tue, Oct 25 2011, 2:35PM
#8
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
On the subject of Anthony Braxton - which album gives the best snapshot of his music? I only know the Wigmore Hall concert with Derek Bailey, which I really enjoy (on those increasingly rare occaisions when the moon's are aligned and I can properly listen to improv), but I've never tried one of those albums with the diagrams and algebra on.
BTW - I heard Evan Parker had to cancel a gig recently - apparently he was squealing very well.
Tue, Oct 25 2011, 5:26PM
#9
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
The Braxton/Bailey disc is a classic for sure, but his work is so varied that giving a snapshot as such is a tough call. You certainly need to hear his 1985 quartet recordings with Marilyn Crispell/Gerry Hemingway/Mark Dresser - the London set on Leo 200/201 is outstanding.
Other favs of mine -
AB Quintet Basel 1977 (Hatology 545)
Five Compositions (Quartet) 1986 (Black Saint 120106-2)
Composition No. 247 (Leo 306) An extraordinary duo with bagpipe player Matt Welsh that doesn't sound Scottish. Not once. Even for a moment.
9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (Firehouse 12) A 9 CD/1 DVD set of Braxton's large ensemble so-called Ghost Trance Compositions recorded live in NYC.
Braxton/Joe Morris Duos 2007 (Clean Feed 100)
To be avoided: Braxton's crumby opera (can't remember the title; released on Leo a few years ago) while his standards records are always the source of controversy....
Tue, Oct 25 2011, 5:40PM
#10
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
Oh, and how could I forget the great record Braxton made with Dave Brubeck and Lee Konitz: All The Things We Are (Atlantic).
Tue, Oct 25 2011, 8:07PM
#11
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
To Philip's excellent list I would add:
The Complete Arista recordings (Mosaic)
Quartet (GTM) 2006 (Important Records)
Quintet (London) 2004 (Leo)
I was lucky enough to be at that concert in The Royal Festival Hall, I bet Philip was there too.
Tue, Oct 25 2011, 8:17PM
#12
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
I think I was at the RFH gig - was that when Braxton opened for Cecil Taylor?
I bought the Arista set in a fit of enthusiasm and I'm ashamed to say it's still in its wrapper. Must get around to it soon. That Important CD is indeed a goodun'.
Wed, Oct 26 2011, 6:26PM
#13
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
You're right about the Braxton concert. It was a then new Braxton group (first I had heard of Mary Halvorson or Taylor Ho Bynum) and I thought they played with terrific commitment and invention. Taylor, I seem to remember, took an age to appear and, with Bill Dixon and Tony Oxley, gave a good, but routine performance.
Get the Arista set out of its wrapper!! New York 74 and Five Pieces 75 are just wonderful.
Thu, Oct 27 2011, 7:11PM
#14
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
I've never quite understood the Eno as visionary/seer line, personally. Not that this is a criticism that could or should only be levelled at Eno. Many supposed visionaries seem to fall into the same rather self-satisfied category. There is a proverb (African?) that always seems apt in these instances:
The higher monkey climb the more you see its arse.
Thu, Oct 27 2011, 9:49PM
#15
RE: Brian Eno on Newsnight - watch and discuss
You're right about the Braxton concert. It was a then new Braxton group (first I had heard of Mary Halvorson or Taylor Ho Bynum) and I thought they played with terrific commitment and invention. Taylor, I seem to remember, took an age to appear and, with Bill Dixon and Tony Oxley, gave a good, but routine performance.
Get the Arista set out of its wrapper!! New York 74 and Five Pieces 75 are just wonderful.
I remember more about that gig now, in fact I reviewed it for The Wire (or perhaps Jazz Review). I remember feeling Bill Dixon's three microphone set up was a blunt tool for improvisation, pre-setting, as it does, certain sounds and responses. I also remember Cecil pulling rank by taking ages to arrive on stage and some guy heckling him from the stalls when eventually he did show.
I can't understand why Eno is regarded as a seer. Whenever I hear him, his comments seem as bland and boring as his music. All of music has been borrowing in different ways for centuries. Think of Bach using dance forms, Bluegrass gathering influences from newly arrived immigrants or jazz doing nothing but adding and adopting, be it Cubana Be, Cubana Bop or Zorn. New technology just makes it easier to pick and mix. Whether good music is being made in this way is another question (and I don't mean that to be an immediate no).