Brian Eno More Music For Films CD

MORE MUSIC FOR FILMS compiles the rare vinyl-only release MUSIC FOR FILMS VOLUME 2, along with 11 tracks previously available on a promo-only sampler.
Personnel: Brian Eno (various instruments).
Liner Note Author: Michael Bracewell.
A listener familiar with the pedigree of the albums of Brian Eno might assume that the Virgin/Astralwerks release More Music for Films is merely a repackaging of Music for Films, Vol. 2, a bonus album included within the LP boxed set Working Backwards. Such an assumption would be incorrect, as More Music for Films represents a new spin on a variety of soundtrack material made by Eno in the years 1976-1983, including some tracks drawn from Music for Films, Vol. 2, others from Eno Box I: Instrumentals, and at least six selections never made public before. According to Virgin, these are taken from the limited-edition promo LP of Music for Films, a two-album set predating the familiar EG release by two years and only circulated to filmmakers and journalists. The last four tracks on More Music for Films relate to Apollo, a justly admired soundtrack jointly created by Eno, Roger Eno, and Daniel Lanois. Some of the previously unissued material is made up of alternate versions of pieces already familiar to listeners who know Eno's work well, but still others will appear to be wholly new even to his most seasoned fans. This is part of Virgin's Brian Eno - The Soundtrack Series and like the others has been remastered using the Direct Stream Digital method and comes encased in a thick, transparent plastic outer cover. The glue holding this cover together is starting to come apart, even though the review copy has only been in the office a couple of months, so don't expect this part of the package to hold up over time. Eno's music, though, has held up remarkably well in face of the enormous changes that have occurred in the realm of pop-oriented electronic music since the last of these tracks were laid down in 1983. Relatively few of these pieces jump out at the listener, and the overall mood fits comfortably within the realm of his ambient music, but taken as a whole the collection has a tad darker atmosphere than, say, Music for Airports. The running time of More Music for Films is certainly more generous than the average entries in Brian Eno - The Soundtrack Series, and even though it is not as essential as the original Music for Films collection, it nonetheless affords a fascinating glimpse into Eno's workshop during his early days -- a period some might say was Eno's best. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis
In addition to his participation in the original incarnation of Roxy Music, and his collaborations with and influence on such seminal artists as David Bowie, Talking Heads, and U2, Brian Eno's solo experiments with electronic ambient music in the 1970s have left a defining influence on succeeding generations. Their impact has helped shape movements as diverse as New Age, electronica, and world fusion. It is a particular testament to Eno's genius that his original ambient albums sound as fresh and vital today as they did upon their release.
2005'S MORE MUSIC FOR FILMS is not a pioneering work on par with MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS or MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS. In fact, it takes its cues from Eno's 1978 album MUSIC FOR FILMS (and often treating and remixing tracks from that release). But where MUSIC FOR FILMS is delicate, drifting, and ephemeral, MORE MUSIC FOR FILMS is full of pulsing rhythms, burbling bass, shifting textures, and startling sonic treatments. The tracks are quite short, establishing ideas and moving on, leaving a comet's tail of cinematic images. But the overall effect is powerful. Even when building on his ideas from the 1970s, Eno's creations outdistance the legions of artists who have followed in his wake.