Customer Reviews

Here Come the Warm Jets

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Here Comes the Warm Jets" announced Eno's intention from the first track; make groundbreaking, melodic music in the Roxy Music vein. The irony is that, for all intents and purposes, this was Eno's version of Roxy Music. If he were the lead vocalist, main songwriter in the band this is the material he'd be putting out there. It makes a great companion piece to Roxy's third album "Stranded". Ferry and Eno, in retrospect, compliment each other very, very well. As Ferry himself stated, he now wishes they had kept Eno and added Eddie Jobson. I couldn't agree more.

The improved sonics are the chief reason to pick this up. The detail is better, clarity is better (even on a cheap stereo) and the warmth and atmosphere of the original recording becomes evident from the first guitar chord. The packaging is another matter entirely. I like the digipak design but do wish that there were some comments from Eno and his band mates about the making of this classic album. The reproduction of the original artwork seems pretty darn close to the original vinyl version for the most part.

From the stuttering Robert Fripp guitar solo for "Baby's On Fire" to the odd chord progression of "Driving Me Backwards", every track manages to capture your attention. This is Eno's candy store and he's displaying all his sweet wares for the first time. Later albums would focus on other elements but here his talent burst forth in full flower.

Another minor complaint--where is "Seven Deadly Finns" and the material from Eno's only charting EP? It would have made a perfect addition to this album (even if it was released as a two disc set keeping the original albums intact and separate). It's a pity. Still, the DSD technique for transferring these priceless recordings captures the vibrant sound and impact of the original recordings without the sterile atmosphere of CD. Well worth picking up.

I discovered this album about eight years after it's original release,purchasing it the year I got out of high school;it instantly became a favorite of mine and many friends. Warm Jets kick starts with Phil Manzanera's razor like rhythm guitar on "Needles In The Camel's Eye". "Baby's On Fire" features a ferocious guitar solo from Robert Fripp which some think is his best ever. "Driving Me Backwards" actually manages to sound like it's almost "backwards". Side 2 is more musically thematic with all the pieces seguing into one another. The transition from the dreamy "On Some Farraway Beach" to "Blank Frank" will jolt you out of your seat. This has got to be one of the top ten most essential albums of the 70's.

Some Eno-fanatics may argue that this isn't Brian's best solo album. I'm not saying it is. I simply won't go there. I admire just about everything Eno's done, from Roxy to the solo stuff to the ambient, and beyond. I WILL say that I've been listening to this album for more than 20 years (hell, I'm playing it as I write this), and I remain stunned by its timeless ability to thrill and amaze. Yeah, it's "weird," and comes out of those hazy, crazy "Glam" days in the U.K of the early '70s. So it's not for everyone. And OK, maybe there is a Velvet Underground influence here. But nothing on this album sounds the least bit dated, 30 years on, and, Velvets notwithstanding, this is PURE ENO. The man has a sublime gift for melody, texture, rythmn, instrumentation, lyrics (absurd as they may be), electronics, and just plain VISION. This LP's got it all: proto-punk, grace, hard-core rock (Robert Fripp and Phil Manzanera's superb guitar), atmosphere, heartbreaking melodies. And it goes on from there. I can---no, I simply MUST---recommend "Warm Jets" for any rock fan with an open mind. I aim that comment especially towards those 20-year-olds out there who wouldn't think of going back to 1973 for a disc. Try it. You might love it. It might just open up a world to you.

It was a long time ago,
When my older sister showed up with this album, she was still just a kid but she knew music (I'm still amazed to this day the albums she brought home in the early 70's it's a staggering list of classics) anyway my point is I couldn't have been maybe 11 but here she was jamming away to Eno's "Here come the warm jets" in many ways I grew up with this album and to this day certain moments of this album still have the power to hold me perfectly paralyzed in amazement and joy. The creativity displayed here will never be repeated, it can't be, it was a byproduct of a long since gone era. If you consider yourself a fan of early 70's music this CD cannot be excluded from any list of importance. I defy you to find me a record from 1973 that can be played to a new listener that gets the same reactions this CD gets; people are stunned by the quirky creativity and brilliance simply tossed around from track to track like it was nothing special. Usually when a musician comes across something especially unique he makes damn sure everybody notices but on this album song after song is just loaded with genius and oddity and each track just seems to top the next. A very special moment in time is represented here (A+)

This album stands as a testament to what a clever amateur, unfettered by traditional notions of song structure, popularity, or musicianship can do with a studio. It was far ahead of its time in 1973, and 25 years later, it still has the ability to challenge one's preconceptions about what music can be.

The lyrics are arch, adroit, and oblique. The songs' propulsively minimal skeletons support dense, compelling, and odd sonic textures that range from the airily ironic pop of Cindy Tells Me to the dessicated ululations of Driving Me Backwards.

The work is not without its blemishes. One may question a few of Eno's more self-indulgent compositional choices, like noisy drones or cacaphonous synth blurts that occasionally occlude more important elements -- viz. the lyric in the last verse of Some Of Them Are Old. But the warts never overshadow the stunning richness and creativity of the songs.

What strikes me most about this solo debut today is how, despite its well-studied strangeness, it remains great fun to listen to. Eno's enthusiasm, like that of a 3-year-old with her first box of 64 crayons, is infectious, and we cannot help but be entranced, even if his skies are salmon and he frequently colors outside the lines.

This is my hands down favorite Eno record. A wild concoction mixing glam, art-rock, doo-wop, film scores, krautrock and found noises into a brilliant stew.
When I first heard this on LP in 1979, I was a huge Roxy Music fan and this blew my mind. A radical summation of the first 2 Roxy LP's taken to their logical extremes.
For the first 10-15 years of listening to it I tended to prefer side 1. I now find that the (now) second half of the CD is really where the pay-off lies.
A classic.
And a great remaster too!

I just got this one for Christmas. After infectously listening to the "Velvet Goldmine" soundtrack for 8 months straight, I simply had to own the original versions of the Brian Eno songs from that album. And I can tell you, this album is one wild ride. It combines rock sounds with sounds that I can't even identify. Very experimental and very fun. Brian Eno is a musical genius, as proven with his work with such artists as David Bowie. He has the vision and ability to take the simplest note and turn it into something that is long lasting and legendary. This album is a little strange and scary at first, but if you love 70's era sounds, you will love this album. Buy it!

Roxy Music, Roxy Music(1972): Eno doesn't sing on Roxy records, but its here that he first appears on record and his sound is very Velvet influenced. Ferry delivers little romantic vignettes and Eno fills the background with his accomplished sense of noise. Makes for a very attractive combo. This collection of songs was one they played for a year before recording.
Roxy Music For Your Pleasure(1973):The experiment gets more refined on this record, Eno finds even better sounds and his intrusions into Ferry's stanzas are welcome, strangely decorating the pop room. Eno was getting all the attention in the live shows and in the press and Ferry didn't like it. This record is my favorite Roxy. Eno-less Roxy efforts make great hit records but the experimentation without Eno is less fun. Not to say that Mackay oboe and sax and Manzanera guitar do not find interesting sonic terrain, they do, their sometimes great sounds, however, serve more as grooves and textures for Ferry to wallow in. Never again does Roxy achieve the Velvety and arty schizophrenia of Eno/ Ferry Roxy.
Taking Tiger Mountain(1974): Ten great songs, all very different. Talking Heads would later make use of some of the strategies used on this but there are so many experiments, a virtual Eno catalogue, that no amont of punk and new wave rip offs or borrowings can diminish its originality. An essential Eno disc. Fat Lady of Limbourg will "ditch you in the harbor"if you don't purchase this.
Here Come the Warm Jets(1974): The warm jets are Enos way of describing the guitar sounds made by Fripp. "Baby's on Fire" is a masterpiece, but no other songs really catch fire. Nor is there the clever narrative play that existed on Tiger Mountain. This is good but does not exhibit the range of creativity that the manual for Eno pop, Tiger Mountain,did.
Another Green World(1976):Half of this is pop song format and half earthy and melodic instrumental. Considered by many to be Enos 70's masterpiece it is hard to resist. "Sombre reptiles". The pop isn't as creative as Tiger but Eno has newer interests and they are involving words less and less. This is more excting to the ears than the later ambient records though becuse Eno still brings a pop sensibility even to the instrumentals. Exceedingly listenable music.
801 Live(76): Manzanera/Eno live rock project. Including Eno and Manzanera solo project songs and some 60's covers including "Tomorrow never Knows" & "You Really Got Me". Very highly regarded live art. No live album is ever essential but this one is great for kinetic gatherings of crafty minds.
Before and After Science(1978): Similar in approach as the highly succesful Green World. Eno continues on with the experiments of the previous record. The overall disc is not as appealing as a unit, but individually the songs are all stronger. "Kings Lead Hat" a real rocker. The instrumentals are very
accomplished,"Julie With".

That's the question Brian Eno had in mind when starting his first solo album. His musical thinking has always been a little offbeat: even though he's been known to play keyboards he's always referred to himself as a non-musician, and as a member of Roxy Music his job was treating & processing sounds rather than playing an instrument. For this album his intention was to play with the idea of what a pop song was or could be - an interesting experiment in itself, and since the mind of Eno naturally approached things differently than a trained musician would, the result was something even weirder than what might have been expected. It's art-rock without a hint of pretentiousness, it's glam without the (joking?) drama of Roxy or Bowie.. it's a gem in a class all its own.

The music is both simple and inventive: the frames of the songs are relatively straightforward, but tweaked and prodded and stretched and mashed into all kinds of strange sounds. "Cindy Tells Me" is a semi-doowop-ish 50s tune reworked via a quick spin through the world of early sci-fi movies. The standout "Baby's on Fire" coasts on a low driving groove before Robert Fripp's red-hot guitar propels it into the stratosphere and beyond. "Driving Me Backwards" is indeed backwards.. or at least, some of the instrumental tracks are. At times it seems like Brian even sang the words backwards and reversed them to get the lyrics he wanted (although I can't quite be sure). There's no telling what quirky noise you'll hear next. Anything goes.

Speaking of the lyrics, they're just as surreal as anything else to be found here. Again Brian's approach was unorthodox; he chose the words for the rhythm & patterns made by the vowel and consonant sounds rather than any sense they might make on their own. As a result we get 42 minutes of lines like "Luana's black reptiles sliding round make chemical choices" and "now he'll barbecue your kitten/he's just another learner lover" to raise the bizarreness quotient to a whole new level.

For all the underground popularity and influence it's had, this is one album I can't really hope to describe in words. Anyone looking for a nice helping of the left-brained in their music shouldn't be too disappointed, even if they get the feeling of having suddenly been dropped into a musical Jackson Pollock painting. For fans of Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, or the zany side of Zappa, or just plain anyone interested in hearing the ideas of popular music being stretched with gleeful abandon, there's no question. This one's an essential.

If you're new to Eno, there's no better album to start with than his first. It's amazingly eclectic both musically and lyrically, simultaneously cerebral and punk. This is Eno the iconoclast, not Eno the knob twister. Give it a listen. "This kind of experience is necessary for [your] learning."