Customer Reviews

Hybrid

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was gung-ho to get this lp, as it had Eno, one of the all time greats on it, as well as Michael Brook, who's "Cobalt Blue" continues to amaze me for all its beauty.

Fans of both men were probably a bit disappointed- Brook fans wanted more Brook; Eno fans saw this as not as strong an effort as it could have been. Perhaps they all are right, but taking the cd for what it has to offer, I very much enjoy it.

Yes, its more an Eno lp than Brook, but that doesn't mean that Brook was a mere spectator in these proceedings. His contributions to the lp are strong, as are Eno's and Lanois', which makes for a great lp.

Eno and Brook fans will come to appreciate this lp more over time, as they should. Its a fine ambient journey by all men, and it holds its own well.

I have both this and 'Cobalt Blue/Live at the Aquarium'. and I have to say I only like the latter. 'Hybrid' seems to me a much better work than 'Cobalt'. I am a fan of Brian Eno's music, and I think he guides Brook through this record with an amazing result. It is one of the most engaging and soothing ambient records I have heard (and I have a huge ambient collection). It blows away any other guitar ambient record I have heard, including anything with/by Robert Fripp. This is touching and heart-warming music without the slightest bit of corn or cheese to it (two substances which mar parts of 'Cobalt Blue'). If you like ambient music, you owe it to yourself to buy this record NOW.

After I had immersed myself into the quintessential avant-garde guitar rock of "Cobalt blue" and "Live at the aquarium", "Hybrid" first came as a little disappointment to me. Michael's arpeggio style isn't featured here, instead, this album reminds me of Brian Eno's "Ambient 4 - On land" and "Apollo". Dig a bit deeper, and you'll see that "Hybrid" is just as good as the aforementioned records, and perhaps even more engaging and accomplished. Michael's 'infinite guitar' can often be confused with flutes or violins, while the soft, subdued melodies add a much-needed human dimension to the ambitious soundscapes. The title cut and the ghostly "Distant village" have strange, swampy percussion rumbling in the background, but these tracks are so complex that the structures and melodies only emerge after a couple of listens. "Mimosa" and the intimate "Earth floor" have a more menacing, tension-filled undercurrent, while "Pond life" nearly entirely consists of field recordings. The refreshing, aptly titled "Ocean motion" and the bright "Midday" once again feature Michael's unobtrusive guitar style. "Vacant" closes things on a bass-heavy note and prefigures the sound of Brian Eno's "The Shutov Assembly". Overall, there are lots of magic moments in this album which are really worth being discovered. A must-have for fans of experimental ambient music.

"Hybrid," when it came out, had the stamp of approval of Brian Eno, who was then near the end of an amazing series of ambient projects. Those longing for the crystal melody of "The Pearl" or the brooding earthiness of "On Land" were bound to be somewhat disappointed by "Hybrid," which seemed to suffer from an uneven purpose. But time has been kind to the album. Brook, as it turned out, was staking out new territory that would later reemerge more fully on "Cobalt Blue." "Hybrid" certainly has more space between memorable moments, but nothing on "Cobalt Blue" quite measures up to "Deep Blue Day," as vivid an ambient composition as I've ever heard. It's an album that creeps up on you, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has the patience to give it several listens before dismissing it.

I'm not quite sure how to describe "Hybrid". I guess musical landscapes to 8 different settings. Turning the volume up and closing my eyes I venture into some African village that has never seen white man, doing their tribal ritual dance... I am lured into a deep hypnotic trance. Swatting the mosquitos away I stumble upon a jaded blue pond, the marshlands infested with venomous creatures. Standing out in a mid west wheat field, a gentle breeze stirring through out, a constant clattering of crickets. Diving into the coral reefs, brilliant flashes of colour from fishes of various shapes and sizes coming your way.

These are the impressions I get from listening to "Hybrid". I may get something completely different the next time I listen to it. When it comes to ambient music, I don't think you can find better musicians than Michael Brook, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. All three are multi talented producers and musicians...so they should have a pretty good idea in what texture to put to the music. There isn't a lot of different instruments heard through out, obviously there is lots of over dubbing and Michael's infinity guitar may also have a saying in that. The infinity guitar is a guitar Michael invented and with only three in existence, Daniel Lanois and The Edge of U2 owning the other two.

Okay maybe "Hybrid" isn't everybody's cup of tea and it may seem a bit monotonous at times. Some people may think that "Cobalt Blue" is a far superior c.d and in some regards it is. "Hybrid" to me seems to flow aimlessly and not put to much enthusiasm in being creative. It's highly imagative music as opposed to anything else I listen to.

This is one of the defining pieces of ambient music, and Michael Brooks' best by far. It has an ancient, murmuring, earthen quality, with rich percussion, a sense of centuries passing by. It also captures the heady art pop music scene of the early 80's. I would put this in a series of Brian Eno's other canonical collaborations from this time, namely My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and The Talking Heads' Remain in Light. I know I've placed Hybrid in excellent artistic company, and am convinced it deserves the praise. Ancient and modern, resolving the seeming paradox effortlessly.

The music on this cd ranges from the semi-quasi-rapid pulsing of the first song to smooth keyboard with tabla, sampled insects, & eerie, sparse keyboard. It's ambient music that doesn't ever bore or irritate with over-spareness or techno obtrusiveness, & is very interesting for what other inspirations you might not hear much in music are thrown in. Great ambience, music to soak the room with a mood you can't put your finger on, very highly recommended.

Features subtle guitar, hidden synths, melodies that float away into silence. Basically, it is ambient music as defined by Brian Eno. This album, while OK, does not compare to the brilliant, stunning, fantastic album which Brook recorded several years later: Cobalt Blue.

Cobalt Blue is one the best instrumental records of the 1990s and the fact that you can't get it anymore (as of late 1998) is a tragedy of the first order. The companion record to Cobalt Blue (Live at the London Aquarium) is very similar to Cobalt Blue (i.e. great) but not quite as perfect as the original.