Nerve Net

Brian Eno | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 1, 1992)
• Original Release Date: September 1, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002MFO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,926 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fractal Zoom

2. Wire Shock

3. What Actually Happened?

4. Pierre In Mist

5. My Squelchy Life

6. Juju Space Jazz

7. The Roil, The Choke

8. Ali Click

9. Distributed Being

10. Web

11. Web (Lascaux Mix)

12. Decentre

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unbalanced, but deserving reevaluation., July 5, 2005

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nerve Net (Audio CD)

An album much maligned for what it is not rather than what it is, Eno's "Nerve Net" is a record deserving reevaluation. Admittedly not a masterpiece per se, it is a good record deserving of reevaluation. Certainly its reissue is as good a time as ever.

The history of the album is what drives opinion of it-- evidentally Eno had planned a vocal record, his first since 1977's "Before and After Science" (this year's "Another Day on Earth" is the album that eventually filled that criteria) to be called "My Squelchy Life". At some point, Eno determined this was a mistake, and "Nerve Net" appeared reusing some of this material. Far from an ambient album, the record is a foray into sort of looped rock music, and presages much of the late '90s techno/rock fusion.

The material on here works best when Eno coaxes great playing out of the musicians involved-- there's no doubt he knows how to construct a piece, but working in collaboration requires strong performance. Pieces like opener "Fractal Zoom" (with its upbeat drum loop and great bass under the synth driven wash), "Juju Space Jazz" (precisely what its name says it is) and "Distributed Being" (featuring an absolutely jaw dropping solo from Robert Fripp) are all among the best of Eno's non-ambient material. And yet, its quite an uneven album, for every great song, there's a less than intriguing piece like "What Actually Happened?" (with its irritatingly overprocessed vocal), spectacular misfire "Ali Click" (what sounds like a bad attempt at a rap) and the seemingly endless Lascaux Mix of "Web", which removes the Fripp guitar solo that was the highlight of the original track.

The remaster sound is superb (although admittedly the record is only thirteen years old, so this is a little necessary) and crisp, with a good balance. The liner notes include the lyrics and the CD includes two remixes. The "Fractal Zoom" remix brings drum loops and Eno's vocals up to the fore, making a much more enjoyable experience. The remix of "Ali Click" doesn't really do anything for me, but I really don't care for the piece at all, so this might not be fair. The reissue is packaged in a standard jewel case-- too bad, it would've been nice if it had matched the Astralwerks reissues.

Again, its not a masterpiece, its not ambient, and its not the pop album people were hoping for, but its well worth careful listening, there's quite a bit to get out of this one.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better with time., July 12, 2004

By 

NeoMac (Lansdowne, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nerve Net (Audio CD)

I was very put off by this album when I first bought it many years ago. I'm a fan of both Eno's ambient works and the first 4 classic electronic/pop albums he did. I'm not quite sure why I didn't like this one at first. I guess I've matured over the years and my tastes and horizons in electronic music have expanded. Anyone who dismisses this album after only one listen will be missing out on a very pleasurable, albeit slightly challenging listen. I would hasten to say that anyone who likes his very first album, Here Come the Warm Jets, should grow to like this one as well. I'm not comparing it stylistically to Jets, but it's similar in that it offers a variety of styles and sounds, some jarring, some repetitive and others that are just plain fun. Give it a chance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent techno-surrealism, July 31, 1999

By 

greenearth_octobersky "emeralds and sapphires... (Cummington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nerve Net (Audio CD)

The one you've been waiting for if you liked MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS or some of Laurie Anderson's or Peter Garbiel's spacier, more abstract work. Frenetic and brilliantly structured.