This year in the life of provocateur and cerebral rock star Brian Eno covers four recording projects caught in different times in their evolution. Some artists involved are U2, David Bowie, and James.
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"A fascinating story...An immediate bestseller." -- San Jose Mercury News
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"A fascinating story...An immediate bestseller." -- San Jose Mercury News
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74 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is just a review written by a gearhead scientist with no background in art and literature, so be forewarned that I am not an expert on literature. I thought I would write this just in case anyone out there is looking for a change of pace, no matter your musical tastes or political views.
Hey -- give this book a shot. It's worth it. I read this book a little at a time over a few months. I still have it sitting around as a kind of jump-starter . . . it inspires me and makes me feel more positive.
I bought this book because it sounded intriguing and because some Amazon reviewers gave it a thumbs up. Plus, I was a fan of Brian Eno's 70's music in the 80's. If he was really popular back then, I would not have known it from the teenagers around me. So here I was, 17 years old and hearing "No One Receiving" and "Baby's On Fire" for the first time and my little teeny brain was turned inside-out. And then, like the guy who finally figures out how to view a Magic Eye picture, I started seeing Eno everywhere I looked: Talking Heads, U2, even the background music for a Nike commercial.
This guy does a little of everything. No, make that "a little of everything that I don't understand." Oblique strategies, Music for Airports, you name it. It's so ironic that this guy has done everything from Roxy Music to ambient to producing pop bands -- he's always changing, at the cutting edge, exploring -- and yet I was struck by just one phase of his career. ( I bought several of those Laraaji-type records in college -- it didn't swing for me.) So, I guess that's the big reason I liked this book . . . I admire this man of many talents, tastes, and wide-ranging interests.
Brian Eno may just be everything that I am not. I guess I have to admit that I am a political conservative on a lot of issues, including ones that were important when Eno wrote this diary (1995?). But I love to hear what he has to say. His takes on so many issues are so much more tilted towards big, activist government than mine are. But he establishes his credibility by having reasoned arguments, and just writes really lucidly and intelligently. I REALLY WISH THERE EXISTED IN AMERICA A LIBERAL PUNDIT OR TALK-SHOW HOST LIKE BRIAN ENO. Most of his pointed criticism of Bosnia policy, military build-up, state vs. free enterprise, etc. is aimed DIRECTLY at people just like me. But I didn't throw the book across the room when what he had to say made me look like an idiot or ...cold-hearted... It actually intrigued me, because for some reason it made me think. I respect the author, so I respect his arguments. I wish there were more pop culture figures who could be so funny, concise, and devoid of polemics. Julia Roberts and Alec Baldwin, take note.
Well, would this book have any interest for someone who doesn't have "Here Come The Warm Jets" in his or her CD player right now? Well, I think it might. The tone and demeanor of the book are refreshing. Take notice of the fact that he does not write about his life as though he were "The Man." This is an accomplishment, because the book has him jetting here and there, talking with Bono and chatting with Dolores O'Riordan. He admits to working so that he can make money to keep his family going, he recounts his long hours of work that sometimes frustrate him and yield no results, admits to being occasionally nervous, grumpy, misanthropic, biased, unfair, and other things. He's faithful to his wife and loves his little girl but admits his occasional frustration with both. He's frank about some "female butt" issues and computer distortions -- 'nuff said here. His bit about Linda McCartney and her Lindaburger donations really put me in my place -- I was one of those who got half the story and ran with it, making fun of a serious problem and one person's effort to help out a little bit (which is more that I did).
But the book isn't all serious and heavy. I won't spoil it (any more?) here, but you will find lots of interesting tidbits. I'll bet the footnotes and appendices thing bugged the heck out of some people, but I loved it!
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"I have a wonderful life", Brian Eno remarks at the beginning of this stocky little book. It is not an admission that you will get from many artists, and by the end, I could not help feeling more than a little envious of the sheer diversity of activities that fill Eno's life. This very readable diary is also an insight into how one so influential can get bogged down by the sheer volume of work and commissions that regularly come his way.
This book is both a diary of Eno's life in 1995 - at once remarkably candid and playful (he has an obsession with the female bottom which he draws to our attention), and a series of essays and short stories. The former Roxy Music member is not afraid to name-drop (saunas with Bjork, albums with David Bowie and U2, works in progress with Paul McCartney...), but this is a pleasant contrast to the sometimes earnest but always interesting extended pieces which make up the "appendices" of the title, and are laid out at the end of the book.
A very worthwhile and enjoyable read, particularly for those of us who were unaware of who Brian Eno was - it is a book which I regularly dip into and will continue to do so.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An fascinating insight into the mind of one of pop music's most creatively influential movers and shakers - follow the inner workings of Eno's mind as he wrestles with producing Bowie and James, criticising the Turner Art Prize, collaborating with U2, clowning with his infant daughters, lusting after pssing women, making bread at 3am, and pondering humanitarian catastrophies in the Balkans as he pours time, tears and creative energies into his War Child charity work... if you work in the music business and find this book dull , email me and I'll buy it off you for the same price you paid - it's that good. It should be compulsory reading for anyone involved in contemporary music and the arts - candid, sad, funny, revealing, opinionated, flawed... in short, human. Brian Eno's perceived public image is a million miles removed from the private and creative reality and this book goes some way towards redressing the balance for anyone interested in his work. The one-liners are priceless and acute ("An arrangement is when somebody stops playing"). The swollen appendages are a bit overblown and dull, but the diary is so densely written and full of insights that it repays frequent re-reading.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Inspiring for Any Creator, of Anything
Caveat: I read this book back in 1997. I am just looking at buying it again, and re-reading it!
So, that means I don't remember the specifics that well! Read more
So, that means I don't remember the specifics that well! Read more
Published on October 20, 2008 by Christopher Burbridge
Interesting when it isn't Dull and Slightly Pathetic
Eno is a great musician and thinker. He is also a middle-aged, middle class British man. One is far more interesting than the other. Read more
Published on February 5, 2008 by Inner City Intellect
Insight into a great mind...
Fun, fast read. Eno is a pioneer and true rennaisance man. Recommended for anyone acutely interested in the music and art worlds, particularly those places where they intersect.
Published on February 28, 2006 by Brent Friedman
Delightfully Intimate
This is a great read - Eno is very honest and open... Plus it is amazing how busy but also how laid back is at times. It's full of great insights.
Published on February 24, 2006 by Joshua D. Sites
Like Good Food
This is a wonderful book. It reminds me of some of my favorite foods. . . I wouldn't mind snacking on them for a moment or two, having a normal meal of them-- or maybe even a... Read more
Published on August 11, 2005 by Thomas J. Park
think
my well-worn copy was purchased when the book came out. a fan of eno from his roxy music days, he lead the pack in being ahead of the pack when it came to ambient music, among... Read more
Published on October 27, 2004 by a reader
Not for everybody - great book for producers
If you are a record producer or a musician interested in production you are certainly familiar with Eno's work. Have you ever wondered what his routine is like? Well, I did. Read more
Published on November 5, 2003 by Mauricio Bussab
Frank, not Blank
A great read, full of quotes you'll want to copy into your own journal. There's plenty of intellectual pithe here, and inside stories about rock stars, as well as some slightly... Read more
Published on May 1, 2002 by Emmett Miller
Trite
Trite crap. Inspiring? Maybe if seeing a beggar makes you feel like your own life is OK. Reads like a contract fulfillment with a publishing company. Read more
Published on December 13, 2001 by Christopher Carneal
Eno's Swollen Appendices
Eno's diary is as compassionate, opinionated, and clear as I expected, but the reader is still left to wonder about this guy. I know it's not an autobiograpy, but Mr. Read more
Published on July 28, 2001 by G. Pearson
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Introduction (From Wikipedia)
A Year with Swollen Appendices is a book by Brian Eno.
Attribution: The information appearing above in this tab is from Wikipedia:
A Year with Swollen Appendices. Amazon is not affiliated with, and neither endorses, nor is endorsed by Wikipedia or any of the authors who contributed to this article. The Wikipedia content may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: CC BY-SA. Additional or other terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details.
First edition (From Wikipedia)
The book published by Faber and Faber in 1996 is divided into two sections. The first part is a diary covering the year 1995, the second part, the 'swollen appendices' of the title is a collection of essays, short stories and correspondence. The cover photograph is by Anton Corbijn.
Diary
The diary covers the year 1995, which proved to be particularly productive for Eno. It details four different musical projects he was involved in, the album Spinner with Jah Wobble, the Passengers album Original Soundtracks 1 with U2, David Bowie's Outside and the War Child charity album The Help Album as well as exploratory sessions with the band James.
In addition it covers various other projects Eno was involved in, in particular his opposition to the attacks on Bosnia by Croatia. Throughout the diaries there is correspondence between Eno and Stewart Brand, largely dealing with this subject.
Appendices
The appendices, which are delineated by pink paper in the original book, cover a number of different topics with some of the writing dating as far back as 1978. The essays cover subjects closely linked with Eno such as ambient music, generative music, music copyright, the role of an artist and art. In addition there is correspondence, interviews and short stories.
It is rumored that the title is a play on words as well. His publicist who worked with him throughout the year suffered a burst appendix by the end of his busy year at the Pavarotti War Child Concert event in Modena with U2.
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Attribution: The information appearing above in this tab is from Wikipedia:
A Year with Swollen Appendices. Amazon is not affiliated with, and neither endorses, nor is endorsed by Wikipedia or any of the authors who contributed to this article. The Wikipedia content may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: CC BY-SA. Additional or other terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details.
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First Sentence:
Cold clear morning. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
studio with girls, generative music, compositional attention, test tone, backing vocals, experimental music, music centre Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
War Child, Dave Stewart, Pagan Fun Wear, New York, Turner Prize, Oblique Strategy, David Wilson, David Phillips, Elvis Costello, Andrew Logan, Tim Cole, Clock Library, Discreet Music, Kevin Kelly, Damien Hirst, David Blarney, Haris Silajdzic, Richard Rogers, Tom Stoppard, Dave Richards, Holland Park, Joan Ashworth, Nick Lacey, Peter Schmidt, Band Aid New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Cold clear morning. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
studio with girls, generative music, compositional attention, test tone, backing vocals, experimental music, music centre Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
War Child, Dave Stewart, Pagan Fun Wear, New York, Turner Prize, Oblique Strategy, David Wilson, David Phillips, Elvis Costello, Andrew Logan, Tim Cole, Clock Library, Discreet Music, Kevin Kelly, Damien Hirst, David Blarney, Haris Silajdzic, Richard Rogers, Tom Stoppard, Dave Richards, Holland Park, Joan Ashworth, Nick Lacey, Peter Schmidt, Band Aid New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 48
books:
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- Edge City: Life on the New Frontier by Joel Garreau in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Consequences Of Pragmatism: Essays 1972-1980 by Richard Rorty on page 248, and Back Matter
- Artificial Life: A Report from the Frontier Where Computers Meet Biology by Steven Levy on page 188, and Back Matter
- The Transformation of War: The Most Radical Reinterpretation of Armed Conflict Since Clausewitz by Martin Van Creveld on page 283, and Back Matter
- Wild Blue Yonder: Money, Politics, and the B-1 Bomber by Nick Kotz in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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