BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
What do you get when you combine two of the 70s more 'off-the-wall' musical geniuses (genii?) with an obscure novel about 'the tribulations of young boy who finds himself in a parallel world of weird, frightening ghosts'? - why you get this album of course. If ever there was a CD that could be called a 'soundtrack' to a book, this is it.
Credited to David Byrne (Talking Heads) and Brian Eno (Roxy Music), it is clear who is pulling the main musical strings and who is twiddling the main knobs. Any fan of the Heads will instantly recognise the Talking Heads sound circa 'Fear of Music'. It is a combination of African and Middle Eastern rhythms, samples and obscure percussion and tape loops. The writing and producing credits may be shared, but it’s clear what each man’s main role is.
Originally recorded in 1979/80, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is heavily influenced by the 1952 novel of the same name by Amos Tutuola and as one might expect is a montage of themes, sounds and samples. It is about as far from a pop record as one can get, but after a few listens, its quality and genius begin to subtly eke from the soundscape and beg another spin.
Those who love Bryne’s quirkiness or Eno’s freaky production and obscure arrangements will immediately take a shine to this album. It draws the listener in and slowly immerses one in a wash of sounds that conjure up obscure mental images and visuals – kind of like being on a drug trip yet remaining totally straight. When you remember that this was assembled and recorded before the days of digital recording techniques, it really is a remarkable achievement.
This new version of the album has finally been released in extended format with much improved sound quality and a bonus video package on CD-ROM that will at last satiate the fans of this most unique album. Some purists will notice that several tracks are slightly longer than previous releases and mixed slightly differently. The eighteen tracks include various bonuses but omits the track 'Qu’ran' in the name of peace-keeping, and are accompanied by the Bruce Connor film to 'Mea Culpa', the original opening track.
This CD comes with a very full and lush booklet that includes an essay on the novel by David Toop and a 2005 interview with Byrne and Eno on the making of the album. There are links to some free downloads of individual tracks that can be used to your heart’s content to remix or sample as well as a request from the artists for feedback.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is probably not the sort of album you could listen to in one sitting if you are a bit of a fan of pop or a casual Talking Heads fan. It is musically intense and demanding. It should win you over with repeated spins and is a listening experience that will be unlike any other you are likely to hear this year.
Credited to David Byrne (Talking Heads) and Brian Eno (Roxy Music), it is clear who is pulling the main musical strings and who is twiddling the main knobs. Any fan of the Heads will instantly recognise the Talking Heads sound circa 'Fear of Music'. It is a combination of African and Middle Eastern rhythms, samples and obscure percussion and tape loops. The writing and producing credits may be shared, but it’s clear what each man’s main role is.
Originally recorded in 1979/80, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is heavily influenced by the 1952 novel of the same name by Amos Tutuola and as one might expect is a montage of themes, sounds and samples. It is about as far from a pop record as one can get, but after a few listens, its quality and genius begin to subtly eke from the soundscape and beg another spin.
Those who love Bryne’s quirkiness or Eno’s freaky production and obscure arrangements will immediately take a shine to this album. It draws the listener in and slowly immerses one in a wash of sounds that conjure up obscure mental images and visuals – kind of like being on a drug trip yet remaining totally straight. When you remember that this was assembled and recorded before the days of digital recording techniques, it really is a remarkable achievement.
This new version of the album has finally been released in extended format with much improved sound quality and a bonus video package on CD-ROM that will at last satiate the fans of this most unique album. Some purists will notice that several tracks are slightly longer than previous releases and mixed slightly differently. The eighteen tracks include various bonuses but omits the track 'Qu’ran' in the name of peace-keeping, and are accompanied by the Bruce Connor film to 'Mea Culpa', the original opening track.
This CD comes with a very full and lush booklet that includes an essay on the novel by David Toop and a 2005 interview with Byrne and Eno on the making of the album. There are links to some free downloads of individual tracks that can be used to your heart’s content to remix or sample as well as a request from the artists for feedback.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is probably not the sort of album you could listen to in one sitting if you are a bit of a fan of pop or a casual Talking Heads fan. It is musically intense and demanding. It should win you over with repeated spins and is a listening experience that will be unlike any other you are likely to hear this year.
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