Born in Suffolk, Eno studied painting and experimental music at the art school of Ipswich Civic College in the mid 1960s, and then at Winchester School of Art. He joined glam rock group Roxy Music as synthesiser player in 1971. After recording two albums with Roxy Music, he departed in 1973 to record a number of solo albums, coining the term "ambient music" to describe his work on releases such as Another Green World (1975), Discreet Music (1975), and Music for Airports (1978). He also collaborated with artists such as Robert Fripp, Cluster, Harold Budd, David Bowie on his "Berlin Trilogy", and David Byrne, and produced albums by artists including John Cale, Jon Hassell, Laraaji, Talking Heads and Devo, and the no wave compilation No New York (1978).
Eno has continued to record solo albums and work with artists including U2, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones, Slowdive, Coldplay, James Blake, and Damon Albarn. Dating back to his time as a student, he has also worked in media including sound installations and his mid-70s co-development of Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards featuring cryptic aphorisms intended to spur creative thinking. From the 1970s onwards, Eno's installations have included the sails of the Sydney Opera House in 2009 and the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank in 2016. An advocate of a range of humanitarian causes, Eno writes on a variety of subjects and is a founding member of the Long Now Foundation. In 2019, Eno was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Eno is frequently referred to as one of popular music's most influential artists. Producer and film composer Jon Brion has said: "I think he's the most influential artist since the Beatles." Critic Jason Ankeny at AllMusic argues that Eno "forever altered the ways in which music is approached, composed, performed, and perceived, and everything from punk to techno to new age bears his unmistakable influence." Eno has spread his techniques and theories primarily through his production; his distinctive style informed a number of projects in which he has been involved, including Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" (helping to popularize minimalism) and the albums he produced for Talking Heads (incorporating, on Eno's advice, African music and polyrhythms), Devo, and other groups. Eno's first collaboration with David Byrne, 1981's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, pioneered sampling techniques that would prove to be influential in hip-hop, and broke ground by incorporating world music into popular Western music forms. Eno and Peter Schmidt's Oblique Strategies have been used by many bands, and Eno's production style has proven influential in several general respects: "his recording techniques have helped change the way that modern musicians;– particularly electronic musicians;– view the studio. No longer is it just a passive medium through which they communicate their ideas but itself a new instrument with seemingly endless possibilities."
Whilst inspired by the ideas of minimalist composers including John Cage, Terry Riley and Erik Satie, Eno coined the term ambient music to describe his own work and defined the term. The Ambient Music Guide states that he has brought from "relative obscurity into the popular consciousness" fundamental ideas about ambient music, including "the idea of modern music as subtle atmosphere, as chill-out, as impressionistic, as something that creates space for quiet reflection or relaxation." His groundbreaking work in electronic music has been said to have brought widespread attention to and innovations in the role of electronic technology in recording. Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright said he "often eulogised" Eno's abilities.
Eno's "unconventional studio predilections", in common with those of Peter Gabriel, were an influence on the recording of "In the Air Tonight", the single which launched the solo career of Eno's former drummer Phil Collins. Collins said he "learned a lot" from working with Eno. Both Half Man Half Biscuit (in the song "Eno Collaboration" on the EP of the same name) and MGMT have written songs about Eno. LCD Soundsystem has frequently cited Eno as a key influence. The Icelandic singer Björk also credited Eno as a major influence.
Mora sti Fotia (Babies on Fire), one of the most influential Greek rock bands, was named after Eno's song "Baby's on Fire".
In 2011, Belgian academics from the Royal Museum for Central Africa named a species of Afrotropical spider Pseudocorinna brianeno in his honour.
8. "The True Wheel"
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are the central shaft
And we are here to let you take advantage
Of our lack of craft
Certain streets have certain corners
Sooner or later we'll turn your.
We are the 801
And thus throughout two years we've crossed the ocean
In our little craft (row, row, row)
Now we're on the telephone
Making final arrangements (ding, ding)
We are the 801
We are the central shaft
Looking for a certain ratio
Someone must have left it underneath the carpet
Looking up and down the radio
Oh, oh, nothing there this time
Looking for a certain ratio
Someone said they saw it parking in a car lot
Looking up and down the radio
Oh, oh, nothing there this time
Going back down to the rodeo
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, here we go!
We are the table the captain's table let's get it understood
Let's get it understood
We are the losers we are the cruisers let's get it understood
Let's get it understood
We are the diners the final diners let's get it understood
Let's get it understood
Most of us are tinkers, some of us tailors
And we've got candlesticks and lots of cocktail sticks
We saw the lovers the modern lovers and they looked very good
They looked as if they could
We are the neighbors the nosy neighbors we think just like you would
We think just like you should.
In Brian Eno's song "The True Wheel," the lyrics speak to the power dynamic between the band and their audience, as well as within the band itself. The verse "We are the 801, we are the central shaft" positions the band as the focal point, the center of the action. Yet they also acknowledge their own lack of craft, indicating that their audience is the one with the power - they can take advantage of the band's imperfections. This power dynamic is further explored in the lines "We are the table, the captain's table, let's get it understood / We are the losers, we are the cruisers, let's get it understood / We are the diners, the final diners, let's get it understood." The band places themselves at the head of the table, but acknowledges that they are still part of the same group as their audience, and will all inevitably end up in the same place.
The song also touches on themes of searching and discovery, with lines like "Looking for a certain ratio / Someone must have left it underneath the carpet" and "Looking up and down the radio, oh oh, nothing there this time." The lyrics suggest a quest for meaning or purpose, but also acknowledge the possibility of coming up empty-handed. The repetition of "oh oh, nothing there this time" adds to the feeling of disappointment or frustration, while the chorus "Here we go!" speaks to the band's resilience and determination to keep searching.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the 801
We are a group of people known as 801
We are the central shaft
We are the main support of the group representing its unity and strength
And we are here to let you take advantage
We are willing to provide our assistance and support to help you achieve success
Of our lack of craft
We don't have highly specialized skills, but that does not hinder us from being helpful
Certain streets have certain corners
Different situations have different requirements
Sooner or later we'll turn your.
We will be able to handle whatever challenge you put in front of us
And thus throughout two years we've crossed the ocean
We have been traveling for two years now
In our little craft (row, row, row)
We have a small boat and we are using oars to row it
Now we're on the telephone
We are now using a telephone to communicate
Making final arrangements (ding, ding)
We are in the process of getting everything ready (ding, ding symbolizing progress)
Looking for a certain ratio
We are searching for a specific proportion or relationship between things
Someone must have left it underneath the carpet
It is likely that the thing we are looking for may have been carelessly misplaced
Oh, oh, nothing there this time
Unfortunately, we have been unable to locate what we were seeking
Someone said they saw it parking in a car lot
We received a tip that the missing item may be in a car parking lot
Going back down to the rodeo
We are returning to our usual routine or lifestyle
We are the table the captain's table let's get it understood
We are important members of the group and need to be recognized
We are the losers we are the cruisers let's get it understood
We may not always win, but we keep going and enjoying the ride
We are the diners the final diners let's get it understood
We are the last ones to arrive at the table and we all need to be accommodated
Most of us are tinkers, some of us tailors
We have a variety of professions amongst us
And we've got candlesticks and lots of cocktail sticks
We have various items that we can offer to assist others
We saw the lovers the modern lovers and they looked very good
We have encountered other people who seemed to be happy and successful
They looked as if they could
We perceived them to be capable and confident
We are the neighbors the nosy neighbors we think just like you would
We are similar to everyone else and we often get involved in other people's business
We think just like you should.
We believe our way of thinking is typical and reasonable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BRIAN ENO, PHIL MANZANERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind