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.
St Elmo's Fire
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We had walked and we had scrambled
Through the moors and through the briars
Through the endless blue meanders
In the blue August moon
In the cool August moon
Over the nights and through the fires
We went surging down the wires
Through the storms in all their thundering
In the blue August moon
In the cool August moon
Well we rested in a desert
Where the bones were white as teeth, sir
And we saw St. Elmo's Fire
Splitting ions in the ether
In the blue August moon
In the cool August moon
The lyrics of Brian Eno's song St. Elmo's Fire describe a journey through various terrains and landscapes, both physically and metaphorically. The singer, represented by the first person point of view "Brown Eyes and I," is exhausted from walking "through the moors and through the briars," through "endless blue meanders" and "surging down the wires." This could represent the challenges and obstacles that one encounters in life's journey, the journey being filled with moments of struggle and moments of triumph. The blue August moon and cool August moon create a haunting and mysterious atmosphere that further emphasizes the difficult journey.
In the midst of their journey, Brown Eyes and the singer rest in a desert with bones as white as teeth. This could represent a moment of reflection, where the journey has led them to a barren landscape where all they have is each other. It is in this moment of solitude and contemplation that they witness St. Elmo's Fire, a natural atmospheric glow that occurs during thunderstorms. This moment of wonder and amazement connects them back to the natural world and a sense of wonder, awe, and excitement. In this way, the song's lyrics touch on themes of perseverance, companionship, and the human connection to nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Brown Eyes and I were tired
We were exhausted from our journey.
We had walked and we had scrambled
We had traversed through rough terrain on foot.
Through the moors and through the briars
We navigated through moorland and thorny vegetation.
Through the endless blue meanders
We travelled through countless winding paths.
In the blue August moon
We were travelling under the light of the full moon in August.
In the cool August moon
The August night was pleasantly cool.
Over the nights and through the fires
We journeyed through the night and faced many obstacles.
We went surging down the wires
We moved quickly along the transmission lines.
Through the towns and on the highways
We passed through towns and travelled on roads.
Through the storms in all their thundering
We persevered through thunderous storms.
Well we rested in a desert
We took a break in a barren landscape.
Where the bones were white as teeth, sir
The ground was littered with the remains of dead animals.
And we saw St. Elmo's Fire
We witnessed the natural phenomenon of electric discharge in the atmosphere.
Splitting ions in the ether
The electric discharge ionized the surrounding air.
In the blue August moon
The full moon still cast its light on our surroundings.
In the cool August moon
The August night remained pleasantly cool.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind