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.
Stiff
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna be small
I wanna be pinned up high and studied on the wall
I wanna be sold
I wanna be fit
I wanna be there.
I wanna be base
I wanna be served up lightly dressed and on a plate
I wanna be cut
I wanna be dried
I wanna be there.
I wanna be changed
I wanna be rode
I wanna be made to handle very heavy loads
I wanna be his
I wanna be hers
I wanna be theirs
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh.
I wanna be held
I wanna be schooled
I wanna have every plea for mercy overruled
I wanna be milled
I wanna be rolled
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I wanna be there.
The lyrics of Brian Eno's song "Stiff" touches upon body dysmorphia and the pressure to conform to societal beauty standards. The singer longs to be thin, small, and pinned up high on the wall to be studied by others, indicating a desire for attention and validation. They also express a wish to be sold and fit, suggesting a willingness to be objectified and commodified.
Furthermore, the singer's desire to be "hooked" and "based" could imply a desire for addiction or dependence. They also express a desire to be "changed" and "rode" and to handle heavy loads, suggesting a desire for physical transformation and a willingness to endure things that may be harmful to their well-being in order to fit in. The repetition of "I wanna be there" at the end of each verse further emphasizes the singer's longing for acceptance and belonging.
Overall, the lyrics of "Stiff" conveys a sense of desperation and a need for validation through conformity, highlighting the damaging effects of societal beauty norms and the importance of self-acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be thin
I aspire to have a physically slim body.
I wanna be small
I wish to be physically petite.
I wanna be pinned up high and studied on the wall
My desire is to be admired and placed in a prominent position for others to examine and scrutinize.
I wanna be sold
I desire to be purchased or exchanged for money.
I wanna be fit
I aspire to have a physically healthy and strong body.
I wanna be there.
I long to exist and be present in a particular place or situation.
I wanna be hooked
I aspire to be addicted or dependent on something or someone.
I wanna be base
I desire to be vulgar, immoral, or lowly in nature.
I wanna be served up lightly dressed and on a plate
I desire to be presented in an attractive manner, ready for others to consume or enjoy.
I wanna be cut
I desire to be physically altered or modified in some way.
I wanna be dried
I desire to have moisture removed from my physical being.
I wanna be changed
I aspire to undergo a transformation or alteration in my physical, mental, or emotional state.
I wanna be rode
I desire to be the subject of someone else's actions or desires, particularly of a sexual nature.
I wanna be made to handle very heavy loads
I desire to have the ability to withstand great pressure or responsibility.
I wanna be his
I desire to belong to someone else or be in a romantic relationship with them (in this case, a male).
I wanna be hers
I desire to belong to someone else or be in a romantic relationship with them (in this case, a female).
I wanna be theirs
I desire to belong to someone else or be in a romantic relationship with them (in this case, a group of people).
I wanna be held
I desire physical comfort, affection, or support from another person.
I wanna be schooled
I desire to gain knowledge or wisdom from another person or institution.
I wanna have every plea for mercy overruled
I desire to not be shown mercy or compassion in a particular situation, possibly due to a desire for punishment or justice to be served.
I wanna be milled
I desire to be crushed or pulverized into a fine powder.
I wanna be rolled
I desire to be flattened or compressed into a thin shape or structure.
I wanna be there.
I continue to long to exist and be present in a particular place or situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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