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.
The Soul of Carmen Miranda
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dismissed with her generation for the price of a can-can
Consigned to the sideshows of history, with the patronized orphans of film
She seeded the bait and offered the faint hope of chance to innocent men
In love with the trance of her dances
And abandoned by them
And abandoned by them
She remembered their names, and the sorry condition they came in
The dances were soiled, they spun and recoiled
From the master tapdancer inside them, beside them
The soul of Carmen Miranda had captured the mind of man
Dismissed with her generation for the price of a can-can
The soul of Carmen Miranda for the price of a can-can
The soul of Carmen Miranda for the price of a can-can
The song "Soul Of Carmen Miranda" by Brian Eno and John Cale is a tribute to the Brazilian-born singer, dancer, and actress Carmen Miranda, who became an icon in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. The lyrics speak of how Carmen Miranda's spirit has captivated the minds of men, but at the same time, she has not received the recognition she deserves. She was dismissed along with her generation for the price of a can-can (referring to her famous fruity hats), and consigned to the sideshows of history with other patronized orphans of film. Despite this, she was able to offer the faint hope of chance to innocent men who fell in love with the trance of her dances.
The second verse of the song refers to Carmen Miranda's influence on the old tap-dancers who had lost their way. She called in the boys and remembered their names, even in their sorry condition. The song speaks of how they were soiled and had spun and recoiled from the master tap-dancer inside them. Despite their struggles and abandonment, they were still captivated by her spirit.
Overall, the song's lyrics are about how Carmen Miranda's influence on popular culture has been forgotten and replaced with cheap imitations, but her unique spirit lives on and continues to inspire generations of performers.
Line by Line Meaning
Since the soul of Carmen Miranda had captured the mind of man
From the time that men began to admire Carmen Miranda, they couldn't stop thinking about her inspiring soul.
Dismissed with her generation for the price of a can-can
Being associated with a dance style like can-can, Carmen Miranda's worth was undermined by the people who were once her contemporaries.
Consigned to the sideshows of history, with the patronized orphans of film
As a result of being outmoded, Carmen Miranda was relegated to oblivion along with the marginalized and uncared-for characters of films.
She seeded the bait and offered the faint hope of chance to innocent men
Carmen Miranda lured men in with her sparkling artistry and gave them the slim possibility of a hopeful future.
In love with the trance of her dances
Men who loved Carmen Miranda adored how her dances put them in a dreamlike state.
And abandoned by them
However, the men who loved Carmen Miranda eventually left her alone.
She called in the boys
Carmen Miranda summoned the men who were once entranced by her charm.
She remembered their names, and the sorry condition they came in
Carmen Miranda did not forget the men who used to adore her and noticed their miserable state.
The dances were soiled, they spun and recoiled
The men's dance skills deteriorated, and they were hesitant and unsteady on their feet.
From the master tapdancer inside them, beside them
Despite being unpolished, the men had the potential to be as good as Carmen Miranda in tap dancing, and she was there to support them.
The soul of Carmen Miranda had captured the mind of man
Even though Carmen Miranda was dismissed, her vibrant soul continued to captivate people's minds.
The soul of Carmen Miranda for the price of a can-can
The value of Carmen Miranda's soul was unfairly reduced to that of a cheap can-can dance.
The soul of Carmen Miranda for the price of a can-can
The worth of Carmen Miranda's soul was tragically underestimated and undervalued.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO, JOHN DAVIES CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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WHY IS IT THAT I AM ONLY JUST DISCOVERING REAL ART, REAL MUSIC NOW ? ? ?🤔
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@CLO4616
hermoso tema.
@richardmoderate1738
my favourite song on the Seducing Down The Door album
@cosmicdrifter287
soul with a capital s.
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A-W-E-S-O-M-E ! ! ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@LilikakiTsikris
υπέροχο.