Brian Eno & David Byrne - (1981) My life in the bush of ghosts

Brian Eno & David Byrne - (1981) My life in the bush of ghosts

Studio Album, released in 1981

Making a chronologic first journey into Brian Eno means that “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts” was placed between sessions of full ambient melancholic undisturbed waves of Brian Eno concept.Yet this came as a more rafined way of seeing music and a more abstract form of playing it.And that cought my attention immediately!Brian Eno,having David Byrne as a side-by-side collaborator,creates a music of mixtures,as it helds ambient,in the natural developed contemporary form,electronics,something less promulgated in other context,but made a key stroke here and tehniques of doing an expression in a less comformist way. Not that it would be a panic of unnatural scapes,but it is different from the usual Eno and you can sense that immediately.The goal seems another.The character changed.The result out of normal. David Byrne’s influenced can definitely be a reason,but I think the initiative and the main pulse is still that of Brian Eno approaching his other manifests possibilities.The album is among the key points of the discography.A point very appealing,that helds innovation,expression and subtility as high values. I like it very much and I applaud the effort entirely. Byrne’s contribution is more than notable and he makes the step towards being one of the most important collaborators of Brian Eno (no disregard to any other artist who worked long enough with the ambient master,still effects are effects). Easily among Fripp or Budd. What counts is an acomplised effort that deserves full credit.

Brian Eno works alone only when he wants that.Otherwise it can go to an unexpected vision of bringing several artists into the picture.Here he goes like that,have a royal list of guest.Leaving old friend Fripp aside,who only does arrangements,notable artists are Bill Laswell and Chris Frantz (uh…the other ones I don’t know anything about).Anyway,an impressive list.The main reason is of course the necesity of artist who can play specific instruments like Bodhran,Bata, congas, metals, cans et caetera. Otherwise it’s Eno and Byrne doing their performance. These mentioned instruments are also a queery,authentic to say improvisatorical idea of his.Not of an important role in the musical speech,yet interesting as a fact and as a choice.Eno clearly goes excentric and passionate for the un-common through this album.But it’s a good,”kind” gesture.

Non-conformist and striking towards valorous effect,this “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts”.Something not really far from truth.A pleasant experience in a manner than serves more purposes.This time,Eno’s motto is not a simple ambient calculated pulse,but a “long shot” experiment,in which ambiguous maneuvers,experimental drops of magic and even a queery (positive thinking…) outlook make the combination.Probably David Byrne is the prevalent influence towards the (slight-?) change of direction,although saying that Brian Eno decided this by himself wouldn’t be that farfetched.Imposing its name,value and concept,the album can create a moment of subtilities to the extreme of mind-blowing and very unusual.The experience of this one is a sole subjective one.Plurimotivated,pluri-constructed.Maybe not at the highest valences,but enough to conserve an more than justified option and a more than promising echo.

Recommended Brian Eno album,in my opinion.A highlight feature of the 80s start (ah,why not,even general).Not the most spectacular,but among those that say very much.Comparisons with the deep ambient albums of Eno I shall not make.Staying on firm ground,there is a discrepance,but a smooth one and-more importantly-one not really important.Personally,ambient Eno stays “the” Eno,but “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts” was a true pleasure.Thumbs up and cheers.

Track Listings

1. America is Waiting (3:36)
2. Mea Culpa (3.35)
3. Regiment (3:56)
4. Help Me Somebody (4:18)
5. The Jezebel Spirt (4:55)
6. Very, Very Hungry (3:20)
7. Moonlight in Glory (4:19)
8. The Carrier (3:30)
9. A Secret Life (2:30)
10. Come With Us (2:38)
11. Mountain of Needles (2:35)

Total Time: 39:41
Line-up/Musicians

Brian Eno & David Byrne / guitars, basses, synthesizers, drums, percussion and "found objects"

Guest musicians:
- John Cooksey / drums (4)
- Chris Frantz / drums, additional arranging (3)
- Robert Fripp / additional arranging (3)
- Busta Jones / bass, additional writing and arranging (3)
- Dennis Keeley / Bodhran (2)
- Bill Laswell / bass and additional arranging (1)
- Mingo Lewis / Bata, sticks (5, 8)
- Prairie Prince / can, bass drum (5, 8)
- Jose Rossy / congas, agong-gong (7)
- Steve Scales / congas, metals (4)
- David van Tieghem / drums, percussion (1, 3), additional arranging (1)
- Tim Wright / click bass (1)