HERE COME THE WARM JETS

After departing from Roxy Music Brian Eno decided to test his wings at being a solo artist for a change. His first two albums are generally considered a trial and error period since both Here Come The Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) feature a very distinct Art-Rock flavor combined with glimpses of electronics music. Unlike many other talented instrumentalists Eno chose to add even more of his personality into the mix by singing all the lead vocals. I realized that his voice might be considered acquired taste for many people but I just think that it was a bold decision and, no matter the outcome, at least it's better than hiring a professional vocalist!

I've always had a soft spot for Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) that unfortunately never spread to Here Come The Warm Jets. I find this album a bit boring and particularly lacking in the songwriting department. Most of the compositions have a Roxy Music-sounding style and at times his vocals actually resemble those of Ferry but Brian Eno is by no means as artistic and memorable in his articulation. Songs like The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch have those Art-Rock sounding tendencies but Eno also manages to insert some electronic sounds into the mix which comes off a bit awkward and generally don't fit the music all that well.

Halfway through the album Brian Eno abandons his electronic experiments for a standard band arrangement but the different line-ups that are featured on the album distract too much and make the individual performances not that memorable. Some Of Them Are Old is the closest the music here comes to a potential highlight but it lacks a personal touch and ultimately fades in with the rest of the performances.

Over time Brian Eno would perfect his sound and push his music much further than the limited style that is featured on Here Come The Warm Jets. Therefore it remains a good, but non-essential album for everyone who is interested in exploring the origins of Brian Eno's sound.

**** star songs: Needles In The Camel's Eye (3:11) The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch (3:05) Baby's On Fire (5:19) Cindy Tells Me (3:25) Driving Me Backwards (5:12) Dead Finks Don't Talk (4:20) Some Of Them Are Old (5:11) Here Come The Warm Jets (4:05)

*** star songs: On Some Faraway Beach (4:36)

** star songs: Blank Frank (3:37)

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