Post #147817 by Tiki-bot on Fri, Mar 18, 2005 6:09 PM

Michael Brook is one of my all-time faves, and I cannot recommend "Hybrid" enough. It almost qualifies as a sort of "tribal ambient" album. I have all his stuff and have to say, if he ever plays live near you, drop everything and go. The amazing thing is that he plays his own compositions live - and solo! Without pre-recorded tapes! And with only a guitar! He puts other, more flashy guitarists to shame.

He's hands down the most amazing solo avant gard player I've ever seen, and his songs have a real warmth and discernacle structure to them, but aren't smarmy and new-agey. In his live show, he uses a tiny sampler box mounted on the mic stand and a couple of pedals. He then plays each part into the sampler and loops and echoes it, layering on new rythms and melodies all the while. It's really phenomenal to see and hear. I'd always thought his stuff was heavily produced and dubbed and processed, but no.

Another album of his I can't recommend enough is "Night Song", which he co-produced with Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan. Khan's amazing Pakistani devotional singing and Brook's music are a gorgeous match made in musical heaven. This is in my top 3 all-time most beautiful albums.

But back to Eno: I was just listening to Devo's first album again and you can really hear the influence Eno had on that album (not unusual considering he produced it). His sound is especially recognizable on the 2 bonus tracks on the CD re-release. They are very avant-punk and are great. If you only know Devo from their later stuff, I highly recommend this one.