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 enlarge | Author: Mark Prendergast
Creator: Brian Eno
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
Buy New: $3.94
You Save: $29.01 (88%)
New (4) Used (7) from $3.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 788498
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.9
ISBN: 1582341346
Dewey Decimal Number: 780.904
EAN: 9781582341347
ASIN: 1582341346
Publication Date: January 24, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 I like Eno, too... August 14, 2005
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The flaws in this book are many, and yet it is a good if eclectic reference.
The classical music base of ambient/electronic music is, I think, poorly presented here. Debussy is one of my favorites too - no wonder the French named an airport after him! - but to take this anti-German tilt is just wrong.
Stravinsky (who was Russian and lived in France) would have loved Spasmolytic by Skinny Puppy (Canadians but not Quebecois). Add Alban Berg (Magyar) and the Legendary Pink Dots (Nijmeganers and South Londoners) to the mix, and you see my German point. (Or not.)
I'm sorry to say this but the attention paid to Brian Eno comes across as fawning. It really detracts. Now, I got Discreet Music when It first came out and have always considered it a 20th Century classic. I also believe that Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy is one of the finest pop albums ever. But I just don't want to hear about U2 who (in my opinion) still don't know what they're looking for (not to be too negativeland about it).
This book really cries out for some major editing. That being said, there are interesting observations on last century's music.
 More like a band recommendation list February 7, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Really isn't anything beyond a list of records the author enjoys. Extremely noticable gaps in artist's careers (Focuses entirely on the "ambience" in Miles Davis' "Miles Ahead" and completely ignores the fusion years. Listen to Summertime and then listen to Yesternow. How is Summertime even remotely close to ambient?) and even completely lacking artists (If the Residents don't qualify for "Eskimo" but Jimi Hendrix does for "Electric Ladyland" then I've been grossly misinformed).
Book has almost nothing to do with Ambient music as a genre and everything to do with the records the author enjoys. All Music Guide does just as well at explaining it and that's just plain sad. Interesting only for fairly good record recommendations to new fans, and perhaps those interested in production.
 Best all-around history of this subject......... January 7, 2005
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Prendergast is a thoughtful and thorough writer......his book on Irish music (Isle of Noises) was comprehensive and superb. This one is similarly definitive......it is hard to imagine anyone significantly surpassing it for coverage of the field up to this point (it missed the boat carrying Autechre, Oval, Stereolab, Mouse on Mars, and "glitch" techniques). But whatever blanks are to be noted here can be filled in by any intelligent reader with access to a search engine.
Good, but could have more... December 8, 2004
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Where's Throbbing Gristle? Where's Captain Beefheart(except for the very very small mention)? Although it has good enough backgrounds on many experimental composers of the early 20thC and electronic/avant innovators of the 60's & 70's, this book could have gone more in depth. It has a nice section on the Krautrock movement with all the major and minor players, though. I just don't know why Moby made it into the book and TG and Beefheart didn't.
Very Light October 19, 2004
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is much more of a "who I think is cool" book than one with any information or analysis. Good for those who want to name-drop, but not for real students of music.
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