ENO – TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN (BY STRATEGY) LP – Nr MINT A3/B4 UK 1974 PROG

Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
(Island Records  1974  ILPS9309)
Matrix No’s: A3/B4 – UK Pressing

Gatefold Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
Blue Island Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, RDI (born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is an English musician, record producer, visual artist, and theorist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica. A self-described “non-musician”, Eno has helped introduce unique conceptual approaches and recording techniques to contemporary music. He has been described as one of popular music’s most influential and innovative figures.

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 synthesizer player in 1971, recording two albums with the group but departing in 1973 amidst tensions with Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry. Eno went on to record a number of solo albums beginning with Here Come the Warm Jets (1974). In the mid-1970s, he began exploring a minimalist direction on releases such as Discreet Music (1975) and Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978), coining the term “ambient music” with the latter.

Alongside his solo work, Eno collaborated frequently with other musicians in the 1970s, including Robert Fripp, Harmonia, Cluster, Harold Budd, David Bowie, and David Byrne. He also established himself as a sought-after producer, working on albums by John Cale, Jon Hassell, Laraaji, Talking Heads, Ultravox, and Devo, as well as the no wave compilation No New York (1978). In subsequent decades, Eno continued to record solo albums and produce for other artists, most prominently U2 and Coldplay, alongside work with artists such as Daniel Lanois, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones, Slowdive, Karl Hyde, James, Kevin Shields, and Damon Albarn.

Dating back to his time as a student, Eno has also worked in other media, including sound installations, film, and writing. In the mid-1970s, he co-developed Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards featuring 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.

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is the second solo album by English musician Brian Eno. Produced by Eno, it was originally released by Island Records in November 1974. Unlike his previous album Here Come the Warm Jets, Eno used a core band of five instrumentalists (keyboards, guitars, bass, drums and percussion) and used fewer guest musicians. Also participating was guitarist and co-writer Phil Manzanera, who had played with Eno in Roxy Music. To help guide production of the album, Eno and Peter Schmidt developed instruction cards called Oblique Strategies to use through the creative process of the album.

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is a loose concept album with topics ranging from espionage to the Chinese Communist revolution. The album’s music has an upbeat and often aggressive sound but with dark lyrical themes. The album did not chart in the United Kingdom or United States, but received greater attention from the rock press. It was re-issued in a remastered version in 2004 by Virgin Records. The album has received critical attention, with varying opinions on its style and quality compared to Here Come the Warm Jets.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Brian Eno, except where noted.

Personnel

• Brian Eno – vocals, electronics, snake guitar, keyboards, production
• Phil Manzanera – guitar, production assistance
• Brian Turrington – bass guitar
• Freddie Smith – drums
• Robert Wyatt – percussion, backing vocals

“Special guests”

• Portsmouth Sinfonia – strings on “Put a Straw Under Baby”
• Randi and the Pyramids – chorus on “The True Wheel”
• The Simplistics – chorus on “Back in Judy’s Jungle” and “Taking Tiger Mountain”
• Andy Mackay – brass on “The Fat Lady of Limbourg”
• Phil Collins – extra drums on “Mother Whale Eyeless”
• Polly Eltes – vocals on “Mother Whale Eyeless”
• Peter Schmidt – Oblique Strategies (with Brian Eno) and album cover art