BRIAN ENO – BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE LP – Nr MINT A3 UK 1977 PROG

Brian Eno – Before And After Science
(Polydor Records  1977  2302071)
Matrix No’s: A3/B2 – UK Pressing

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)

Sleeve in Excellent+ condition
– small sticker tear top right
No Cards

Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, RDI (born 15 May 1948 and originally christened Brian Peter George Eno) is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer, writer, and visual artist. He is best known for his pioneering work in rock, ambient, pop, and electronic music. A self-described “non-musician”, Eno has helped to introduce a variety of unique conceptual approaches and recording techniques into contemporary music, advocating a methodology of “theory over practice” throughout his career. 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 art school in the late 1960s before joining glam rock group Roxy Music as synthesizer player in 1971. After recording two albums with the band, he departed in 1973 to record a number of solo albums, contributing to and ultimately coining the concept of ambient music with works such as Another Green World (1975), Discreet Music (1975), and Music for Airports (1978). He took part in frequent collaborations with artists such as Robert Fripp, Harold Budd, Cluster, David Bowie on his “Berlin Trilogy”, and David Byrne on 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. During the 1970s, Eno would also begin a parallel career as a producer, which included work on albums by Talking Heads and Devo, the no wave compilation No New York (1978), and recordings by avant-garde artists such as John Cale, Jon Hassell, Laraaji, and Harold Budd, among others.

In subsequent decades, Eno continued to record solo albums, collaborate, and produce for other artists, including U2, Coldplay, Laurie Anderson, James, Grace Jones, and Slowdive. Dating back to his time as a student, he has also pursued a variety of multimedia projects in parallel with his music career, including sound installations and his mid-70s co-development of Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards featuring cryptic aphorisms intended to spur creative thinking. He continues to release music, produce, and write, and maintains a regular column in Prospect Magazine.

Before and After Science is the fifth studio album by British musician Brian Eno. Produced by Eno and Rhett Davies, it was originally released by Polydor Records in December 1977. Guest musicians from the United Kingdom and Germany helped with the album, including members of Roxy Music, Free, Fairport Convention, Can and Cluster. Over one hundred tracks were written with only ten making the album’s final cut. The musical styles of the album range from energetic and jagged to the later tracks which are more languid and pastoral.

The album marks Eno’s last foray into rock music for the 1970s as a solo artist, with all his remaining albums of the decade showcasing more of Eno’s avant-garde and ambient music, which was hinted at on the second half of Before and After Science. The album was Eno’s second to chart in the United States. The song “King’s Lead Hat”, an anagram for Talking Heads, was remixed and released as a single although it didn’t chart in the United Kingdom. Critical response to the album has remained positive, with several critics calling it one of Eno’s best works.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Brian Eno, except where noted^[1][35].

Personnel

• Brian Eno – voices, synthesizers (Minimoog, EMS Synthi AKS, Yamaha CS-80), guitar, synthesised percussion, piano, brass, vibes, metallics, bell
• Paul Rudolph – bass, rhythm guitar, harmonic bass
• Phil Collins – drums
• Percy Jones – fretless bass, analogue delay bass
• Rhett Davies – agong-gong, stick
• Jaki Liebezeit – drums
• Dave Mattacks – drums
• Shirley Williams (Robert Wyatt) – brush timbales, time
• Kurt Schwitters – voice
• Fred Frith – modified guitar, cascade guitars
• Andy Fraser – drums
• Phil Manzanera – rhythm guitar
• Robert Fripp – guitar
• Achim Roedelius – grand piano, electric piano
• Möbi Moebius – bass fender piano
• Bill MacCormick – bass
• Brian Turrington – bass

Production

• Peter Schmidt – art prints
• Rhett Davies – producer, audio engineer
• Ritva Saarikko – cover photograph
• Brian Eno – cover design, producer
• Conny Plank – engineer
• Dave Hutchins – engineer
• Cream – cover artwork