Enodome: The vocal albums

[SecondEdition]

You can choose which one is your favorite, or rank, doesn't matter.

I'm pretty sure it hasn't been done before, but kerble away.

[cjh]

A very hasty response issued under duress at work. I might come back and have a bit more of a swing at this since they're all worthwhile and highly idiosyncratic records that I like talking about.

In brief, these four albums listed in order of my (ridiculous) personal preference:

Here Come The Warm Jets - is likely the best album, all things considered.

Another Green World - is the one I'm most connected to for personal reasons and would probably save first in a fire.

Taking Tiger Mountain - just a notch below but the high points slay large swathes of the above.

Before and After Science - fourth, always.

[djimbe]

I listened to all 4 of these a whole bunch back in the '81 -85 time frame. Been a long time, so now I'll have to get them up on the turntable and spin them all again. Just from memory of which was out the most I'd rank as:

1. Green World
2. Tiger Mountain
3. Warm Jets
4. Science

[154]

I think 'Before and After Science' just barely edges out 'Warm Jets' as far as killer/filler ratio. As great as most of the latter is, some of it sounds like leftover Roxy Music. 'Another Green World' definitely has some monster tracks but also a lot of fragmented filler and 'Tiger Mountain' has a lot of songs that start out good but go nowhere. 'Tiger Mountain' also gets a little cutesy/quirky for me.

[placeholder]

Oh, man. They're all so great.

Taking Tiger Mountain is my favorite, followed closely by Warm Jets. Then Before and After Science, then Another Green World.

That said, "I'll Come Running" is one of my favorite songs, but I have this live version on the Dali's Car bootleg that's even better than the album version.

[SecondEdition]

I haven't listened to all four in order to confirm this for myself, but I think my personal ranking is likely to be:

1) Green World
2) Warm Jets
3) Taking Tiger Mountain
4) Science

[enframed]

I think 'Before and After Science' just barely edges out 'Warm Jets' as far as killer/filler ratio. As great as most of the latter is, some of it sounds like leftover Roxy Music. 'Another Green World' definitely has some monster tracks but also a lot of fragmented filler and 'Tiger Mountain' has a lot of songs that start out good but go nowhere. 'Tiger Mountain' also gets a little cutesy/quirky for me.

I agree with the above. Though, while I listen to Before and After Science in its entirety more often than all the others, the others have individual tracks on them I may prefer to any track on the BaAS.

I like the "which one would I save in a fire?" question, and I'm not sure I have an answer to that yet. Maybe Another Green World.

Preliminary ranking is thus:

Another Green World
Before and After Science
Here come the Warm Jets
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

The only thing that might change minute to minute is the top two.

[154]

I agree with the above. Though, while I listen to Before and After Science in its entirety more often than all the others, the others have individual tracks on them I may prefer to any track on the BaAS.

I suspect it's side B on BaAS that's throwing things off. I think those last 4 songs are perfect, but I bet some people around here think it's boring.

[P.J. Craven]

Another Green World, no question.

[enframed]

I agree with the above. Though, while I listen to Before and After Science in its entirety more often than all the others, the others have individual tracks on them I may prefer to any track on the BaAS.

I suspect it's side B on BaAS that's throwing things off. I think those last 4 songs are perfect, but I bet some people around here think it's boring.

Yes, the second side of BaAS is a side of perfection.

[big_dave]

They're all equally good. There are some with shitty songs. But the thing is that the ones with shitty songs have high points that the uniform ones don't, and the uniform ones have a certain overall mood than the others don't.

There's a slight waffle in the fusion shit from Before and After Science, but he makes up for it and how.

Yes, the second side of BaAS is a side of perfection.

"Here He Comes" is excrutiating, but the others are perfection. "Spider and I" for best Eno vocal track.

[whoisalhedges]

Before and After Science is one of the most perfect albums ever. There are a handful of songs on Taking Tiger Mountain and Here Come the Warm Jets I like better than any on Science, but as a whole set piece, that gets my vote. Another Green World comes in last for me. I can appreciate it as an artwork, but it never resonated personally with me as the others do.

[boilermaker]

Before and After Science is one of the most perfect albums ever.

I'm more and more of this opinion as the years go by. It's dated the least out of the four. I like the throwaway lyrics. The 'fusion shit' whatever that means is amazing and nothing like fusion at all. Another Green World was my favorite for years then TTM but now Before and After Science. I like both halves equally. Backwater and Here He Comes are the only two weak tracks and they aren't that bad, but all four albums have weaknesses. I hate I'll Come Running, Cindy Tells Me, Put A Straw Under Baby and Back in Judy's Jungle. Spider and I is one of my favorite album closers.

Before and After Science
Taking Tiger Mountain
Here Come The Warm Jets
Another Green World

Good poll idea.

[enframed]

They're all equally good. There are some with shitty songs. But the thing is that the ones with shitty songs have high points that the uniform ones don't, and the uniform ones have a certain overall mood than the others don't.

There's a slight waffle in the fusion shit from Before and After Science, but he makes up for it and how.

Yes, the second side of BaAS is a side of perfection.

"Here He Comes" is excrutiating

Nah, I like it. It's the right change from side one and the right lead-in for the rest of the side, too.

[jurgis rudkus]

Before
Here
Taking
Another

boilermaker and whoisalhedges summed up my thoughts closely.

An amazing run of lps, that's for sure.

[SecondEdition]

Before and After Science is one of the most perfect albums ever.

I'm more and more of this opinion as the years go by.

I haven't listened to Before and After Science in a while but remember liking it least out of the four. I think I have to revisit it.

[iembalm]

I just did a Portland-to-L.A.-and-back run and listened to all four of these albums twice.

Here Come the Warm Jets
Another Green World
Taking Tiger Mountain
Before and After Science

I had also just bought Another Day on Earth and listened to it a couple of times, too. The first and last songs (especially Bone Bomb, holy shit) are fantastic, but between them is a lot of stuff that might have sounded really cool in 2006 but now, not so much.

[A Landing Craft]

Taking Tiger Mountain - it was the first Eno album I heard, and I was really impressed by how layered it was, and how unpredictable it sounded. As much as I equally love Another Green World, that album contains too many good tracks that finish too soon. The Tiger Mountain songs last as long as they need to. No more, no less.

[readandburn]

I just did a Portland-to-L.A.-and-back run and listened to all four of these albums twice.

Here Come the Warm Jets
Another Green World
Taking Tiger Mountain
Before and After Science

I had also just bought Another Day on Earth and listened to it a couple of times, too. The first and last songs (especially Bone Bomb, holy shit) are fantastic, but between them is a lot of stuff that might have sounded really cool in 2006 but now, not so much.

I agree with this 100%.

[Surfrider]

All great records, but for me, the title track from 'Here Come the Warm Jets' is so stupidly brilliant that it could probably edge out almost any album it was up against.