Search - Harold Budd & Brian Eno :: Ambient 2: The Plateaux Of Mirror

Amazing beauty

Paul Ess. | 09/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"quite simply some of the most beautiful, transcendentally sparse ambient piano music ever made. Almost seems like music from another world, or music for what this world could be or could've been. If you like this, make sure to listen to The Pearl - also by Budd and Eno."

Perfect tranquility...

A. Ort | Youngstown, Ohio | 03/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is incredible to me how such minimal music can be so beautiful. Primarily just sparse piano melodies, it is astounding in a subtle kind of way, music that blends into any mood, environment or atmosphere. It's relaxing yet not boringly so, hypnotic yet not distractingly so, background music that you can not quite ignore. I've played this in my car and it will have been playing for quite some time when someone will notice how beautiful it is and comment on it. It is the fact it takes some time to notice it that is so striking. I use this to study, write or when the radio and music with singing is just a bit much on the drive. It provides just enough of a lift to become absorbed into the task at hand."

'Into the Void'

Paul Ess. | Holywell, N.Wales,UK. | 12/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On my last Brian Eno review, some-one in the 'Comments' section had the audacity to suggest I was a plank. It's not the worst thing I've been called here in the cheery world of the 'Amazon Review' but it was a rare amusement in amongst all the bile and indignation. Soon, I'm gonna post a notice made up solely from abuse garnered from my 'Comments' sections. That'll be a lot of fun wont it?

It's an unfortunate fact of life, some people just don't like the truth however you present it. I think it's good to go against the grain occasionally. I really believe the likes of Gabriel and Sting are talent-less, and one of my favourite bands - The Clash, occasionally did work that was less than brilliant, but it's a personal truth. A review is one person's opinion, right or wrong,(the former in my case obviously) and like, name-calling or personal insults are gonna make me change my mind. I neither have the humility or give a monkeys.

Occasionally, our beloved, respected and much worshipped idols are gonna release a cremation, (See Morrissey, Nick Cave, U2 etc..) and unlikely jokers are going to release gems. (See Dollar, Marillion, No Doubt etc..) not to mention a 3rd category where resides terminally untalented people (Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Kate Bush, Mick Hucknall etc..) who's bowel movements would make more entertaining listening...

Already I can sense it... "What's all this got to do with the Budd/Eno disc!?"

Well, (constructing a wall of defence as well as self-containment) everything's fine on that front. 'The Plateaux of Mirrors' is ethereal and inspiring, will appeal to people who are genuinely sick of 'rock' and all it's insincerity, and is pretty damn essential. But is that the point?

It is one of many little pearls I regularly throw out into cyber-space in the forlorn hope that some-one somewhere will put down their Springsteen cd or the James Blunt download and actually catch one. Will see what's been right in front of them all along.

Not a snowball's chance in Hades.

The Budd/Eno disc has spine-tingling piano playing,(Harold Budd is a pianist. There's one revelation for a start!) augmented beautifully by Eno's 'other instruments and treatments'.(No -it's serious.) 'The Plateaux of Mirrors' is slightly more obviously melodic than some of Eno's other works, but anybody wanting Stickleback or Jaded Z is probably gonna be disappointed.

So, a truthful review, dripping with passion and enthusiasm, much like the challenging and sometimes even dangerous art represented by the (major) talents here, and not the charlatan resolute who've made careers pretending.

A gazillion stars for the Budd/Eno disc then, and a slew of humourless negatives for me...

"Come on now Ess, back to the dark place.....!""