Re: Negativland on tour...ENO and U2

["Larry Tremblay" <ltct@concentric.net>]

Perhaps I'm mistaken about who contacted who first.
Nevertheless, Eno heard something in U2 that was not
there before that made him take on the project. Eno's
talent for transmuting raw 'potential' and redirecting
it into more interesting channels is the main point
I wanted to make. Just as Bowie never could have come up
with the Heroes-era trilogy of albums without Eno, so too
U2 would never have arrived at Forgettable Fire, or their
transmutation of America roots music later, on their
follow-up albums.

- Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: "X-ray" <ew37@bellsouth.net>
To: "Larry Tremblay" <ltct@concentric.net>; 
<Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2000 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: Negativland on tour...ENO and U2


> >U2's association with Eno was *Eno's idea* - he heard something
> >he liked that he knew could be B-I-G with the right amount of
> >coaxing.
>
>
> I'm going to have to completely disagree here.  When it came time start
work
> on the Unforgettable Fire album, it was U2 who wanted Eno.  Being Bowie
> fans, it was they who sought him out.  Eno had not heard ANY of their
> previous work, and was not interested in working with them at the
time...his
> excuse being that he was devoting most of his time and energy in those
days
> to video/multimedia arts.  Eno then referred them to Daniel Lanois who
> coproduced the album, and with further prodding Eno joined the team and
> played ball.  U2 were fans of his, and not the other way around.  U2 were
> actually on their way to becoming "big" with the more straightforward,
> rock'n roll-ier sounds of the previous album and tour.  As I recall, when
> the semi-ambient, ambiguous Unforgettable Fire album was first released 
>it
> was not warmly recieved.
> I do agree that through the music they made with Eno, U2 have become what
> they are today commercially, technically, etc.  I just don't buy the 
>whole
> "Eno Master Plan" thing at all.
>
> MikeH
>
>
>
>
>