My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
BRIAN ENO + DAVID BYRNE
Nonesuch
Made mostly in 1979 BS (before samplers), Bush of Ghosts was something of a watershed project in that it gave the tape-looping infatuation of avant-gardists a pop currency. Eno and Byrne recorded "found vocals" — passionate black preachers, radio talk show hosts, Arabic singers and the like — and mixed them real-time over the African-influenced tracks they had cobbled together in the studio. A quarter century later, Ghosts resonates more as a cross-cultural arts accomplishment than as completely compelling music. The rhythm tracks come off as a tad stiff, especially when compared to the Talking Heads' triumphant Remain In Light, which was inspired to a great degree by the Eno/Byrne collaboration. The album, recently reissued on Nonesuch, includes a few outtakes.
