Eno's solo debut,
Here Come the Warm Jets, is a spirited, experimental collection of unabashed pop songs on which
Eno mostly reprises his
Roxy Music role as "sound manipulator," taking the lead vocals but leaving much of the instrumental work to various studio cohorts (including ex-
Roxy mates
Phil Manzanera and
Andy Mackay, plus
Robert Fripp and others).
Eno's compositions are quirky, whimsical, and catchy, his lyrics bizarre and often free-associative, with a decidedly dark bent in their humor ("Baby's on Fire," "Dead Finks Don't Talk"). Yet the album wouldn't sound nearly as manic as it does without
Eno's wildly unpredictable sound processing; he coaxes otherworldly noises and textures from the treated guitars and keyboards, layering them in complex arrangements or bouncing them off one another in a weird cacophony. Avant-garde yet very accessible,
Here Come the Warm Jets still sounds exciting, forward-looking, and densely detailed, revealing more intricacies with every play. ~ Steve Huey