Great Ambient Music (two)
Great? Well No, actually!
So why talk about this album then you weirdo? I hear you say.
Well, a video appeared on FaceBook with a guy playing a hammer dulcimer. And very lovely it is too. I find the percussive sound of this instrument very attractive. The first time I heard one was a man busking in Bath and I was enchanted by it. I think the story with this album Ambient 3, was that Brian Eno came across a bloke in the States also busking a dulcimer and was similarly impressed. So much so that he invited him to record some in the studio. His name is Laraaji (from Larry Gordon) and I now wonder if the guy I saw in Bath was the man himself? It was about the right time…
Anyway, what transpired of the recordings turned into the 3rd iteration of Eno’s Ambient album series. It features 5 tracks with the dulcimer mainly treated with reverbs to bliss out the sound. It looks at first glance that this might be a treat of relaxation.
However it is not.
What starts out as beguiling ends up after 45 minutes as plain fucking irritating! The problem is that the percussive sound is actually quite stimulating which gives the music it’s immediacy, however after 20 minutes of the aural treat, it becomes something akin to tinnitus and can drive the milder soul to thoughts of murder. As is the case with this album. As a display of the lovely dulcimer it’s great, but as a work of ambience, it is truly a disaster. Just No, Make It Stop!
There is a bright side…
I’m guessing it was due to working with Brian, that Laraaji ended up working with his brother, Roger Eno, who had teamed up with Kate St John and Bill Nelson to create an ‘Ambient Supergroup’ called Channel Light Vessel. They made only 2 albums together. A shame because there was a lot of potential. I’ll probably revisit this one later…
