Here Come the Warm Jets
In 1973, fed up with Bryan Ferry's domineering inRoxy Music, Eno leapt into a solo career that would find him championing the "art" in "artifice." This record is a who's who of the then-burgeoning English art-rock scene, featuringRobert Wyatt,Robert Fripp, and every member of Roxy Music except its leader (thus answering the musical question, "What if Eno had helmedthe third Roxy recordinstead of Ferry?").Warm Jetssports a lightheartedness that was a refreshing antidote to the pomposity ofYesandELPon the dark side of art-rock's spectrum, with nonsensical, sound-based couplets such as "Oh headless chicken / How can those teeth stand so much kicking?" This debut is a milestone not just for Eno, but for all rocking music. Listen to Fripp's furious guitars on "Baby's On Fire" and "Blank Frank." It's incredible,Velvet Underground-inspired rock in a scene that had forgotten what rocking meant.--Gene Booth