The Drop (album)

Last updated

The Drop
Enodrop.jpg
Studio album by
Brian Eno
Released7 July 1997
Recorded1996
Genre Ambient
Length74:00
Label All Saints
Producer Brian Eno
Brian Eno chronology
Original Soundtracks 1
(1995)		The Drop
(1997)		 Extracts from Music for White Cube
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Drowned in Sound 7/10 [2]
Entertainment Weekly B [3]
Pitchfork 3.6/10 [4]
PopMatters 9/10 [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Village Voice C [7]

The Drop is the fourteenth solo studio album by Brian Eno, released on 7 July 1997 through All Saints Records. The album continues in the same style as much of his work of the period exploring impressionistic, ambient instrumental soundscapes rather than more conventional songwriting. The 2014 reissue includes the 77 Million Paintings album as a bonus disc and edits the track "Iced World" from its original 32 minutes down to 18 minutes – the same duration on both vinyl and CD.

Contents

Originally, the album was titled Unwelcome Jazz: "jazz that nobody asked for, and many did not care for." [8]

Marketing

Eno managed the album's global marketing campaign from his then-new home in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he had taken leave from his teaching in London and worked on other projects. He used email to conduct interviews with the press and communication with his UK-based publicity firm, Celebration. In one of the press emails, Eno said of The Drop: "There are lots of melodies, although they move in an angular and slightly irrational fashion. They keep changing direction, trying to find out where they are going. I don’t want to do something that’s well covered by a lot of other people. My pleasure and pride is in discovering new places for music to go." [9]

Critical reception

Reviewing for The Village Voice in December 1997, Robert Christgau appraised the album negatively: "Ever the bullshitter, the St. Petersburg (Russia) muso cites as influences Me'Shell NdegéOcello, [ Fela Kuti], and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and as an admirer of all three I only wish I could hear the way musos hear. To me it sounds like he got stuck between Music for Airports and Wrong Way Up and spun his hard drive for 74 minutes. He hears melodies whose vagueness he extols, I hear vaguenesses whose attenuation I rue. He hears bass lines, I hear tinkle. He hears 'sourness,' I hear more tinkle." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Slip, Dip"2:18
2."But If"1:48
3."Belgian Drop"1:56
4."Cornered"2:02
5."Block Drop"2:50
6."Out/Out"1:51
7."Swanky"2:50
8."Coasters"2:55
9."Blissed"2:53
10."M.C. Organ"2:54
11."Boomcubist"2:07
12."Hazard"2:15
13."Rayonism"2:55
14."Dutch Blur"3:02
15."Back Clack"3:19
16."Dear World"3:16
17."Iced World"32:48
1997 Japan bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."Swat & Rut"2:23
2."Slicing System"1:20
3."Sharply Cornered"2:56
2005 reissue
No.TitleLength
1."Slip, Dip"2:18
2."But If"1:48
3."Belgian Drop"1:56
4."Cornered"2:02
5."Block Drop"2:50
6."Out/Out"1:51
7."Swanky"2:50
8."Coasters"2:55
9."Blissed"2:53
10."M.C. Organ"2:54
11."Boomcubist"2:07
12."Hazard"2:15
13."Rayonism"2:55
14."Dutch Blur"3:02
15."Back Clack"3:19
16."Dear World"3:16
17."Iced World"32:48
18."Slicing System"1:20
19."Sharply Cornered"2:56
2014 reissue, CD 1
No.TitleLength
1."Slip, Dip"2:18
2."But If"1:48
3."Belgian Drop"1:56
4."Cornered"2:02
5."Block Drop"2:50
6."Out/Out"1:51
7."Swanky"2:50
8."Coasters"2:55
9."Blissed"2:53
10."M.C. Organ"2:54
11."Boomcubist"2:07
12."Hazard"2:15
13."Rayonism"2:55
14."Dutch Blur"3:02
15."Back Clack"3:19
16."Dear World"3:16
17."Iced World"18:47
2014 reissue, CD 2 – Bonus Material
No.TitleLength
1."Never Stomp"2:33
2."System Piano"2:04
3."Bonk 12"2:55
4."Luxor Night Car"2:51
5."Targa Summer"4:56
6."Cold"2:34
7."Little Slicer"1:42
8."Surf Birds"3:38
9."Targa"18:47
2014 vinyl issue, side A
No.TitleLength
1."Slip, Dip"2:18
2."But If"1:48
3."Belgian Drop"1:56
4."Cornered"2:02
5."Block Drop"2:50
6."Out/Out"1:51
7."Swanky"2:50
2014 vinyl issue, side B
No.TitleLength
1."Coasters"2:55
2."Blissed"2:53
3."M.C. Organ"2:54
4."Boomcubist"2:07
5."Hazard"2:15
2014 vinyl issue, side C
No.TitleLength
1."Rayonism"2:55
2."Dutch Blur"3:02
3."Back Clack"3:19
4."Dear World"3:16
5."Slicing System"1:20
6."Sharply Cornered"2:56
2014 vinyl issue, side D
No.TitleLength
1."Iced World – Vinyl Edit"18:48

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References

  1. ↑ The Drop at AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Album Review: Brian Eno - The Shutov Assembly, Nerve Net, Neroli, The Drop (expanded editions)". Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Entertainment Weekly (25 July 1997, p. 73) - "...Like most of his ambient forays, this one takes time to shape....But once he locks into confident bass tones, the fluttering notes at the high end seem to find their complement..." - Rating: B
  4. ↑ "Brian Eno: Nerve Net/The Shutov Assembly/Neroli/The Drop Album Review - Pitchfork" . Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Brian Eno: Nerve Net / Shutov Assembly / Neroli / The Drop Reissues" . Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Rolling Stone (4 September 1997, p. 70) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...Angular melodies, bent guitar notes, piano drizzles and manipulated effects make up THE DROP's mixed bag of 17 minicompositions..."
  7. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (2 December 1997). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice . Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Sheppard, David (1 May 2009). On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno . Chicago Review Press. ISBN   978-1556529429.
  9. ↑ "Journalists Encounter Virtual Eno". Rolling Stone . 25 June 1997. Retrieved 26 February 2020.


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