Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)

Produced by Brian Eno, 1974

The title of this album comes from the Maoist revolutionary drama of the same name. Eno came across "a set of picture postcards" which fascinated him, and he thought the title would elevate what he saw as being "base" or crude music -- rock, which at this point he was still extremely interested in making. This album is his last with no instrumental pieces on it -- his last attempt at making a somewhat straightforward rock piece. It contains more of the same poppy element as his Warm Jets but already his punky edge was wearing thinner, allowing more complexity and more experimentation in his structure and lyrical style.

But let's not get too academic. This is a weird one. Whereas Warm Jets is really charming in a dorky way, this album is a little bit darker, a little bit more reflective.

The Songs:

1. "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More"
   This is actually the very first Eno song I ever heard, put onto a mix tape for me by John Relph in 1988 or 1989. I did not get it, needless to say, for many years. It's kind of dreamy, kind of silly, with "oohs" and "aahs" in the background. I'm afraid it displays the weakness of Eno's voice at this point, in between the screechy years and the "I don't care if my voice sucks, I'm gonna belt it out" phase which I so adore. This song does have wonderful lyrics, though (see link above). I think Eno's a wonderful lyricist. He comes up with inventive rhymes and subjects that no one else would have even considered. My favorite line is "I guess Regina's on the plane, a Newsweek on her knees", with Regina pronounced suspiciously close to vagina.
2. "Back In Judy's Jungle"
   Ah, one of my oddly favorite Eno tunes -- some of the best lyrics he's ever written. When I was a brand-new Eno fan, I loved to lie in bed really stoned and listen to this album, playing a little game with myself -- "Are these lyrics really nonsensical, or am I just stoned?" This one kind of makes sense. It's a little mini story about some military movement made up of misfits -- the narrator "got the job because I was so mean, while somehow appearing so kind!" Eno seems very fond of the crisp military snare drum sound - it shows up here and in the exquisite "Dead Finks Don't Talk". There's a lot of vocal silliness, on top of the lyrical silliness. This is the kind of song that people who hate Eno just cannot stand. I think it's keen. Eric Tamm writes: "Obviously the potential for irony is high if what is being confided by the singer is of an impersonal, ambiguous, or even slightly perverted nature." (pg. 115) Sound like anyone we know?
3. "The Fat Lady of Limbourg"
   Another favorite from my early days. There's a lot of very subtle, nearly subliminal stuff going on in the background of this song, which adds to its feel of creepy charm. These lyrics stumped me for about a year, but it's actually pretty coherent -- I guess it's supposed to be a spy thing -- according to Tamm, "Eno establishes an air of tongue-in-cheek mystery and spookiness through an economical, airy, minimalist texture in which every isolated musical event can be heard." (pg. 119) Actually, in its repetitveness, it reminds me of Brecht. It ends goofily enough -- the highly-sought after object turns out to be a candle, having somehow been born out of a duck -- er, I'm gonna have another bonghit.
4. "Mother Whale Eyeless"
   Don't bother trying to figure this one out -- it's pure strangeness lyrically. Musically, it's very straightforward, a Lennonish shuffle-stomp with piano and high-hat. Wins if only for being the only rock song what mentions the Zuider Zee.
5. "The Great Pretender"
   OK, debate time. Is Eno telling the truth when he says he just makes up his lyrics as he goes along? Or did he really mean to write an unwholesome song about getting girls fucked up on heroin and then screwing (with) them? Hm... Anyway it's a cool song, truly deserving the epithet "strange" according to Eric Tamm's system of dividing Eno's songs. It's sort of slithery and exotic, with Eno singing at the very bottom of his register, and the guitar solo played way up the neck. The beat sounds like it's coming out a a weird carnival wind-up machine. I have no idea what they were using for percussion, but it sounds like hubcaps to me. Right on.
6. "Third Uncle"
   Rock out, you old square! Um... I mean... this song kicks. Sure the Bauhaus version is more high-octane, but this one has its advantages -- like you can almost make out all the lyrics! Real genius. Eric Tamm believes the song is more menacing precisely because Eno chooses not to scream, but to speak the words crisply, without affect of any kind, and I'm with you there, Eric. This version is far more scary than Bauhaus'. Phil Manzanera plays lead on this, and it's the kind of thing that Fripp could never do -- choppy hunks of sound, suggesting chicken-dancing soulless Mods rather than dreamy Coleridges or Le Guin space beings. It's perfect here.
7. "Put A Straw Under Baby"
   From the goddaddy of punk to this sopping wet noodle -- Brian, you are perverse. This is one of the very few Eno songs I could do without. The only thing I like about it is the Portsmouth Sinfonia, gamely wrestling through the refrains with no sense of rhythm, like those excruciating moments in high school band. They can't save it though, really. My Walkman plays everything a little bit faster, and when I listen to this song the way it was actually recorded, it's like being peeled alive.
8. "The True Wheel"
   Ah! Much better! This song is most groovy -- all Moogy and bouncy in a morbid way. I guess he's singing about 801, that legendary band he played in with Nico, (which I have finally gotten a hold of; it's excellent). When he sings "ding-ding!" with that same bored expression as he always has it makes me want to give him noogies. OK, that's not very scholarly, but it's true. The last section -- beginning with the drum solo -- rules my world almost as much as the middle eight of "China my China" (see below). Let's get it on, let's do it, indeed.
9. "China My China"
   Well done. For some reason Tamm classifies this is as assaultive, which I really have to disagree with -- it's a pop song, really, a weird pop song, full of flange and Eno's emotionless delivery, but a pop song anyway. I like the effect of double-tracking him; he harmonizes with himself well. And the FAMOUS SOLO -- hot diggity damn, who let Santana, John Cage, and Phillip Glass in, and who said they could play together? Wow! Wow! Wow! Actually if I'm not mistaken, it's Manzanera again, with Eno on weirdness. He can operate a wah pedal, at least. All ya gotta do is step on the dang thing.
10. "Taking Tiger Mountain"
    Very sad, exhausted, very much like climbing a mountain and taking a deep breath and having it not help the tiredness. It's very pleasant and takes forever to reach the vocal. Shapes of things to come.

Eno's next album was Another Green World, in 1975.

the lyrics and album cover, off site at EnoWeb

J.Neil has a great page about the Maoist play -- the pictures are AWESOME.