Brian Eno is one of the most prolific, innovative, and influential musicians around. His first four solo records are all fantastic, he was a pioneer in the field of ambient music, and his collaborations with Robert Fripp, David Byrne and Cluster are excellent. From ’73 – ’83, Eno was killing it with each and every release. He even developed a way to help musicians break creative blocks, called Oblique Strategies. Now, you might think you’ve never listened to a song by Brian Eno. And you’re probably wrong about that. Eno collaborated with David Bowie for his entire “Berlin Trilogy” (Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger). He also produced three Talking Heads records: More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light, which are all fantastic. If you’ve ever aggressively sung along to “”Heroes”” or “Once in a Lifetime”, you were belting out songs Brian Eno helped write.
But I digress. I could go on about Eno for days, but if I had to pick one favorite Eno record it would be 1977’s Before and After Science. “King’s Lead Hat” is the lead single from BaAS, and it’s a seriously great track. “King’s Lead Hat” is an anagram for “Talking Heads”, even though Eno recorded this song before he had recorded with the Talking Heads. Still, as the name would seem to imply, “King’s Lead Hat” is very reminiscent of Eno-produced Talking Heads. This song is infectiously catchy, unique, and has a killer groove. Eno’s lyrics are sharp and clever, and the synth part at the end kills. Just listen to it, it’s really good.
