Any way you look at it, Brian Eno is one of the preeminent producers and thinkers of our time. Indeed, the once prolific Eno's own output has slowed considerably since the 1970s and 80s, in part due to these extracurriculars and of course thanks to his ongoing work with U2 and Coldplay. He spoke to Pitchfork online, in which he mentions his work with Coldplay on several occasions...
Pitchfork: In some way you bore the brunt of similar suspicion and ire when you agreed to work with Coldplay. It even forced people to miss that you made a good record together.
Brian Eno: Well, again, there are ways of playing it safe, and for me playing it safe would be to-- since I don't really need the money-- to work with only sort of critically respectable, obscure, experimental indie bands. Everyone would say, oh, that's fine. I would be that kind of producer who does that kind of thing. But when I met Coldplay and got to know them, I so much liked those people and I so think that they really want to do something. Again, it's like U2 were. They are hungry to do something else. And they will. I'm sure they'll turn out to be a great band.
Pitchfork: When you have a band like U2 or Coldplay, in theory they can do whatever they want. They're popular, they're wealthy, that should afford one complete freedom. But there are imposed limitations of stardom.
Brian Eno: Yes, though funnily enough that doesn't produce such a strong effect as you would think in the studio. What I think produces a strong effect is the feeling of not wanting to disappoint people. Because one thing you are aware of when you're very popular is how much stock people put in your work. You know that there are 11-year-olds who are saving up to buy your record. [laughs] Though that's probably not true anymore.
Read the full interview courtesy of Pitchfork at the feature section of their website now.
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