Here He Comes is the nadir of the Core Four. The lame country tune just annoys me with its lack of originality. As Prince Charles would say, a carbuncle on the face of an old friend.
A little late. Ultravox's version of King's Lead Hat was how I got into Eno. Born in 1967 I was too young to get into Eno as his solo work was being released in the 1970s. My father was into music but had no solo Eno although he did have Roxy Music albums and because I would listen as well as look/read the covers I had seen his name, as well as the pictures of him, cheetah print shirt on the 1st album and with the long feathers near the collar on For Your Pleasure. By 1980 and buying records myself with pocket money I had a school friend doing the same and he was into Ultravox. He had the Passing Strangers 12 inch with the Kings Lead Hat live version. I noticed Brian Eno credited. I can't recall which came first but that same year I also got the Snatch 12 inch of their cover of Leiber and Stoller's Shopping For Clothes. I already had the other 2 Snatch singles. It came with cassette label stickers to allow you to make a Snatch cassette of all their released material. One of the listed tracks was the King's Lead Hat b-side RAF because Snatch's Judy Nylon was on the track. So my first Eno buy was the King's Lead Hat single and then I got Before And After Science. My old man got into Eno through me and started buying the earlier albums which was good as with my pocket money I couldn't afford much, and yes, I did actually make that cassette!
A lovely change of pace from the frenetic side one. This is an instance where having to get up and flip the record over is essential. On cd the contrast between KLH and Here He Comes is rather jarring… the Before and After… I guess. Manzanera’s guitar is delightful. And Eno’s vocal is perfectly pitched, a beautiful croon. The lyrics are surprisingly poetic for Eno- who is the boy who tried to vanish to the future or past? Perhaps Eno himself? Side two of Before And After Science is perhaps the most perfect side of any album I know. The sequencing is spot on, the mood created is wonderful. Chilled, calming, reflective and yet surprisingly emotional.
Here He Comes This is Country to Helter Skelters Punk? Perhaps one can see the DNA from underneeth the flanged bass but "Here He Comes" is pushing enough in another tonal direction for me to dismiss it as Eno does country? Although wouldn't that be fun.. I have always loved the lilting quality of this one and for me it does fit (emotionaly at least) with Eno's ocean music. Dreamy anyone? And "the boy who tried to vanish..." is such a lovely image. While I'll conceede that it's not Eno's finest moment it's well worth the price of admission. 3/5
Kings Lead Hat I love it 4/5. Here He Comes. Living in UK north west London at the time I used to listen to a radio show on Capital Radio called Your mother wouldn't like it with the DJ Little Nicky Horne. Anyhow he played this track which I thought wow I love this but didn't catch what it was. Luckily he kept playing it practically every day and it turned out to be Here He Comes. Ive always loved this and went out and bought the album immediately on release after hearing this track. Wonderful. 5/5.
I've cooled to "Here He Comes" over the years, even though it's undeniably lovely, there's something kind of twee and prissy about it - it's just too nice. It has a a similar feel to a lot of later Eno vocal tracks, especially on "Wrong Way Up", a bit too saccharine? Anyway, I definitely hear the influence of the title track of Harmonia's "Deluxe" on the melodic lead bass parts. I prefer "Deluxe" though.
Here He Comes. I love gently flowing Eno. I can see how people would want an entire album of this, so would I. But without looking into what paths he was about to embark on, this was a perfect capture of the time and I wouldn’t eliminate the raucously divine KLH. Another perfect piece. 5/5
Here He Comes The musical motive of the song sounds completely lifted from "Save The Last Dance For Me", and that connection distracts me a lot. The track is also way too long. The music itself is quite gorgeous. 3/5
Here He Comes. This song is like a big plush pillow; Eno’s vocals are at their most harmonious. There’s a lot of layered instruments here that can be deceptive to decode. I love that note at 4:49, a combination of synth and guitar which almost sounds like a real horn instrument for a split second then disappears. It all works wonderfully for me. Is that a bass solo in this song? There are other bass interjections that are perfect little touches. The lyrics seem like a remembrance of something/someone. A great kickoff to side 2.
Re: King's Lead Hat, it sounds like a heavily delayed skittery Fripp solo at the end to me. I'm getting ahead way of the thread schedule but the track 'Regiment' on My Life In The Bush of Ghosts features a synth solo played by Eno which sounds like the best Fripp guitar solo imitation I've ever heard.
"Here He Comes": Perfect transition after KLH into calmer waters and a great start of side 2. Eno cuddling us in his warm and fuzzy embrace. If I have one issue with the songs, it's the lyrics. Pretty straightforward this time, they occasionally veer into contrivance, like "The night is like a glove and he's floating like a dove".
I was also going to suggest a connection to some of the Eno songs on Wrong Way Up. I was surprised reading about Eno wanting to sing/write country tinged songs at any point in his career.
I like it. It does overstay it's welcome, but as others point out, it's a soothing listen and I kind of like the naive fantasy like lyrics. There are certain registers that Eno's voice is more appealing, this is one of them and the sustained pad like vocals are lovely. I count three basses playing at various times!!! One of them even sounds like....... a fretless bass. A chorused one at that. A rather yucky trebly and overly chorused guitar tone from the usually tasty toned Manzanera detracts from the song a bit for me. It does set the stage nicely for what may be the best song on the album.
Writing this from the back of an ambulance, having had both a stroke and a heart attack upon reading one of the posts above. Absolutely adore this track, although I note a couple minor flaws. The ‘eyes’ in ‘sad blue eyes’ is a smidge oversung, the ‘oooo oooo oooo’ bit just a tad pandering, and the lyric is not completely elegiac. Otherwise, what a beauty. That bass led passage just after ‘oooo oooo oooo’. I wound up having drinks with Dave Mattacks and Pete Zorn after a blistering Richard Thompson Band show back in 1994. Unfortunately, I didn’t know of Dave prior to the gig, wish I had, would have loved to hear any tales about making BAAS. But I learned a lot about the French Revolution from Pete. Stars? Yeah, I got your stars. 419,762,411 stars for Here He Comes. Ok doc. I’m ready, ready for the laughing gas…
I just came across this commercial for the compilation More Blank Than Frank. I’m assuming it’s from the UK. Interestingly, they use King’s Lead Hat as the background music. I wonder if that decision was Brian’s.
The same 3 points I was going to make. 1. I keep expecting "But don't forget who's taking you home".... 2. Could have done with some editing. I'm ready for Julie With around the 4.00 mark. 3. It's one of BE's most beautiful tracks. Don't have this one on vinyl but HHC is a perfect side opener. Might see if I can get a used copy down at my local.
Actually, he started writing songs again in earnest for Wrong Way Up in 1990. And we still have his last bunch of (terrific) "After After Science" songs around the corner. Much of his latter-day songwork is relatively sedate, but there are several songs that would sit nicely along the punchier side of those early albums (e.g. 'Ali Click', 'S1m0n3', 'No Orders', 'Chain')
If you add this to 'You Don't Miss Your Water', his collaborations with Jools Holland and some select picks from Apollo, you've probably nearly got an Eno Country album.
"Here He Comes" -- 5/5 I love this song. It may be a bit long for some (or over-stay it's welcome), but not me. I've always gravitated toward Side 2 ever since I purchased Before And After Science a few decades ago. This thread has given me pause for thought for Side 1 though, and other than "Backwater", I've not given the other tracks a fair shake. Now I have. To echo @richard a , somewhat, Side 2 of BAAS is a perfect album side. This gem ("HHC") is just the beginning.
Late to the party again-stupid work. My take on the vocal tracks discussed so far is that they're among my favourite tracks Eno has recorded. Great tunes, crazy lyrics-Anna building webs across our shoes, logistics heuristics mystics, the passage of my life is measured out in shirts-what's not to love? Having come to this album first on CD I guess I never thought about the sequencing, although it's obvious there's a shift between the sides. 5/5 for everything.
BaAS is a game of two halves, and add me to the list of people who think Side 2 might be the best one in his catalogue. I love "Here He Comes" - those "oohs" in the chorus get me every time. I had never noticed the similarity to "Save The Last Dance For Me" before, and now can't unhear it, so I will dock 0.1 to give 4.9/5.
