‘Oblique Strategies’: The creative card game invented by Brian Eno in 1975
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Credit: MGMT
Remembering MGMT’s humorous tribute to Brian Eno
Brian Eno is an undisputed titan of music. He is one of the industry’s most cerebral figures, and without his work, music today would look very different. Whether it be his contribution to Roxy Music, as the producer of Talking Heads and U2, or his pioneering steps in ambient music, if you were to delete all traces of Eno’s work from history, modern culture would be without some of its most important facets.
Electronic music, rock music, and everything in between owe a lot to Eno, a testament to just how game-changing his work has been. The mastermind of the creative game, Oblique Strategies, brought an intellectual edge to music. Prior to the advent of his success, it had been primarily concerned with wild, shocking stylistic choices, rather than the calm and calculated ones we now see ubiquitous thanks to Eno.
A true minimalist, the ascendance of Eno straddled the longstanding distinctions between musician and composer. He blurred the lines and showed us the future.
Given that he has been so influential, it’s only fitting that Eno has been bestowed with many tributes from across music. Whether it be Rick Wright of Pink Floyd saying he “often eulogised” Eno’s abilities, or even Birkenhead heroes Half Man Half Biscuit, who named their 1996 EP Eno Collaboration after the former Roxy Music man, Eno’s work has been rightly lauded for years.
Another band that have paid tribute to Eno’s groundbreaking work is American psychedelic rock legends MGMT. Their tribute came as part of the second album, 2010’s Congratulations. The seventh track is aptly titled ‘Brian Eno’ in honour of the iconic producer. A humourous cut, harking back to the zany, early ’70s sound of Roxy Music, the band deify Eno in the track, and in the chorus, they sing: “We’re always one step behind him / He’s Brian Eno”.
Their tribute doesn’t end there either. MGMT frontman Andrew VanWyngarden even goes to the effort of recounting Eno’s notoriously long full name in the third verse, “Brian Peter George St. John Le Baptiste de la Sale Eno”.
VanWyngarden also refers to Eno’s Oblique Strategies card game. Evaluating his product, MGMT appears to feel that this tool for inspiring creativity works. They sing: “When I was stuck he’d make me memorise elaborate curses / Tinctures and formulas to ditch the chori and flip the verses / My whole foundation came unglued”.
A terrific tribute to one of the most significant figures in music history, MGMT are just one band that owes a lot to Brian Eno.
Listen to ‘Brian Eno’ below.
