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The Serpent (In Quicksilver) & Abandoned Cities,Harold Budd

- The Serpent (In Quicksilver) & Abandoned Cities
- - 1,773 plays
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Harold Budd
Released 1984

Afar
02:34
281 plays

Wanderer
04:15
246 plays

Rub With Ashes
02:02
224 plays

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songs

- 1
- Afar
- 02:34
- 281 plays

- 2
- Wanderer
- 04:15
- 246 plays

- 3
- Rub With Ashes
- 02:02
- 224 plays

- 4
- Children On The Hill
- 05:12
- 206 plays

- 5
- Widows Charm
- 01:58
- 193 plays

- 6
- The Serpent (In Quicksilver)
- 04:06
- 196 plays

- 7
- Dark Star
- 20:01
- 213 plays

- 8
- Abandoned Cities
- 23:10
- 214 plays

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album review

Recorded back when "ambient" meant Brian Eno rather than enervated techno, the LP and EP collected here were originally released on Budd's own Cantil label in the early '80s. The Serpent (In Quicksilver) consists of five solo keyboard works and one very interesting collaboration between Budd and pedal steel player Chas Smith. That piece, titled "Afar," evokes some of the music Brian and Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois were making at around the same time to accompany a film about the Apollo space mission. It's echoey and ethereal, and yet that pedal steel sound keeps things tethered to the earth (nothing wrecks the mental image of limitless space quite like the sound of steel guitar). The other pieces are also quite lovely, though not quite as interesting; many sound improvised and are as much about sound treatment as they are about harmonic or melodic development. Abandoned Cities is made up of two very long pieces for keyboard and electric guitar. In mood, if not sound, they bring to mind Robert Fripp and Brian Eno's No Pussyfooting album: the guitar is barely recognizable, and harmonic movement is mostly limited to long suspensions and resolutions. It's a beautiful, dark, shimmery sound, though, and will reward your attention or lull you to sleep -- whichever you prefer. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide