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Brian Eno has worked on more U2 music than any musician, with the exception of Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam. If he worked more closely with them on Passengers, Original Soundtracks Volume 1 in 1995 -- being band member, not just producer -- he was nonetheless working on a plethora of other projects as the year sped by. His new book, a diary of that year with a collection of his assorted writings, is called A Year With Swollen Appendices. Here we carry a selection of some of the entries in that diary which bear special relevance to his work with U2.



24 May Out to Dublin, looking forward to a couple of weeks in the folly. Caught thumb in lethal studio door, but otherwise a very good day working on "Tenterhook."

Bono starts to form the idea that this could be a song about being besieged, people trying to carry on doing ordinary things (playing piano, buying shoes) while their city is being shelled. Interesting evolution of a vocal idea: he starts with a line that goes, "Is there time for cutting hair?" this gradually moving into "Is there time for this and that and the other?" in his new list-making style of writing. Then I suggest that the other voices do the first half of each line -- I'm thinking Motown -- so Edge and I (now known as the E-Notes) sing, "Is there a time..." and Bono responds with the rest of the line. We do it again, alternating "Is there a time" and "a time" so ending up with "Is there a time...a time...is there a time...a time," but on each second stanza the last line becomes just "Is there time?"

Of course, Bono, being a natural-born singer, ends up filling every available space and singing over our bits as well, which I keep saying doesn't sound so good, but which he just can't help doing. It doesn't sound so bad either. Singers are like Arabs: they abhor a vacuum. And a vacuum is defined by "when I'm not singing."

But the result is really charmed -- a misty, melancholy bitter-sweetness undercut by the beauty of the setting: the Miss Sarajevo Beauty Contest (where a group of Bosnian artists and their girlfriends put on an elaborately kitschy beauty pageant while the Serbs were shelling Sarajevo). It's so straightforward working with them like this -- no ego decisions, no politics. We think this may be the song for Pavarotti (who phoned again).

Meanwhile in the control room (while it's playing), Bono and Edge are writing the theme song for the new Bond movie, Goldeneye. They seem to flourish with too much to do at once -- producing spurts of stamina and enthusiasm and making everyone believe in everything (sometimes sufficiently to pull it off!).

Left studio at 11:30, and then Edge and Bono and myself to a late pub on the way home, chatting about people. Black and tan.



26 May Fascinating day. "Fleet Click" -- revealed to have some amazing overdubs from the London sessions I did with Holger Zschenderlein. Immediately great, but much time spent trying to fix Bono's original guitar (which is the only instrument suggesting chordal movement) and then deciding to use it and edit the track round it. The extraordinary development was that a strange and wonderful song appeared -- suddenly, after six minutes of music. Did backing vocals. Everyone helping -- cooperation at its best. (Des came up with a gorgeous sample -- from "Love is Blindness.)

At lunch discussing comparative philosophical systems. Bono maintains Judeo-Christianity shows good results. I say it's a question of what number and type of casualties you're willing to tolerate (arrange various philosophies along such axes). Some systems produce only total losers and flat-out winners -- the banana republic model -- while others attempt a "spread it evenly" approach -- welfare stately. Is "scapegoatism" -- a big feature of many "primitive" societies -- a way of just trying to visit all current psychological distress on just one person? And, if so, how do we feel about that kind of deal -- where one person suffers enormously in lieu of everyone else? Is this the basis of torture and the Ordeals?



27 May That was an interesting evening. I went back up to the party, which was very friendly -- a tender feeling but lots of laughing too. Bono and Edge and I talked about our (quite long now) relationship to date, and how we'd sort of overlooked telling each other how much we'd all enjoyed the ride. Bono said they'd learned so much from me, but I said I felt I'd done better out of the deal, being able to watch them working and getting on with each other. Edge later put his arm around me and said, "Brian, you've got such a young spirit. I always love to see you and look forward to your visits. You are a really sweet man." I was very touched by this. I guess I don't really expect to be liked.

Slept, not for long, and then swam 20 lengths that felt fabulous. Into studio feeling like warm jelly and did a rough mix of "Tenterhook" ("Is there a time..."). And then went back to Killiney with Adam, enjoying the ride with him. At the folly, walked on the beach and sat in a chair reading. Then went for sausages and mash at the house. To bed at 10.



28 May Woke at 4:30. Funny thing -- in Ireland I rarely get an erection (though I was swimming nude the other morning, fully erect, and that was tremendous -- almost non-sexual: like enjoying a muscle being flexed). It must be something to do with all that Catholicism in the air. The morning light -- low sun, grey-blue overcast -- is beautiful and melancholy. Would be a very sad morning in another frame of mind, but now it is soft and tender.

Sat reading, walked on beach collecting stones, then went through gorse-golden hills to Paul's for lunch. I so wanted my day to continue undisturbed. Adam driving me in one of his weird specialist cars -- 2mm above the ground and bumpy as hell. Of course we got lost, but the beauty of the day and the pleasure of Adam's conversation made that irrelevant. He was talking about Naomi, and I admired the lack of any acrimony or covetousness or self-aggrandizement at her expense. He's a very balanced person.

Back to Temple Hill at 5:30. Pizza for dinner (set off unbearably loud fire alarm with the smoke from it, and, unable to find out how to switch it off, sat eating the bloody pizza with huge kitchen-paper plugs jammed into my ears until dear Hugh called to see what was up). Listening to work tapes, reading. Then watched the Night Porter on TV.

Perhaps people who feel their own lives unfulfilled are inclined to lavish more time on their children's.



6 July "Davidoff" today? / Call Dave Stewart / Set Des up with ST. / PhotoShop / (follow "Time" melody). Those parasitic worms that cause their hosts to expose themselves to predators (so that the worm can species-jump to another host): are there ideas like that -- ideas that make you stick your neck out and set yourself up for demolition?

Worked and failed on "Davidoff" -- just ambient slurry. I put on some vocals and a bass, but in the end abandoned ship. It's emotionally empty. Then moved on to "Tokyo Glacier" and found some simple, spacious drum feelings. Soon all hell broke loose and suddenly there was Adam playing DX7 bass, Edge playing guitar, me treating it, Bono singing, Howie B. scratching away on a record player, and Larry on DX7. All of us in the control room, hanging from lights, under tables. Poor Danton. What a mess -- but so exciting.

After occupying all 48 tracks, on to the Chocolate Club to see Gavin Friday, who gave a truly Weimar performance -- both tragic and comic. What a great performance artist. Tout le monde: Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates (who kept looking down at her new breasts -- understandably); Ali looking beautifully French with her new cut; a tall strong girl who rather took my fancy. But I left as soon as Gavin finished, out into the warm evening air, spotted Ossie Kilkenny scurrying in Dickensian haste, and DARTed home to look through the telescope at a group of golden-faced youngsters sitting round a small fire on the beach, and at the crystalline half moon, which I so wanted the girls to see.



7 July Possible album titles: Frames Blue Films Late Movie Cinema

Not sleeping too well this week -- waking more tired than when I went to bed. But the pool still helps. 2:45 a.m. What a nutty day -- Pavarotti on the phone (twice); Bono trying to persuade all day to play at Modena (Paul very against the whole idea, on the basis that it's all Mafia and none of the money will ever get to War Child; Larry and Adam think it a complete intrusion), but finally settling for Edge, himself and me. One of Bono's reasons for wanting to do it: "We got so much flak from the English music press for the Sarajevo linkup (in Zoo TV) and they ought to know they didn't scare us off."

Meanwhile (as we talk) me making possible album covers on PhotoShop (In Camera, Blue Music) while also mixing two forms of "Tokyo Glacier"; Howie B. buzzing away. "It's fookin' wikkud, fookin' mad"; Donal Lunny et al. discussing a "Jamaica meets Ireland" record with Adam; Shanty and Ad's bro Sebastian visiting; Dave from reception playing sax (on "Tokyo Glacier"; he's good); Miss Sarajevo; Edge squeezing in guerilla overdubs...

Then on to a Japanese restaurant "just for ten minutes" (multiplied by the Irish irrational number, this comes out as 1-1/2 hours), then all home to jump in the pool. Morleigh doing backflips. Some interesting semi-flirting. To find someone desirable, to express it, to have it reciprocated, and to go no further. Now that is progress, and something my generation (or class?) never knew. Perhaps it's my non-Latin Victorian nation that never knew it. Ali's stamina is incredible -- she's tipsy and lively at 3:00 a.m. and still up for more -- plus she's going to Nice first thing tomorrow. In the pool: Edge, Morleigh, Ali, Guggi, Reggie and Siobhan. Bono prowling the pool edge, DJ-ing; Placido Domingo, Paul Simon. (I always love that record when I hear it, though I was so bitchy about it when it came out. Pure envy -- he discovered my secret beach, and built a nice house there.) Great evening.



10 July In early (with the cleaners) to work on cover and "Slow Sitar" ("Time") which we finished -- fortunately Bono remembered a better mix, and we ended up using that with me overdubbing (doubling the piano part) to it. Then Howie B. arrived with the mixes, which left me a bit tepid. At this stage it's more hope and faith than reality. Perhaps the sense of people's listening capacity is changed -- to me these things sound empty, but I guess with the right mind they'd sound electric.

Pavarotti and crowd (including Nicoletta, a young woman with a perfect skirt) appeared with camera crew. He was actually very sweet and gentle (and gentlemanly!) and we underwent a slightly hesitant interview together -- Edge, Bono, Pav, me. Bono pointed out after, "Now they've got us on film, we have to do Modena."

After they all left, we went on to "Loop 14 (Out)," whose song I quickly lost faith in, but we put on a great DX7 bass triggered from the kick drum (pure sine wave distorting through mic channel) and it then became a whole new thing: "Always Forever Now" (from the Damien Hirst pic), recorded with Bono doing a lead vocal, E-Notes close behind. That piece is too long by half.

Editing "Seibu," covers -- today I felt I was trying to do everything. I was a bit angry with the band for being unfocused, but the evening ("Always Forever Now") was very successful.



11 July An astonishingly chaotic day: in the morning working with PhotoShop on some Anton Japan pics (cover idea), then back into "Always Forever Now" until Bono wanted a "signature" motif: so three hours of Edge valiantly overdubbing, me unable to give any useful advice. Too many cooks -- I went next door. Bono meanwhile doing an interview for Irish TV, a film test for Jim Sheridan, and writing a song out in the studio with Carole King; long phone calls, Howie B. rushing in with chaotic mixes of "Fleet Click" (he lost most of last night's work to a technical problem), Larry listening to the mixes of the Emmylou Harris record he played on (though he did put some fast congas and bongos on song), Anton arriving.

Danton and Rob working very long days -- regularly 14 hours. Engineers and assistants get the hardest job -- because they can't take breaks whenever they feel like it and have to be available from the first to the last.

Serbs overran Srebmica today. I heard it in the taxi home.



12 July Another day of chaos -- comings and goings interrupted by Anton's photo shoot (me as waiter, etc.), which was nonetheless fun. Meanwhile, worrying about "Miss Sarajevo" and Larry and Adam concerned about direction of album. I wore makeup for the shoot and I thought it looked good.

Disappointed hearing "Tokyo Drift" [sic] again -- finding myself embarrassed by my voice. So English and analytical -- like Radio 3.

In the evening, Bono et al. went to see Howie at the Kitchen. I went home, double knackered.

Howie's mixes: baffling -- some completely uninteresting (to me), then the occasional perfect gem. I think he has a completely different concept of what a record should be -- for him a snapshot, for us a painting; for him a magazine, for us a novel. A lot seems to hang on when you listen, and how often -- is it for life or is it a one-night stand? If it's a one-night stand, then you need maximum glamour and drama. If it's a relationship, you want emotional depth. Perhaps this requires partitioning the record.



13 July Drove in with Bono and Edge this morning -- at 10:00. This, after Bono was reportedly up 'til 4:00 a.m. boxing and dancing with Bjork. He looked fresh as a daisy in his shiny black John Rocha suit. In the car, Mark Coleman explaining about the hotel -- huge sums of money involved. The builders want a lot more money. Bono expounded his theory that "being serious is what kills you." For sure this hotel is going to make him serious if he's not careful.

Working on sequencing and cover, editing "Miss Sarajevo" and so on.

At night to Bjork's show, where I met Acacia's manager, who's attractive in a Nana Mouskouri way. Bjork was good (her hand movements are just like her melodies -- sharp, angular), but I thought the show poorly organized -- a sequence that didn't get enough steam up. Audience didn't agree...



12 September Modena. Frantic morning shoe-searching with Fintan. Bought two pairs -- 20,000L and 40,000L (i.e. discounted rubbish). Wanted to buy some ladies gold platform heels, but Fintan sensibly restrained me.

Tense rehearsal with Kamen/Craig semi-confrontation and me in Philistine-as-mediator role. Rehearsal good, but Pav went for (and got) the big note, turned slightly purple, and we all thought he might blow it for the evening. My cold gone thanks to the Pav snake oil cabinet (Feldene Fast -- piroxicam 20 mg., Pfizer Fluimucil 600 -- acetylcysteine 600 mg., and "Coryfin"-Bayer were the ones I used in the end). Well, if anyone has it sorted out it should be him.

Before the show we were running through "One" and "Miss Sarajevo" in the dressing room. Edge looked down a bit, thoughtful; Bono was worrying about the words, which, of course, he had changed and added to (in Serbo-Croatian -- never one for an easy life); but I felt no nerves at all (just a brief flutter immediately before). Easy for me: all I had to do was sing.

On stage in "One" I felt an altered state -- transported, "angelic, luminous" (Anthea's description from the audience). What a beautiful song! The whole audience sang with us. Kamen did great; the orchestra gave me shivers. Funny looking out on to that crowd. To the right of all the VIPs in suits and seats, Princess Di at the fore. To the left 15,000 kids dancing and shouting. Of course everyone sang to the left, where the most action was. Bono calls home after each song: asks Ali (who is watching on satellite) how she thinks it went. After the show I found myself being photographed with all those gorgeous string players from the orchestra.

Princess Di in the dressing room, a funny little clutch at the door -- her, Mo Sacirbey, Bono, Edge's father and myself. I got Pav and the others (after Bono reminded me of the time -- sweet man) to sing "Happy Birthday" for Anthea. Pav was so sweet -- held her hand and gazed into her eyes while he sang -- and she so gracious. She's so magnificent at accepting compliments or gifts -- a great and rare talent. Unexpected reformation of the three tenors: Edge's dad and Bono's dad (both tenors themselves) joined in the singing -- Bob, Garvin and Luciano -- plus all the rest of us, of course. At the enormous formal dinner afterwards, a glitzy and glamorous Sicilian lady came on joke-flirting with me in front of her husband, who told me how much each limb would cost me.



2 November As the Passengers reviews roll in, once again that bad feeling in the stomach at the disparity between the spirit in which things were done -- joy, enthusiasm, curiosity, fascination -- and that in which they are often received -- cynicism, jadedness, resentment. The reviews have been generally reluctantly appreciative, and sometimes very good, but the general feeling is still one of suspicion: "So what are they trying to pull now? Why do they have to be so fucking clever? Who do they think they are?" (The perennial English questions, as though people have to buy your records.) It would be so useful to know where the reviewers were actually coming from: every review should have, below the name of the critic, their ten current favourite works in the medium. That way you have some chance of seeing their prejudices (and they get some sense of what it feels like to be exposed).

I can see it's time for the triennial market correction. My star, having shone unjustifiably high and bright for the last three or so years, must now be snuffed for a while. This is healthy, if uncomfortable.



29 December All to Woodbridge to see Mum. Went for a walk with Roger and talked about music and recording. Message from Bono on answering machine: did we want to go to Sarajevo with Ali and him for New Year's Eve? Leaving tomorrow from Dublin in a Cessna Citation to Split, and then driving up through Mostar. We can't both go, because no nanny. And I like spending New Year's with A. But it's once in a lifetime -- this is a moment in history. I faxed, saying I was tempted.



© Propaganda, 1996. All rights reserved.

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