The Pearl (album)


The Pearl is an album by ambient musicians Harold Budd and Brian Eno, which was released in 1984. This album is similar to Budd and Eno's previous collaboration Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror, consisting mostly of subtly treated piano textures, but this time with more pronounced electronic treatments and nature recordings. This album was produced with Daniel Lanois, who is also credited on the front cover.
The track "Against the Sky" was sampled in "Cedars of Lebanon" from U2's album No Line on the Horizon.

Critical reaction

The album was well-received by critics. Ned Raggett, writing for AllMusic, stated that "The Pearl is so ridiculously good it instantly shows up much of the mainstream new age as the gloopy schlock that it often is". Robert Christgau wrote that "These eleven pieces are more circumspect and detailed, and while they do slip into decoration they're the most intellectually gratifying music Eno's put his name on since his first Jon Hassell LP".

Track listing

All tracks composed by Brian Eno and Harold Budd
  1. "Late October" – 4:38
  2. "A Stream with Bright Fish" – 3:54
  3. "The Silver Ball" – 3:26
  4. "Against the Sky" – 4:46
  5. "Lost in the Humming Air" – 4:21
  6. "Dark-Eyed Sister" – 4:36
  7. "Their Memories" – 2:54
  8. "The Pearl" – 3:07
  9. "Foreshadowed" – 3:54
  10. "An Echo of Night" – 2:22
  11. "Still Return" – 4:11

    Personnel

;Technical