AMBIENT 1: MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS BY BRIAN ENO

Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno

There's a man named Keyth who lives and works in my neighborhood.  He isn't a friend, relative or even an acquaintance.  I know Keyth because he set up a security system in my parent's house.  You see, Keyth is a locksmith and I find that mildly funny because his name is practically made for his occupation.  It's like, if my name was Joe and I made coffee for a living.  

What does this have to do with anything? 

Brian Eno's 1978 album Ambient 1: Music For Airports is the musical equivalent of my Keyth story.  There has probably never been an album whose title indicates exactly what the music is meant for.  But Music For Airports is literally that.  There's nothing ambiguous about it, because it is played 24/7 at the Marine Air Terminal at Laguardia airport in New York.  I think that might mean that Music For Airports is the most played album in all of New York City—or certainly all of Queens! 

Rumor has it Brian Eno came up with this concept while—get this!—sitting at the terminal of an airport.  He wanted to create an album that could alleviate the anxiety commonly associated with flying.  It certainly helps.  The music, which is made up of mostly pianos and synthesizers is so deceptively simple that you'd think there'd be millions upon millions of albums like this.  There could be, but I don't know of any.  Even when you're not in the airport, the album makes you see calming images of planes and clouds, bringing you into a heavenly sort of apathy.  It's fantastic music to sleep to and I put it on often.

P.S. You can often hear pieces from Music For Airports on NPR's This American Life.

Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno: