Harold Budd

Don't know much about this artist except for the fact that he has collaborated on many occasions with Brian Eno and that we used to carry his CDs in the New Age section of the music store where I used to work. Some sites qualify his work as neo-classicism, but to these ears, it is clearly new age. His main instrument is the piano and it is always played softly with slight variations in melody to keep things from getting boring. It's all very beautiful, but unfortunately, like most new age music, it lacks any signs of challenge, ideas or themes which would elevate it above the usual relaxation music. He is included on this site for the aforementioned collaborations and I doubt I will be getting anything else anytime soon (unless I become this incredibly successful businessman with no time on my hands and in desperate need of a few minutes of "quiet time" a day not to blow a fuse - and that's just not likely to happen).

Ambient 2 The Plateaux Of Mirror
Label: Virgin Records/Astralwerks
Release: 1981
Format: CD
Cat. no: 7243 8 66497 2 0

Song list:

First Light (7:06)
Steal Away (1:29)
The Plateaux Of Mirror (4:13)
Above Chiangmai (2:55)
An Arc Of Doves (6:29)
Not Yet Remembered (3:50)
The Chill Air (2:13)
Among Fields Of Crystal (3:24)
Wind In Lonely Fences (3:58)
Failing Light (4:14)

The Pearl
Label: Virgin Records
Release: 1984
Format: CD
Cat. no: 0946 3 32008 2 1

Song list:

Late October (4:38)
A Stream With Bright Fishes (3:51)
The Silver Ball (3:26)
Against The Sky (4:46)
Lost In The Humming Air (4:19)
Dark-Eyed Sister (4:36)
Their Memories (2:54)
The Pearl (3:07)
Foreshadowed (3:54)
An Echo Of Night (2:22)
Still Return (4:11)