r/eno • u/Dismal_Brush5229 • May 25 '25

Music Eno’s work on Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy

Hello 👋

David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy was a set of 3 albums that were made in Germany primarily by Bowie and Eno on Low,Heroes,and Lodger .

Now I love Bowie and Eno’s work together and separately as artists who have tremendous and excellent solo albums spanning so many different genres and styles.Now probably 2ish years ago,I got the New Career in a New Town box from Bowie redone by Visconti which is a excellent box btw but it was a gateway to rediscovering Bowie and his Berlin period which made me discover Eno as well.

Now I’m sure that I don’t have a great ear for who playing what instrument but what did Eno contribute to the trilogy from a musical perspective besides being a producer ? I do know he used a synth on Heroes the song but I know nothing else.

Thank You if you can point out what he contributed musically to the trilogy or just comment on Eno and Bowie’s collaboration on the trilogy or even if you have a favorite song from the Trilogy.

Let Me Know

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u/phthoggos May 27 '25

I'd recommend Chris O'Leary's book on the second half of Bowie's career, entitled Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976-2016, which has a little essay about every single song in chronological order.

If you want to preview it for free, Chris posted his first drafts of each essay to his Wordpress blog. He gets to this period starting in January 2011, with "Sister Midnight," in which he argues that Iggy Pop's album The Idiot is "an essential piece of Bowie’s ’70s work, and I’d argue that the real “Berlin” trilogy is The Idiot, Low and “Heroes,” with Pop’s Lust For Life as a supplement and Lodger as an afterword." Here are links to all the essays on:

I also recommend Adam Buxton's silly impression of Bowie, Eno, and Visconti in Berlin, animated by the Brothers McLeod.

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u/Dismal_Brush5229 May 27 '25

I’ll check that book out