SKU: 53502666006

Before And After Science

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Before And After SciencePrefacing the ambient music which Brian Eno would pursue later on, Before And After Science pulled off the feat of uniting pro and anti punks in 1977. For record buyers, 1977 felt long and momentous. If you were on the pro side of the punk debate, the initial euphoria had been somewhat tempered by tabloid and or physical abuse, and mixed feelings over Sex Pistols crossing into the mainstream with a performance on Top Of The Pops. Meanwhile, those on

Prefacing the ambient music which Brian Eno would pursue later on, ‘Before And After Science’ pulled off the feat of uniting pro-and anti-punks in 1977.

For record buyers, 1977 felt long and momentous. If you were on the “pro” side of the punk debate, the initial euphoria had been somewhat tempered by tabloid and/or physical abuse, and mixed feelings over Sex Pistols’ crossing into the mainstream with a performance on Top Of The Pops. Meanwhile, those on the “anti” side of the fence were bemused and outraged to find their favorite well-established artists dismissed as irrelevant dinosaurs – often, surprisingly, with little significant impact upon their long-term popularity. Either way, a palpable exhaustion had set in by the year’s end, which is where Brian Eno’s Before And After Science came in.

Whether they acknowledged it or not, punks and reactionaries alike needed a respite from the tumult. Brian Eno’s fourth solo album, originally released on the Polydor imprint in December 1977, surreptitiously pulled off the not-inconsiderable feat of uniting both factions as an almost incidental by-product of its casual otherness.

For punks, Eno carried a certain cachet as the outrageous rebel who generated blizzards of pointy noise with the early Roxy Music, while the top-tier musicianship of album guests the likes of Phil Collins and Percy Jones (at that point the seamless rhythm section of jazz-rockers Brand X) ensured that Before And After Science boasted a proficiency attractive to those who still sent in their nominations for the “best instrumentalist” polls in Melody Maker.

Side One of the original vinyl release – subtitled Fourteen Pictures, with reference to the album’s ten songs, plus the four subtle prints by artist Peter Schmidt which came with initial pressings – features a clutch of enigmatic but generally uptempo compositions. “No One Receiving” draws upon the numbed, swaying, and disconnected avant-funk (“Nobody sees us alone out here among the stars”) that characterized side one of David Bowie’s Low, which had been released in January 1977, with Eno as one of Bowie’s key collaborators. “Backwater,” amiable and remorselessly catchy, boasts a scuttling drum pattern by Jaki Liebezeit of Can, and could so easily have been a hit single had anyone thought to release it as such. (Oddly, it eventually surfaced as a single in 1986, nine years later.)

“Kurt’s Rejoinder” features a sample of avant-garde artist/poet Kurt Schwitters reciting his surrealist tract “Ursonate,” and finds Eno offhandedly assuming the role of dance caller: “Do the do-si-do, do the mirror man, do the Boston crab, and the allemande.” “Energy Fools The Magician,” a spacious instrumental in tense suspension, is underscored by Percy Jones’ flurry of pinging bass harmonics, while “King’s Lead Hat” – an anagram of Talking Heads, with whom Eno was in thrall at the time – is a pleasingly raucous word salad that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on his 1974 debut album, Here Come The Warm Jets (“The killer cycles, the killer hertz, the passage of my life is measured out in shirts”).

As for the subdued, meditative fare on Side Two, there could be no finer preface to the ambient experiments which Eno would pursue in succeeding years. Taken together, the five tracks constitute a consoling, weightless, “ocean music” suite (to paraphrase Eno himself). “The radio is silent; so are we,” Eno observes on the gorgeous reverie “Julie With…,” while Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster add the gentlest gravitas to “By This River” (“You talk to me as if from a distance”).

Topped and tailed by “Here He Comes” and “Spider And I,” Side Two of Before And After Science utilizes what, for Eno, are quite conventional, linear melodies. But in their understatement, a wellspring of implied emotion broils beneath the still surface.

 

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Style: SPF 30, Size: 5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1), Style: SPF 30, Size: 5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I just received this item which was ordered specifically 17th of December and I received it on December 20th. I was excited and didn't bother to read the reviews and wish I had. To begin the expiration is December 2024, therefore this product I just received is basically useless. Secondly to my eye the product came battered, there seem to be some marks on the bottle and if I have to be honest to me looks as if it has been used. Given the dangers potential dangers of using expired skin product I will not be using this, and the worst thing of all, this item is not returnable, going to figure out if I can get a refund at least.
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Expires in only 3 months so that's on seller "The MMC." Otherwise the sunscreen itself is great.
Style: SPF 30, Size: 5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I split the difference on the rating: I would give only 1 star for seller "The MMC" because as others have experienced there is little time left before the product I received expires (3 months). I expect that to really matter on a product where you are relying on the strength of the ingredients to protect your skin. Otherwise I'd give a 5 rating for the sunscreen itself. I tried 3 different brands of mineral sunscreens in the last few years because I had become concerned about loading up my skin with chemicals. They were all a little "white hazy" but I am fair-skinned so once they were on about 20 minutes they weren't very noticeable. But I had to sit on a towel in my car to protect my upholstery and they all left faint white streaks on the armrests and window sills, and reapplying them later in the day was a pain when I had to worry about getting them on my clothes. The last straw came when Consumer Reports published their research showing very poor scores for all the mineral sunscreens they tested. So I reluctantly switched back to a chemical sunscreen and after some research I settled on this one - Eucerin Sun Advanced Hydration SPF 30. It fared decently in Consumer Reports ratings and the ingredients are rated "low hazard" by the Environmental Working Group. It is definitely a thinner lotion than most sunscreens but I've gotten used to it and now consider it a plus -- it's very quick and easy to apply and it absorbs fast. And it doesn't make a mess on my clothes when I reapply it. Some people have said that it's a little shiny on the skin and that's true. I should note that I use a different sunscreen just for my face and neck and I don't wear makeup anymore so that's not a factor for me. As far as sun protection goes, which is kind of the point, I spent over a week hiking in five national parks in the Utah sun at high altitude this past June and I did not get even a whisper of sunburn despite being fair-skinned. So the product did its job.
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Easy application - absorbs easily
Style: SPF 30, Size: 5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
The sunscreen is quite thin and liquidy which made applying it easy and quick. Spent 2 hours per day for several days playing pickleball in full, constant sun and not a tinge of pink on my skin. I highly recommend this product!
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Soothing Lotion - Excellent before bedtime
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I absolutely love this lotion. The lavender scent is gentle and calming without being overpowering, and it really does make applying it feel like a small moment of relaxation. The texture is smooth and absorbs nicely, leaving my skin soft and well moisturized without feeling greasy. The natural oatmeal formula feels very soothing, especially when skin is dry or irritated. It’s become a staple in my routine because it hydrates so well and the scent is so comforting. A wonderful lotion to keep on hand if you enjoy skincare that both nourishes your skin and helps you unwind a little at the end of the day.
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Terrific price and product
Size: 33 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
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