Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) ~ Eno

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is the second solo studio album by Brian Eno (mononymously credited as "Eno"), released in November 1974 by Island Records. Unlike his debut album Here Come the Warm Jets, which had featured 16 musicians, this album utilized a core band of five instrumentalists: Eno himself on keyboards and guitar, guitarist Phil Manzanera, bassist Brian Turrington, drummer Freddie Smith, and percussionist Robert Wyatt, and also featured far fewer guests. Manzanera, who had played with Eno in Roxy Music, also participated in the writing and production. To help guide the musicians, Eno and Peter Schmidt developed instruction cards called Oblique Strategies to facilitate creativity during the recording process.

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) is a loose concept album that addresses a variety of subjects ranging from espionage to the Chinese Communist revolution. Although the songs largely utilise pop-song structures, Eno's lyrics play with themes of geopolitical intrigue. It did not chart in the United Kingdom or the United States, but had received positive reviews from critics. Since its release, the album has received even more critical attention.
Tracks:
1. Burning Airlines Give You So Much More 00:00
2. Back in Judy's Jungle 03:17
3. The Fat Lady of Limbourg 08:33
4. Mother Whale Eyeless 13:38
5. The Great Pretender 19:24
6. Third Uncle 24:35
7. Put a Straw Under Baby 29:25
8. The True Wheel 32:51
9. China My China 38:03
10. Taking Tiger Mountain 42:48