Brian Eno became a solo artist after two albums with Roxy Music. He recorded 3 pop albums "Here Come The Warm Jets" (1974), "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)" (1974) and "Another Green World" (1975). "Discreet Music" (1975) was his first ambient instrumental album.
Eno in 1977
In december 1977 Brian Eno released his last pop music album before becoming an ambient artist and producer. It was titled "Before And After Science". A few english and german artists guested on the album including members of Roxy Music, Free, Genesis, Fairport Convention, Hawkwind, King Crimson, Can and Cluster. A total of 100 tracks were written but only 10 appeared on the album.
Eno producing for Bowie in 1977
The album was recorded in a period of two years which is much longer in comparison to his previous albums which were recorded in a very short period. He wanted to guarantee a good quality since "Another Green World" was highly recommended by many famous artists including David Bowie who hired Eno for this reason to produce his albums "Low" and "Heroes" also from 1977. There are similarities that could be heared if you compare these two Bowie albums with "Before And After Science".

Eno himself described the album as ocean music in comparison to "Another Green World" which was sky music. References to water in the lyrics appear in songs such as "Backwater", "Julie With..." and "By this River".

"No One Receiving" already introduced the kinda sound we can her on his later productions for the Talking Heads. “Backwater" is in the same style as songs from his album "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy". "Here He Comes" is about a boy trying to vanish by floating through the sky through a different time and "Spider and I", about a boy watching the sky and dreaming about being carried away with a ship. His songwriting was influenced by poet Kurt Schwitters particularly on "Kurt's Rejoinder" including samples of the poem "Ursonate".
David Byrne from the Talking Heads with Brian Eno
"King's Lead Hat" is an anagram that refers to the Talking Heads a band he met and he would produce some albums for them in the 70's until 1980 after he finished this solo album. Robert Wyatt also contributed to the album under the pseudonymn Shirley Williams on "Through Hollow Lands" and "Kurt's Rejoinder". The closing hymn “Spider and I” is set in a “world without sound”. Brian is not afraid to use some science with electronic sounds to create a great atmosphere in his songs.
Brian Eno producing for U2
After this album he continued a career as producer for many artists including Talking Heads, U2, David Bowie, Icehouse and Coldplay. He also made the "The Microsoft Sound", the six second startup sound of windows 95.

“You can never step in the same river twice”.

Before And After Science
No One Receiving / Backwater / Kurt's Rejoinder / Energy Fools the Magician / King's Lead Hat / Here He Comes / Julie With ... / By This River / Through Hollow Lands / Spider and I

No One Receiving
Kurt's Rejoinder