[.ca] Cities in Fog/Cities in Fog 2

original Cities in Fog was groundbreaking...:
I got the first Cities on vinyl in 1985 after hearing it on KCMU. Having lived in the south end of Seattle, I immediately recognized Metal from the Sky. This was groundbreaking stuff. Jeff's interest in climate, cloud cover and ambient sound has led him in various directions over the years. We always have clouds here in Seattle. (No wonder Jeff stayed.) Some nights you awaken (or lie sleepless) and catch the sound of a jetliner, passing somewhere close by. Whether it's the pilot adjusting the engines or merely the vagaries of topography and cloud cover, the sounds approach from all directions, with a complex and indefinite tonality. It's metal from the sky. Some might like the second disc, the more recent stuff. For me, the first disc will always evoke Seattle, as a cable car bell evokes Baghdad by the Bay or Big Ben, London.

Wonderful:
I must agree with the other review of this CD...defenitely listen with the lights off. My particular favorite is "Urban Pasture" on the first disk...a kind of muddled, post-apocalyptic sounding, barren yet textured landscape (if any of that makes sense). Incorporating everyday sounds of industry and machinary make this cd very interesting to listen to, I certainly recommend it.

A true sonic excursion.:
Greinke's soundscapes--both old and new (the discs contain a re-release of his 1985 work "Cities in Fog", and follows up with 1995's sequel to that album)--speak two stories at once: One, the sound of industry and the city, that ambience of the works of man. Two, the alienation towards which such industry ultimately leads; Greinke lets you know that you are alone, utterly alone, in a world of precise mechanics. The lack of both vocals and any sort of defined beat may scare off most listeners (although "Still Fall" from disc two may be an exception), but those who stay will find this true "industrial" music, and not today's version of heavy guitar and synthesizer. But it is still very, very cold. Listen with the lights off.

• Moving Through Fog
• Urban Pasture
• Crevice
• Upwelling
• Maintain Circulation
• Scud
• Forgein Corridor
• Metal from the Sky
• Offshore Search
• Among Icebergs
• Harbor Island
• Between
• Still Fall
• Melt
• Corner
• City Light
• Nightcrawler
• Below
• Low Ceiling