I listened to...Here Come the Warm Jets and it was pretty good.
I'd honestly like to learn more about his ambient work and stuff, particularly the sort of intellectual background, the sort of view of music that it comes out of. One guy that used to teach at my school was a semi-significant serialist (or something 12-tone) composer who basically argued that music should not be something in the background or something that coexists with other activity, but should be distinct, challenging and pure. Oddly enough the man wasn't even German, despite his tendency to make broad theoretical frameworks. From what I understand that's pretty much the anti-Eno, and I'd kind of like to learn more about the debate, if you could call it that.
Also, any specific observations about his Rober Fripp collaboration? 'Cause that just sounds interesting.
The first public work of Eno's was his book,
Music for Non-Musicians, about manipulating tapes, &c.
Later, he was in an accident. Motorcycle, I believe. He was in the hospital for a long while, and someone brought him a record of Pachelbel's Canon in D. With great effort, Eno was able to open the jacket, open the sleeve, put the record on the turntable, power up the amp, and drop the needle. He forgot to turn up the volume before getting back in bed, tho.
So after the first couple blank grooves, he's lying down again, and here comes that stately old Canon. I think. He can barely hear it, the wind rustling the leaves outside is just as loud. But they sound interesting together, so he forgives himself for forgetting the volume and accepts the music where it is.
That's the inspiration, or the story I always heard, at least.