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Chris Michie of San Francisco, California, wrote a multipart Nitpick that we’ll only begin to excerpt here. One part of it concerns our characterization of Brian Eno [p. 37 in the book] as “the keyboard player for Roxy Music” early in his career. “Brian Eno was never Roxy Music’s keyboard player,” Chris admonished us in his first e-mail. “Bryan Ferry played piano and Hohner Pianet, and he and Andy Mackay occasionally played Farfisa organ. Eno’s setup consisted of two or more Revox tape recorders for delays and phasing effects and a VCS3 Putney synthesizer which he used to modify the other players’ instruments, with often unpredictable results. Eno has used pianos and other keyboards, but has never claimed to be a competent pianist.”

Chris has since written us again, to Nitpick his own Nitpick! “I have confused the VCS3 synthesizer with a copycat product called the
Putney,” he says, his shame as palpable as the Brylcreem in Andy Mackay’s quiff. “The two devices are more or less identical, but are not the same thing. Also, I now realize that it was unlikely that Eno created phasing effects with his Revoxes, at least while on stage, though the rig was particularly useful for loops and delays. See Frippertronics and ‘Discreet Music.’”

Bonus points for mentioning Fripp, Chris! But still, we never claimed Eno was a competent pianist, either. And is he not operating a keyboard to manipulate his VCS3 in the photo below?

More of the intriguing, Snob-squisite Chris Michie Nitpicks to come!