Jan 23, 2021
I love Eno, but I find Music for Airports (especially 1, with Robert Wyatt) a little anxious--it's like waiting for a plane--which, I think, is Eno's point.
I agree with you that nature recordings like the Rain Sounds interfere less with writing than do more definite compositions. And any song with words--forget it. I use playlists of regular songs BEFORE I start writing, to put myself in the right emotional state, but not during the writing process.
For relaxing alone (not writing), the title track from "Structures from Silence" has worked for me for decades:
