Remain In Light

(3/5) I've said it before and I'll say it again -- I **want** to like the Heads more than I do. This is our second one, and this one is very New Wave-ish, with Byrne's all-over-the-place lyrics. I love "Once in a Lifetime" and "Houses in Motion" was good too. The rest just passed me by..

I've been a big fan of the Talking Heads since my youth, and this album was a pretty big reason why. Experimental, non-conformist, and just plain cool, they pushed my early musical boundaries more than any other artist I can think of. Byrne's voice always struck me as an accompanying instrument more than just a vehicle for lyrical delivery on a good number of their tracks, and their international influences shine through more and more the older I get. Not my personal favorite of their albums, but still rounds up from a 4.5/5 in my estimation.

"Same as it ever was" Let's begin by saying I enjoyed this album much more than the previous Talking Head album we had, "More Songs About Buildings and Food." I gave that album a "2" while this one gets a "3." Why? I think I was more forgiving of the weird delivery of the vocals. There doesn't seem to be any set style for this. The Wikipedia used the term avant-pop and that felt exactly right. An album of free association of words and sounds, sometimes shaped to resemble a pop song. If this is the best the Talking Heads have to offer then perhaps they are not a band for me. 3/5

And you may ask yourself... This is all makes sense when I realised that the whole album is stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Wonderful stuff!

If you ever wondered what the hypnotic polyrhythms that you could find in the music of Fela Kuti would sound like if they fronted by a zany autistic white guy, then look no further than Talking Heads' masterpiece. Backed by talented studio guns Brian Eno and Adrian Belew, all the moving parts here just work perfectly and still sound fresh some 40 years later. The band take influence from afrobeat and reggae sounds, but they never feel like they are ripping that style off and use it to create their own unique sound. From the infectious percussion to the funky guitar work to David Byrne scatty paranoid singing, there's so much to love here.

To me, Talking Heads have always been THAT BAND that all my nerdy band friends worship while I'm over here in the corner like, huh? Kind of like prog rock friends, too. Like, you either get it or you don't. I don't, but the African-based grooves make it fun so I give it a 3.

I did try to like this. Just couldn’t get into it. Not really sure why

I knew that I would either really like this or hate it based on what I know about the Talking Heads. There are so many aspects of this album that are incredibly weird and off putting and they are placed so perfectly to make it interesting and impactful. You can hear the groove/funk influence in the music. The energy starts out so high and fizzles out by the end (only thing stopping me from giving this a 5).

Good album, funky, unique. Not necessarily my vibe though, but would see myself listening to it once in a while when I’m feeling funky or roadtripping.

Once in a lifetime really carries huh?

Incredible. Album of the fall perhaps

A 5 Star system that only I care about but let's test it: Influence: Absolutely five-star territory. The album's interlocking rhythms, looping arrangements, African musical influences, electronic textures and approach to the studio helped expand what art rock and pop could sound like. Its descendants are everywhere, even when artists don't sound directly like Talking Heads. The album itself: Remain in Light isn't just a collection of songs that became important. The whole record operates as a musical system. Individual parts keep repeating and shifting, the rhythms seem to have minds of their own, and David Byrne is somehow both the frontman and one more instrument inside the machine. My experience of it: I loved this listen (even the extended outtakes and the Fela nod). It starts strong and never stops. I could listen to this any day at any time. Not my easiest 5, but a 5.

Great album. Rhythm section are excellent and great hooks. Maybe short of 1 or 2 bangers for 5 stars. A very strong 4.

It’s a bit more electronic than the music I normally listen to, and at times it gets a little repetitive for me, but I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure I could really say why I like it more than other electronic leaning music. Maybe it’s the percussion? It definitely gives it great pace and energy. Maybe it’s just already having some familiarity with it? Whatever it is, I thought there were some fun guitar parts, and some great brass. I really liked the vocal style. Just felt like good fun all the way through, even when it was getting a bit repetitive for me. Fav song: Once in a Lifetime Least fav: Seen and Not Seen

Don’t know how to feel about this cover, but I actually think I like it. Some good somgs on this album also. Doesn’t have the real weirdness of other talking heads I feel. I’m choosing to ignore that Brian eno produced most of it. Specific rating - 3.9 Fav song- once in a lifetime Least fav - houses in motion

Decent enough - nothing special for me though

Heard it before. I was literally just complaining the other day about the fact that Stop Making Sense isn't on the list and now I get a Talking Heads album. I know to many people this is their best album but... not to me. I think the first half is quite good but then it's just whatever 2/5

This was my first time listening since hearing Fela Kuti and I can definitely hear the influence. Born Under Punches, The Great Curve and Once in a Lifetime were my favourites. I really enjoyed Once in a Lifetime I think it's a perfect song. I think ilthe album lost steam during the second half it felt a bit front loaded to me.

I did indeed find myself in another part of the world. Still waiting on the wife and automobile.

very interesting sounds. good first talking heads album

a textural delight, with a strong rhythmic drive underpinning a variety of weird and wonderful sonic adventures

Great album. Very influential

When we tragically lost David Lynch a couple of years back, for a few moments, it didn't register with me. I genuinely saw "David" and thought Byrne had died. Not trying to say losing one is more heartbreaking than the other, but it'd be so disheartening to lose someone who gave us the beauty that is Remain In Light.

Remain in Light, what is there to say about this project that hasn't already been said? This project makes Fear of Music look like a warm up with how much harder Talking Heads came back to one up their experimentation and further commit to the funky electronics. Once again we wouldn't have this gorgeous masterpiece without the help of Brian Eno's production mixed with the quirky confidence of Talking Heads. It blows my mind how big of a step they made to go from the more minimal Fear of Music to the extroverted and bold sound here on Remain in Light. I don't think this album is as consistent as a lot of people think, yes the songs are too drastically different but it does feel like the sounds are jumping around a lot when comparing the beginning to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and it really made me realize just how on their shit Talking Heads were for their time, but I don't think this stands as one of my favorite releases of all time. It is cool for what it is but I am not super crazy about it, but I can appreciate the influence it has and what they did for the industry as it still is shown even today, over 40 years later. It's a classic, what else can I say?

Kann ich nix mit anfangen ... . 80er, aber kein Highlight!

Weird, but it in all the best ways.

Meh. Had that one famous song once in a lifetime

groovyyyy

Nice treat to get one of my wife's favorite bands to finish off the week. I like this although stop making sense is a little better for me. The Fela Kuti influence is so cool and this is what got me into Fela Kuti in the first place.

Autistic people DO make the best music:)

Every song makes you want to nod your head. And yet every song sounds unique. Maybe their best album. 5/5

Decent.

Enjoyed.

The poly rhythm is neat, like James Brown or later Prince produced their album. But, other Talking Heads is better. Just give us Stop Making Sense. The generator has given me two Talking Heads records, neither has their hits

There are too many Talking Heads albums on this list, but Remain in Light deserves its place. Truly the high-water mark for the group and its constituent parts.

(10/10) It's a weird kind of funky but also kind of dark record that starts really energetic and enthusiastic, but devolves into a rather stark and bleak experience that feels like peeling back the layers of society and seeing the true dark within. Groovy!

LETTING THOSE DAYS GO BY

No way is this Talking Heads best album.

Cohesive, some interesting sounds, sometimes wished songs evolved more within each track. Thought it was good but probably won’t go back to listen to it again.

Not my bag. Can appreciate that some people may think it’s amazing though.

Var et fint album, tænker at det er foran sin tid på en måde, men er ikke helt sikker

Same as it ever was... Another album I know but never listened to properly. Wow. The rhythm is mesmerising. David Byrne's vocals work well with it. Brian Eno's hand is strong on the production. The crazy thing is as good as it is, you can't even say it's peak Talking Heads. They keep reinventing themselves in interesting ways. I suppose it could be said this is the last of the first incarnation of the band. Fantastic stuff 5/5.

This is actually a notable album. This album made a difference in music. I enjoyed this one. Need less garbage on this list and more stuff like this.

Me gustó mucho el álbum. No lo había escuchado entero. Conocía Speaking Tongues y me sigue gustando más ese, pero me parece súper interesante y novedoso lo que hacía Talking Heads en su época. Tiene unos sonidos súper juguetones y experimentales. Hay canciones muy alegres, otras más oscuras, que quizá que no disfruto tanto, pero igual aprecio los matices del álbum.

Funky and fun, records like this aren't put out anymore, and for a long time haven't.

If I could put every album on 4 stars and put this one on 5,I'd do it.

I guess I just don’t get the hype. Nothing really mind-blowing honestly.

225. Remain In Light - Talking Heads (1980) 10.4.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 5 = 5.0 "Same as it ever was/ Same as it ever was" It seems like at any given time the mainstream public consciousness only has room for a small handful ( or less) of professional weirdos in the arts. In the 1950s you had Little Richard, in the 1960s you had Andy Warhol, in the 70s David Bowie, etc... Sometimes these people had more of a cultural footprint, sometimes less. And of course this all varied according to region. The ones that were able to straddle that line between artsy experimentation and mainstream acceptability often tend to be some of the more lauded ( often in retrospect) artists of the 20th century. Whether they lean more to the avant-garde side or the mainstream side I think moved that eventual cultural acceptance along at a different pace. Warhol, for example, still remains controversial, though I think he's more appreciated now than he was at the time. The U.S. was a bit behind on getting fully behind Bowie, but even he was relatively mainstream by the early 80s. The Talking Heads I think are one of the few American bands ( certainly the biggest example I can think of) from the 80s that seem to exemplify this phenomenon the best. They were making consciously measured, and intelligent, artsy music in the period that the dinosaurs of the genre were cementing what would become Classic Rock, and were doing it without the unfriendly, sometimes aggressively weird attitude that a lot of their peers 9 see Devo) had, and which made it so hard for those bands to build any broad cultural capital. The Talking Heads were just a bit strange, but they were by all accounts relatively normal people who enjoyed making danceable rhythms, and filling their songs with catchy melodies. In other words they made extremely listenable and enjoyable content that you didn't necessarily have to think to much about. But you could if you wanted to. And while I would not exactly call any of them founts of charisma ( though Byrne himself is much more canny about his image and persona than people give him credit for) they didn't go out of their way to rock the boat and become magnets for bizarre, cliched, rock star theatrics. In retrospect they seem incredibly normcore compared to a lot of their peers, and until they broke up seemed relatively unhampered by anything in the press that didn't pertain to their music. You could even argue that they had an almost negative public persona as a band. I've was well familiar with the and when I was a child in the 80s via their constant MTV presence, and don't remember hearing them on the radio until maybe my teens. The iconic video for "Once in a Lifetime" is still burned into my brain, and they remain a pretty visual band for me. The Stop Making Sense concert film probably helped reinforce this. But it was not until my late teens or early 20s that I listened to any of their albums all the way through in full, and I remember being damn impressed that not only did these guys have killer hit singles, their albums were chock full of awesome deep cuts as well. I think if I had come to this album any earlier than that, I would have clocked the one hit song, been unimpressed, and kept flipping through the bin until I found the greatest hits CD. I bring all this up to hammer home the fact that I never saw the band as some art school project, just as a group of people who made some really catchy, great songs. And as a result, that has colored how I now think of them. They weren't trying to make unapproachable, intellectual music I don't think. They just happened to be intellectual, artsy people who wanted to make fun, entertaining music, and it just so happened that a lot of their influences would be ones that would stand the test of time, and would inform their work so much that it too would go on to become just as influential, maybe more so as it likely reached a larger audience. And in turn, people like me have been able to go back and look at their influences and discover a lot of cool shit. I'm fairly certain that reading about this album in particular is how I even know about Fela Kuti, for example. I'm glad to listen to this one again even though it hasn't been that long since my last listen anyways, and while my rating has already been predetermined, I'm wondering what interesting thing I'll notice this time around. THE TRACKS Side one "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" - Immediately we're into the afrobeat inspired beats and we get a sort of mish mash of bouncy rhythms, funky bass, scratchy and nervous guitars all under Bryne's yelpy delivery. I can't really make much literal sense of the lyrics, but you've the imagery of a government man, with bloody hands, ready to do his dirty business, and the atmosphere is one of paranoia and maybe more than a little "that's just the way things are" matter of factness. Almost 6 minutes just soar by in a blink. "Crosseyed and Painless" - Even more nervous energy here as Byrne delivers manic and confused vocals, and you feel like whoever is speaking is losing their goddamn mind, and at an incredible clip. What's real? Am I who I think I am? This is like a Philip K. Dick short story in song form, with reality constantly slipping out of your hands. Not sure they ever did a video for this, but Byrne in a tin foil hat might have been some good imagery to start with. The chorus here is the best part with its too brief moments of calm in the storm of the constant barrage of percussion. "The Great Curve" - The pace is still up UP UP! But here there's measure and control where the last track felt rudderless. There's still some measure of danger and mystery though, but there's more awe and a narrator describing instead of experiencing. Adrian Belew's metallic and screeching guitar parts seems like they should be at odds with the energetic bongos and rhythm section, but they add even more dynamism somehow. There's urgency here, that's building towards something, but is it apocalyptic or transcendent? Both? This song makes me want to go running (not really I would die before I made it half a mile) or do something to expend the energy that seems to have transferred over to me like some sort of musical static electricity that I now have to burn off. I think I may even be typing faster, if not quite to the beat. My favorite track off the album, if not the best... Side two "Once in a Lifetime" - And here we have as good a candidate for an all-time top 10 list as any song we've had yet on the list. This is one that every time I hear it still hits me with a wave of emotion and fascination the same way it did when I probably first heard it, switching back and forth between those magical, almost religious ( dig Byrne's preacher man vibes here) verses, and the supremely catchy and oddly comforting choruses where the vocals summon a sort of feeling of acceptance of this strange place you've found yourself in . It's such a crossover hit that it's become shorthand in movie trailers now for existential crisis, and maybe the beauty that comes with not knowing any answers. I've quoted this once before ( I can't remember on which album) but it reminds me of the lyric from "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants that reads "Everybody dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful". That song as well has some of the DNA of this song in it I think. If Talking Heads are remembered for any of their songs, it's likely to be this ( "Psycho Killer" I think has been overtaken by this point). Everyone is on point here (to be fair it's rare that they are not) and the songs becomes a melodic engine, full of interesting hooks ( that crystalline electronic bit that bubbles under the verses might be the best representation of water in a song I can think of) and becomes much more than the sum of it's parts in a way that few songs can. "Houses in Motion" - This track seems to embody immobility while still moving forward, like someone who is walking in place but going nowhere. Things hang together by a thread, and there's constant motion but no progress. We stay in a funky groove for the duration and you get the feeling that James Brown haunts this one with his theory of "The One", Where every instrument melds together and functions as a single percussion instrument, anchoring them all to the heavy downbeat. This track felt oppressive and cynical in a way that feels like a polar opposite to the previous one, which made it hit even harder. We also get Brian Eno joining in on the fun and adding his voice to the chorus. "Seen and Not Seen" - Already at the lowest low point on the album, things stay down near the bottom and we get a more John Cale or Leonard Cohenesque spoken word delivery from Byrne over top what sounds like preview of the Tom Tom Club album, with it's roller skate jam beat. We get a narrative of a personality in some sort of dissociative identity crisis imagining forcing his facial features to change via some strength of will. It's more eerie than it is creepy, but the hypnotic groove keeps it from becoming any sort of horror story. "Listening Wind" - One of the few actual straight forward narratives, told in the third person about a man using violence against people encroaching in his homeland. The imagery is that of terrorism, but there's never any sense that the man in the story feels anything other than a sense of righteousness, and it feels fated or out of his control. This sort of thing would probably not fly nowadays in the way it humanizes and gives some sort of point of view that isn't the victims. Over all of this we have Adrian Belew's somber but aggressive guitar scratching and screeching like some seagull howling in pain. Or maybe like that wind in the lyrics. This song in particular feels like the blueprint for some Peter Gabriel stuff like "San Jacinto" or "The Rhythm Of The Heat" on his album Security or more thematically "Games Without Frontiers" off of his third album. "The Overload" - A fun fact about this one is that supposedly the band was prompted to make a song that sounded like Joy Division, without ever hearing anything from Joy Division, but instead basing it entirely on reviews they read. Not sure how legit that is, but sounds like a fun project, and if true they didn't land too far off the mark. There's maybe some Doors influence here. This is pretty doomy, and full of a dark atmosphere. The droning, and the growling and buzzing guitar work and synths ( I assume) almost sound like there's some chorus of Mongolian throat singers trapped at the bottom of a deep well. This was awesome, and I think would be the track that would most surprise someone coming to this new, who was expecting something more akin to "And She Was" or "Wild Wild Life". HIGHLIGHTS - EVERYTHING. MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS It's amazing that I never get tired of this thing. I'd be hard pressed to try and find a way to justify putting it into my top 10 or even 20 albums, but I do think it gets closer and closer with each listen. There's not an off moment the whole way through, and I even tried very hard to find anything to criticize. I thought about looking at it from the point of view of someone who wouldn't like the band, but even found that hard. Who doesn't like awesome rhythms, and catchy music? Byrne maybe has a reputation for being cold or deadpan in his delivery, but even within individual songs where this happens, its immediately contrasted with very emotive parts where he will provide his own call and response vocals that are anything but cold. It's all so perfectly formed and like an engine like I mentioned earlier. Maybe that's it then? Is it too designed and with too many flaws sanded away? Music like that is generally boring though, and this most certainly is not. If I really had to dig in and figure out why this stays out of my top 10 of all time, I think it honestly comes down to how many of their other albums I like almost just as much. It's the Paradox of Choice/ Analysis Paralysis. They can't all be in, so none of them are. That said I did give More Songs About Buildings And Food 4 -stars. A choice which has bothered my like a sore tooth for a while. I think on a relisten I'd be more charitable to the lack of massive hits on that one. We've still got two more after this though, and I think there's a good chance for a couple of more 5's, even if they're rounded up. And they still have a few albums afterwards that I think are great, and full of some of their best, most accessible stuff, but which did not make the list, which is a shame. Talking Heads are in the running as the best overall American band of the 20th Century ( of all time frankly) and they are pretty well represented here still. And that's not even considering that we have a Tom Tom Club album ( a perfect unicorn of an album, but we'll get there! Possible turn-Offs might include: - Deadpan vocal delivery - A polyrhythmic percussion bordering on the ridiculous - unconventional ( for rock) song structures - nakedly ambitious levels of borrowing from Afrobeat tradition You might enjoy this if you: - want to be able to dance to your post-punk rock music - love the funk, but wish it was WAY faster and more full of dissonant guitar work - prefer your rock music to be a bit more varied in its influences - want to hear what a band and producer team at their creative peak sounds like PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nope. FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Tago Mago by Can - Afrodesiac by Fela Kuti - Mothership Connection by Parliament - Lodger by David Bowie - Kurtis Blow by Kurtis Blow - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by David Byrne and Brian Eno Contemporaries: - Entertainment! by Gang of Four - Discipline by King Crimson - This Heat by This Heat - Duty Now for the Future by Devo - Exposure by Robert Fripp - Manifesto by Roxy Music Descendants: - Danseparc by Martha and the Muffins - Tom Tom Club by Tom Tom Club - Peter Gabriel by Peter Gabriel - Graceland by Paul Simon - Kid A by Radiohead - Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem - Total Life Forever by Foals - Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo

Bullshit.

Their best album, if you ask me (and anyone else)

Noise, just so much noise on loop. The noise never stops. Eventually you realize that the noise just cannot ever stop. Then blessedly it stops and you are freed from ever having to listen to this album again. 1.5 stars, rounding up because this album has exactly one song that is halfway enjoyable.

Fun! Once in a Lifetime sounds like it was released in 2014, in a good way. Seen and Not Seen is The Gift by The Velvet Underground

Experimental. Thought provoking. Groundbreaking. It's not bad; it's just weird. It feels more like a spoken word album with a vibe of music laid out underneath. The feeling of that repetitive, looping synth style is perhaps captivating, or maybe unnerving. And David Bryne's voice - yeah... As strange as it is, "Once in a Lifetime" is probably the best track on the album.

The last few tracks are a very slight downgrade but man those first 5 tracks are SUBLIME. Big fan of this album.

Great classic album

People who don't like Talking Heads are weird. I don't trust them.

4/5

As ever with Talking Heads, they impress and fascinate me far more than they actually engage me. The playing, especially the bass, is amazing, David Byrne basically defines cool detached quirkiness, and there are even chart hits, and yet I still struggle to really connect with their stuff. This is the one I have got on best with so far though, so I am rounding up from a solid 3.5.

A certified banger. Not a single bad song on the album. My body is moving on its own.

leuk album

talking heads have a few songs i really enjoy but overall i’ve never been hugely into them. this was fine.

I've listened to this 3 times and I really enjoy it but it all kindof rolls into one each time. The rhythms are great and fun, then once in a lifetime comes on, which is unbelievably good, then some more great rhythm, then suddenly I find myself saying, "oh, this sounds a lot like joy division" then it ends. All in all, great album, but maybe not all the bits are individually standout enough for a 5.

Bello ma mi aspettavo meglio

One of the greatest albums ever still, especially enjoyed Side A on listening this time around - 5/5 same as it ever was.

Experimental

letting the days go by

Spiky and very New York. Great production. Thin on good songs.

MAN I was disappointed in this. All of the fun from the first half is completely gone in the second. I was lucky to get their albums in order and this is not how I wanted to end my journey with them. Still good, though.

YAY. Except. HA This album cover turned over saturated poster has become associated with the suicide of Patrick Wilson’s brother on Cape Fear. Woops. Anyway, excited. // Love. I think it would hit better when I’m in a dancey mood rather than driving to the airport, but it’s infectious as always, and features some of my faves

Fantastic. 9/10

okay, so far, this is the best Taking Heads album in my opinion. It does not sound completely terrible. Also, Once in a Lifetime is their hardest banger sorry

Explosive

I just can’t get into a whole album of this band that much.

Excellent record. Once again, a band I have enjoyed exclusively via singles to this point. A really well crafted album and worthy of inclusion me thinks. 4/5.

absolutely love love love this album, probably a top 10 for me. 5/5.

I feel like I've gotten a run of albums by artists who deserve to be on the list (and are) for better albums. This is the Amnesiac of Talking Heads albums

Really like this one. Reminds me of one of my favorite albums, Security. Very listenable, sounds great with headphones. 4.5

Their music is busy for no reason. Just a bunch of shit going on in this whitewashed new agent funk style I don’t really understand. Not bad just not what I would turn to if I was looking for an 80s fix. Highlight: The Great Curve

Once in a Lifetime is an absolute banger. The rest is ok for me. I can see why people love the Talking Heads.

The Talking Heads are pretty much incomparable in my opinion. This album is a little long and perhaps deserves more of an effort from me in properly delving into it. Still very good though

Le voilà enfin sur ma platine, l’album roi, l’indéboulonnable totem, le prétendu chef-d’œuvre absolu de Talking Heads car après m’être farci leur discographie pas à pas, le moment de vérité a sonné. Il est grand temps de vérifier si cette couronne de laurier n’est pas un brin usurpée ou si l’on nage en plein délire d’hagiographes du rock sous perfusion d’amphétamines. Pour rappel, mon parcours ressemble à des montagnes russes drôlement bien foutues, mais pas exemptes de secousses. On avait démarré en fanfare avec un Talking Heads: 77 sec, nerveux, habité par une névrose new-yorkaise jubilatoire qui s’était mangé un très joli 4 sur 5 amplement mérité. Puis était venu le tour de More Songs About Buildings and Food en 1978, et là, pardonnez ma franchise, mais ce fut la douche tiède. Un petit 3 sur 5 un poil décevant, un disque de transition le cul entre deux chaises où le groupe cherchait encore comment dompter les manies de Brian Eno sans y laisser son âme. Heureusement, Fear of Music avait redressé la barre l’année suivante : noir, anxiogène, paranoïaque à souhait, avec les premiers balbutiements polyrythmiques de « I Zimbra », décrochant lui aussi un bon gros 4 sur 5 bien tassé. Restait donc à savoir si Remain in Light allait transformer l’essai ou s’écrouler sous le poids de sa propre prétention intello-arty. Autant crever l’abcès sans tourner autour du pot pendant trois plombes : le verdict est sans appel, le 5 sur 5 s’impose évidemment. Car ce disque ne se contente pas de dominer la discographie, il atomise tout ce qui traînait dans le paysage post-punk de l’époque pour redéfinir intégralement les contours de la musique pop moderne. En 1980, pendant qu’une bonne partie de la scène anglaise s’enfermait dans des caves humides à pleurer sur des rythmiques en plomb et des trench-coats élimés, Talking Heads et Brian Eno ont eu le trait de génie de regarder ailleurs. Ils ont largué les amarres, fui la grisaille new-yorkaise pour atterrir aux Compass Point Studios de Nassau, aux Bahamas, avec une idée fixe gravée au fer rouge : dynamiter le carcan étriqué du format couplet-refrain occidental pour le dissoudre dans un maelström funk hypnotique, irrigué par les sonorités africaines et la transe vaudoue. Ce qui frappe dès la première écoute, c'est l'intelligence diabolique avec laquelle ce disque a été conçu. Au lieu d'arriver en studio avec des compos bien ficelées au millimètre, le quatuor — flanqué d'un Brian Eno qui agitait ses manettes comme un sorcier sous acide — a décidé de tout miser sur l’improvisation collective, le jam brut et l’enregistrement de boucles rythmiques superposées. À une époque où les échantillonneurs modernes n'étaient encore que des fantasmes d'ingénieurs, ils ont fabriqué des boucles à la main, en coupant des bandes magnétiques et en faisant tourner des motifs hypnotiques jusqu'à l'épuisement. Mais la vraie claque, c'est l'assimilation de l'Afrobeat de Fela Kuti. Là où tant de petits Blancs prétentieux se sont vautrés dans le pastiche colonialiste ou l'exotisme de salon pour bobos en quête de frissons ethniques, Talking Heads a compris l'essence même de cette musique : la pulsation continue, la superposition des strates, le groove mathématique qui libère le corps au lieu de l'enfermer. Pour donner chair à ce monstre polyrythmique, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz et Jerry Harrison ont eu l'excellente idée de s'entourer d'une armée de mercenaires de très haut vol. Faire entrer Bernie Worrell, le sorcier des claviers échappé de Parliament-Funkadelic, c’était déjà un coup de maître pour assurer des lignes de basse synthétiques bien grasses et des nappes cosmiques démentielles. Mais aller chercher Adrian Belew pour lui coller une guitare entre les mains relève du pur génie pyromane, car Belew ne joue pas de la six-cordes, il torture son instrument, lui arrache des cris de mouette enragée, des barrissements d'éléphants cybernétiques et des sirènes d'alarme qui viennent lacérer la trame rythmique. La basse de Weymouth et la frappe implacable de Frantz forment un socle de béton armé, un tapis roulant inextinguible sur lequel viennent s'empiler des percussions d'une complexité affolante. On ne sait plus où donner de la tête, chaque recoin du spectre sonore grouille de détails, de clochettes déphasées, de cocottes de guitare funk ultra-précises et de chœurs qui se répondent dans une cacophonie impeccablement orchestrée. Et au milieu de cette jungle électrique, il y a David Byrne. Oubliez le petit nerd coincé et maladroit des débuts qui chantait comme s'il avait un balai coincé quelque part. Sur Remain in Light, le bonhomme se métamorphose en prédicateur évangéliste halluciné, possédé par une fièvre mystique et une angoisse urbaine totale. Ses textes, largement inspirés par des bribes de slogans publicitaires, des phrases glanées dans des émissions de radio religieuses et des incantations automatiques, prennent une dimension prophétique terrifiante. Byrne n'articule plus, il éructe, il scande, il sermonne une foule invisible, alternant le parlé-chanté fiévreux et des poussées mélodiques d'une intensité folle. Il capture avec une acuité mordante le malaise de l'homme moderne, écrasé par les flux d'informations, l'aliénation de la société de consommation et la perte de repères, tout en vous forçant à remuer le fion sans la moindre retenue. C’est précisément cette dualité qui me fascine : réussir à marier l’angoisse existentielle la plus noire avec un funk d'une sensualité et d'une puissance physique absolument dévastatrices. L’album fonctionne d’ailleurs comme un diptyque d’une redoutable cohérence, divisé en deux faces aux trajectoires émotionnelles radicalement opposées mais parfaitement complémentaires. La première moitié est un assaut frontal ininterrompu, une décharge d'adrénaline pure qui vous saisit à la gorge pour ne plus vous lâcher. Dès les premières secondes de « Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) », on découvre un groove syncopé élastique, des bruits parasites qui crépitent de partout et ce refrain obsessionnel scandé par Byrne avec une urgence de condamné à mort. On enchaîne sans reprendre son souffle sur « Crosseyed and Painless », un marathon funk hystérique propulsé par une ligne de basse d'une insolence totale et un débit vocal quasi-rap où l'esprit finit par lâcher prise devant la vitesse d'exécution. Puis déboule « The Great Curve », sommet absolu de démesure orchestrale où des polyphonies vocales féminines croisent le fer avec les solos apocalyptiques de Belew dans une transe dionysiaque qui frôle la démence pure. C’est touffu, c’est dense, c’est sauvage, mais d'une lisibilité miraculeuse grâce à la production chirurgicale d'Eno. Puis arrive la charnière, ce « Once in a Lifetime » que tout le monde connaît mais qu'il faut réécouter dans son jus pour en saisir toute l'ironie décapante et la grâce cosmique. Ce riff de basse aquatique, cette rythmique sautillante et ce prêche hilarant sur la maison de banlieue, la belle bagnole et la femme idéale qui ne mènent qu'à un grand vide existentiel (« My God! What have I done? »). C'est le tube absolu qui ne ressemble à rien d'autre, le chef-d'œuvre pop par excellence qui cache sous son vernis dansant une charge acide contre le mirage du rêve américain. Après ce sommet, la face B entame une lente descente vers des territoires beaucoup plus crépusculaires, presque spectraux. Le tempo ralentit, la sueur commence à refroidir, et la fête tourne au mauvais trip sous une chaleur moite et suffocante. « Houses in Motion » étire un groove pâteux et paranoïaque, tandis que « Listening Wind » installe une atmosphère quasi-cinématographique d'une beauté vénéneuse, racontant l'histoire d'un insurgé face à l'impérialisme culturel américain sur fond d'arabesques mélodiques lancinantes. Le disque s'achève sur le fascinant « The Overload », tentative délibérée du groupe de composer un morceau dans le style de Joy Division sans avoir jamais écouté un seul de leurs albums, simplement en se basant sur ce qu'ils avaient lu dans la presse musicale britannique. Le résultat est une marche funèbre industrielle, lente, glaçante, noyée sous des bourdonnements synthétiques lugubres et des frappes de tambour caverneuses. C'est l'antithèse absolue de la première face, l'extinction des feux après la transe, le retour brutal à la poussière. En huit morceaux seulement, Talking Heads boucle un voyage sensoriel d'une richesse inépuisable. On est à des années-lumière des petites facilités pop ou des redites flemmardes. Tout ici transpire l'audace, la prise de risque maximale, le refus de la complaisance et une liberté créative totale que très peu de formations ont réussi à atteindre dans l'histoire du rock. En réécoutant ce pavé aujourd'hui, je me rends compte à quel point il a vieilli comme un grand cru classé, sans prendre une seule ride dans la gueule alors que tant de productions du début des années 1980 sonnent désormais comme des reliques poussiéreuses et ringardes. Remain in Light a posé les fondations sur lesquelles viendront bâtir des générations entières de musiciens, de LCD Soundsystem à Foals, en passant par Radiohead, Gorillaz et toute la scène math-rock ou dance-punk des années 2000. C’est un album-monde, un monument d'avant-garde populaire qui parvient à être exigeant sans être chiant, dansant sans être con, et novateur sans être indigeste. La collaboration entre Byrne et Eno atteignait ici son zénith absolu avant que les ego ne finissent par faire imploser la fragile harmonie du groupe lors des sessions suivantes de Speaking in Tongues. Alors oui, nous pouvons ranger les pincettes et remballer notre scepticisme : le roi n'est pas nu, sa couronne est solidement vissée sur son crâne et son trône demeure inviolé. Talking Heads signait là son chef-d'œuvre, l'apogée d'une démarche artistique sans équivalent qui justifie à elle seule toutes les louanges déversées depuis plus de quatre décennies. C'est brillant, c'est halluciné, c'est indispensable. Un album qui mérite son 5 sur 5 sans la moindre hésitation.

While this album was ok, I wouldn’t seek it out for another listen. I typically like funk-style music but this beat felt repetitive and I’m not a fan of spoken lyrics in songs.

Yea I get it. Kinda experimental and just a breathe of fresh air especially for the 80s

Last couple of songs were a snooze

The whole album is kind of like "Born Under Punches"--keeps you off balance and confused while it's on but then it just kind of sticks around in your head all day and you realize it's fundamentally good. 6 keepers in 8 (75%). 2 bangers (25%).

all jams!!!

Another of the 50 or so albums that are in my all-time top 25 - that's two in the last 5 days (with Doolittle). Reading others' reviews I don't really have a ton to add - I guess what hits me most listening this time is how incredible TWs bass sounds (I don't feel comfortable using the word "funky", but if I did, I would say "it's just so damn funky").

I can hear that they try to be unique but I can not understand and like this kind of music. Sorry.

Really solid album, not quite sure I can give it 5 though.

Me fascinan todos los diascos

Sensational. This is the reason talking heads are so revered. Almost perfect

Unreal. Enjoyed every second. Killer bass. Funk and world vibes.

letting the days go by! water something something

アフリカ音楽を大量に取り入れた、トーキング•ヘッズの作品の最高到達点らしい。 リズムが変則的で、聴いたことない音がいっぱい使われてて、ビートがメインのダンス•ミュージックみたいなかんじなのかもしれない。 王道に Born under Punchesと Once in a lifetimeが好きです。聴いていてとっても楽しいし、何回か聴いてこそわかる良さもありそう。何回も聴きます

A solid release by this alternative rock band. Very good instrumentation and songwriting.

Started strong, got weird. Still ok

Maybe I don’t like the talking heads as much as I thought?

Yes yes, whatever you say just keep giving me these Talking Heads albums.

The overall rythm can be quite repetitive but I do enjoy the layers on top of them so I don't really mind at all. Good Album!

Just couldn't get into this at all. Didn't even finish it