When: Released October 8, 1980
Why? I’ve heard a couple of Talking Heads radio singles (I love “Burning Down the House”) but never an album. Rolling Stone ranks this at #39 in their list of the top 500 albums (from all popular genres) of all time. The only track I had heard before was “Once in a Lifetime.”
What? Eight songs, 40 minutes. Music journalist Daryl Easlea calls this “Talking Heads’ greatest statement.”
First Impressions: This feels like an album that will only reveal itself with multiple listens.
To me, this is art-pop, with oblique, stream-of-consciousness lyrics frequently delivered in spoken-sung style by David Byrne. I was two songs in before I realized that each one was built on a single chord, with no chord changes. That one-chord-per-song approach continued for the entire album. To add interest and variety, sometimes other chords are hinted at by Tina Weymouth’s bass notes or Byrne’s top-line melodies. In addition each chord is expanded upon by a multilayered instrumental track recorded to sound like a continuous loop, although each one is actually a real band performance. (Seamless computer-based looping was not an option in 1980.)
Apparently, this album was heavily inspired by African rhythms and melodies—at least that was the case for Byrne’s songwriting—and that comes through from the very first notes. What was less clear for me was the meaning or intent behind most of the tracks. (Producer Brian Eno has been quoted as saying he doesn’t believe lyrics are necessarily the heart of a song.)
Meaning aside, I enjoyed most of the tracks here. The less-successful ones for me were the opener, “Born Under Punches,” and the closer, “The Overload.” I especially enjoyed “The Great Curve,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Houses in Motion,” and “Seen and Not Seen.”
One surprise for me was discovering how the musical arrangements here reminded me of tracks from Godley & Creme’s “Ismism” (1981). It wouldn’t surprise me if Kevin Godley and Lol Creme had heard and been inspired by “Remain in Light” prior to writing their own album (originally released as “Snack Attack” in the U.S.).
So? Given the somewhat experimental approach of this album—all songs based on a single chord, musical performances meant to sound like repeating loops—I’m not sure it’s a fair representation of what a typical Talking Heads album might sound like. But I didn’t dislike any of the songs, and I enjoyed six of the eight. The musicianship required to sound like a computerized loop when actually playing live is remarkable; Byrne’s voice is appealing and interesting to me, providing just the right tone of quirky detachment; and the songwriting offers ample food for thought.