Retrospective #09

Talking Heads: Remain in light : 1980

1980 the year the recording studio revealed all its possibilities to me, setting me down the path of building my own. This album was one of three that year that provided the inspiration to begin that journey. For their fourth Album Talking Heads the Art school band, hired the Art school teacher: Brian Eno, as co producer.
Eno has changed the sound of virtually every band he has been involved with & here he wasted no time expanding them sonically, through the introduction of African poly rhythms welded on to their natural funky edge.

The opening track Born under punches instantly signals their intent, the arrangement is pure genius & after hearing it, I realised everything that I had ever written up to that point was yesterday's papers.
The African influence had surfaced before on the previous album, Fear of Music, on the track I Zimbra. But that was no preparation for this assault on the senses. The ensemble playing throughout is divine & the addition of Adrian Belew (a very under rated Guitarist)helps add another colour to the bands palette.His solo on The great Curve swoops, careens, and glides.

My stand out favourites have to be The great Curve & Houses in motion. Many people will remember the video for Once in a lifetime, with David Byrne dancing like a Born again Christian. It for me marked a movement away from Punk & the Seventies to the brave new world of the Eighties If I only knew what crimes would be committed in the name of music in THAT decade. Electronic influences were becoming more prevalent & the ways to create them much more within the average musicians grasp, although it would be a further 14 years before my own home studio turned digital.

A classic, dig it out & savour every note… Even today it remains relevant..the sign of a great album.