I mean that song is indeed a bit awkward but it’s a reflection of Bush-era Patriot Act abuses of power that were indeed taking certain freedoms away. That is how I always read it. Something conservatives and liberals both weren’t too hot on. But generally don’t like when celebs preach politics whether right or left, always makes my eye roll.
Glad you
Liked it.
Title track is pretty good.
Wow! Sounds like you know a lot about it. I had a very different take but didn't really know what the song was about. Just my take from listening in the car with my kids. My eyes were definitely rolling a bit though! 🤣
The Setting: After More Songs... and Fear of Music, The Talking Heads were the leaders of the Art Punk school in the States (sorry, Pere Ubu). Questioned by know one. Respected by everyone. Perhaps most surprising was how funky and groovy this bunch of seemingly over-caffeinated, over-educated nice white kids could be. So good that they won the highly prized Eno treatment regimen a third time running.
The Listen: It’s just hard not to be floored. It’s tight. Funky. A fine metal being coiled and compressed. Tightened. Tension rising as you dance at the building’s edge. So close you feel you’re going fall. But, everything is measured just so. You know you’re safe. They went to architecture school after all. They know a thing or two about crafting their buildings from songs. And Eno was never one to completely lose control. He loved bolting down a cracking fail safe.
Verdict: Even better than my beloved Seventeen Seconds, Remains In Light deserves what it got - the highly coveted Critic’s Pet Award of 1980. Fresh and vibrant and meticulous and funky. Adrien Belew’s guitar exploding in Gaussian loops of color. Eno melting everything in the deep fryer he calls a production board. A Masterpiece.
1980 Essentials (Thus Far)😈😈😈😈😈
1. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Art Punk, Post-Punk)
2. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (Post-Punk, Goth)
3. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (Metal, NWOBHM)
4. Merle Haggard - Back To The Barrooms (Country)
5. Angry Samoans - Inside My Brain (Hardcore, Punk)
HMs
1. Paul McCartney - II (Art Pop)
Last edited by Repo on 05/10/2021 15:34; edited 2 times in total
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Whoawhoawhoa I didn’t expect Talking Heads to take the number 1 spot (for now). It is indeed quite good to great. Need to revisit it. _________________ -Ryan
Love the review Repo! Although it’s Adrian Belew and not Fripp who played the 3rd guitar on Remain In Light. But yeah, King Crimson influence on Talking Heads is somewhat understated, and this album has in turn influenced Discipline, another 80s standout art rock album. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Whoawhoawhoa I didn’t expect Talking Heads to take the number 1 spot (for now). It is indeed quite good to great. Need to revisit it.
I knew they would be high. From 1978-1983, Talking Heads were one of the best bands on the planet, BUT I didn't think I'd ever rate it higher than my beloved Seventeen Seconds. BUT, Remain In Light is without a doubt Talking Heads masterpiece. For the longest time, I preferredFear Of Music. Not anymore. Definitely check it out again when you get the chance.
LedZep wrote:
Love the review Repo! Although it’s Adrian Belew and not Fripp who played the 3rd guitar on Remain In Light. But yeah, King Crimson influence on Talking Heads is somewhat understated, and this album has in turn influenced Discipline, another 80s standout art rock album.
I knew that!!! lol. I have Belew and Fripp in adjacent files in my brain and I grabbed the wrong one after too much wine and grass. Glad I fucked up since I LOVE your comment. So true! The whole Crimson/Fripp & Eno/Talking Head/Crimson full circle is not mentioned enough in regards to Talking Heads development!!!
Evening Star is possibly my top 3 Eno albums, No Pussyfooting is great but slightly weaker. Both are ambient music waaay before Ambient 1 and also both are much better than Ambient 1 imho. No idea why those two aren't considered landmark albums like Music for Airports is. Maybe it's the lack of "ambient" in the album titles 😁
Also completely agree with your comments re: King Crimson/Fripp/Eno/Talking Heads, I'd also add Bowie and Iggy Pop to the mix even if those two have less to do with David Byrne (they might've been an influence maybe). What a weird time, so many different musicians from different genres working closely together lol. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Great choice for Remain In Light which is also by far my favorite album of the year. I suppose you won't like my number 2 that much however (Making Movies by Dire Straits).
I especially want to stress the important role of Adrian Belew for this album but also for his contribution to live concerts as registered perfectly on the second part of the fantastic live album:
Evening Star is possibly my top 3 Eno albums, No Pussyfooting is great but slightly weaker. Both are ambient music waaay before Ambient 1 and also both are much better than Ambient 1 imho. No idea why those two aren't considered landmark albums like Music for Airports is. 😁
🤣
You're so right! For whatever reason, Evening Star and (No Pussyfooting) have been left out of the the short history of ambient music. Just shows you how arbitrary the history we learn can be! Some things are magnified and other things are marginalized. Eno also made this album with Cluster ...
... that I completely adore and gets overlooked. Too bad it wasn't titled Ambient A or sth! 🤣
LedZep wrote:
Also completely agree with your comments re: King Crimson/Fripp/Eno/Talking Heads, I'd also add Bowie and Iggy Pop to the mix even if those two have less to do with David Byrne (they might've been an influence maybe). What a weird time, so many different musicians from different genres working closely together lol
Totally! Creativity was just through the roof. I'll have to do a 70s chart after this one! lol.
Great insights, Zep!!!
Last edited by Repo on 05/11/2021 17:17; edited 1 time in total
Great choice for Remain In Light which is also by far my favorite album of the year. I suppose you won't like my number 2 that much however (Making Movies by Dire Straits).
I especially want to stress the important role of Adrian Belew for this album but also for his contribution to live concerts as registered perfectly on the second part of the fantastic live album:
So after Michael and Erica left, I’d take off the Joni Mitchell and put on Uriah Heap and Deep Purple, ya know, just anything loud and abrasive. Gregg actually didn’t have any choice because I was the guy behind the counter– but I liked Greg. I liked talking to him. You know, it was cool hanging out with him … so that’s how we came together. That’s where the seeds of Black Flag were planted, in that record store in Hermosa Beach. - Keith Morris on forming Black Flag
The Setting: Hermosa Beach 1978. Greg Ginn waiting for his sister to come back from a quick cop & feel. Keith Morris and him bond over their mutual hatred of California Rock and love of Uriah Heap at a record store. And Black Flag is born. Their first EP Nervous Breakdown essentially creates Hardcore Punk. Can we all agree that’s the most logical ground zero of consequence? (If you have an alternative staring point, LET ME KNOW!) Keith & Ginn, being total opposites, lasted a year or so together before “creative differences” started to be thrown about. So Keith bolted, with ample amounts of coke and grass to get some "fresh air," and formed Circle Jerks with Greg Hetson of later Bad Religion fame.
The Listen: 15 minutes. That’s all it took. 14 songs in 15 minutes. And Orange County Hardcore had its first classic album.
Verdict: Duh. R u even paying attention? All these years later. And STILL all those seamless transitions between songs kill me. And it wasn't by accident as later rehearsal tapes proved. Professional Hardcore Savants!
1980 Essentials (Thus Far)😈😈😈😈😈
1. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Art Punk, Post-Punk)
2. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (Post-Punk, Goth)
3. Circle Jerks - Group Sex (Hardcore, Punk)
4. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (Metal, NWOBHM)
5. Merle Haggard - Back To The Barrooms (Country)
6. Angry Samoans - Inside My Brain (Hardcore, Punk)
HMs
1. Paul McCartney - II (Art Pop)
Last edited by Repo on 05/17/2021 12:06; edited 1 time in total
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