Talking Heads
Remain in Light

THE REVIEW

Three students from the Rhode Island School Of Design manage to definitively consecrate the new wave phase and beyond. The brilliance of the Talking Heads is to mix Patti Smith's philosophical approach of “Horses” with the afro funky echoes that someone was already exploring in the post-punk dimension. The year 1980 couldn't have opened in a better way: here comes the advent of “Remain In Light.”

The Talking Heads add the wise experimenter Adrian Belew, already present with Frank Zappa, thus increasing the sonic spectacle especially during the solos. The rebellious post-punk will fade in a few years and there’s already a need to articulate other sounds. For example, there's Japan and their elegant new wave enriched with oriental flavors. King Crimson's “Discipline,” an album released the year after “Remain In Light” with the presence of Adrian Belew, is another testament to the eclectic atmosphere of this decade.

“Remain In Light” has the divine Brian Eno as its producer, so immense that he's even found in the epochal album “No New York” (a no wave compilation with Mars, DNA, Teenage & The Jerks, and James Chance & The Contortions). “Born Under Punches” is the archetype of the exciting “ethnic rock” conceived by Byrne and company: frantic declamation under a tight carpet of bass and alien guitars. The latter are the element that stands out the most, thanks to that plastic, synthetic sound, so peculiar as to be irresistible to the ear and mind. Undoubtedly one of the most innovative tracks of the Eighties.

“Crosseyed And Painless” is an apparently static afro funky essay characterized by Tina's fluid lines. Another extreme exploration in the schizoid jungle of “Remain In Light.” As we continue to walk among the trees and tall grass, we suddenly encounter the Zulu dance of “The Great Curve.” Few tracks possess such movement. It's unclear if the bass is chasing the decisive beats of the guitar or vice versa. Certainly, the body is overwhelmed by the infinite propagation of the swirling vocal lines, enough to explode a world of unexplored harmonies. Belew's killer solo is the cherry on top… way more than heavy metal!

“Once In A Lifetime” is the futuristic hit of the moment that needs no introduction, albeit it doesn't boast the value of the first three tracks. Finally, the exotic “Houses In Motion” is seasoned with Jon Hassell's indigenous trumpet, the crystalline harmonics of “Seen And Not Seen” halt the rhythm in favor of sound expansion, and “Listening Wind” anticipates the dark desert of Gabriel's fourth work.

Closing the masterpiece is the acidic vision of “The Overload,” just to let the industrial fringes know that they're not the only ones symbolizing human alienation. After such a work, it's hard to conceive anything equally excellent. In these cases, a transitional work always appears, destined to dim the band's light. The Talking Heads are wise people, however, and continue to produce wholly enjoyable albums like “Speaking In Tongues,” adorned with the evergreen “This Must Be The Place.” Especially to remember is the masterful work “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts” from 1981, where Eno and Byrne vent their ideas still in the ethnic funky field.