Talking Heads
Remain In Light

THE REVIEW

Today I will try to review, in my opinion, the best album by the Talking Heads: "Remain in Light."

After another masterpiece, "Fear of Music," Talking Heads release a perfect album, in my opinion. "Remain in Light" opens with "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)," one of my favorites on the album, which starts with a scream from Byrne. After "Born Under Punches," "Crosseyed and Painless" begins, also featured in the concert film "Stop Making Sense" (another beautiful album). "The Great Curve" (also one of the best) starts with an obsessive drum pattern followed immediately by the singing of David Byrne, accompanied by a choir and secondary voices, both male and female, continuing this way for (almost) the entire duration of the song.  And here we come to my favorite track on the album (with The Overload and Born Under Punches) "Once In a Lifetime" (also included in Stop Making Sense), which begins with a semi-spoken part by Byrne followed by a succession of his voice and the choir reciting: "Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down. Letting the days go by, water flowing underground. Into the blue again after the money's gone. Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground."

After "Once in a Lifetime" begins "Houses in Motion" and the songs start to become darker; they are no longer as cheerful as the first four, but rather more somber. The song begins with a dark singing by Byrne followed by the choir and again Byrne's singing, then immediately the choir, and so forth until the end. By the 6th track, the album is nearing its end, and "Seen and Not Seen" begins. Like almost the entire second part of the album, the song starts with a dark singing from Byrne and continues this way for the rest of the song until reaching track number 7 "Listening Wind," which starts with an instrumental part that might remind one of the wind, followed immediately by Byrne's calm singing, no longer the wild voice of the first 4 tracks. Right after "Listening Wind" begins "The Overload," another one of my favorites from the album, in full Joy Division style. The song starts with a very dark instrumental part, just like Byrne's voice. And it continues this way for (almost) the entire duration of the song. 

I recommend this album to everyone, especially to those who would like to get to know New Wave, or more generally, the Talking Heads. I also recommend the album preceding this one "Fear of Music" and "More Songs About Buildings and Food."