The Talking Heads happen to be one of my favorite bands. I’ve already reviewed the bands debut album and now I’m reviewing the bands fourth album “Remain In Light.” You may have noticed that I have given both albums a perfect five out of five rating, so this can mean two things. Either I am really biased towards the band and praise everything that they do, or the Talking Heads are simply amazing and have released two classic albums. I think that it’s a combination of both, but there is no doubt that the Talking Heads will appeal to any fan of music, regardless of what you normally listen to. Brian Eno produced this album, so you know when you combine a musical genius such as Brian Eno and the Talking Heads the results will be entertaining to say the least. There were many rock albums in the 80's that were basic, simple and boring, “Remain In Light” is one of the most unique and odd yet accessible albums that I have ever listened to.
It is extremely difficult to categorize the Talking Heads. They blend in small influences of almost any genre that you can think of. Funk, pop, rock, ambient electronica, new-wave, post-punk, and psychadelica are all present on here. None of these genres really stand out, “Remain In Light” is very smooth and it will take multiple listens to decipher the different genres. With the exception of the single “Once in a Lifetime” every song features rich textures of instruments and rhythms. That being said “Remain In Light” is a very accessible album, and that’s what makes it so amazing.
Instrumentally “Remain in Light” is excellent. This album is crammed full of catchy yet odd sounding rhythms and heavy influences of art-rock. Jerry Harrison’s guitar work is simple for the most part. Playing catchy riffs, and simple chord progressions Harrison’s guitar work is not amazing. That being said, his guitar playing is extremely effective and fits in perfectly with all of the other instruments. Tina Weymouth’s base work is superb. It really stands out in the albums opener and it’s easy to hear throughout the album. Weymouth is one of the most talented female bass players I’ve ever heard, she is creative but the bass never takes complete control over the music. The drums provide us will a great rhythm section, and play a big role in “The Great Curve.” Chris Frantz is a decent drum player, he doesn’t do anything that creative but his playing is crisp and sharp. Now, the keyboard playing is really makes this album so unique. The electronic effects manage to make their way into every track on the album, and almost take over towards the end of the album. The keyboards blend in with the music so well, you will be able to hear them but they never get tedious. The keyboards play extremely simple scales, with the exception of the opener when they go into a distorted solo. There is no instrument that really stands out, everyone does their part and in result you get a masterpiece.
David Byrne is one of those vocalists that I adore. While the Talking Heads fuse together 10 different genres of music, Byrne also adds on an extremely unique vocal delivery that has yet to be copied. Byrne has a fairly high-pitched voice, and he sounds sort of paranoid. Throughout the album he will go from shrill wailing into a cool and collected whisper. Byrne has a lot of range, it will take some time for you to get used to his distorted and unorganized voice. Sometimes Byrne sounds rushed and he has a panicky voice. That being said his voice mixes in so well with the whole feel of the album. Another odd aspect about the vocals is that they are extremely different yet they are still very accessible.
The first half of the album is upbeat, poppy, and full of catchy, textured melodies and hooks. The first four tracks are extremely radio friendly, and contain heavier influences of funk, rock, and psychadelica. Filled with catchy guitar and bass riffs the first half is funky and will appeal to any fans of funk and rock music. The rich textures and rhythms are present, creating an extremely trippy feel, yet things still manage to stay accessible and fun. Everything is crammed full of energy, David Byrne sounds like he is about to explode in “Cross-eyed and Painless.” The Talking Heads are simply genius, they are able to create complex songs filled with multiple rhythms yet everything is accessible and easy to listen to.
The second half of this album is completely different from the first half, Brian Eno takes control. Instead of playing upbeat songs, the Talking Heads quiet things down and start heading towards heavier influences of ambient/electronic music. When listening to the second half of the album, it sort of puts me in a trance. “Seen and not Seen” has an amazing keyboard/rhythm section, its twinkly electronic effects are relaxing and beautiful. It almost feels like you’re outside watching the stars late at night, everything is so soothing and mellow. “The Overload” is one of the most haunting and eerie songs I’ve ever listened to, David Byrne sounds like he is about to drop dead. There is no doubt about it, the second half is not as accessible, but it is still excellent considering how soft and smooth these electronic influenced songs can be. The ambient and dreary nature towards the end of the album is excellent, the Talking Heads to an amazing job at slowing things down and making smooth, ambient songs filled with glistening keyboard effects.
There is something on “Remain in Light” that will appeal to everybody. If you are a fan of pop/funk/psychadelica music than the first four tracks are definitely for you. If you’re into more mellow and electronic music than the last four track will appeal to you. If you’re a fan of any style of music (with obvious exceptions) than you will enjoy something on “Remain in Light.”Every track on here is extremely easy to listen to, who knows you may love every track off the album.
I really hate it when people say this, but you need to get this album. “Remain in Light” is crammed with catchy rhythms, textured melodies and it’s full of glistening keyboard effects. Everything is smooth and well done, all of these songs are melodic and feature something new. Weather it’s a keyboard solo, or heavy textures of instruments blending together to create a psychadelic fusion, the Talking Heads create an odd yet accessible rock album. David Byrne has a distinctive and panicky voice, he has a high-pitched vocal delivery but it blends in extremely well with the music . “Remain in Light” is like nothing you’ve heard before, it contains a lot of random bass and keyboard lines and everything is richly textured to create a funk/psychadelica fusion. That being said “Remain in Light” is very accessible and when you combine odd and accessible you know the result will be good. Do yourself a favor, get this if you don’t have it because it is one of the most fun and interesting rock albums of all time.
