Remain in Light
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| Remain in Light | ||
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| Album by Talking Heads | ||
| Released | October 8, 1980 | |
| Recorded | Compass Point, Sigma Sound & Eldorado, July & August 1980 | |
| Genre | New wave/Art punk | |
| Length | 39 min 48 sec | |
| Record label | Sire | |
| Producer | Brian Eno | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| AMG (http://www.Allmusic.com) | 5 stars out of 5 | link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70403121920353271&sql=Ake1ibkk96akc) |
| Creem | Favorable | January 1981 (http://www.talking-heads.net/rilcreem.html) |
| Rolling Stone | Favorable | [http://www.talking-heads.net/africacalling.html 11 December ] |
| 5 stars out of 5 | [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=35235&cf=89 13 November ] | |
| Talking Heads Chronology | ||
| Live on Tour: The Warner Brothers Music Show (1979) | Remain in Light (1980) | The Name of this Band is Talking Heads (1982) |
Remain in Light is an album by Talking Heads, released on October 8, 1980 (see 1980 in music). Featuring funky African rhythms, the album became an influential post punk, world music and New Wave recording. Remain in Light uniquely blended African-American, continental African and white American musical forms; Rolling Stone magazine's Ken Tucker noted at the time that there had rarely been "a larger gap between what black and white audiences were listening to". Living Colour's Vernon Reid describes its African polyrhythms: "Instead of alienation turning into dark angst it turns into celebration, the dance".
The music was produced on a multitrack tape machine with variable tape speed. The varispeed feature was indeed used by producer Brian Eno and the players. When David Byrne recorded the vocals to the already recorded rhythm tracks, he sped up the machine considerably. This speed-up was maintained when the mix was transferred to vinyl, and is the source of the nervous feeling. If one plays back the LP at a speed lowered by approximately 20%, the music becomes more expressive and danceable, and the lyrics become understandable, but the sound of the vocals and some instruments become slightly un-natural.
The single "Once in a Lifetime" sold poorly upon its original release but a quirky music video and its presence on the soundtrack to Down and Out in Beverly Hills helped make it a charting single and minor hit in 1986 (see 1986 in music).
The album cover and liner notes were created by the notable graphic designer, Tibor Kalman.
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Remain in Light the 88th greatest album of all time.
| Contents |
Track listing
- "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" (Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads) - 5:46
- "Crosseyed and Painless" (Byrne/Eno) - 4:45
- "The Great Curve" (Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads) - 6:26
- "Once in a Lifetime" (Byrne/Eno/Frantz/Harrison/Weymouth) - 4:19
- "Houses in Motion" (Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads) - 4:30
- "Seen and Not Seen" (Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads) - 3:20
- "Listening Wind" (Byrne/Eno/Frantz/Harrison/Weymouth) - 4:42
- "The Overload" (Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads) - 6:00
Personnel
- Jon Hassell - Trumpet, Horn, Horn Arrangements, Trumpet Arrangement
- Adrian Belew - Guitar
- David Byrne - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals, Voices, Vocal Arrangement, Mixing
- Jerry Harrison - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals
- Robert Palmer - Percussion
- Nona Hendryx - Vocals, Voices
- Greg Calbi - Mastering
- Brian Eno - Synthesizer, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals, Voices, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Mixing
- Chris Frantz - Percussion, Drums, Keyboards
- Dave Jerden - Engineer, Mixing
- Jack Nuber - Engineer
- Johnny Potoker - Engineer, Mixing
- Jose Rossy - Percussion
- Steven Stanley - Engineer
- Tina Weymouth - Bass, Percussion, Keyboards
Chart positions
Billboard Music Charts - album
1980 Pop Albums No. 19
Billboard Music Charts - singles
1980 Cross Eyed and Painless/Born Under Punches/Once in a Lifetime Club Play Singles No. 20 1986 Once in a Lifetime The Billboard Hot 100 No. 91
External links
- Rolling Stone review (http://www.jahsonic.com/TalkingHeads.html)
- article about the album (http://www.berkshireweb.com/rogovoy/interviews/feat010427.html) by Living Colour's Vernon Reid