Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Tina Weymouth / Sire Records

Every January, while the well of new music is still dry, I like to go back. Throughout these 31 days, I search the halls of music’s past and visit bands, albums, or whole discographies I have never experienced before. This month was no exception, but what I explored opened me to some of the best music I have heard. Today, I would like to tell you about the Talking Heads and their 1980 masterpiece “Remain in Light.”

For the layman, Talking Heads were a new-wave group formed in 1975. The group consisted of Chris Frantz on drums, Tina Weyworth on bass, Jerry Harrison on keyboards, and David Byrne on lead vocal duty. Throughout their 17-year career, the Talking Heads released eight of the most diverse and eccentric albums of their time. With an insatiable appetite to innovate, they succeeded in making their experiments accessible, yet artsy. This amount of musical-risk taking made the Talking Head one of the defining forces of the 1980s music scene and one of the most influential acts of all time.

While I could highlight any Talking Heads records, I have chosen “Remain in Light” for one major reason: Brian Eno. When it came to their 1980 record, Byrne and company chose Brian Eno to produce. For the uninformed, Brian Eno is one of the most influential producers of all time. Getting his start with David Bowie during his Berlin era, Eno went on to become a major influence on post-rock, ambient, and experimental music. Whether he was working with Roxy Music or King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, Eno’s presence is always felt. 

With some of the most creative minds in music working together, it is no surprise that the album they created is fantastic. “Remain in Light” offers an interesting song cycle for the listener. Starting bombastic and loud in the light half, the record becomes twisty, stubble, and obtuse by its closing. The record feels as if you are falling through the clouds and into the depths of a deep, dark pit. This musical transition could end up being very jarring but occurs with absolute ease on this project. I find myself in utter confusion every time I listen to this record, wondering how I ended up at this conclusion compared to the start. 

The album begins with “Born Under Punches.” With chirpy synths, guitars, and samples, David Byrne’s iconic voice pops out as he pleads for the audience to listen to him, stating he is “the government man.” The backing vocals, in sharp contrast to Byrne, sound whispered, hinting that this character may be untrustworthy. 

After the track closes, the audience is soon moved to ‘Crosseyed and Painless.” One of the most infectious songs in the entire Talking Heads catalog, which has Byrne sounding like an absolute maniac with himself exclaiming that he “might end up in the hospital.” The roaring and building guitars with the cowbell and the delivery of “still waiting” in the bridge add a perfect sense of groove and motion. You cannot listen to this song without at least bobbing your head.

“Once in a Lifetime” acts as the midpoint to “Remain in Light.” One of the band’s most famous songs, the chorus of “letting the days go by, let the water hold me down” is so perfectly memorable and paced. Byrne’s spoken word segments are weird, wondrous, and hilarious, perfectly shown in the iconic music video. 

“Seen and Not Seen” is the first real example of the changing musical dynamics. Gone are the bright soundscapes and exclaimed vocals. On the track, David sings in this lackadaisical, tired, cadence. He sounds buried in the production as if the world is attempting to cover up his messages. 

“Listening Wind” is Brian Eno’s shining point on the record. Playing with ambiance sounds and obtuse nature samples, Byrne personifies the titular wind. The track, while telling a story with its lyrics, stays still production-wise. In a similar form to the wind itself, the song’s tone stays still as the world around it changes.

We then arrive at the album’s conclusion, “The Overload.” A quiet and unnerving introduction leads into synths that feel pulled from the Joy Division canon. Covered in shapes and shadows, Byrne sounds otherworldly and powerful. His lyrics feel as if he is speaking down to you, like a being from another plain. After his lyrics, the album closes with no bombastic conclusion, just deafening silence. 

There are no words to express how fantastic “Remain in Light” is. With its beautiful production, lyrics, and formation, the project feels impossible to remake. It is as if the Talking Heads and Brian Eno came together at the most perfect time possible to create this masterpiece. If you never listen to this record, you have done a disservice to yourself.