DAVID BYRNE

This is probably the best music I've heard in 2012. All the tracks presented in this authentic album have turned the experieicne of listening to music to a completely new level. Despite the fact of not being per se a progressive rock album in the classic way, this production presents probably the best meloies and harmonies St.Vicncent has ever produced. Byrne has managed to crystalize things alredy approached by her in previous albums. And still the collaboration seems fresh, mindblowing and delightful. It's an entire journey of musical endeavours packed togehter as a sort of gift to the rest of us. The places we are all drawn to are catchy, full of twists and energetic vocals from both of them,. and the brass enssemble that joins them takes the harmonies to unexpected situations. I recommend this for any one who wants to hear something different, something that sets the colck in a different direction. Not recommended for people who consider prog as the only milestone in music.

Both Talking Heads and its frontman David Byrne have the honour of being in the Archives, although very seldomly reviewed. I can't say either of them would have played a notable role in my listening history, quite the opposite really. Some months ago I borrowed several Talking Heads albums (after seeing the highly regarded Stop Making Sense concert film on TV) but frankly I found the music a bit boring. David Byrne as a solo artist is perhaps, for many of us, best remembered for his collaboration album with Brian Eno: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981). Since that he has released albums in a steady pace, and this is his latest work.

American Utopia began as a series of Brian Eno's rhythm tracks turned into songs by Byrne, and a varying host of other collaborators putting their own ingredients on a song-by-song basis, The music could be classified as alternative rock with some sonic experimentalism, but not much progressive tendencies in the songwriting itself. The thoughtful production and World-flavoured rich arrangements are excellent and full of little details, and it that sense this album reminds me of Peter Gabriel's later output (Us, Up, etc.). The way Byrne's slightly restricted vocals -- not always very far from talking -- dominate and underline the textual/ideological side of the artistic impact bears a surprising resemblence to Roger Waters' Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017). Whereas that dark-toned album openly shows Roger's anger towards the [&*!#]ty state of the world and Donald Trump in particular, Byrne imagines an alternative, happier version of the United States. Or in other words, he keeps on asking for better alternatives: "Is there another way? These songs are about that looking and that asking." My association to the Waters album came for both words and music, though. The biggest difference in music concerns the measures of darkness and light. If Waters's album sulks in anger and frustration, American Utopia sounds brighter and spacier spacier, although it avoids sounding naiively happy and light (although 'Every Day Is a Miracle' does have a calypso-like merriness).

Maybe I should point out that often I don't much pay attention to the contents of lyrics when I listen to rock; if they paint pictures in my head, that's great, but if they just sort of slip through me, that's OK because it's primarily the music I'm listening to. In this case, without the lyrics being printed, Byrne's undoubtedly intelligent thinking doesn't fully reach me. In the liner notes Byrne writes about 'outsider artists'. "For them it seems as if maybe a more ideal and beautiful world is about people?" Now, let's concentrate on music. 'I Dance Like This' is a two-faced song, a bit like Peter Gabriel's 'Darkness': calm and delicate vs. dense and threatening. 'Gasoline and Dirty Sheets' is a good example of the detailed soundscape and excellent production.

Without vocals 'Dog's Mind' (2:30) would basically be a gorgeously growing ambient instrumental of Brian Eno, and the vocals only make it even better. The basis of the arrangements are mainly built of keys, drums and drum programming, and what comes on top of that varies very nicely throughout the album. Here's, another album association: The Wrong Way Up by John Cale & Brian Eno.

With ten tracks around 3-4 minutes, the album is a bit short (37:23), but perhaps the feeling of the time passing too quickly indicates that American Utopia is a very fine album that doesn't reveal all of its tricks in a couple of listenings. If you like Peter Gabriel's detailed soundscapes and alternative artists such as Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno and John Cale, checking also David Byrne is well worthwhile, and with my thin acquaintance I believe American Utopia is Byrne at his very best. Especially when compared to my less-than-enthusiastic attitude to Talking Heads, I enjoyed this album much more than I expected.

It is really a surprise for me to find that David Byrne and The Talking Heads were included in the Prog Archives database. I mean: was The Talking Heads a Progressive Rock band? I don`t think so. I think the same about this album, which is the only one solo album which I have listened from David Byrne, and it was a long time ago. In 1997, a friend lent me three albums in the cassette format: one from Rubén Blades (who is from Panama, if I remember well, and he is very good musician and particularly a very good lyricist in the Spanish language who plays Afro-Antillean music too), one from Molotov (an Alternative Rock Mexican band with funny lyrics with social commentaries), and this album from David Byrne. I liked all these three albums. Some years before that, I listened in the radio to one of the songs which was included in this "Rei Momo" album, titled "Loco de Amor". This album was recorded with Afro-Antillean musicians playing Afro-Antillean music (also called as Salsa Music in some countries) with lyrics written in the English language and sometimes also using a few Spanish words in the lyrics. The arrangements are played in this style of music, which is not one of my favourties, but I recognize that there are some very good musicians playing this kind of music (Juan Luis Guerra from Dominican Republic is also a very good musician and lyricist in this style of music). The mix of Afro-Antillean Music with English language lyrics in this "Rei Momo" album sounds a bit strange at the first listenings but at the same time funny in parts, but amazingly it works very well. Some of the lyrics are social commentaries, and I think that the best lyrics are for the song titled "Women Vs. Men", which seem directed to the extreme feminist followers in a very funny way.I don`t know if Byrne released another album like this, but it works very well even if it was only a one-off musical experiment.

I really love David Byrne from his collaboration in early Talking Heads as well as from early album with Brian Eno. Later David released all the line of very different releases, often strongly influenced by world music, electronics and pop.

Possibly because of such inconsistent career during last years name of David Byrne is mostly connected with his musical activities in late 70-s or early 80-s. I heard many critical notes on more current Byrne's musical activities, but I believe far not everyone are really familiar with his nowadays works.

This album was born as soundtrack to not very well known movie "Young Adam", but in fact very soon grew up in Byrne's another solo album. No extravaganza,no techno, no African rhythms are presented there on this release. Slightly melancholic chamber pop,art-rock and post-rock - not very usual mix for Byrne, but all that are really main materials for the album!

Even list of musicians tells you what you could expect - Barry Burns (keyboardist and guitarist of Mogwai), Richard Colburn ( Belle & Sebastian percussionist), Caroline Barber (cellist on some Mogwai releases), two more cellos, three violins, viola,accordion... Music sounds as real soundtrack, but it's strong and concentrated enough to have its own life without visual support.

All album sounds in a tradition of Peter Gabriel's best soundtracks (quite different musically though). David Byrne plays guitars and sings on two songs. Other compositions are instrumental. In all music is very tasteful, even elegant in moments, well played and arranged.

Possibly one of the best Byrne solo album, could be seriously recommended for everyone, interested in his more current music as well for open ears post-rock fans and all lovers of just good music!

David Byrne's collaboration with choreographer Twyla Tharpe produced this 1981 broadway album " The Catherine Wheel" Taking the album ,not the remastered version, and from the original vinyl release makes for a very pleasant album, almost a TH album with Eno/Belew influences, it sounds like a lite version of Remain In Light.The album more or less segues into one continuous track but independantly there are some real jewels on the Catherine Wheel.

" Eggs In a Briar Patch" has Byrne at his most sarcastic ..." little people don't mean anything, it's dope and liquor and...", stirring hypnotic rhythms in the background. " Big Business" has some nice guitar work and builds for about three minutes before Byrne unleashes some great vocals. " Cloud Chamber" is a wonderful instrumental which modern day band " The Flaming Lips" or " Mercury Rev would be proud of. " Big Blue Plymouth" and " My Big Hands ( Fall through the cracks" the other solid songs on a truly excellent work. I don't think David Byrne ever did anything remotely as good or as progressive as this as a solo artist so best check this one out. Four stars

With Uh-Oh, David Byrne returned to the alternative rock style that he has been known for since his albums with Talking Heads, after doing anything but that since the late '80s!

Of course calling it a complete comeback to his past would be a lie on my part since David Byrne was much too experienced to just do a straightforward rock album again. This material is comprised of bits and pieces from previous projects like My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and Rei Momo mixed together with simpler song-structures and a much lighter atmosphere all around. Whether this is a good thing or not depends entirely on your expectations and since I already had seen the music video for She's Mad I knew pretty much what I was getting into with Uh-Oh.

After being disappointed with Rei Momo, this followup became a bit more successful with me even if I can't call this music even remotely progressive. The melodies are, for most part, memorable and the arrangements aren't as annoyingly obvious as they were on Rei Momo. Personally, I would have enjoyed some of these moments more if the arrangements would have dropped some of the Worldbeat style, but I'm sure that others would find more pleasure in this approach. Unfortunately the songwriting is still lacking but this doesn't become obvious until we progress further into the album, even if some of the lyrical themes early on might give that indication.

Was Uh-Oh the comeback album I expected from David Byrne? Yes, but remember that I had low expectations after being displeased with Rei Momo. This is basically a good album if you want to listen to some pop music with a slight arty twist to it. Expecting anything more than that will definitely bring about a disappointment.

**** star songs: Now I'm Your Mom (4:43) Girls On My Mind (3:52) Something Ain't Right (3:37) She's Mad (5:20) A Walk In The Dark (4:23) Twistin' In The Wind (4:15) Monkey Man (4:08) Tiny Town (5:04)

*** star songs: Hanging Upside Down (4:32) The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now) (3:37) A Million Miles Away (4:23) Somebody (4:59)

I have a very mixed opinion of David Byrne's music. I adore the music that he recorded with Talking Heads and I hold their first four albums high on my list. Among which, their debut album happens to be one of my top 20 favorite albums of all time! His collaboration with Brian Eno on My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts was also one of those excellent albums that I would have never anticipated before actually hearing it for the first time. After all this, it might be surprising that I actually have not been all that impressed by his solo career.

Make no mistake, I love David Byrne's artistic vision, but he's not a very self-sufficient artist. By that I mean that he should not be let loose in the studio without a higher authority supervising his actions. While in Talking Heads he had the band to throw his ideas at and with Brian Eno it's generally never going to be a fair collaboration, even though Eno has softened up quite a bit in the last few years. This meant that David Byrne had always someone to collaborate with on those projects. Although many of the tracks on Rei Momo have been co-written with other artists it's clear that Byrne is keeping the upper-hand on his side and doesn't let any interference with his meddling in the control room.

The end result of Rei Momo is an album filled with World Music-inspired material that is completely soaked in Hispanic and Brazilian song styles and rhythms that might please some fans who would claim that Byrne is expanding his artistic vision. Unfortunately I really don't see it that way because there is no real theme to link all these compositions together resulting in a very artificial record that makes no sense in a broader scope of this artist's career. Still, my main objection isn't related to the combination of David Byrne and Latin beats, but against the quality of these compositions from a songwriting point of view. Maybe it's because this wild combination has a limited span of possibilities for an artist who has no intension of expanding his vision outside the bare minimum that would require him to sound exotic for the U.S. and European markets?

Rei Momo was my introduction to David Byrne's solo career and set a bad tone for my later explorations of his discography. The only really interesting moment here comes towards the end with the song called Women Vs Men which for once actually fits Byrne's style quite well but that moment comes 13 songs too late.

**** star songs: Independence Day (5:45) Call Of The Wild (4:55) Loco De Amor (3:51) Marching Through The Wilderness (4:30) Lie To Me (3:40) Women Vs Men (4:06) Carnival Eyes (4:04) I Know Sometimes A Man Is Wrong (3:11)

*** star songs: Dirty Old Town (4:12) Rose Tattoo (3:50) Dream Police (3:00) Don't Want To Be Part Of Your World (4:55) Good And Evil (4:35) Office Cowboy (3:40)

** star songs: Make Believe Mambo (5:23)

And the Byrne-lies down-on Broaaaoddway.

I hate to say it, but David Byrne had a prog peak. As the Talking Heads moved in a more commercial direction, David's work became rather dull. I still pick up his solo material on occasion, but primarily if I find it used while browsing a store.

This soundtrack album is one of his best along with the proggy Talking Heads albums and My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. It really seems to be Byrne driven affair, but has a nice set of guest musicians: Adrian Belew, Brian Eno, Bernie Worrell. Twyla Tharpe even drops in doing water pot.

This is, of course, a score for a Broadway dance piece. If you take it for only it's musical value, there's a lot here to like. Most of the tracks are short, but there's a lot of purely instrumental bits. It's one of those musical things from the early '80's that doesn't suck.

A footnote (slight dance joke): A DVD is currently available, so you can either appreciate this as just a piece of music or see the spectacle of the original Broadway show. After all, it was ultimately a collaboration with Twyla.

The liner notes to this album say that this music, written for Robert Wilson's opera "The Civil Wars", was inspired by the music of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. In a way there is a trace of that band's music here. The Dirty Dozen is a New Orleans brass and percussion group, of the style that you might see marching down the streets during Mardi Gras. The music on this album is based on a similar arrangement of brass and drums. But Byrne somehow manages to miss the excitement around the music of the original band. Even though he has assembled some talented horn players, everything on the album comes across cold and lifeless.

One saving grace. Byrne doesn't sing on the album. He speaks all of the lines, saving us from having to hear his thin, wavering, off-key singing voice.

My advice: go out and get a real Dirty Dozen Brass Band album.

After more than 25 years an unexpected rumor began circulating the Internet regarding a potential new collaboration album between Eno & Byrne. This was met with an enormous cheer by all the fans of the duos groundbreaking 1981-release which has considerably expanded its fan-base since the '80s.

Being a huge fan of My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts I didn't hesitate for a minute and pre-ordered the new album as soon as it became available. This strategy managed to backfire and resulted in a lesson that I carry with me to this day. Namely, be sure to listen to samples before actually buying an album! This was especially applicable in the case of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today since the entire album can be streamed from its official website.

Judging from my rating it can be assumed that I didn't find this album particularly appealing but I will restrain from any criticism connected to Brian Eno. I guess it would be difficult to complain about a Brian Eno album that in fact isn't really a Brian Eno album. Although Eno claims, in the video posted in the album's official website, that he has written most of the material it was David Byrne who contributed the lyrics and provided his vocals to the album. In order to do so all of the original demos had to be adjusted to fit with his vocal delivery. The final result of this editing is almost completely void of the famous Eno touch that has been so well established on all of his previous works.

This basically leaves us with just another David Byrne solo-album but with bland material that wouldn't really fit next to all of his previous releases. Having followed Byrne's solo career ever since Rei Momo I would personally rank this as his weakest offering to date. This material just doesn't fit him all that well and have it not been for a few minor exceptions to this statement I wouldn't hesitate of giving it the lowest rating.

As it stands today I can still imagine that Byrne's most dedicated fans might find some enjoyment in this album. As for Brian Eno, it has been a while since we've had an album featuring his compositions so even his fans might be slightly amused to hear some of these new compositions although they won't find more than a few hints of his touch scattered over a few performances here. It's a collectors/fans only release that I recommend streaming off the official website before actually considering a purchase!

**** star songs: Home (5:06) Poor Boy (4:19)

*** star songs: My Big Nurse (3:21) I Feel My Stuff (6:25) Everything That Happens (3:47) Life Is Long (3:46) Wanted For Life (5:06) One Fine Day (4:55) The Lighthouse (3:46)

** star songs: The River (2:31) Strange Overtones (4:17)