The Talking Heads - Remain In Light

Sire

October 8th, 1980.

The often heavily praised fourth studio album from The Talking Heads, Remain in Light, turns 45. Once again Brian Eno produced, Remain in Light takes on a more "studio album" kind of creative direction. The trickery that can go on within the four walls of a soundproofed booth takes on a very special hue within the partnership of The Heads and Eno. 

Remain in Light lives a tale of two halves: the up-beat though aware and danceable first half, and the aftermath - the comedown, the sombre corners, the overload. The Fela-Kuti-fication of The Talking Heads can be found in the jumpy jitters spread across Remain In Light - the somewhat intense and intentional poly-rhythmic African influence seeps through. A Russian doll of rhythms, Remain In Light, more so the upbeat first half, can feel like a gymnastics lesson. Leap forwards, bend backwards, swerve sideways, triple-double backflip and hit the landing. Stretch those toes. Snap that neck. High-speed rhythmic limbo. Touch your toes backwards. 

Remain In Light is the definition of a "Studio album". Headphones may be a requirement to get into the nook-and-crannies of the sonic spheres put together. An intense amount of attention is needed to pick up on the gold that is buried deep down in the crevasses of the album. Nuggets of sonic jewels swirl inside. The album gets off to a swift start. Like sitting down on a rollercoaster already in motion you are swept up and along with "Born Under Punches(The Heat Goes On)". 

"Take a look at these hands. TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HANDS. The hand speaks. The hands of a Government man. TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HANDS. They're passing in between us." Meddling with the fundamentals. Moving things. Unbalancing the already alright. Undoing the already all done. Upsetting the system set. 

Compared to previous Talking Heads records Remain In Light is immediately on another level: more immersive, densely rich and texturally intentional. Lost your shape trying to fit in. It'll be the last time you play the "in" game. Out and about; out of your mind; out of orbit. 

"Sometimes the world has a load of questions, seems like the world knows nothing at all." The world is a witness; a by-stander. Subject to its own volition. Unable to change its own trajectory. At the helm of a senseless insanity. Unperceivable. Explicitly ever-unknowning. 

Does anything have to be said about "Once In A Lifetime"? Iconic does the job. It's existential pop at 4 of it's finest minutes. After the Searching For Answers sounds of "Once in a Lifetime" comes the burnout. The search has been answered with a slap to the soul. 

Machines try on their emotions for size. Casual mechanics. The same yet somehow different. "Gentle collapsing. Removal of the insides." Skin deep. A vacuum of shallow bliss. Hollowed out. "The center is missing. They question how the future lies in someone's eyes." 

Same as it ever was.