|
Ever since the Talking Heads broke up in 1991, people wondered whether David Byrne would ever reconvene with his former band members and reincarnate one of the greatest New Wave bands of all time.
In the interim, Byrne has been quite prolific. He released six solo albums, including the groundbreaking Rei Momo (which propelled world music into the mainstream in much the same way that Paul Simon's Graceland did a few years earlier) and 1992's Uh-Oh, which gave some fans hope that the Talking Heads might be revived. Unfortunately for Heads fans, Byrne has not indicated any desire to get the band back together (though they did get together in 1999 to promote the wonderfully remastered reissue of 1984's Stop Making Sense.) That said, Byrne's new album, Look Into the Eyeball is as close to a Talking Heads album as fans of the band can expect to get in the foreseeable future. Unlike some of his solo efforts, this album does much to remind listeners of Byrne's old band. The bassist on this disc might as well be Tina Weymouth. The backup vocals have that old Talking Heads feel. And did I mention the songs? Byrne's ability to write the same wonderfully quirky lyrics he always has written is fully evident here. Consider the chorus of "Everyone's In Love With You," in which Byrne sings "I'm jealous & a little proud/I want to kill & kiss you too/You belong to everyone who meets you/Everyone's in love with you." As always, disparate influences abound. "Neighborhood" has a wonderful Philly soul vibe. "U.B. Jesus" and "Like Humans Do" could have appeared on More Songs About Buildings and Food or Naked. And as always, this disc requires more than a single spin to grow on the listener. Two spins should do it. Some will accuse me of wanting this album to be a Talking Heads disc--and maybe I do. However, anyone who appreciates their catalog as much as I do will tell you that a Talking Heads comeback would be more than welcome. Until then, we have David Byrne doing his solo thing. When he is at his best, as he is in many places on this album, that is not a bad consolation prize. |
 Rei Momo $9.99 CD |
 Uh-Oh $9.99 CD |
 More Songs About Buildings and Food $9.99 CD |
 Naked $9.99 CD |
