Talking Heads' Remain in Light: A Flawed Album With a Flawless Half? | RearViews Episode #26

In the summer of 1980, four art-school kids from New York flew to the Bahamas with no songs. No lyrics, no demos, no chord charts. Just Brian Eno, who believed songs were an outdated idea, and a stack of Fela Kuti records. What came back was Remain in Light, the most rhythmically ambitious record a rock band made that decade, and it nearly destroyed the band that made it. Forty-six years later it gets talked about like scripture. But under the polyrhythms and the hype there's a lopsided second half, a songwriting credit that still causes arguments, and a question about borrowing the band has never fully answered. This is RearViews. We break down Fear of Music and the road to Nassau, the human samplers and Adrian Belew's guitar, every song from Born Under Punches to The Overload, the full story of Once in a Lifetime, and the final RearView rating. Does side two work for you? Fight me on The Overload in the comments. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:02 Nassau, 1980 1:05 Fear of Music 3:04 Making Remain in Light 5:32 Side One 7:49 Once in a Lifetime 10:12 Side Two 12:51 Fallout 15:48 The Verdict 17:34 RearView Rating GET THE MUSIC Remain in Light (Vinyl): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000H8RVUW?t... Stop Making Sense 40th Anniversary (Blu-ray): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DFC7MJJW?t... How Music Works by David Byrne (Book): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0804188939?t... The turntable I recommend: https://link.amazon/B0cGIiaGf As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Subscribe for more RearViews:    / @absolutelybrilliantmusic   #TalkingHeads #RemainInLight #OnceInALifetime #BrianEno #AlbumReview #RearViews