David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love

By Rich Alan

As a self-proclaimed Talking Heads fan, I wanted to help out with this post. While I admit I haven't kept up with most of David Byrne's solo work, I think the Heads's '77 and More Songs About Buildings and Food are two of the best rock records of the 70's. And having heard that David Byrne was collaborating with Fatboy Slim to create a concept album on the life of former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, my interest was piqued. Not only because of the interesting approach, but also to actually sit down and listen to what David Byrne has been up to these days.

On Here Lies Love it turns out most of what I know of David Byrne, the "Talking Heads David Byrne," is nowhere to be found. Those of you coming in to this record primarily interested in his presence, as I was, will most likely be disappointed. But what I was impressed with is how unique this record is: it just might be the first chronological history lesson I've ever heard in album format. To give it more realism, it's told in the voice of almost entirely female vocalists, to give the impression we are hearing Imelda tell her story in her own words. Byrne & Slim don't hold back in getting a wide range of incredible talent either: ranging from hipster favorite Santogold, to jazz singer Charmaine Clamor, to 80's nostalgia-favorite Cyndi Lauper.

Unfortunately, as interesting as the idea might be, the execution is simply satisfactory. While Byrne is most well-known for creating some of the most unique pop music of the past 30-plus years, Here Lies Love contains adult-contemporary electronica you'd most likely find sandwiched in between a Sheryl Crow and Matchbox Twenty song on your mother's favorite radio channel. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, it's just not my flavor, and it's definitely not what I'm listening to David Byrne for. Slim's beats are OK, Byrne's melodies are pleasant enough, and most of the vocalists do an admirable job, but the whole thing is just a bit too bland. Byrne does contribute vocals on two tracks; "American Troglodyte" is alright but "Seven Years" is my least favorite track on the entire double album, an overly long fairy-tale themed song with choir-style vocals that has me pressing the skip button every time.

There are a few songs I will definitely keep however; Cyndi Lauper's "Eleven Days" is the highlight, a very dance-able pop track with stellar vocals provided by the 80's legend herself. And being a bit of a St. Vincent fan, I do mildly enjoy the track she contributes to, "Every Drop of Rain." There's a couple of other songs I'll keep, but they will all most assuredly be tracks I'll come back to as potential candidates to get the axe when I need more space on my rapidly dwindling 32gb.