David Byrne, the musician, performer, writer, multidisciplinary artist and co-founder of Talking Heads, has released a deluxe digital edition of his latest album 'Who Is The Sky?' with four bonus tracks, including new single "My Madness."
Watch the visualizer: https://youtu.be/tmRW4e-uZvw
Here's my take on the bonus tracks:
With a shuffling beat, "T Shirt" is a good song addition, where Byrne sings, "listen to my t shirt 'cause every word is true" and fits with the album's flow. "My Madness," bolstered by horns, strings and a festive atmosphere, contains lyrics ("my madness really helps me out") that many people can probably find relatable. "What and Where," also has a string section, back-and-forth waltz time signature and full-on chorus. There's a theatrical vibe to it. "Cual es la Razon" an interesting revamp of the album's "What is the Reason for it" now has new Spanish female duet vocals and instrumentation, bringing to mind some of Byrne's 1990s work. The deluxe edition is highly recommended for fans.
In a press release, David Byrne talked about the expanded edition and definition of an album...
Good question. Vinyl fans and crate diggers have a sense of an album as fixed thing- a set of songs on a physical object- in a specific order that presumably the artist thinks makes for a cohesive listening experience.
But streaming and downloads turned all that on its head. Albums can be super long, super short, and the songs can change over time. The only consistent thing might be that the songs were composed and recorded around a similar time - so they speak to that time and place and have some sort of sonic continuity.
So, here's my most recent album now expanded with 2 songs that were cut, not because they weren't good (I hope) but to give the initial album a nice variety of grooves and subjects. 'My Madness' - this is one of my personal favorites- the singer imagines their "madness" as a separate entity from themselves, one that they come to love, understand and respect. There's a reconciliation. There's an old song ('T Shirt') that we added to our set list with images of statements folks wear on their T Shirts. And a wonderful reimagining of 'What is The Reason for It' created by Mexican Institute of Sound and co-written and sung by Natalia Lafoucade. Enjoy
Last month, Byrne announced that he would bring his world tour to the big screen. Filmed over multiple nights at the famed Hippodrome in Byrne’s hometown of Baltimore, the film captures the production that has played to audiences for over 150 shows across four continents. It was shot on 70mm by Brady Corbet, director of the Academy Award®-winning film The Brutalist. The film is in postproduction now, with distribution and release details to be announced.
David Byrne's new book Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up is scheduled for release on October 6 in North America by Penguin Press, and on October 8 in the UK (with a UK hardcover release by Canongate on November 2). See below for a rundown of book tour dates in both North America and the UK and pre-order the book here.
Who Is the Sky? is Byrne’s first album since releasing the acclaimed 2018 American Utopia, which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and HBO film. It was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Guests include Paramore’s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.
“At my age, at least for me, there's a ‘don't give a shit about what people think’ attitude that kicks in,” Byrne says about the spirit behind Who Is the Sky? “I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I'm doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There's always a bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I've found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it's because I'm able to clearly impart what it is I'm trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we're now joined together heading to the same unknown place.”
Who Is the Sky? Digital Deluxe track list:
Everybody Laughs
When We Are Singing
My Apartment Is My Friend
A Door Called No
What Is the Reason for It?
I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party
Don't Be Like That
The Avant Garde
Moisturizing Thing
I'm an Outside
She Explains Things to Me
The Truth
T Shirt
My Madness
What and Where
¿Cuál Es La Razón?
SLEEPING BEAUTIES BOOK TOUR DATES:
North America:
Oct 6 — New York, NY — Riverside Church (presented by McNally Jackson)
Oct 10 — Toronto, ON — Koerner Hall (presented by TIFA and Type Books)
Oct 11 — San Francisco, CA — Sydney Goldstein Theater (presented by City Arts & Lectures)
Oct 13 — Los Angeles, CA — Robert Frost Auditorium (presented by Live Talks Los Angeles)
Oct 14 — Seattle, WA — Meany Center for the Performing Arts (Town Hall Seattle & Elliott Bay Book Company)
Oct 15 — Chicago, IL — Athenaeum Theatre (Chicago Humanities and Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture)
In related news:
SiriusXM announced that Talking Heads will launch Talking Heads Radio, an exclusive pop-up channel available to subscribers in their cars on channel 145 from October 1-22 and on the SiriusXM app from October 1-31.
Celebrating over 50 years of music from Talking Heads, Talking Heads Radio will feature music and exclusive true stories from David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth. Listeners will hear the band’s favorite tracks and deep cuts from their legendary catalog alongside curated guest DJ sets from Adam Clayton, Nate Mendel, The Linda Lindas, Tunde Adebimpe, Trey Anastasio and more, as well as special commentary from some of the band’s influences, the latest on upcoming projects and more.
In celebration of the new channel, all four members of Talking Heads will make a rare appearance together to sit down in front of a live audience at SiriusXM’s New York City studios for an exclusive Front Row Q&A event hosted by Este Haim, bass guitarist and vocalist from the band Haim, on Monday, September 28 at 7:00 pm ET.
The full conversation will air on Talking Heads Radio on launch day, Thursday, October 1, at 12:00 pm ET and will be available anytime on the SiriusXM app.
“We’re excited to sit down together for the SiriusXM Front Row,” said Talking Heads. “We’re looking forward to the Talking Heads Radio channel takeover and the opportunity to share the music and some of the stories behind it with SiriusXM listeners, both longtime fans and those discovering Talking Heads for the first time.”
SiriusXM will also launch a new interactive tool where fans can submit a video, voice or text message sharing their favorite songs and stories, the band’s impact on their lives and any questions for the band to answer during the Front Row broadcast. Fans can visit SiriusXM.com/TrueStories to make a submission.
George Paul
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