If that's a tragedy, though, it's one that's common to life. There's always been an element of elite judgment to Byrne's work. As Collins himself notes, "The Big Country" expresses disdain towards the natives of America's heartland. It just does so in a bracingly honest way.
The difference is that in the late 70s and 80s Byrne was a genius, and now he's someone who has been a genius in the past. The spark of divine madness isn't there now.
Again, it's an old story. When was the last great Dylan album? I mean the last that could stand with Blonde on Blonde. It could be argued that David Bowie went out on top with Blackstar, but he certainly had some fallow years.
So maybe sometime in the future Byrne will return to form and amaze the world with something no one was expecting. Or perhaps not. How much can you fairly expect?
2 comments:
Stop Making Sense was a great album and movie. It was even better as a live concert experience in 83 or 84, an experience I'm delighted still to know we shared. But all good things do come to an end you're right that David Byrne is a former genius. The way it goes.
It appears he began making himself into an elitist early on. Songs that we never took particularly seriously with lyrics like - same as it ever was, psycho killer qu'est-ce que c'est?, I guess I must be having fun, burning down the house.. There were a lot of very good, really enjoyable ones but I think that concert was the high point at least for me.
Once the Talking Heads broke up we were much less likely to pay attention to what Byrne was up to. The album he made with Brian Eno My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was about the last I remember hearing with pleasure.
I think you might be right about Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. I loved Highway 61 Revisited but it was made before B on B. As for David Bowie it's harder to choose as he kept coming up with some surprisingly good songs but the last album of his I remember fondly was Young Americans. Blackstar I haven't heard yet.
As Jer said earlier, 'David Byrne has turned into Woody Allen'. I think he's far too comfortable, never mind old, to pull any major surprises out of his hat. He's done enough to increase general happiness in the world even if he is a bit crazy.
For what are probably a number of reasons (group dynamics, changing personal circumstances) that turned out to be the last time they ever toured together. Which is another reason I'm glad to have been there. They put a lot of energy and creativity into it, and it showed.
The great thing about songs like that is that they worked their way into your head and your bloodstream whether you took them seriously or not. Or at least that's how I found it. From what I understand Tina Weymouth is from a French family. So he had a good sounding board as to the French pronunciation in "Psycho Killer."
Post-Talking Heads he's been an influential tastemaker, bringing publicity to some younger bands. I know he did a collab with St. Vincent, although I haven't heard much of it. But yeah, his encouragement of them has probably been more impactful than his own new music for a while. Although I did like his second album with Eno, Everything that Happens Will Happen Today.
I didn't actually mean that Blonde on Blonde was Dylan's last great album. It was a high water mark, though, and would be hard for anyone to match more than once. Bowie had trouble finding purpose after he became a big crossover success in the 80s. Eventually he adjusted, though.
Whatever else happens, I'm glad that Byrne hasn't had people turn on him the way so many have with the Woodster. It's an occupational hazard.
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