Maybe, I’m weary of side one of Remain In Light but, these days, I much prefer the strangeness and intrigue of side two, making me think Houses In Motion would have been superb given the American Utopia treatment and (Nothing But) Flowers might have been a better choice from Naked. Surprisingly, the weaving rhythms of Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Blind and the encore, The Great Curve, work less well, although lead guitarist Angie Swan takes the opportunity on the encore of the latter to excel. Glass, Concrete & Stone from Grown Backwards in 2004 is personal and revelatory, almost intimate in this Broadway setting. The absence of visuals puts Burning Down The House at a disadvantage but Lazy, his dance hit with X-Press 2 in 2002, soars. This version of I Zimbra is stunning, the guitar and the rhythm sparkling, the vocal a united chorus of all twelve voices. Everybody’s Coming To My House is welcoming and moving, leaving three tracks clumped together just after the halfway point, I Dance Like This, Bullet and Every Day Is A Miracle, all benefiting from the additional percussion. The album’s finale, Here, is perfectly placed as an opener, introducing us to the concept of the connections that make us the people we are. The American Utopia tracks fare well, rubbing shoulders with Talking Heads at their peak. This is a Soundtrack album full of humanity and warmth. There is a deep affection for others in these performances. His singing, even taking into account any post-event adjustments, is at its best, completely without any trace of the cynicism of his youth. He’s also playful, witty and willing to go out on a limb, unafraid to poke fun at himself. The grey uniformity of the players blends him into the whole. But, here, he sees himself as an active part of society, a cog, a contributor to the Gaia collective of mankind, connected and involved, even if, at times, uncomfortable and reticent. Without the thoughtful and enlightening introductions Byrne delivered during the concerts and in the film is it possible to discern the narrative themes of the concert? Byrne’s view of the world has always been odd, distorted from a point of alienation and disconnection. The song choices are mostly the obvious ones, the ‘greatest hits’ so to speak, with a few surprises. They play twenty-two songs in all: ten Talking Heads: one from ’77, one Fear Of Music, three Remain In Light, three Speaking in Tongues, one Little Creatures and one Naked: six ‘solo’ Byrne, four of which were collaborations, and five from the American Utopia album itself, plus a cover. They add power and intricacy to songs that rely heavily on complex rhythmical patterns. The bassist, Bobby Wooten III, revels in the limelight and the percussionists, who more than substitute for a drum kit, are well organised and disciplined. There are twelve musicians: guitar, bass, keyboards, six percussionists, two backing vocalists and David Byrne himself, contributing guitar to some songs. Can a soundtrack capture a show whose essence is so visual? The Afterword has been to the gigs and enjoyed Spike Lee’s movie but how about completing the set and buying the soundtrack? The musicians on the American Utopia were untethered, all wore matching grey suits with bare feet and every move across the stage was carefully choreographed, their ebbs and flows emphasised and exaggerated by simple but effective lighting, the backdrop being a curtain of chains.
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