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From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Brian Eno's Influence over Talking Heads
Message-ID: <1277@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Dec-84 10:47:14 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.1277
Posted: Fri Dec 14 10:47:14 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Dec-84 14:39:05 EST
References: <1167@ihuxm.UUCP>, <8700002@rna.UUCP>
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 42

Well, it looks like everybody and his brother disagrees with what I said
about Brian Eno and Talking Heads, so let me just (re)state my beliefs, and
hopefully fewer people will disagree with me.  I believe in the following
points, even though other people have gotten the impression that I don't:

- Talking Heads are very creative and talented, and probably would have
  made it big without Eno's help.

- The direction that the band took musically was their own choice, not Eno's.

- The pre-"Remain In Light" Talking Heads were not an ordinary new wave band.
  They were great, revolutionary, and historically significant.

- Stadium and even arena concerts really suck.  If you can't see a band in
  a small place, don't see them at all.

However, I also believe in the following, which I don't think contradicts
anything I said above:

- Even though the band's musical direction was their own choice, I don't
  think they'd be doing the type of music they've been doing since "Remain
  In Light" if Eno, through his influence, hadn't provided them with that
  alternative.  The same can be said of Bowie's work with Eno, which in my
  opinion is some of the best stuff he's ever done.

- By the time of "Remain In Light", the times were beginning to catch up with
  Talking Heads as everybody else was recording the type of music that they
  introduced.  They needed a big change like "Remain In Light" in order to
  continue to produce revolutionary and historically significant music, or
  else they would have become just an ordinary new wave band.

- "Sp Eak In Gi N To Ngu Es" is a great album, but not, in my opinion, nearly
  as good as "Remain In Light".

I hope that clears up some of the misunderstanding.  I didn't mean to downgrade
the importance of Talking Heads themselves by emphasizing the importance of
Eno.  Great albums like "Remain In Light" require excellence from both group
and producer.
-- 
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto  (416) 635-2073
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