David Byrne

David Byrne's curiosity knows no bounds. As frontman and principal songwriter for Talking Heads, Byrne's creative outreach encompassed the best aspects of new-wave rock, rootsy funk and exploratory electronics. Together with the Heads and producer Brian Eno, Byrne brought African music and other sounds from around the globe into common usage. And as leader of an all-star Latin big band, he sought to reveal the mystery and majesty of Afro-Cuban music to a wider audience.

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David Byrne's curiosity knows no bounds. As frontman and principal songwriter for Talking Heads, Byrne's creative outreach encompassed the best aspects of new-wave rock, rootsy funk and exploratory electronics. Together with the Heads and producer Brian Eno, Byrne brought African music and other sounds from around the globe into common usage. And as leader of an all-star Latin big band, he sought to reveal the mystery and majesty of Afro-Cuban music to a wider audience.
For DAVID BYRNE, the songwriter distills his pan-cultural focus into the kind of stripped-down musical stylings and enigmatic, quirky narratives that made his work with Talking Heads so fascinating. He speaks more from the heart and less from the head than on previous recordings. Songs like the hard-driving "Crash", the moody "A Self-Made Man" and the dancing "Back In The Box" explore themes of insecurity, self-pride and escapism, while "My Love Is You" is one of the simplest, most tender love songs Byrne has ever penned.

Rolling Stone (7/14/94, p.110)
- 3.5 Stars - "...Amid an altogether first-rate record that's both raw and disciplined...those more direct songs strip away the catalog of eccentricities and circle behind the enigma to reveal the man, David Byrne..."

Spin (9/94, p.141)
- Highly Recommended - "...No longer practicing cross-cultural cryogenics, Byrne simply dashes DAVID BYRNE with essence brought back from his musical travels..."

Entertainment Weekly (5/27/94, p.88)
- "...this fourth solo album since the [Talking] Heads' demise is his most stripped-down effort in ages....It's nice to hear a gimmick-free Byrne, but bear in mind that straightforward songs from this guy are still fairly twisted by any reasonable standard..." - Rating: B+

Option (10/94, p.96)
- "...this album gives a whole new musical framework to his persona. Lyrical themes are still skewed; a poetic look at an alternate universe in which love is never what it seems..."

Dirty Linen (12/94-1/95, p.69)
- "...The former Talking Head is in fine form, sounding unusually desperate in his appealingly vulnerable way, imparting mega poetry (sometimes in a slithery sing-speak)
that from other mouths would most certainly sound affected..."