Underappreciated Albums – Part 4 of 4 – Punk, Off-The-Beaten-Path-Rock Including But Not Limited to Drug-Soaked Rock Operas Featuring Giant Cheeseburgers

Talking Heads – Remain In Light
I’m really not sure how much recognition this album gets but as far as I’m concerned it packs the most punch for the money of any Talking Heads or David Byrne effort. It lacks the quirky appeal of singles like “Psycho Killer” or “And She Was” but it replaces their catchiness with depth. David Byrne’s solo stuff reminds me of a Billy Idol quote (of all things). “Robert Plant can sing and Mick Jagger can’t. But do I listen to Robert Plant? No, I don’t. I listen to Mick Jagger. Why? Because he can’t sing, but he sounds great.” In my analogy, David Byrne will play the role of Robert Plant. While I recognize that his solo work is musically stout and deserves all the accolades it receives, I never really find myself wanting to listen to it. “Remain In Light” manages to capture Byrne’s genius in its most digestible form. That’s the one in my collection that doesn’t collect a lot of dust.