Day After Day #27: Crosseyed and Painless

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).

Crosseyed and Painless (1980)

By the time Remain in Light came out in October 1980, the Talking Heads were already in the midst of an incredible run of terrific albums. This album was their fourth and their third with producer Brian Eno and the band's sound was evolving...from nerdy post-punk to funk to African polyrhythms, as well as the burgeoning hip hop scene. 

Already dealing with tension between frontman David Byrne and the rest of the band, the Heads agreed to record the new record in the Bahamas, where bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz were temporarily living. Instead of writing music to Byrne's lyrics, they decided to work up instrumental jams that combined rock with African music. Once back in New York, Byrne was struggling with writer's block. He had guitarist Adrian Belew come in and add solos to the instrumental tracks. Horns and percussionists were brought in, as well as Nona Hendryx on backing vocals, for whom Jerry Harrison had produced an album. 

Byrne experimented with stream-of-consciousness lyrics and was influenced by preachers and early rappers. "Once in a Lifetime" got the most attention, as it was the lead single and it had an iconic video that became a staple on MTV, which launched in August '81. After a few more singles, "Crosseyed and Painless" was released, along with a Toni Basil-directed video that didn't feature any of the band members but instead young street dancers.

The song's protagonist is paranoid and anxious, railing against the information overload that's got him on edge. Byrne's rap in the song ("Facts are simple and facts are straight/Facts are lazy and facts are late") were influenced by "The Breaks" by OG rapper Kurtis Blow. 

Instrumentally, the song incorporates tons of percussion: cowbell, congas, electronics and even the rhythm guitar. Belew doesn't play a typical solo, but instead sweeps through the song with big flourishes. The groove is tight and incredibly funky, which explains why even though it didn't land on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, it hit #20 on the Billboard Dance chart. Remain in Light got up to #19 on the Billboard album chart and went gold.

When the band toured the album, they brought an extended lineup that included Belew, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, Busta Jones on bass, Steve Scales on percussion and Dolette McDonald on vocals. The resulting tour was incredible and thankfully was captured by a camera crew for a TV broadcast of the Rome show. Belew is masterful, ripping hot solos and adding guitar squeals and feedback throughout the songs, which capture all the funkiness of the studio versions and extrapolate them into a musical experience that needs to be seen as well as heard. 

After the tour, the Talking Heads took a hiatus and didn't reconvene for a few years, releasing Speaking in Tongues in 1983. Thanks to the top 10 hit "Burning Down the House," the album was a big hit. The tour was documented by Jonathan Demme for the film Stop Making Sense, which led to the live album of the same name. That was the band's last tour, although they released three more albums before breaking up officially in 1991. The divide between Byrne and the other members grew too great and they didn't reunite until they were inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame in 2002 and played three songs. Stop Making Sense was released in IMAX theaters last fall and all four members appeared together at a live Q&A and for some interviews, but no other collaborations appear imminent.

The popularity of videos of the Remain in Light tour on YouTube led to Harrison and Belew putting together a tour playing that album in full and selected other Heads hits. Backed by the jam band Cool Cool Cool, the show played to theaters in much of the country last year (I saw the Boston show at the House of Blues and it was excellent) and more dates have been announced for later this year.

Talking Heads did a lot over a relatively short period of time. Remain in Light and "Crosseyed and Painless" is the peak, in my opinion.