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David Byrne — Dirty Old Town
Album: Rei Momo
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 498









Released: 1989
Length: 3:53
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Well, there are sixteen people in danny's apartment
Sixteen people are living in there
Remember the days of rent control
Grandpa remembers rock and roll

These days won't last forever
These days won't last for long
You know, somebody somewhere owes us a favor
That's how things really get done
In this world of opportunities, it's a land of possibilities

We wanna live in a dirty old town
Building it up, tearing us down
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dirty old town

Now when the ladies come from kansas
They wear their traditional colors
Today the fabrics are ragged and torn
The clothes on their backs is all that they own
They say, "don't draw attention to yourself
They'll tear you apart for a couple of bucks
Keep you head down and keep you nose clean


'cause people who're scared do dangerous things"

These days can't last forever
These days can't last for long
You know someday things'll get better
Somehow things'll get done
In this world of possibilities, it's the land of opportunities

We wanna live in a dirty old town
Building it up, tearing us down
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dirty old town

These days shoes are worn only on special occasions
Battles are fought for fam'ly and nations
Maybe you'll pray, but God isn't home
And there's no guarantee that justice be done

We wanna live in a dirty old town
Building it up, tearing us down
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dirty old town
Comments (63)add comment
seems to me RP is playing alot of David or TH

maybe too much

they are good but not that good

I mean theyre no Bob Dylan 
...oooh please!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOO!!!

soooo pathetic,stupid and bad!
UNBELIEVABLE!

"Minus 1"
OK, what am I missing? Is it secret-handshake-supercool to love Byrne and his Talking Heads and I'm just not that cool, or is there really some kind of musical magic at work? I just don't see it. In fact, when I hear David Byrne, I see "mute."

 
The Name of This Man Is by Herschell Hershey
AH McKay
https://www.flickr.com/photos/herschell/

David Byrne

Recognising David Byrne was the easy bit. He was the guy in the checked shirt and matching shorts, looking as if he was on day release from Sesame Street. The outfit, he said, was an impulse buy. "Then it became one of those things where I wondered if I could ever wear it." But he had. And, teamed with white trainers, a white digital watch, and a professorial shock of white hair, it seemed to make sense. It was strange, but neat.
Finding a quiet place to talk in the Roundhouse wasn't so simple. First Byrne led me to the bar, which was empty, apart from the man drilling holes in the counter. Then he suggested we sit outside at a table, except that the rain was falling through the umbrellas. Byrne examined the cloudburst, then ambled back into the belly of the building, where two men were fiddling with a keyboard in the middle of the floor. He led me to a dressing room door, which he tried to open with a swipe card three times before it yielded. The room was tiny, windowless, and smelled strongly of perfume. There were folding chairs, so we sat down, facing the wall. "Mmm," Byrne said. "This is cosy."
Byrne's familiarity with the Roundhouse should not have been a surprise. He appeared there in 1976 with his band Talking Heads, on a bill with the Ramones and the Stranglers. It was Talking Heads' first show in London. His abiding memory is of "gobbing." The show took place at the height of punk, when spitting was in vogue. "I'm glad it's gone out of fashion," he says drily.
Byrne's fortunes have fluctuated over the last 30 years, but his reputation now is higher than at any time since Talking Heads split. Earlier this week, the live show celebrating his on-off musical collaborations with Brian Eno made its second visit to London, this time at the Barbican, where the after-show meet-and-greet attracted Radiohead's Thom Yorke, who was delighted to meet Byrne's girlfriend, photographer Cindy Sherman. ("I guess from his art school days, she was (is) an icon of sorts," Byrne wrote in his online journal.) I asked Byrne whether his relationship with Sherman had affected his art. "Wow!" he replied. "I don't know. Our tastes overlap quite a bit. Which is good! Not 100%, but that's' helpful.
"But our ways of working are miles apart. That just amazes me too. She doesn't work for a long period; maybe collects bits and pieces of things, then thinks about it - and then has a burst of activity, really focused, and boom! It's done.
"I'll go from a music project to a book to an installation. Everything moves along at its own pace incrementally."
And has she influenced him? "Yeah," he says, laughing. "I don't know how. It's not like she says, ‘Let's play dress-up.'"
Byrne is at the Roundhouse to install Playing The Building, which turns the fabric of the former locomotive turning shed into an (un)musical instrument. He has done it before, in Stockholm and New York, but the Roundhouse brings its own challenges.
The fabric of the building is wired to an old organ, and as the keys are played, the building groans in response. "You can't change it radically. It changes a little bit, depending on what girders there are, or how much ping you get out of the pillars. But buildings from this era all have very similar elements - cast iron pillars, cast metal girder supports, some old plumbing."
Since the Roundhouse's expensive refit, gobbing is no longer encouraged, but perhaps the management should be wary. In a sense, this is punk art.
"I like that it kicks away some of the preciousness of art. I thought people might be more timid. Once one person starts, and they see that nobody's better at it than anybody else, then they jump right in."
Byrne's other business in the capital is the launch of Bicycle Diaries, an intellectual travelogue recording the in-between moments of his travels, which he crams with visits to galleries and discussions with interesting people. The London chapter includes a cycle ride to Whitechapel to meet curator Iwona Blazwick, and he also finds time to admire the eccentricities of the hairy potter, Grayson Perry.
Byrne seems well-informed about BritArt, and is diplomatic about the talents of that other punk artist, Damien Hirst, calling him clever. "Maybe not great art, but it's great something-or-other else.
"I once went to the Pharmacy restaurant, which was incredible. It was really perfect and clever and witty. I don't know if it was art. It was the sort of thing that a great designer could do as well."
This visit to the capital has been no less productive. He and Sherman cycled to the V&A to see the design exhibition Telling Tales (a qualified thumbs up), and yesterday (Thursday) they biked to Southwark to see Roger Hiorns' Seizure, in which a council house has been coated in copper sulphate. "It's like the JG Ballard story where everything turns to crystal. The whole ceiling, doors walls - everything's covered with pretty sizable crystals - pretty amazing! Pretty amazing! And finding it was not easy at all."
And this, really, is the essence of David Byrne. He could, we may assume, afford to take a taxi, but, armed with his free maps from the London Cycle Campaign, he chooses to bike it, even when his journey involves an encounter with the Elephant and Castle roundabout.
"Oh my God! Yes. I've heard that roundabouts are good for traffic, better than stoplights. Some guy has a book out called Traffic; there was a study, and there are fewer accidents on roundabouts than traffic lights because on roundabouts, it's so precarious, you have to really be aware, and stop texting on your cellphone. Whereas with stoplights, people feel like the light does the job for them. So they'll pull out when it turns green, and not think that someone else may have missed the light."
Byrne eschews Lycra, and has been known to tie a raccoon tail to his helmet, but he is a serious cyclist. He has been an effective campaigner in New York: the city adopted his half-serious proposal for bespoke bicycle racks (dollar-bill shaped for Wall Street, bottle-shaped for The Bowery).
Much of his thinking about cycling has been influenced by the visionary approach of Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogota, in Colombia. Peñalosa brought his city centre back to life by maximising public transport and returning the streets to pedestrians and cyclists. He also stated that unless a cycle lane is safe for an eight year-old, it isn't a cycle lane. So what does Byrne think about London?
"Cycling in London is kinda weird. There's a group I contacted a year or so ago, the Warrington Cycle Campaign. They have pictures of poor urban planning where the bike lane goes straight into a wall, or steers you into traffic. I thought, maybe that's the suburbs. But, I have to say, London has its share of that too - look how many of these bike lanes only last 10 metres. You'll think, ‘Oh good, it's going my way,' and the next thing you know, it's gone."
It was Sherman who pointed out to him that, unlike New York, London comprises a collection of villages. "You really sense that when you're cycling around. Cars and taxis will tend to take the big, busy streets. When you're cycling you take little back roads, and you really get a sense of this being one village and then it's a transition and you're in another village - where people really identify with working or living in that place."
This emphasis on community is one of the underlying themes in Byrne's journal. He's never happier than when cycling through a mixed community full of mom-and-pop stores, with no sign of corporate chains. (His Baltimore childhood memories predate the arrival of malls). But while the book gives a good account of his thinking, there are only a few fragments of significant autobiography.
One is that in the early 1970s, Byrne headed to California to follow the hippie dream. "That's hard to imagine," he agrees, "but it was The Whole Earth Catalog, Stewart Brand version of hippiedom, that was more into computers and that sort of thing, as opposed to the ‘let's get fucked up' side. This was more about ‘let's build a little utopia with some new technology that we can use.' That was really attractive, but not as attractive as New York."
I suggest to him that now, in his mid-fifties, on his bicycle, or rigging up his steampunk organ, he's back on that road, pursuing a modest utopia.
"There's definitely a link to that," he says. "Maybe now I've found a part of all that that seems like it might actually happen, or where people are ready for some sort of change, whereas nobody was really ready to move out of their flats into bubble-shaped homes."
He lead me back out into the heart of the Roundhouse, where the rain drums on the glass roof, and the kling-klang of the girders grows increasingly anguished. It doesn't sound like music at all. It sounds like the end of industry.

Copyright All rights reserved

I always really liked this song.  DB is always a little stiff and awkward, but always interesting.  Saw this show at Red Rocks, most of the crowd had no idea what to expect with a full brass band on the stage down there, but a great show.
Dude, enough with the David Byrne/Talking heads already.
I listen for 8 hours a day at work, and this guy keeps turning up again and again on the list.
His music is good, but not 5+ times a day good.
I LOVE your station though, it otherwise provides unsurpassed variety and quality.
-Chris
Enjoyin'
 j7 wrote:
Dave will be lucky if 16 people buy this record.
 


I'm one of them. Loved this album from the moment it came out. Oh, and I'm Latino
 j7 wrote:
Dave will be lucky if 16 people buy this record.
  That is funny! Sadly you may be right. Still, David is a genius.


Dave will be lucky if 16 people buy this record.
{#Puke}
{#Razz}

never a white man to sing a decent tropical kind of song...he lacks the latino taste, so bad.


Make it STOP!!!{#Stop}{#Frustrated}  (we need an emoticon showing one hammering nails into eyeballs!)
 alux wrote:
Oh no, they get plenty of airplay here. Added fun is watching the haters foam at the mouth when a TH song comes on.
 

Yep, and listening to the teeth-grinding is quite enjoyable to {#Smile}
 Gednabb wrote:
{#Moon}{#Rolleyes}
uyech
 
Yep. Bring back Shane McGowan, please. Ok, I know that's another Dirty Old Town, but it would be a lot more fun than this effort. For sure, Shane wouldn't use cowbells ;-|


Ahhh, Rei Momo! As a long time Byrne fan, it took quite a while for me to appreciate this album. I have a large collection of Latin music, and listening to these riffs it bothered me that the lyrrics were in English. But I got over it and now it's one of my favorite CDs. Carnival girl makes me think of Carnival in Bahia in 1971. God, that woman was beautiful!

{#Moon}{#Rolleyes}
uyech
 ahoylola wrote:
Praise Virgin Mary of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
 



Mmmm, grilled cheese. It's gettin' on toward lunchtime here in Sili Valley.
another cornball novelty item from David Byrne. enough.not so cute anymore.
Oh no, they get plenty of airplay here. Added fun is watching the haters foam at the mouth when a TH song comes on. rocco1207 wrote:
Is it me or does early Talking Heads get snubbed on RP. I'd love to hear something like "Warning Sign"
Sounds good
Nice segue:
Now Playing: David Byrne - Dirty Old Town Louis Armstrong - Skokiaan (South African Song)
yes that's true I suppose, but he's still forcing his crappy voice on us, I will admit it's a tad better Frater_Kork wrote:
Finally some Byrne that I can actually listen to. (must be the cowbell)
Finally some Byrne that I can actually listen to. (must be the cowbell)
rocco1207 wrote:
Is it me or does early Talking Heads get snubbed on RP. I'd love to hear something like "Warning Sign"
There's plenty of early Heads on the list, though the exclusion of "Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town" is a baffler, too.
Is it me or does early Talking Heads get snubbed on RP. I'd love to hear something like "Warning Sign"
Love it when Bill gives Head, which is often.
Very nice. Byrne's always the intellectual reveller.
DrLex wrote:
Amazing, no requests for more cowbell yet...
Hey Doctor, there is some cowbell, and it's just fine.
DrLex wrote:
Amazing, no requests for more cowbell yet...
Praise Virgin Mary of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Amazing, no requests for more cowbell yet...
pianocomposer wrote:
He wrote and sang on one of the best rock albums ever recorded: Remain in Light (click here)
Thank you for the info, but still, not for me. Sorry.
so much fun! i love this track.
David Byrne is more than just a musician/writer/singer. He is truly an artist in many ways. A real creative genius in my opinion. A rare gem. I've seen him live a few times and was blown away each time.
livegirl wrote:
I saw him in concert a couple of years ago and, I swear to God, he's the sexiest man I ever saw.
Ditto. And one of the most talented, too.
renlat wrote:
Can anyone explain to me what's the big deal about that guy ??
He wrote and sang on one of the best rock albums ever recorded: Remain in Light (click here)
Like all Byrne solo work, this sounds overly self-indulgent. Your time has passed, now move off stage.
Can anyone explain to me what's the big deal about that guy ??
I saw him in concert a couple of years ago and, I swear to God, he's the sexiest man I ever saw.
Love Rei Momo. Fav cut, 9 -- Somebody, somewhere Owes us a favor That's how things Really get done
As Byrne's solo work goes, this actually isn't half bad. I have no urge to run from the room screaming.
This tune right here is one reason I am so happy to have found RP. No way would I have ever discovered this album by listening to my local radio stations. Thanks again RP!
"dancing banana" is perfect for this... who knew? (yay!)
I always have admired how Byrne understands and assimilites different cultures so easily into his music.
"uncle" david.....great in all his ways to play
mfassett wrote:
I always loved this cut, and most of the CD Rei Momo...
me too
Dave's voice, wacky lyrics, pedal tones in the kicking Latin brass section, and lots of bongos. 10 all the way!
jah_blessed wrote:
I can't stand Byrne either. His voice just grates.
How strange. I find that every set here on RP is instantly improved whenever it includes anything sung by Mr. Byrne! This one, for me, is at least a seven... maybe even a eight!
Roverfish wrote:
Double ditto. Edit: A great follow to this would be Live's "Shit Town"
Or the Pogues' "Dirty Old Town"
bmo wrote:
my wife can't stand Byrne or Talking Heads, and I'm not sure why...pretty inoffensive stuff, really.
I can't stand Byrne either. His voice just grates. I'll leave it unrated.
my wife can't stand Byrne or Talking Heads, and I'm not sure why...pretty inoffensive stuff, really.
:chef.gif:
Roverfish wrote:
Double ditto.
wow I am likin' this one tooo!
mfassett wrote:
I always loved this cut, and most of the CD Rei Momo...
Double ditto. Edit: A great follow to this would be Live's "Shit Town"
less talking more head
Great album!
I always loved this cut, and most of the CD Rei Momo...
amazing voice, under played!
A good vehicle for that distinctive David Byrne voice. RP certainly helps an individual with limited resources in keeping up with significant artists who may have become eclipsed due to the vastness of the universe of contemporary and historical talent.