Rei Momo

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Three years after Paul Simon's Graceland, the most identifiable member (by far) of the Talking Heads ventured way beyond his band's terrain with his solo debut. With Rei Momo, David Byrne inaugurated his plunge into Latin American music, doing so with a variety of styles, from son to salsa to merengue to samba, each lit with horn charts and piles of rhythm. The album, like Graceland, inspired some critiques (many of them vehement) of Byrne's cherry picking of styles, which smacked a bit of postmodern exotica. The album certainly genre hops, mixing national styles with lyrics that gnash about Latin American political and human rights concerns. Released a decade prior to the late-1990s fascination with native Cuban popular music, Rei Momo sheds light on the background for the explosion of interest in Buena Vista Social Club as well as the meteoric rise of Latin pop, which shares Byrne's border-agnostic mesh of all available styles. More than anything, though, Rei Momo stands as one of Byrne's most inspired outings, perhaps even as an early pinnacle of his now-lengthy solo career. --Andrew Bartlett --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Amazon.com
The former Talking Head's first real solo album (not counting collaborations with Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Brian Eno) is one of the more charming examples of cultural cannibalism to date. Byrne's now nearly old-fashioned concern with the rootless, consumer-driven insubstantiality of everyday life assumes a goofy irony when sung quirkily over deep Afro-Latino grooves and throbbing choruses cowritten and performed with salsa greats like Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and bassist Andy... read more --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Rei Momo

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Brilliant
BRIT-LATIN FUSION SOUND !!!
A Masterpiece
Latin-influenced Byrne
No Heads, just Byrne...

Rei Momo
David Byrne
Manufacturer: Sire / London/Rhino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002LIV
Release Date: 1989-09-25

Tracks:

Independence Day
Make Believe Mambo
The Call Of The Wild
Dirty Old Town
The Rose Tattoo
Loco De Amor
The Dream Police
Don't Want To Be Part Of Your World
Marching Through The Wilderness
Good And Evil
Lie To Me
Office Cowboy
Women Vs. Men
Carnival Eyes
I Know Sometimes A Man Is Wrong

Amazon.com essential recording

Three years after Paul Simon's Graceland, the most identifiable member (by far) of the Talking Heads ventured way beyond his band's terrain with his solo debut. With Rei Momo, David Byrne inaugurated his plunge into Latin American music, doing so with a variety of styles, from son to salsa to merengue to samba, each lit with horn charts and piles of rhythm. The album, like Graceland, inspired some critiques (many of them vehement) of Byrne's cherry picking of styles, which smacked a bit of postmodern exotica. The album certainly genre hops, mixing national styles with lyrics that gnash about Latin American political and human rights concerns. Released a decade prior to the late-1990s fascination with native Cuban popular music, Rei Momo sheds light on the background for the explosion of interest in Buena Vista Social Club as well as the meteoric rise of Latin pop, which shares Byrne's border-agnostic mesh of all available styles. More than anything, though, Rei Momo stands as one of Byrne's most inspired outings, perhaps even as an early pinnacle of his now-lengthy solo career. --Andrew Bartlett

Amazon.com

The former Talking Head's first real solo album (not counting collaborations with Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Brian Eno) is one of the more charming examples of cultural cannibalism to date. Byrne's now nearly old-fashioned concern with the rootless, consumer-driven insubstantiality of everyday life assumes a goofy irony when sung quirkily over deep Afro-Latino grooves and throbbing choruses cowritten and performed with salsa greats like Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and bassist Andy Gonzalez. Byrne's best songs, "Make Believe Mambo" and "The Call of the Wild," are highly pleasurable if rather anxious demonstrations of the limits of taking the entire world as artistic fodder. His 1989 album sometimes sounds as though he were merely checking items off a list, like a dissatisfied customer trying on countless pairs of shoes in hopes of finding a perfect fit. --Richard Gehr

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2006-03-08

I remember when this came out. I was about 14 - ok I'm dating myself. I remember kinda liking the talking heads and byrne but thinking they were really strange. Now a 30ish guy I have rediscovered the band and the man. I just got this record and I have to say its taken a couple listens - but it is brilliant.

BRIT-LATIN FUSION SOUND !!!.......2005-05-09

If such thing exists at all !! Well David Byrne managed to merge latin american music with a definite brit-pop-new wave style only slightly reminiscent (but for the inmistakable voice) of his talking head-era sound.Being a latin myself (argentinian),and surprisingly loathing latin rythms,I could'nt help but love this bunch of songs,which have since changed my whole perspective about my musical roots.Thank you David,for this fantastic ecclectic blend of sonic magic only a genius like you could have put together.The icing on the cake ? fantastic production !!!!!

A Masterpiece.......2005-02-12

Any Byrne solo or Talking Heads fan who has not heard this album needs to---now. For me, this is the pinnacle of his solo work. Talk about genre bending, he has written songs ranging from the Columbian cumbia to Brazilian samba, and seemingly everything Latin in between. Lyrically scary and musically enchanting. What can you say about this? It just shows the pure genius of David Byrne.

Latin-influenced Byrne.......2004-11-28

Former Talking Heads front man David Byrne presents a Latin-flavored disk that explodes with energy-manic percussion, blaring horns, the works. Purists may turn up their noses at this music, but I think it's very exciting to hear the influence and interplay of differing musical traditions. Not to mention the fact that Byrne has written some plain old-fashioned great songs, as usual. Standout tracks include "Independence Day," "Lie to Me," and "I Know Sometimes A Man Is Wrong."

No Heads, just Byrne..........2004-07-30

This album contains one of pop music's most double-take inducing opening lines (find out for yourself). Soon, though, the lyrics blend amazingly with the rich latin-hued music that dominates the entire album. The fun never lets up until the meditative and insect-accompanied 'I Know Sometimes A Man is Wrong' closes the party.

This wasn't really David Byrne's first 'solo' album. But since he released it after the Talking Heads' rather anti-climactic breakup (no farewell tour or big press releases accompanied this sad event, but perhaps it surprised no one) the album easily gets subsumed this way (1985's all-solo - i.e., no Brain Eno - 'Music for the Knee Plays' technically fulfills this function; this unjustifiably still remains unreleased on CD).

When 'Rei Momo' came out in 1989 some critics complained that Byrne had left his Talking Heads heritage behind. They wanted more 'Cities', 'Once in a Lifetime', and 'Psycho Killer' (who can blame them?). But this release should not have come as too much of a surprise given the Talking Heads' latin pop-tinged final album, 'Naked'. 'Rei Momo' completes the structure that 'Naked' began building. Many said it then: Byrne has gone 'latin loco'.

David Byrne fans will recognize his style in every song, regardless of the musical tone. Though the off-kilter 'Independence Day' may initially throw some listeners for a loop. Give it time, give it time.

The energy never lets up. From 'Independence Day's' beautiful and surprising violin solo the beats roll and tumble at you, inspiring wiggly behavior humans often associate with dancing and joy. This is a very musically happy album. Dance.

Inspired by the South American pop Byrne featured on his Luaka-Bop albums (The 'Brazil Classics' series, Tom Zé, etc.), 'Rei Momo' explodes with horns, shakers, graters, congas, plucky guitars, sprightly piano, violins, the occassional Portugese phrase, open-throated wailing, and even Celia Cruz. Despite the influence David Byrne permeates this album.

Some have complained that Byrne horribly misunderstood and misrepresented the rhythyms and music that inspired this album. The song list also includes 'styles' in parentheses (e.g., 'Cumbia', 'Merengue', 'Samba', 'Pagode', etc). Maybe he did. This might bother latin music aficionados, but David Byrne fans probably won't bat an eye. Not to mention that it's very possible that 'Rei Momo' opened a new musical world for many listeners in the United States. Those who didn't go out and pick up some home-grown Brazilian or South American pop after hearing this probably weren't paying attention. Though 'Rei Momo' didn't cause a latin-pop music explosion in the USA (radio stations mostly ignored it), at least Byrne tried. It remains and will always be an amazing effort and a great album from start to finish.

Average customer rating:

Breaking News from the Coffeeshop

Manufacturer: Coffeeshop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000CA43EW
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Average customer rating:

Coffee & Love

Manufacturer: Easy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000CAFH7E
Release Date: 2004-07-13

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