Talking Heads' "Crosseyed and Painless": Good Music for a Half Marathon

I just read somewhere today that Talking Heads' greatest album Remain in Light was released this week in 1980, a mind-boggling 33 years ago.

The culmination of a genius trilogy produced by Brian Eno, Remain in Light is one of those records, like The Beatles' Revolver, David Bowie's Low or Bon Jovi's New Jersey, that always sounds ahead of its time, no matter how much time has passed. (Not coincidentally, Low was also produced by Eno.)

Remain in Light has blown my mind on a regular basis since I got the LP when I was in 10th grade or so, and its layered melange of neurotic white guy ticks and African polyrhythms still inspires me to this day.

(By the way, I just got the album on iTunes and discovered that the 30 years or so I've had the LP I've thought side one was the one that began with "Once in a Lifetime" - turns out that's side 2.)

In fact, just this past weekend I was driving to Ridgefield, CT to run my first-ever half marathon. It was foggy and early and I was searching for musical inspiration to get me pumped up on the drive. I don't run with music so whatever tunes I heard I would just imagine in my head as I ran.

I turned on the radio, 107.1 The Peak, an independent Westchester station that actually plays a good mix of interesting music, and "Crosseyed and Painless," perhaps the greatest tune on Remain in Light started right up. I was immediatlely put into a trancelike state as I crossed the border from New York to Connecticut.

The tune played on a loop in my head throughout most of the race, and while I was neither crosseyed nor painless, I do feel like I spent a good deal of the race in a trancelike state, what is often called a "runner's high." Much of the Talking Heads extended band seems to be in a similar state in this fantastic clip from their 1980 tour.

The augmented lineup the T-Heads assembled for their classic film Stop Making Sense is often thought of as the definitive live ensemble of the group, but for my money, it's the superfunky 1980 Remain in Light tour that was their peak, due in large part to the amazing playing of keyboardist Bernie Worrell, second bassist Busta "Cherry" Jones and twang-bar king Adrian Belew.

Here they are busting it out on another Remain in Light track, "The Great Curve." Belew really cuts loose on this one.



I can't stress enough the transcendent, cross-cultural greatness of Remain in Light. Buy it now on iTunes here.