David Byrne – True Stories, A Film By David Byrne: The Complete Soundtrack //Nonesuch// (Released 23rd November)

Description

£25.99 – 2xLP

In conjunction with The Criterion Collection’s special-edition DVD and Blu-ray release of David Byrne’s 1986 film True Stories, Nonesuch and Todomundo Records release a comprehensive soundtrack, collected for the first time in one package and in film sequence: True Stories, A Film by David Byrne: The Complete Soundtrack.

David Byrne (better known as the frontman of Talking Heads) was inspired by tabloid headlines to make his sole foray into feature-film directing, an ode to the extraordinariness of ordinary American life and a distillation of what was in his own idiosyncratic mind. Byrne plays a visitor to Virgil, Texas, who introduces us to the citizens of the town during preparations for its Celebration Of Specialness. As shot by cinematographer Ed Lachman, Texas becomes a hyper-realistic late-capitalist landscape of endless vistas, shopping malls, and prefab metal buildings. In True Stories, Byrne uses his songs to stitch together pop iconography, voodoo rituals, and a singular variety show. Byrne calls the record “an immersive audio voyage into the little town of Virgil, Texas, in the mid-eighties”. He continues, “I always imagined that the music written for True Stories should be heard as it is in the film. It makes the most sense this way.  Me singing the song that was written for John Goodman’s character, Louis Fine, always felt weird to me. It was written for that character, not for me”.

Tracklisting:

1. Road Song – David Byrne, Meredith Monk
2. Freeway Son – David Byrne
3. Disco Hits! – David Byrne
4. Cocktail Desperado – Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band
5. Wild Wild Life – Talking Heads
6. City of Steel – Talking Heads and Tommy Morrell
7. Mall Muzak – Carl Finch
8. Dream Operator – Talking Heads and Annie McEnroe
9. Love Theme From True Stories – David Byrne
10. Brownie’s Theme – David Byrne
11. Dinner Music – David Byrne, Kronos Quartet
12. Puzzlin’ Evidence – Talking Heads, John Ingle and The Bert Cross Choir
13. Glass Operator – David Byrne
14. Hey Now – Talking Heads, St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School Choir, Dallas, Texas
15. I ♥ Metal Buildings – David Byrne
16. Love For Sale – Talking Heads
17. Soy De Tejas – Steve Jordan
18. Buster’s Theme – Carl Finch
19. Fiesta Para Um Rei Negro – Banda Eclipse
20. Radio Head – Talking Heads, Tito Larriva, Steve Jordan with Los Vampiros
21. Papa Legba – Talking Heads, Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples
22. People Like Us – Talking Heads, John Goodman
23. City of Dreams – Talking Heads