Is david byrne gay?

Luaka bop = dud, talking heads = wildly overrated.

And no, AFAIK, he's not gay. I recall reading about his wife or long-time female partner or whatever she is. I also wonder what prompts people to ask if someone is gay or a lesbian.

I wasn't sure which thread this should go on but it appears far more people have opinions regarding the 'babes rather than Mr Byrne so I thought it'd be safest here.

I guess I should have qualified my luaka bop comment; the music itself isn't bad, it's just something about the label that's so patronizing and smacks of colonialism.

As for the Talking Heads, I really think they are completely overrated. There's just something completely irritating about them that I can't get past, even Eno couldn't save one of their albums for me.

This accusation gets bandied about a lot when people try to give some exposure to world music. I don't know why exactly. Anyone got any idea ?

A lot of music he puts out is *pop* and is therefore automatically international, or should be.

I don't quite mean that.

I remember when I was in high school - early to mid 80s, and I tried to buy a Talking Heads album, and the long haired rock critic wannabe rocker dude at the counter ridiculed me and told me to put it back because I should be embarrassed to have it. Being really wimpy back then, I did what I was told. The one good thing was that I picked up the VU live album with the lady's butt on the cover. He approved of that. I also got an Incredible String Band album - The 5,000 Spirits... my boyfriend at the time went dutch on this one with me, we hated it (I like it now), and he insisted that we take it back, he *made* me take it back, but of course I had to do the dirty work, and scary rocker dude was visibly irritated and I was trembling at the record counter. God, was I a wuss. But I have all of those albums now. Anyway, I think I don't like TH because I'm always reminded of that episode whenever the subject comes up.

(I like Talking Heads a lot. I like the first Radiohead LP too, but my CD of it was stolen.)

I'm confused. Could you and Suburban Record Store Black T-Shirt Man (mentioned above) settle this one for me? Seems we have two competing versions of "history" here, and as a practicing wuss (albeit an over-30 one), I will defer to the judgment of the victor. As a bonus, the winner gets a column in the local suburban music magazine of his choice.

"They were the definite article."

NO. That was The The.

In addition to "I Zimbra," what about "Crosseyed & Painless," "Life During Wartime," "Love=>a Building on Fire," "Born Under Punches," "Heaven," "Memories Can't Wait," "Lifetime Piling Up,"...and, yes,...."Psycho Killer."

Talking Heads were SOOOO MUCH MOOOORE than just "Burnin' Down the House."

At the end of the day, I reckon it's all a matter of taste, but you cannot take away the fact that Talking Heads broke new ground and paved the way for countless bands.

Talking Heads may have 'busted down doors,' yadda yadda ya. Whatever, folks, that doesn't change the fact that I DON'T LIKE THEM. If you don't like that fact, go to hell -- and I mean that as politely as possible, but the point is, you're not me and I'm not you. Didn't we already have that type of discussion on the Elvis Costello thread?

Picture the scene -- a leathery-faced singer, tan baked right on his sculpted, molded mask of a face, emoting in unclassic Eddie Money/David Coverdale style. The video shows a dark but oh so tastefully lit urban scene in a back alley somewhere or a deserted street, mysteriously without a bit of graffiti anywhere, or trash. Everything seems slick and wet, except that since there's no rain, so clearly it all came from the overexerting sweat glands of our wannabe Tom Jones or whoever. A red Ferrari provides a prop for an artificially enhanced, liposuctioned and equally baked and molded bleach-blonde model to pout moodily over while looking at the camera.

And during some part of this montrosity, a sax solo. Fucking fuck.

I liked that.

I didn't think anyone could not like Ned Raggett. This thread actually shocked me a little.

I don't know ANYBODY who likes Talking Heads AT ALL.

Eh, I like them. Not all of them, but definitely the Eno stuff, and Stop Making Sense.

I don't know ANYBODY who likes Talking Heads AT ALL.

Maybe you're hanging out with people without taste.

No, he is going out with Cindy Sherman.

I'm going to interrupt his I Love Powerpoint thing and shout "HEY BYRNE, DO YOU LEIK TEH COCK IN TEH ASS?"
― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!! (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!)

vintage estie

He wore a white tutu when he performed here last month or whatever. Does that mean he's gay?

I actually don't think he's gay, but whatever. I'm not a big fan of David Byrne, so I'll let the fans decide.

Byrne married costume designer Adelle Lutz in 1987. They have a daughter, Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne, born in 1989. Byrne and Lutz divorced in 2004. Byrne currently lives in New York City.

it took her 17 years to discover the truth

http://media.seattleweekly.com/david-byrne-and-his-tutu-at-benaroya-hall.3044130.36.jpg

ooh, slopey pic link!

also is morrisey?

LOL

No, he is going out with Cindy Sherman.

Was this true though?

jesus what a weird thread. Talking Heads dislike is pretty much an impossible concept for me to wrap my head around.

I like them okay, but they were ubiquitous in the eighties. Admit it, they had to die.

actually, i have it from an impeccable source that DB bedded down a very hot friend of a friend at Barnard back in the late 80s--the one night stand ended badly for her, however, as she woke to find 1/2 a shit dangling from his ass over her face. Psycho killer, anyone?

Was he running in the same circles as Karen Finley & Holly Hughes back then? It might have been a conceptual thing.

making flippy floppy

no, this was a real honest to goodness, picked up a beautiful senior, they did it, she was asleep, and opened her eyes to a Once in a Lifetime view of his butt up close,centimeters away, and #2 coming out...i mean, at first it seems odd, but then think of his general persona. not such a stretch, told to me by the most honest person i've ever met..

Those rock stars think they can just shit on anyone, and then walk away scott free.

4-ply scott?

Sort of makes me rethink "The Overload," at least.

I must say, this charming little vignette hasn't really changed my view of TH...so-so, sometimes really good BUT there is something about art-music couples of a certain age in new york that is just nauseating. lou reed and laurie anderson are like the harry and leona helmsley of downtown...and lou is leona. Barf--what a jerk.

well played.

do you think "sing into my mouth" was a mistype?

Oh man, he put out a solo album in 2004 called Grown Backwards. In general, the connotative possibilities are such that maybe this subject deserves its own thread.

Lost my shape-Trying to act casual!
Can't stop-I might end up in the hospital
I'm changing my shape-I feel like an accident
They're back!-To explain their experience

Isn't it weird/Looks too obscure to me
Wasting away/And that was their policy

I'm ready to leave-I push the fact in front of me
Facts lost-Facts are never what they seem to be
Nothing there!-No information left of any kind
Lifting my head-Looking for danger signs

There was a line/There was a formula
Sharp as a knife/Facts cut a hole in us
There was a line/There was a forula
Sharp as a knife/Facts cut a hole in us

I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still
waiting...
I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still
waiting...
I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...
The feeling returns/Whenever we close out eyes
Lifting my head/looking around inside

Coprophilia is sorta gay.

In terms of sexual-orientation, coprophila knows no boundaries. Plus, poop was pretty popular with the NYC performance art scene back then, so there you go..

I don't think my little anecdote--which I now feel a tad guilty sharing--counts as "performance art"

Lou Reed was accused of the same vice

Lou, really?...between the guy who told me and the woman he was referring to, whom i knew very slightly, i can't doubt it's true but feel bad for posting it.

A+ revive

someone on this thread said I was dating Cindy Sherman.

met David Byrne in New York recently. We were riffing casually on the brilliance of Brazilian avant bossa man Tom Ze when suddenly I noticed that David's hand was on my knee. 'David, are you gay?' I blurted. He leaped up onto the bar and, lit by a pink follow spot, began to dance a stick-man samba, periodically buffeted by imaginary blasts of hot wind. He looked like an epileptic flamingo. Franz Kafka, who was standing nearby sucking on a strawberry sour, turned to me and said 'That man certainly can make flippy floppy'.
― Momus, Thursday, 28 June 2001

now those WERE the days, my friends.

Yes, Talking Heads are about as critically unassailable as it gets. And David Byrne albums may now get panned or ignored but I agree that as a bohemian elder statesman he is bulletproof. He and Bowie are very similar in that regard.

But it's easy to forget that up to and including "Earthling", Bowie had become something of a joke and was routinely mocked by the press for his pretentions towards art/trendiness(reviews grumbled that he hadn't done anything worthwhile since "Scary Monsters"). This change in perception of him being "unassailable" is something I'm sure has only come about more recently. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it coincided with his decision to start playing his "classic" material again, which I believe he spent most of the nineties refusing to touch with a big stick. I'm not sure what my point was.

xpost ...... I didn't realise that about Bowie.. and if true, I consider that strange since all those 70's albums had Rykodisc re-releases during the 90's.. The first time I decided I wanted to start listening past his greatest hits was when I saw Live At The 10 Spot on MTV in 1997.. there were hardly any hits played in that special except for "Fame" and "All The Young Dudes.." I was compelled by the simple fact that he DIDN'T play all radio hits, and instead opted for stuff like "Quicksand" and "Look Back In Anger.." yeah anyway, this is a byrne thread i believe..

Surely the classic urban myth about David Byrne was that he was straight - but with a particular requirement
― Mark Morris, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

this might be the first mention of the "urban legend" on the internet!

and from a famed choreographer no less

He's By.

byrne is definitely kinkarooni imo

gay for barbecue
(i’ve told this before that on hie bigupped a favorite barbecue place of mine in Charlottesville)

on his bike across america blog

byrne should compete with guy fieri he has the hair for it