Here Lies Love
Your Score
0
out of 10
User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings
- Summary:
- Record Label: Nonesuch
- Genre(s): Rock, Alternative
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 10 out of 22
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Mixed: 12 out of 22
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Negative: 0 out of 22
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It's a conceptually fascinating piece, but does it groove? Mostly yes. Though nothing here sounds like a future club hit, and some tracks feel more essential to the album's narrative than others, Here Lies Love has more going for it than museum-piece fascination.
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Here, Byrne's well-plotted tunes can rule, and Norm can keep himself in the background, going against his natural tendency to overstuff.
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And while the story hangs together quite well, the main impression you are left with is that Byrne and Slim have impeccable taste in female singers.
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Ultimately there are only so many excuses you can make for the fact Here Lies Love isn't an out there masterpiece, merely a somewhat outré easy listening album.
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Here David Byrne turns an unwieldy premise--a musical dramatization of former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos' early life--into dizzy fun by setting 22 songs to Fatboy Slim's lush and bustling dance beats.
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Sadly though, the prevalence of mid-tempo, Des'ree-lite ballads and inconsistent quality make this is an exhausting listen over 90 minutes.
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Marcos' life was all luxury and color, but the songs don't translate. Here Lies Love will play in gay clubs, but for a collaboration between forward-thinkers like Byrne and Cook, it's pretty safe while also having no direction.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 1 out of 1
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Mixed: 0 out of 1
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Negative: 0 out of 1
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Feb 8, 2013
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