With Talking Heads having split, guitarist Jerry Harrison released his second solo effort with 1988's Casual Gods. In addition to playing guitar, keyboards, and singing, Harrison also produced the album, which featured players like Bernie Worrel on keyboards and Chris Spedding and Robbie McIntosh playing guitar. Harrison's vocals have a quality similar to David Byrne, and the music is reminiscent of Fear of Music-era Talking Heads. "Rev It Up" was an AOR hit and deservedly so. The song lives up to its name with a funky, loose groove, snaky guitar, and throbbing bass. "Man with a Gun" is just one of many tracks featuring great lyrics on Casual Gods, with a series of wry observations ("A pretty girl can walk anywhere/All doors open for her") over a moody rhythm punctuated by guitar twitches. Casual Gods is a pleasure for Talking Heads fans, but it manages to stand on its own.
© Tom Demalon /TiVo
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