Talking Heads' last proper studio album before their protracted breakup finds them returning to the dynamic that produced their best work, with inspired results. As swan songs go,
Naked proves to be a pretty good one: Alternately serious and playful, it once again allows frontman
David Byrne to worry about the government, the environment, and the plight of the working man as it frees up the rest of the band to trade instruments and work with guest musicians. It's closest in spirit to
Remain in Light -- arguably too close: The first side is a collection of funky, syncopated, almost danceable tunes; the second, a murky, darkly philosophical rumination on identity and human nature. The major difference is a Latin influence replacing Light's African rhythm experimentation, most evident on the album openers "Blind" and "Mr. Jones," as well as in drummer
Chris Frantz's decision to use brushes and softer percussion instruments (as opposed the big beat sound he offered up on
Little Creatures and
True Stories). With the venerable
Steve Lillywhite behind the boards and such luminaries as
Johnny Marr,
Kirsty MacColl, and
Yves N'Djock punctuating the credits, the album sounds technically perfect, but there's little of the loose, live feel the band achieved with former mentor
Brian Eno. It's quite a feat to pull of a late-career album as ambitious as
Naked, and the
Heads do so with style and vitality. But no matter how much the liner notes may boast of free-form invention and boundless creativity, the album's elegiac, airtight tone betrays the sound of four musicians growing tired of the limits they've imposed on one another. ~ Michael Hastings