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'Here Lies Love' is a 22-song double-disc song cycle - improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking - about the rise and fall of the Philippines' notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne; composed by Byrne and British deejay/recording artist Fatboy Slim, a/k/a Norman Cook; and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop. Byrne originally envisioned this as a musical theatre piece, to be mounted in disco and nightclub settings, reflecting the globe-trotting Marcos' taste for such velvet-roped spots as Studio 54 and Regine's. In 2006, he performed work-in-progress versions to enthusiastic audiences at New York City's Carnegie Hall and the Adelaide Festival in Australia. When more funding for a theatrical version proved elusive, While plans for a U.S. theatrical production continue to evolve, he has delivered this unique recording. 'Here Lies Love' has an effervescent disco feel, redolent of Fatboy Slim's own dance-floor anthems, with warm undercurrents of the Latin rhythms that have percolated through Byrne's recent solo work. The sunny arrangements act in counterpoint to the reality of the Marcos' increasingly repressive regime, reflecting the imagined inner life of the glamour-obsessed Imelda. Byrne offers no judgment and avoids the obvious - there is no mention of Imelda's infamous shoe collection. Many of Byrne's lyrics are, astonishingly enough, constructed from actual Imelda quotes, including the project's title, the words that Imelda, now returned to the Philippines from U.S.-assisted exile in Hawaii, would like to have inscribed on her gravestone. Byrne generously annotates each song in the CD booklet and illustrates the story with archival photos. In a detailed preface, he reveals what drew him to this subject and the bumpy route he took to launch the project and, ultimately, record this CD. The lavish booklet is indeed a page-turner, just as 'Here Lies Love' is a wonderfully old-school album that rewards start-to-finish listening. Once again, Byrne - beloved as musician, thinker and bicyclist-about-town - reveals the breadth and singularity of his vision.
Condition:NEW Marked upc.
TRACK LISTING
Disc 1
1 Here Lies Love / Fatboy Slim 5:51
2 Every Drop of Rain / Fatboy Slim 5:34
3 You'll Be Taken Care of / Fatboy Slim 3:19
4 The Rose of Tacloban / Fatboy Slim 2:33
5 How Are You? / Fatboy Slim 2:43
6 A Perfect Hand / Fatboy Slim 4:57
7 Eleven Days / Fatboy Slim 2:43
8 When She Passed By / Fatboy Slim 3:49
9 Walk Like a Woman / Fatboy Slim 3:58
10 Don't You Agree? / Fatboy Slim 3:19
11 Pretty Face / Fatboy Slim 3:23
12 Ladies In Blue / Fatboy Slim 4:20
Disc 2
1 Dancing Together / Fatboy Slim 3:53
2 Men Will Do Anything / Fatboy Slim 4:06
3 The Whole Man / Fatboy Slim 4:15
4 Never So Big / Fatboy Slim 4:00
5 Please Don't / Fatboy Slim 3:58
6 American Troglodyte / Fatboy Slim 4:06
7 Solano Avenue / Fatboy Slim 3:55
8 Order 1081 / Fatboy Slim 5:47
9 Seven Years / Fatboy Slim 5:40
10 Why Don't You Love Me? / Fatboy Slim 3:57
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