Marking
it’s 40th anniversary this month is the second and final album from Fun
Boy Three, Waiting, which was released in February of 1983. Produced
by Talking Heads main man, David Byrne, The album upped the ante in
terms of production values and song writing sophistication while
sharpening the group’s ability to make pointed sociopolitical commentary
within the context of accessible pop music.
The first FB3 album,
which is still my personal favorite, was nonetheless something of a
rushed affair and the group didn’t have the luxury of fully developing
their ideas. Despite this, they still created an album loaded with
innovative and challenging music, all the while keeping the proceedings
“fun” and playful and tuneful enough to make a mark on the singles
charts. But their second album gave them a chance to catch their breath
and indulge in a more evolved and advanced state of song-craft.
Whereas their debut focused on tribal African inspired percussion, the
focus for this album seemed to move back to the UK and delve into an
almost “music hall” retro feel reminiscent of 1930s pop music. The
instrumentation on the album was also expanded to include a broader
palette of sounds, from strings to horns to keyboards. The sparseness of
the debut was replaced by a more layered sound, though never so dense
as to lose the cleanliness of the mix. Lyrically, songs like The More I
See drive home the disillusionment hiding behind the happy melodies,
though on the other hand, Our Lips Are Sealed brings things back to
something less confrontational, becoming a major hit for the group. In
an interview with Terry Hall, he commented on how, when he first met
David Byrne, the two literally just stared at each other in silence for
ages, sizing each other up, but once the ice was broken, the
collaboration turned out to be perfect for the album.
With the
recent, untimely passing of Terry Hall, the beauty of this album has
become far more poignant. I must confess that it took me a long, long
time to finally appreciate this record. I LOVED the experimentation and
spontaneity of the debut, so when this was released, if felt too
“conventional” for me and too mainstream. As I’ve reevaluated it in
recent years, I’ve come to appreciate its more subtle qualities. It
conceals its teeth behind its sealed lips, but it’ll take a bite out of
you when you least expect it.
