Who would’ve thought that the shady life of Imelda Marcos would warrant two discs of 22 songs? Apparently, musician David Byrne and British DJ Fatboy Slim did.
Yes, you heard that right. The former member of the New Wave band, Talking Heads and the “funk soul brother” (who was more relevant in 1998) created Here Lies Love, an album of songs that serve as a soundtrack to the former shoe-hoarding first lady of the Philippines.
Unfortunately, the poignant pop single “Louboutins” by Jennifer Lopez. Instead, it includes artists like Cyndi Lauper, Steve Earle, Tori Amos, Sia, Natalie Merchant, Santigold and a whole roster of other cool people (What? No Jocelyn Enriquez?)
I wonder if they actually knew this album would be dedicated to a woman who was exiled to Hawaii. According to the product summary on Amazon.com, the album is “surprisingly thought provoking” and Byrne was envisioning it as a piece of musical theater.
Really?
This musician and muse arrangement is awkward; it’s the equivalent of finding out your parents use Facebook (which actually happened to me recently). It also has the potential to be a guilty pleasure album – like listening to Justin Bieber.
Even though the album cover reminds me of a program cover to events involving Filipina pageantry, the songs are, indeed, quite danceable. And if you really want to think about it, the songs that trace Imelda’s rags-to-riches life might be insightful. It may even be the most brilliant album ever – but still, it’s Imelda-meets-dance music. That’s just weird.
