Uh-Oh (David Byrne album)

Uh-Oh
Studio album by
David Byrne
ReleasedMarch 3, 1992 (1992-03-03)
RecordedApril 1991–October 1991
GenreArt rock, alternative rock, worldbeat
Length52:47
LabelLuaka Bop/Warner Bros.[1]
ProducerNick Launay
David Byrne chronology
The Forest
(1991) 		Uh-Oh
(1992) 		David Byrne
(1994)
Singles from Uh-Oh
  1. "Hanging Upside Down"
    Released: 1992
  2. "She's Mad"
    Released: 1992
  3. "Girls On My Mind"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Robert Christgau(dud)[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA-[5]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[6]
NME6/10[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide5/10[9]

Uh-Oh is the second studio album by Scottish-American musician David Byrne, released in 1992.[10][11] [12]

The album peaked at No. 125 on the Billboard 200.[13] The single "She's Mad" reached No. 3 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.[14]

Production

The album was produced by Nick Launay.[15] The cover portrays angels gathered around a cartoon dog (god spelled backward).[16]

Critical reception

The New York Times wrote that "Byrne has finally figured out how to make the wacky Pan-American dance album he's been after since the mid-1980's."[17] The Guardian deemed Uh-Oh "the most Talking-Heads-esque of Byrne’s solo albums, albeit with a Latin-American influence."[18] The Washington Post thought that Byrne's "yelps, which range from intentionally comic to comically arty, rarely dominate their rhythmically dense, albeit melodically bland, settings."[19] The Orlando Sentinel wrote that the "Afro-Brazilian influences are more fully integrated now than on 1989's Rei Momo."[20]

The track "A Million Miles Away" was used as the theme song of the TV show Flying Blind.

Track listing

All tracks composed by David Byrne; except where indicated

No.TitleLength
1."Now I'm Your Mom" (Byrne, Angel Fernandez)4:43
2."Girls on My Mind"3:52
3."Something Ain't Right" (Byrne, Terry Allen)3:37
4."She's Mad"5:20
5."Hanging Upside Down" (Byrne, Fernandez)4:31
6."A Walk in the Dark"4:21
7."Twistin' in the Wind"4:14
8."The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now)"3:37
9."Monkey Man"4:07
10."A Million Miles Away"4:24
11."Tiny Town" (Byrne, Fernandez)5:03
12."Somebody"4:59

Personnel

  • David Byrne – Vocals and guitar
  • Nona Hendryx – Background vocals
  • Dolette McDonald – Background vocals
  • Joyce Bowden - Background vocals
  • George Porter Jr. – Bass guitar
  • Angel Fernandez – Trumpet
  • Tom Zé – Percussion instruments
  • Arranged By – Angel Fernandez (tracks: 6, 11, 12), David Byrne (tracks: 6, 11, 12)
  • Arranged By [Horns, Woodwinds & Strings], Conductor [Horns, Woodwinds & Strings] – Angel Fernandez (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 12)
  • Artwork [Drawings] – Mr. Chick, Scott Stowell
  • Backing Vocals – Billy Cliff (tracks: 3, 7, 12), Dolette McDonald (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12), John James (5) (tracks: 3, 7, 12), Joyce L. Bowden (tracks: 1, 9, 10), Nicky Holland (tracks: 4, 8, 11), Nona Hendryx (tracks: 3, 7, 12)
  • Bata – Milton Cardona (tracks: 4)
  • Bongos, Percussion [Blocks], Bells [Bell], Agogô [Ago-go], Tamborim, Surdo [Surdu] – Café
  • Clarinet [Bass] – Ronnie Cuber (tracks: 1, 6, 11)
  • Congas, Maracas, Triangle, Percussion [Tambora] – Hector Rosado
  • Drums, Timbales, Cowbell, Percussion [Woodblock], Surdo [Surdu], Bells [Bell], Shaker [Shakere] – Oscar Salas
  • Flugelhorn – Angel Fernandez (tracks: 1, 11)
  • Flute, Clarinet – Steve Sacks (tracks: 1, 11)
  • French Horn – Fred Griffen (tracks: 1, 11), John Clark (2) (tracks: 1, 11)
  • Oboe – Melanie Feld (tracks: 1, 11)
  • Saxophone [Alto] – Dick Oatts (tracks: 3, 9, 12), Steve Sacks (tracks: 3, 5, 8)
  • Saxophone [Baritone] – Ronnie Cuber (tracks: 5, 8, 9, 12)
  • Saxophone [Tenor] – Ken Hitchcock (tracks: 9, 12), Lawrence Feldman (tracks: 5, 8)
  • Synthesizer, Clavinet, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Ashley Cadell
  • Trombone – Christopher Washburne (tracks: 5, 8, 9, 12), Gerald Chamberlain (tracks: 4, 12)
  • Trombone [Tenor] – Christopher Washburne (tracks: 3, 11)
  • Trumpet – Ite Jerez* (tracks: 4, 5, 8, 9, 12), Angel Fernandez (tracks: 4, 5, 8, 9, 12), Charlie Sepulveda (tracks: 3, 11), Joe Shepley (tracks: 3, 4, 9, 12)
  • Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Effects [Prepared Pens], Whistle – David Byrne
  • Written-By – Angel Fernandez (tracks: 1, 5, 11), David Byrne, Terry Allen (tracks: 3)
  • Engineer [Assistant At Electric Lady] – Michael White
  • Engineer [Assistant At Platinum Island] – Axel Niehaus
  • Engineer [Assistant At Power Station] – Dan Gellart
  • Engineer [Assistant At Sigma Sound] – Brian Kinkead, Michael Scalcione
  • Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Michael Gilbert
  • Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
  • Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By – Nick Launay
  • Painting [Cover Painting] – Brian Dewan
  • Photography By [Band Photos] – David Byrne
  • Photography By [David Byrne Photo] – Chris Nofzinger

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Worldwide 1991 Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. CD 26799
Cassette tape 4-26799
1992 CD 926799
26799
1995 7599-26799

References

  1. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: David Byrne". www.robertchristgau.com.
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ Caro, Mark. "David ByrneUh-Oh (Luaka Bop/Warner) (STAR)(STAR)Perhaps the turning..." chicagotribune.com.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 107.
  5. ^ "Uh-Oh". EW.com.
  6. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 186.
  7. ^ Morton, Roger (7 March 1992). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 32.
  8. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 102–103.
  9. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 394–395.
  10. ^ "David Byrne | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  11. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (10 November 2015). "The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World [2 volumes]: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Buckley, Peter (18 March 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "David Byrne". Billboard.
  14. ^ "David Byrne". Billboard.
  15. ^ Thompson, Dave (18 March 2000). "Alternative Rock". Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Partridge, Christopher (18 March 2014). "The Lyre of Orpheus: Popular Music, the Sacred, and the Profane". OUP USA – via Google Books.
  17. ^ Pareles, Jon (22 March 1992). "RECORDINGS VIEW; David Byrne Finds a Groove Closer to Home" – via NYTimes.com.
  18. ^ "David Byrne – (almost) all of his albums ranked!". the Guardian. 14 June 2018.
  19. ^ Jenkins, Mark (1 March 1992). "POP RECORDINGS" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  20. ^ Gettelman, Parry. "DAVID BYRNE". OrlandoSentinel.com.