Grown Backwards

{{short description|2004 album by David Byrne}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{use list-defined references|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Grown Backwards

| type = studio

| artist = David Byrne

| cover = DavidByrneGrownBackwards.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2004|03|16}}

| recorded = Kampo Studios, New York City; strings recorded at Tequila Mockingbird, Austin, Texas and several other locations

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Art pop, chamber pop, orchestral pop, baroque pop, opera

| length = {{Duration|m=57|s=46}}

| language = English, French ("Au fond du Temple Saint"), Italian ("Un Dì, Felice, Eterea")

| label = Nonesuch/Warner Bros.

| producer = David Byrne and Patrick Dillett

| prev_title = Lead Us Not into Temptation

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = David Byrne Live at Union Chapel

| next_year = 2004

}}

Grown Backwards is the seventh studio album by the American musician David Byrne, released on March 16, 2004.

Reception

{{Music ratings

| MC = 78/100

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}

| rev2 = Pitchfork

| rev2Score = 7.6/10

| noprose = yes

}}

{{Metacritic album prose|Grown Backwards|positive|78|17}}

In 2010, Byrne wrote in his book How Music Works it has sold 127,000 physical albums, 8,000 digital albums and 53,000 digital singles (overall 140,000 units sold of albums). The album peaked at #178 and #88 in the US and UK respectively. The album was released on vinyl for the first time on March 15, 2019.

Track listing

All tracks written by David Byrne, except where noted.

  1. "Glass, Concrete & Stone" – 4:13
  2. "The Man Who Loved Beer" (Donald Charles Book and Kurt Wagner of Lambchop) – 2:41
  3. "{{lang|fr|Au fond du temple saint}}" (From {{lang|fr|Les pêcheurs de perles}}) – 4:49
  4. "Empire" – 4:12
  5. "Tiny Apocalypse" – 4:03
  6. "She Only Sleeps" – 2:57
  7. "Dialog Box" – 3:30
  8. "The Other Side of this Life" – 4:00
  9. "Why" – 2:54
  10. "Pirates" – 3:52
  11. "Civilization" – 3:17
  12. "Astronaut" – 2:55
  13. "Glad" – 1:58
  14. "{{lang|it|Un Dì, Felice, Eterea}}" (Giuseppe Verdi, from {{lang|it|La Traviata}}) – 2:51
  15. "Lazy" (bonus track) (Byrne/X-Press 2) – 9:35

Personnel

File:David Byrne Live at the Hollywood Bowl, 6-26-05.jpg

{{Div col}}

"Glass, Concrete & Stone"

Recorded at Loveshack Studio, New York City

"The Man Who Loved Beer"

:*Ames Asbell – viola

:*Jamie Desautels – violin

:*Douglas Harvey – cello

:*Leigh Mahoney – violin

:*Sara Nelson – cello

:*Tracy Seeger – violin

Recorded at Avatar, New York City

"{{lang|fr|Au Fond du Temple Saint}}"

"Empire"

Recorded RPM Studio, New York City

"Tiny Apocalypse"

Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow

"She Only Sleeps"

Recorded at Cheeba Central, London

Produced by Morcheeba Productions

"Dialog Box"

  • Jon Blondell – trombone
  • David Byrne – vocals, electric guitars
  • Paul Frazier – bass guitar
  • John Mills – baritone sax
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • Steve Williams – drum kit

Recorded at Avatar, New York City, horns recorded at Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas

"The Other Side of This Life"

  • Elaine Barber – harp
  • David Byrne – vocals, semi-nylon guitar
  • Paul Frazier – bass guitar
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion, samples, kitchen implements
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Steve Williams – drum kit, cowbell

Recorded at Avatar, New York City

"Why"

  • David Byrne – vocals, electric guitar, programming
  • Paul Frazier – bass guitar
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • Jon Spurney – keyboards
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Kenny Wollesen – drum kit

Drums recorded at Skyline, New York City

"Pirates"

  • Jon Blondell – trombone
  • David Byrne – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Paul Frazier – bass
  • John Mills – baritone sax
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Kenny Wollesen – drum kit

Drums recorded at Skyline, New York City, horns recorded at Congress House Studio

"Civilization"

Drums recorded at Skyline, New York City

"Astronaut"

  • David Byrne – vocals, electric guitar
  • Paul Frazier – bass guitar
  • Pamelia Kurstin – theremin
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • Steve Williams – percussion

"Glad"

  • Jon Blondell – trombone
  • David Byrne – vocals, nylon-string guitar
  • Paul Frazier – bass
  • John Mills – clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Steve Williams – spaghetti percussion

Horns recorded at Congress House Studio

"{{lang|it|Un di Felice, Eterea}}"

Recorded at Sound on Sound, New York City

"Lazy"

  • David Byrne – vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, drum programming
  • Patrick Dillett – background vocals
  • Paul Frazier – bass
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Steve Williams – drum triggers

{{Div col end}}

References

{{reflist|refs=

[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r682065/review|pure_url=yes}} link]

{{Cite book|title=How Music Works |last=Byrne |first=David |author-link=David Byrne |page=251 |edition=2nd |date=May 2, 2017 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=978-0804188944}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/grown-backwards/david-byrne |title=Grown Backwards by David Byrne |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=March 7, 2018}}

[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1063-grown-backwards/ link]

{{Cite web |url=http://www.nonesuch.com/journal/david-byrne-nonesuch-debut-album-grown-backwards-first-vinyl-release-six-bonus-tracks-march-15-2019-02-13 |title=David Byrne's Nonesuch Debut Album, "Grown Backwards," to Get First Vinyl Release with Six Bonus Tracks, March 15 |publisher=Nonesuch Records |accessdate=February 13, 2019}}

{{Cite web|title=David Byrne|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-byrne/chart-history/tlp/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Billboard}}

{{Cite web|title=DAVID BYRNE {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3376/david-byrne/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.officialcharts.com}}

}}