Album of the Day

David Byrne and Brian Eno had already worked together on two Talking Heads albums when they decided to collaborate outside the band on MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS. Described by Eno as a “vision of a psychedelic Africa,” the 1981 collection combines rhythms of that continent with electronics, found sounds and sampled vocals. Sampling had been done before but this set's emphasis on it was unique, influencing musicians as diverse as Kate Bush, Public Enemy and Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright (though clearing all the recordings delayed the release significantly). MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS has been cited by outlets including Pitchfork and Slant as one of the best albums of the 1980s, and we’ll give it another spin now to wish Byrne a happy birthday.