Album · David Byrne
Rei Momo by David Byrne
Rei Momo is an album by David Byrne, released in 1989. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 2 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Dirty Old Town”, on 2 lists with a best position of #86.
David Byrne's Rei Momo arrived on October 3, 1989, on Luaka Bop and Sire, his debut solo studio album and, counting the 1981 collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, his second overall. The Talking Heads frontman doesn't dabble here; he dives straight onto the Latin dance floor. Cuban rumba, mambo, mozambique, cha-cha-chá and bolero jostle with Dominican merengue, Puerto Rican bomba, Colombian cumbia and mapeyé, and Brazilian samba and pagode, while Steve Lillywhite keeps the horns bright and the percussion crackling.
Byrne sings most of it in English, his nervy yelp riding rhythms built for swaying hips rather than twitching shoulders, and the friction is half the fun. The guests show how seriously he took the trip: Celia Cruz, Willie Colón and Kirsty MacColl all turn up. "Dirty Old Town" is the track rock radio held on to.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Rei Momo on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dirty Old Town | 2 | #86 | – | 1989–2003 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.