Grown Backwards


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

Reception

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. 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" – 2:41
  3. "Au fond du temple saint" – 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. "Un Dì, Felice, Eterea" – 2:51
  15. "Lazy" – 9:35

    Personnel

"Glass, Concrete & Stone"
Recorded at Loveshack Studio, New York City
"The Man Who Loved Beer"
Recorded at Avatar, New York City
"Au Fond du Temple Saint"
  • Elaine Barber – harp
  • Stephen Barber – prepared piano
  • Tom Burritt – marimba, tympani
  • David Byrne – vocals
  • Pamelia Kurstin – theremin
  • Mike Maddox – accordion
  • Freddie Mendoza – trombone, euphonium
  • John Mills – clarinet, bass clarinet, flute
  • The Tosca Strings
  • Rufus Wainwright – vocals
"Empire"
Recorded RPM Studio, New York City
"Tiny Apocalypse"
  • Lisa Aferiat – violin
  • Georgia Boyd – viola
  • Barry Burns – spacey guitar, Rhodes
  • David Byrne – vocals, Rhodes
  • Donald Gillan – cello
  • Robert Irvine – cello
  • Greg Lawson – violin
  • Una McGlone – bass
  • Johnny Quinn – drum kit
  • Fiona Stephen – violin
Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow
"She Only Sleeps"
  • David Byrne – vocals, electric guitar
  • Joe Cooper – percussion
  • Paul Godfrey – sequencing
  • Ross Godfrey – keyboards
  • Andy Waterworth – bass guitar
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"
  • David Byrne – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Paul Frazier – bass
  • Alan Ford – vacuum cleaner
  • John Linnell – accordion
  • Mauro Refosco – percussion
  • Kenny Wollesen – drum kit, slit drum
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
"Un di Felice, Eterea"
  • David Byrne – vocals
  • David Creswell – viola
  • Katherine Fong – violin
  • Soo Hyun Kwon – violin
  • Dawn Hannay – viola
  • Philip Myers – French horn
  • Mark Nuccio – clarinet
  • Sandra Park – violin
  • John Patitucci – bass guitar
  • Alan Stepansky – cellos
  • Jeremy Turner – cellos
  • Jon Vercesi – Rhodes
  • Shelly Woodworth – oboe, English horn
  • Sharon Yamada – violin
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