In a career marked by clever and constant change, David Byrne, the Talking Heads linchpin, Renaissance Man, artist and sometime Urban Theorist, has now metamorphosized into the most vocal cycling advocate in all of popular culture. Aside from boasting a three-decade history of cycling as his principal mode of transport (back when it was “uncool”, in his own words) Byrne’s two-wheeled legacy includes a series of boutique bike racks designed in conjunction with the New York City Department of Transportation and, most recently, a cycling book titled “Bicycle Diaries” released last year.
The book basically follows Byrne and his fold up bicycle as he rides around the world (obvs) and chances upon wind-in-my-hair epiphanies on transport, people, places, connection, cities, urbanization and of course, the childish thrill of discovering exotic new places on just two wheels and your own energy. I haven’t read it but I know the dude loves cycling – I once spotted him riding in NYC (a common occurrence apparently) and he was smiling so hard I thought his head was going to fall off. Anyway, in a logistical win for those who’d like to consume his ode to cycling while actually cycling, Byrne has announced an 8 hour 39 minute audio book to be released September 28, 2010. Says Byrne’s website: “In addition to music and narration by DB, it also features location sounds, creating an atmosphere more akin to a radio show than a simple reading of the book.”
Funnily enough there’s even a chapter on Sydney, the city that hates bikes! Perhaps we should force car-enamoured Sydney residents to listen to Byrne wax lyrical about the metaphysical beauty of riding a bike? Someone ring Clover, we’ve got a fantastic idea.
Listen to Byrne’s Bicycle Diaries introduction below…
Via P4K
