Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77 (1977)

Genre: Art Punk, New Wave, Funk Rock

Probably the most unique band to come out of the CBGB scene, Talking Heads released their debut studio album in 1977, receiving widespread acclaim and attention. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

I like to think of Talking Heads as the first art-punk band to come to mainstream recognition. These guys could literally crank out a song like Don't Worry About The Government and mean it, and it would ironically (or unironically, depending on which way you look at it) make you feel like a genius for listening. This band is basically punk for nerds, something of a paradox, but this album clearly proves that they were onto something. I'm not one to delve much into the critical analyzation of an artist's lyrics, but there is something you could clearly make out of songs in this record.

More importantly though, David Byrne is somewhat of a musical genius in my eyes. This album isn't as experimental as some of their later work, but even here, it's hard to describe most of the songs and categorize them into one or two genres. I'll start off by explaining what initially got me hooked. The album opener, Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town honestly didn't capture my attention much at first listen, but I still couldn't deny how unbelievably funky that bass sounded. This feeling skyrocketed on the next song, New Feeling. Tina Weymouth seriously has to be one of the most underrated bass players of all time. Even if a song does not click with me much, I can still count on her bass playing to keep me hooked.

Moving on though, David Byrne has to have one of the most unique voices in rock history. I honestly feel bad that can't appreciate Talking Heads' wonderful discography because of his voice. Personally, his quirky style fits well with the style they are consistently going for. After all, this record especially, is still considered punk. Therefore, FIGHT THE SYSTEM. SCREW WHAT PEOPLE THINK. David Byrne is an amazing vocalist, case closed. I still can't help but laugh at some of his intentional vocal quirks, however. Who Is It? has him sounding like a schizophrenic paranoid as he sings the title on repeat. It's so damn entertaining and totally not weird in the context of this band.

Album closer Pulled Up is perhaps the most anxious I've felt while actually enjoying a song. David Byrne's progressively louder vocals are at best, ironically powerful and at worst, downright hilarious. I do have a point I'm making when I keep commenting on his vocals, and its that even with some of its deep lyrical context, this band doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's part of its charm. No Compassion and The Book I Read are two songs that I played on repeat for days on end at one point. Most of the songs on this record are just so incredibly infectious that it remains one of my few "therapy" records. When I'm feeling down, I just pop in Talking Heads 77. It's nears perfection with its incredibly upbeat and funky performances.

A+

Favorite Tracks: New Feeling, No Compassion, The Book I Read, First Week/Last Week....Carefree, Psycho Killer

Least Favorite Track: Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town