Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

Genre: New Wave, Post-Punk, Avant-Pop, Psychedelic Funk

While the title may suggest that this is simply leftovers from their debut, it just isn't so. With a slightly more organized flow and a slightly more mature sound, this is arguably one of their finest records. 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 do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

In 1978, Talking Heads were still very much an underground act. With this record, they had the advantage of actually having a hit single, which came in the form of a very funky cover of Al Green's Take Me To The River. With a Top 30 hit to drive them forward, the group started to enjoy some respectable success. Though, it's only fair to cite Brian Eno's tight production on this record. While not as experimental as their next few albums, Brian Eno certainly played a role in developing the band's sound here, and faint traces of their experimentation can be found scattered throughout. There's a nice blend of avant-pop and psychedelic funk, most prominently showcased on the song Artists Only.

Overall, there is arguably a larger emphasis on dance beats on here (as compared to their debut) that lend well to the always funky grooves that they became known for. The opening track, Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, is a powerful exercise in tight drumming and precision guitar/bass riffs. It's incredibly simple in its compositional style, but is so incredibly catchy, and sets up the presentation and mood for the rest of the record up quite nicely. The Good Thing and Warning Sign, presented back-to-back, provide an ironic contrast in themes and happen to be among Talking Heads' best songs in their entire discography, personally. 

It's honestly quite hard to get much more in-depth about this album, as it really isn't too different in its style as their first one. The songs I have mentioned up to this point are simply highlights, but there certainly aren't any bad songs on here. The album closer, The Big Country is a shining example of David Byrne's seemingly more mature songwriting advancements, and while certainly not falling into the spectrum of "dance" music, it's still an enjoyable, and somewhat thought-provoking piece of Americana themes. It would be difficult to decide which one of their first two albums is better, but this one certainly has the better pacing. And as always, expect Byrne's nervous stammering, albeit, to a more subtle degree than their debut. 

A+

Favorite Tracks: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, The Good Thing, Warning Sign, Artists Only, Take Me to the River

Least Favorite Track: Stay Hungry