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

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