talking heads

talking heads: 77

Their debut album was pretty good, but mostly fairly simple

• uh-oh, love comes to town: This is a pretty decent new wave pop rock song that shows some slight signs of the future Talking Heads sound. The bass is nice, but not all that similar to most of Tina Weymouth's work, and David Byrne is giving one of his most normal pop sounding vocal performances. The lyrics are quirky, but not that weird.
• new feeling: Immediately this sounds a lot more like the Talking Heads. Outside of the guitars being more riff focused than they usually do, the vocals are David Byrne in peak form and the bass is funky. The lyrics are paranoid and surreal. This is one of the most Talking Heads songs on the album, and it's also one of the most rock songs on the album.
• tentative decisions: This doesn't sound like Talking Heads, but it also doesn't sound like a normal pop rock song. I don't really know what it sounds like. The "I wanna talk" bit sounds cool, but I'm not a fan of the backing vocals or melody for the other repeated bit. I do like the keyboard in the outtro
• happy day: Happy Day sounds mostly like a pop rock song from the late 70s. The way David Byrne says "happy day" is fun, but is the only thing I'd ever think twice about if it came on the radio.
• who is it: This one's fun, but mostly works as a lead-in to the next song. The bridge is really cool, and one of the closest things to a love song Talking Heads would write.
• no compassion: Now this is the good shit. This is the best song on the album, and it's maybe the best rock song Talking Heads ever wrote. The guitars are great, the lyrics are great, the production perfectly matches the song. I love the direction Talking Heads went, at least through speaking in tongues, but this is the only song off this album that makes me kind of wish I could hear them continue in this direction. It almost sounds like television, but I like this more than I like television. Anyone who heard this and decided to listen to Talking Heads would be disappointed, but hopefully they still liked them
• the book I read: This is another romantic pop rock song. It's nice, but not all that romantic. The na-na-nas are a lot of fun, and remind me of 'and she was'. This is the one song they have on this album that sounds like their later (post Speaking in Tongues) work because of its simplicity.
• don't worry about the government: This is a fun goofy little number, that I'm surprised didn't get them strung up playing this at punk clubs. It's definitely not a serious statement, but 70s punks aren't always known for their critical thinking. Modern punks either, for that matter.
• first week/last week: This one's got some cool percussion, and the acoustic guitar makes it feel really unique in this album. The song itself is a pop song. I like the horns
• psycho killer: It's Psycho Killer. It's a good song, you probably know it. The only song that challenges No Compassion for best song on the album. The bassline is perfect, the way everything comes in is great, David Byrne sounds wonderfully unhinged. using his natural voice to its fullest potential. The ending is the closest they get to some of the stuff found on the eno albums here.
• pulled up: Fun pop song. Kind of a let down after Psycho Killer, but not bad by any means. This would sound almost like bubblegum pop if it weren't for David Byrne's singing.

  there are also some bonus songs. I won't cover all of them on every album, but I'll do most of them.

• love [arrow] building on fire: This was their first single, it's (shockingly) a new wave pop rock song. I wouldn't have really thought anything about this if I'd heard it in 1977 on the radio, but it's good.
• psycho killer (acoustic): I like this, but I'm glad they went with the version they did. The cello is cool, but the song really loses something with the change to the guitars.
• i feel it in my heart: This is actually a really nice poppy new wave song. I kind of wish this had been on the album, you could have probably replaced The Book I Read or something, and it would have improved the album. I like the keyboards filling in the backgrounds. This sounds like a super standard pop rock band, but in the best way possible.
• sugar on my tongue: This is a fun one. I'm less of a fan of this one than I Feel It In My Heart, but it's a good song. I'm not particularly bummed it didn't make it onto the album though.

Overall it's a good album, though it doesn't mesh super well with the rest of their output, at least pre-1985. The best tracks are No Compassion and Psycho Killer in that order, but Psycho Killer meshes better with their later work so I get why it's in all the live shows and compilations. 8/10

more songs about buildings and food

Their second album, and their first with Brian Eno. This is way more rhythm section focused and atmospheric, and you can feel eno's influence. Pretty good!

• thank you for sending me an angel: Starting off strong with a quick number that would have been unremarkable on the last one, but the productioni really benefits it. The chiming guitars really do it for me, and David Byrne seems much more confident in his delivery, and the way the bass blends is a good fit for the song. More attention is paid to the drums, and that's also a plus. The country angel version is better, I think, but not by much.
• with our love: The opening riff is really cool. The difference in guitar tone through the song in general is good. The bassline is super simple but whips. The song itself isn't that interesting, but the equivalent track on 77 would have been a lot more standard sounding. Any time David Byrne goes full paranoiac I can't complain too much.
• the good thing: Most of the songs here blend together a little, which isn't a bad thing, but does make it a little hard to talk about the individual tracks. The backing vocals on the chorus are the only thing that really stands out here. It's a good song, but it doesn't stand out. The bit where the guitar and bass get a lot louder towards the end is neat.
• warning sign: The rhythm section opening the song is really nice, and the guitar comes in without intruding. The guitars after the vocals come in sound kind of like sirens, which is a nice touch, and the vocals themselves are solid, with the lyrics being just the right amount of paranoid. It sticks out a little more than the last too, in that I remembered which one it was when the guitar started while I couldn't hum The Good Thing if you paid me.
• girls want to be with the girls: On the one hand it's disappointing that the song isn't about lesbians. But on the other hand the lyric "Girls are getting into abstract analysis" is extremely funny. Also the actual song is pretty good. I like the keys here, and the guitar playing feels more fleshed out than in some of the other songs on the album.
• found a job: This might be the best song on the album, though it's close. The story being told is fun, and a little prescient considering the rise of self funded online projects and whatnot. Super danceable, like the whole album, this one has a catchy bassline and great funky guitars. The instrumental at the end is amazing to listen to, and even better to watch when filmed by Jonathan Demme.
• artists only: This one's spooky. I love the intro, before David Byrne starts painting and cleaning. The instrumental is the real draw here, and the vocals almost bring the song down. They don't, but I would like a karaoke track of this, just to listen to.
• i'm not in love: This is a very new wave song, in a good way. I love the guitars, the lyrics are good, and when he starts screaming as the song shifts into the solo it's just about perfect as new wave goes. I also like the alternate version with all the cool guitar effects.
• stay hungry: This opens with one of the jitteriest guitar riffs Talking Heads ever played, and the contrast with the weirdly cheery chorus is fun, but doesn't quite do it for me. I absolutely love everything outside the chorus, and the chorus works on its own but they don't really mesh super well. Obviously the demo wasn't a finished product, but though I prefer this version the 1977 one is more cohesive.
• take me to the river: You know, I might actually prefer this over the original, which is saying something. The entire band is firing on all cylinders, and the vocals are at the exact point they need to be, just mainstream enough to deserve radio play. Pretty good!
• the big country: Talking Heads do country. The song itself is nice enough, but not too noteworthy. The lyrics are what make the song worth thinking about, and are a pretty interesting look at either David Byrne's opinion of flyover country or his condemnation of coastal elites. Either way the lyrics make the song work, though it's hardly my favorite off the album. The bonus version is more new wave-y, which is cool but doesn't work as well

For their sophomore album Talking Heads mostly improved in the production, which was almost a given given Brian Eno's involvement. but the songwriting takes a bit of a hit. It feels a lot closer to their other work than 77 did. The best tracks are Take Me To The River and Found a Job, in that order. 8/10

fear of music

Their third album is more experimental. The previous albums had been doing neat stuff, but this is the first where it feels like they set out to try new things that hadn't been done before. As such, it's super unique, and really cool.

• i zimbra: This one has Robert Fripp playing on it, but you can't really tell? Like it's a great song that paved the way for the sound of the next album, but if I didn't know about Fripp I'd never have guessed it. Way cooler as guests are all the percussionists, including one Gene Wilder (not the actor, just some guy) and Ari (vocalist for The Slits) because I can actually tell they're there. The song itself rules, got a great groove to it.
• mind: This track rules. The lyrics are great, the way David Byrne goes maaaiind always gets me. The keyboard track in the background is chef's kiss, and the guitar solo rips. it's a little jarring coming off of I Zimbra, which felt super alive, to this kind of mechanical number, but it really works for me. The alternate version is fun, but I'll be honest it just sounds like a different take mixed slightly differently.
• paper: This is a peak 'David Byrne freaking out' track. The nervous riff rules, and the bass is just chugging along the whole time. If I'm listening correctly, Jerry Harrison is rhythm guitaring in a way where the guitar just acts as another percussion instrument, which is always cool to hear.
• cities: The fade in is god-tier. In general this song is one of the best Talking Heads tracks. Only David Byrne could make house hunting this nerve wracking in a completely danceable song. The Memphis line is an all timer, and the delivery of the chorus before is perfectly unhinged. I don't know what's making the clanging noises, but it matches the vibe of the song perfectly, and goes along with the rest of the instruments flawlessly. The alt version isn't all that interesting, but has some cool synths and guitar effects going and a different mix with the rhythm section more prominent.
• life during wartime: This is a great song, but it's a little overshadowed by the Stop Making Sense version. But even with that, the different instrumentation is enough to make this worth listening to on its own. It's almost more danceable than the concert version, which is impressive. I do wonder at the people who interpreted the 'ain't no party, ain't no disco' line as anti disco, since it's a pretty obvious negative thing, compared to the lack of Mudd Club or CBGB. In general the lyrics are really good, giving a great picture of life during wartime. The alternative version is mostly just some jackass with a distorted guitar shitting all over a perfectly good track.
• memories can't wait: This is a more rocking track than the earlier parts of the album. The opening riff is pretty fantastic, the lyrics really evoke that feeling of agonizing over past embarrassments (at least for me) and the closing refrain of 'these memories can't wait' is a satisfying climax that releases the tension of the beginning.
• air: Air is a kind of beautiful track in a way that Talking Heads rarely go for. It's still got some funky basslines and jerky guitar, but David Byrne almost sounds like he's crooning at times, and the angelic chorus of the Weymouth sisters really sinks that in. The lyrics match, since despite the surrealness of the concept, the idea of being hurt by something as omnipresent as air makes for some real pathos. The guitar solo makes it a bit less serene, but it's still a gorgeous song.
• heaven: This makes two completely gorgeous songs in a row. if Talking Heads aren't careful they'll end up known as a ballad band! This one's also great, and the lyrics are even more affecting given David Byrne seems to genuinely believe that heaven would be a place where nothing happens. This does sound kind of like a pop-rock track, even more so than a lot of 77 did, but they pull it off.
• animals: The album was getting a little too sincere, so now we get what almost feels like a parody of the Talking Heads sound. Jittery new wave guitar with some tasty bass as the backdrop to a raving madman isn't a bad description of a good chunk of their work, and this ramps the whole thing up. The closing is chilling despite the ridiculousness, and whether or not the invitation to laugh is sincere, it's a great closer to this absurd song.
• electric guitar: This track makes no damn sense. compels me though. Is it a parody of moral guardians worried about rock and or roll? That might make sense. it's a fun one, whatever it's about.
• drugs: I've seen some people say they hate this. I don't get that. it goes on a bit longer than it needs to, but it's one of the best mood-setters they ever came up with. It's a bit slow, but god I wouldn't want it any faster. It uses its time well, even if it didn't need the whole closing solo and could have faded a bit earlier. The weird sounds are one of eno's best additions to the album.
• dancing for money: This is clearly unfinished, based on the (lack of) lyrics, but it's pretty fun. I wish the vocals were a little less prominent, since the guitar sounds like it's doing cool shit and I want to hear it, but David Byrne speaking in tongues is never the worst possible way for a song to be sung.

Fear of Music is a great album. I don't always understand what's going on, but I always like it. the best tracks are cities and memories can't wait, but honestly life during wartime, air, and heaven were also serious contenders. 10/10

remain in light

This is their best album. I'm not going to beat around the bush, I like it the best and it's got the most going on. Just about perfect. The only real problem is that it sounds like it was made by aliens, so I don't know how to review it.

• born under punches (the heat goes on): Love the bass here, but it's not even remotely the same as in the live version. What's up with that? All the little noises in the opening 30 seconds are great. There's so much going on, you could find something new in the background everytime you listened. The guitar solo is legitimately more psychedelic than just about anything the 60s spat out. And the screaming and sputtering through the whole song is completely bonkers to listen to. I don't blame them for completely changing the arrangement in the live version, this would be impossible to play as is.
• crosseyed and painless: This would be insanely danceable if it wasn't so fast. The music video for this is pretty cool though. This has a great groove that it fits into really nicely. The bass, the guitar, the drums, the other percussion, all the little beeps and boops. I love the guitar solo slipping into the 'still waiting! hahaha, still waiting' bit. David Byrne is maybe not a great rapper, but it works here.
• the great curve: This track is so fast, and there's so much going on. All the different vocal lines fit together great, I can't imagine how much time and effort it took to do that. Would they have still been recording on tape? Despite having a super dissonant Adrian Belew guitar solo this is incredibly danceable the whole time. This is maybe the least heady talking heads track on the album, since it's basically just an ode to bodies moving, maybe in a sexual way, but also maybe it's just about dancing. It's hard to say. The bit at the end where all the different vocal lines go in unison for a minute before the second solo is one of the best things i've ever heard.
• once in a lifetime: You probably know the song, and the video. If you don't, go watch the video. It's a good video. This is the most standard talking heads song on the album, but it's still great and weird. The bassline doesn't change ever, which sounds boring on paper, but actually it rules. 'This is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife' is one of my favorite lines in any song ever. It's got a sort of Cellar Door quality to it. The bit when the guitar starts playing chords over same as it ever was is great. I say 'same as it ever was' all the time in conversation.
• houses in motion: This is a kind of slower track, but it's super funky. I like it a lot. The sort of mumbled delivery of the verses as the horns (i think? those are distorted horns, right?) go is great as a contrast to the still muffled but much louder chorus. The lyrics are kind of depressing. I love the horn(?) solos towards the end. It's super atmospheric in a way that stands out from the rest of the album, but still feels cohesive. The riff (for the third time, I have to go with horns, but I'm still not sure) is catchy.
• seen and not seen: This is just David Byrne reading a bedtime story over a (pretty cool) backing track. I love everything going on here, but it's kind of the same things. There's cool noises, weird guitar sounds, a lot of different percussion. I like the chorus, which is weirdly soothing. The story about being able to change your own face is a good one. Very Twilight Zone.
• listening wind: Based David Byrne. Again, plenty of cool guitar bits, and lots of beeps in this one. I support Mojique in his efforts agains American imperialism. The way the story is told is great, I love how it explains his motivations before it explains what he's doing. I love the chorus, both thematically and melodically. The spiritual nature of it really gets to me. I like how the guitar fills all sound sort of windy to match up with the chorus. The whole thing sounds just slightly different in its influences than the rest of the album, but I can't put my finger on it.
• the overload: There's a (probably apocryphal) story about how they wrote this song based on descriptions of Joy Division's music and were disappointed when they finally heard Joy Division's debut album after it made its way overseas and it sounded more mainstream than they were expecting. It's a good story, and that's more or less what the song sounds like. It's super spooky and cool. It goes on for like 7 minutes, but as long as you just kind of vibe along with it it works. Real depressing, but super evocative. As a final track it works well.
• fela's riff: This became The Great Curve. I like the final version a lot better, but the noodley guitar solo is fun. I'm always a fan of the groovier tracks, and this definitely fits. A 5 minute guitar solo probably shouldn't make it onto a Talking Heads album outside of the bonus tracks. But as a bonus, it's nice.
• unison: This is an actual cut track. I like it, and would have liked to see what all the overdubs the other tracks got could have done for it. It feels super unfinished though. I like the vocals, and the call and response parts are fun, but it definitely couldn't have gone on the album without a lot of work. The sort of white noise bit becoming louder as
• double groove: This sounds super familiar, but I'm not sure if it became anything. The guitar specifically reminds me of something, but I can't tell what. Ultimately this is an outtake that's about as fleshed out as the last one. It doesn't have lyrics yet, but it has more melodic ideas. It's fine.
• right start: This became Once in a Lifetime. It's the instrumental to the chorus and the same as it ever was refrain without too much difference. The only notable difference is that it's obviously mixed totally differently. This sounds live in the studio, which the final product very much does not. No shimmering synths, just the riffs and the basic drums.

Remain in Light is widely seen as one of the best albums of all time, and it's for a good reason. This album sounds like nothing else ever made, as far as I'm aware. I love the whole thing, though the first five tracks are a lot more listenable on a day to day basis. The best songs are I guess The Great Curve and Crosseyed and Painless, though it's incredibly close. 11/10

the name of this band is

Talking Heads released two live albums. This one covers their evolution as a live band, from their early days as a punk adjacent band to the Remain in Light tour. I'll be brief, unless the live version really stands out.

• new feeling: This is mostly the same as the album version, but it's just more energetic. Hard to describe, but most of the album is like that.
• a clean break: This has no studio recording, but it's really good. Just an energetic pop rock track, on par with most of 77. Nothing special, but it could have been one of the better tracks on there.
• don't worry about the government: This is basically identical to the album version. Just a bit rawer, because it's live.
• pulled up: The closing track of 77 is much more energetic live. If it sounded more like this on the album I wouldn't have considered it nearly as much of a bummer coming after Psycho Killer. Sounds less bubblegum. That isn't a good or bad thing, it's just how it sounds.
• psycho killer: They try some different stuff with the guitar, and the ending is pretty cool.
• who is it?: This is the same as the album version, except recorded from a live performance.
• the book i read: The different mixing on this track makes the keyboards more prominent, which is cool. The vocals are rougher, which kind of suits the song.
• the big country: I feel pretty indifferent about this one.
• i'm not in love: I loved this on the album, and the arrangement is basically the same. This one's just live. It does have a pretty good solo section.
• the girls want to be with the girls: I love the keyboards. I don't remember them in the studio version, but they add a lot.
• drugs: I think this one sits into the groove a lot better live than in the studio. Honestly this recording sounds really great.
• found a job: I love the song, and I think this might be my favorite of the three officially released versions. The solo at the end is just *chef's kiss*. Philip Glass, eat your heart out.
• mind: This is one of the muddier recordings. The solo isn't as good as the studio version either.
• artists only: This is fun, but not too interesting. Better than the album version.
• stay hungry: The instrumental bit sounds kind of like The Doors. I like this better.
• air: I like the keys doing the Weymouth vocal line. The live David Byrne is fun, he's muffling his voice and doing some other voices too. This track is a lot less pretty than the studio version, but it's still good.
• love [arrow] building on fire: I think this is just rawer than the single version, but mostly the same.
• memories can't wait: This is a good, kind of gritty version. This is one of the few tracks that actually sounds really punk on here.
• heaven: This is a classic rock ballad, the way the piano sounds. Less beautiful, but still really good. He's belting out the climax of the song.
• psycho killer: Adrian Belew doesn't add as much as I might have expected. It's still the same song, just with some more out there (but cool) guitar playing on top.
• warning sign: Now this is a track that really benefits from some Belew. Love that guitar.
• stay hungry: The guitar work on this one pushes it above the earlier version. It's haunting.
• cities: This is one of the few tracks where I prefer the studio version. The polished production really suits it. It's not bad here, but there's just so much less going on.
• i zimbra: This is another one I like better on the album. I prefer the chanting crowd over what sounds like just two people here. Still a great song.
• drugs: I do prefer this over the other two versions. It's a lot better than the album version, but it's more aggressive than the other live version in a way that really works for me.
• once in a lifetime: Once in a Lifetime always seems a little lifeless to me live. I don't know what it is. Oh well. Still good, but I'd take the studio version over this any day.
• animals: This is such a fun song. I'm still interpreting it as a self-parody, and it works great as one. I am
• houses in motion: This is pretty different to the Remain in Light version, but the backing vocals work a lot better than they have on some of the other songs, and the whole thing just feels a lot more cohesive than Once in a Lifetime, for example. The whole band is just really together.
• born under punches (the heat goes on): This might be the best track on the album? It's tough, but I just love the introduction. They completely reworked the song from the way it worked as the introduction to Remain in Light, but it sounds even better. It's just a super cool, groovy, 8 minute jam. The bass intro is killer, before the rhythm guitar kicks in. I love the percussion, especially the snare hits. The singing is super on point. It's just a great song.
• crosseyed and painless: This isn't quite as good as the studio version, but it's still pretty cool. I wish they'd kept the intro, but I guess the cd was too long already.
• life during wartime: This is pretty good. It's a bit closer to the studio version than the Stop Making Sense version, but I think this is my least favorite of them. It's not quite as good as either in their respective niches.
• take me to the river: I don't like that this version is faster than the single. Other than that it's good. I like the backing vocals.
• the great curve: I don't know how you do this live. It's not as good as the album track, but i respect them for making an effort. The fact that they can't get as much going on at the same time kills it, but it's still a pretty good performance.

Hard to rank the songs on this, given there are so many. I guess Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) is probably my favorite, followed by Houses in Motion mayber? It's just really hard to compare the second disc to the first, and I'm giving preference to the songs that sound different than their studio counterparts. If it wasn't for a few of the tracks being a bit weaker than the originals this would be my favorite Talking Heads album. 10/10

speaking in tongues

Their last really great album imo, and their most financially successful to date. As consistently good as Remain in Light, and a lot more danceable. This is an album I could put on in the background with other people around.

• burning down the house: