BCB 100 - Talking Heads

geoffcowgill · Postby **geoffcowgill** » 16 Jul 2006, 20:02

I dig the Heads quite a bit. I've got all their studio albums and, apart from True Stories, would happily listen straight through any of them. But my favorite album of theirs is ...Naked, which I realize is not only atypical, but arguably not even a full Talking Heads album (what with all the guest musicians and it being closer in sound to a Byrne solo album). So, I wouldn't recommend it first for someone who's curious about the band, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit it as the one I enjoy the most. The international hybrid of sounds works better on this than it does on Remain In Light. While I like that album, there are some icy passages; Naked is more consistently warm. The songs are all great, and there's a great deal of diversity amongst them, too. And it's the best album Johnny Marr ever played on. :wink:

Their best song is "Naive Melody", which is surely one of the ten best songs of the 80s.

Favorite Album - Naked

Favorite Song - "Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)"

B · Postby B » 16 Jul 2006, 20:07

Album: 77

Song: Life During Wartime

king feeb · Postby **king feeb** » 16 Jul 2006, 20:11

Album: Fear Of Music

Song: "Born Under Punches"

Ranking Ted · Postby **Ranking Ted** » 16 Jul 2006, 20:41

LP: Fear Of Music

Song: Once In A Lifetime

Predictable, huh? The received wisdom on this band is, for once, on the money. They really did have it all up til Speaking In Tongues, then they blanded out pretty badly; not that they were poor, per se, they just didn't have the funk or the scope of their best 3 LPs - More Songs..., FoM and Remain In Light, any of which remains as modern and as out there as they were when first released.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 16 Jul 2006, 20:55

Album: 'Fear Of Music'

Song: 'Television Man', 'Don't Worry About the Government', 'Air'

As Penk's away, there's nobody here to rage about how pale and uninteresting 'Remain in Light' is. And I'm not going to bother, 'cos it attracts all sorts of abuse if you do so.

Beno · Postby **Beno** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:33

Album: More Songs About Buildings and Food (just pipping 77)

Song: The Big Country (but i'll stick up for 'Remain in Lght', I nearly chose Once In a Lifetime)

KeithPratt · Postby **KeithPratt** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:34

I, Zimbra is phenomenal. One of the great bands.

Prograstinator · Postby **Prograstinator** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:44

Album: 'More Songs about Buildings and Food', a bit rough around the edges but it's so clever it get's away with it.

Best song, 'Heaven' it's their 'Imagine', you're not going to say it's your favourite song but it is really. Naive Melody is good also.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:50

Tangent wrote:
Best song, 'Heaven' it's their 'Imagine', you're not going to say it's your favourite song but it is really.

Great song but the chorus lets it down just a wee bit.

Jon K · Postby **Jon K** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:57

Album: Talking Heads 77
Song: Life During Wartime

Prince Of Peace · Postby **Prince Of Peace** » 16 Jul 2006, 21:58

I'd have to go back over the albums, but their best track was "Lifetime Piling Up", surely? Maybe "Blind" at a push?

toomanyhatz · Postby **toomanyhatz** » 16 Jul 2006, 22:37

Never been a big fan, find Byrne a bit difficult vocally, think the rhythm section took a while to grow into the role, but they definitely had their moments. Mainly because of guests- Adrian Belew, Eno, and of course the brilliant Bernie Worrell. Another band I could say I don't "get," but if I don't by now, it's not going to happen, is it? Actually, I really like the Tom Tom Club, since it's light, dorky fun, the only Talking Heads-related record that doesn't reach too high.

Album - Penk's wrong. Remain in Light, no contest.
Song - I, Zimbra, probably. None of the hits, for sure.

Oh, and I want to slap Byrne every time I hear their gutless, soulless version of Take Me to the River.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 16 Jul 2006, 22:41

toomanyhatz wrote:Never been a big fan, find Byrne a bit difficult vocally, think the rhythm section took a while to grow into the role, but they definitely had their moments. Mainly because of guests- Adrian Belew, Eno, and of course the brilliant Bernie Worrell. Another band I could say I don't "get," but if I don't by now, it's not going to happen, is it? Actually, I really like the Tom Tom Club, since it's light, dorky fun, the only Talking Heads-related record that doesn't reach too high.

Ah, now you're just being contrary, right?

Daftest post of the day.

toomanyhatz · Postby **toomanyhatz** » 16 Jul 2006, 22:47

Sir John Coan wrote:
toomanyhatz wrote:Never been a big fan, find Byrne a bit difficult vocally, think the rhythm section took a while to grow into the role, but they definitely had their moments. Mainly because of guests- Adrian Belew, Eno, and of course the brilliant Bernie Worrell. Another band I could say I don't "get," but if I don't by now, it's not going to happen, is it? Actually, I really like the Tom Tom Club, since it's light, dorky fun, the only Talking Heads-related record that doesn't reach too high.

Ah, now you're just being contrary, right?

Daftest post of the day.

Not at all. Byrne's a pretentious twit most of the time. What T-Heads I like is often despite, not because of him.

Oh, and your avatar frightens me. :lol:

Phil T · Postby **Phil T** » 16 Jul 2006, 22:54

Album: Fear Of Music

Song: Psycho Killer, the second version from the The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads reissue.

Jeff K · Postby **Jeff K** » 16 Jul 2006, 23:01

Album - The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

Song - Love is a Building On Fire

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 16 Jul 2006, 23:09

Jeff K wrote:Album - The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

Song - Love is a Building On Fire

Good choices! Shit! I'd forgotten about both song and album.

Hm.

That album is their almost-lost classic, wouldn't you say?

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 16 Jul 2006, 23:10

toomanyhatz wrote:
Sir John Coan wrote:
toomanyhatz wrote:Never been a big fan, find Byrne a bit difficult vocally, think the rhythm section took a while to grow into the role, but they definitely had their moments. Mainly because of guests- Adrian Belew, Eno, and of course the brilliant Bernie Worrell. Another band I could say I don't "get," but if I don't by now, it's not going to happen, is it? Actually, I really like the Tom Tom Club, since it's light, dorky fun, the only Talking Heads-related record that doesn't reach too high.

Ah, now you're just being contrary, right?

Daftest post of the day.

Not at all. Byrne's a pretentious twit most of the time. What T-Heads I like is often despite, not because of him.

Oh, and your avatar frightens me.

Me too! I'll get rid of it in a couple of days.

It's that weird hairy bottom lip that gets me. And the etched bags under the eyes.

Jeff K · Postby **Jeff K** » 16 Jul 2006, 23:12

Sir John Coan wrote:
Jeff K wrote:Album - The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

Song - Love is a Building On Fire

Good choices! Shit! I'd forgotten about both song and album.

Hm.

That album is their almost-lost classic, wouldn't you say?

Almost lost before it was finally reissued a couple of years ago. Brilliant live album showing the band progressing from a quirky, Modern Lovers-influenced foursome to a quirky big funk band.

The Write Profile · Postby **The Write Profile** » 16 Jul 2006, 23:30

Okay, I wrote a bit on the Talking Heads a while back, I'll have to rewrite it a bit perhaps to fit the context of the thread, but hopefully it will make some sense, all the same:

It's interesting how some think that Remain in Light was when the Talking Heads blanded out. I don't think that's quite the case, although it's undeniably their last great record (live albums The Name of The Band is Talking Heads and Stop Making Sense aside), its more to do with the fact that they had taken the everyman misanthropy as far as it could go.

I mean, how much more paranoid could you get after Fear of Music, which denounces everything from Animals ("they're setting a bad example") to Air ("it can hurt you too). The impetutous rhythms that provided the momentum for that LP were developed in Remain in Light for different ends I feel, this time Byrne's protagonist is willing to accept that he has to involve himself with people.

Rather than declaiming that he "wouldn't live there if you paid him too" (as in "The Big Country" on second LP More Songs About Buldings And Food), he admits he might be missing something, though he's uncertain what the rammifications might be ("my god, what have I done?"). Musically, something like "Cities" could be placed on Remain in Light's second side, even if lyrically it's more jittery, prone to odd word associations ("think of London...a small city")

Okay, the above is all prime candidacy for Pseud's corner, I admit, but Stop Making Sense (the film) seems to be structured in a similar way- the begin with the edgy, detached numbers ("Psycho Killer," "Heaven") and end in a mass singalong. It's an incredible concert film, contrived of course, but also jubilant and full of life. It works as a piece of cinema aside from the music, and as such is one of Demme's best pictures. On another note, does anyone else think that Tina Weymoth looked gorgeous in that film?

They had a hell of a lot of great tunes, especially in their early material. If Remain in Light is their last great LP, then it's a hell of a summation of what they worked towards.

All the same, if I'm totally honest, the LP with the greatest impact has to be Talking Heads '77, one man's neurotic clarion call. Spindly, impatient and uncertain, Byrne pitches his character somewhere between Mr. Rogers, Norman Bates in "Psycho" and Patrick Bateman.

As for the songs, I think you'd be hardpressed to go past "The Big Country," the most relentlessly detached track ever to use pedal steel, perhaps? It's a strange song all the same, veering between placidity and outright contempt, and a great way to finish the transitional More Songs About Buildings and Food. Or is it the shifting, questioning "Mind" from Fear of Music? ("Everything seems to be up in the air this time")

To be honest, I reckon everything they did up to Remain in Light is essential, as are the two live albums. After that, you pays your money and takes your chances. Actually the live albums show what a great band they were, Tina Weymouth, in particular was an amazing bassist, just the sheer range to the material, always keeping it tight, even when the music stretched out. The Name of This Band is Talking Heads works better than any bestof could in outlining their appeal. The reissue is a dream,adding something like 19 extra tracks.

I might post a bit more, but I don't know whether would anyone would be very interested, so I'll just finish here.