More Songs About Buildings and Food is the second studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on July 14, 1978, by Sire Records. It was the first of three albums produced by collaborator Brian Eno, and saw the band move toward a danceable style, crossing singer David Byrne's unusual delivery with new emphasis on the rhythm section composed of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz. More Songs established Talking Heads as a critical success, reaching number 29 on the US Billboard Pop Albums chart and number 21 on the UK Albums Chart. The album featured the band's first top-thirty single, a cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River".
There are too many Talking Heads albums on this list. Just like all the others, about a third of these tracks are okay, the other two-thirds are pointless, repetitive, boring, or annoying. I'm being generous with two stars.
Super fun and catchy. Realizing more and more why some rando on RYM described LCD Soundsystem as a carbon copy of Talking Heads (in a good way), even though he was totally wrong.
This is the Talking Heads before Afrobeat really took over as an influence. I really enjoy the second half of this album a lot and I think it is paced very well. The playing is incredibly tight (the drums on I’m Not In Love are *chef kiss*) and some wild guitar effects to make it extra funky. I tend to prefer more of their later output, but this one is still very nice and has a lot of songs that I show people if they ask about good Talking Heads starter songs. Favorite track: I’m Not In Love Least favorite track: The Good Thing
This and the other two albums in the "Eno Trilogy" were a staple of my teenage listening. Talking Heads were my band and spoke to this oddball from the suburbs, I even used "Artists Only" as a tag for a little while. This album is testament to the fact that they were four talented artists, not just David Byrne's dog and pony show
Frustrating. Talking Heads are a band I always think I should like way more than I do. Until we try again in another 12 months Mr Byrne.
The beginning of their collaboration with Eno and where they really start to take off. Eno came in and bring just the right amount of punch and flourish to the mix. This is a real nice midpoint in their sound as they continued to evolve. Love how the album starts by just ripping right into it. So much forward momentum on this album.
‘Jerky funk rhythms’ is a good description. I’ve never heard of this album, nor heard any of the songs. Outstanding, very pleasantly surprised. You know it’s good when you want to play it the 3rd time without a break. Their 2nd LP and the first of 3 produced by Brian Eno. This is interesting, lots going on. Love the band, not sure about the voice at this early stage but the rhythm of the voice and the lyrics bring it together and the rhythm is excellent, would be great live. Can’t help but move to this. Love the sound, the production, the bass in particular sounds amazing. Sounds indie at times, jangly guitars, but always with a funky drums & bass. Music to lose yourself in at the gig or on the dance floor.
Every Talking Heads song sounds the same to me. I just don't really care for them too much. Favorite Tracks: "Take Me to the River"
"More Songs About Buildings and Food" is the Talking Heads' second studio album and the first of three collaborated with Brian Eno. The music is more rhythm and dance driven with quirky, jangly guitars and Eno's keyboards overlaying. Tina Weymouth (bass) and Chris Frantz (drums) really come to the forefront and in a lot of these songs. David Byrne's lyrics are sometimes about relationships, other times not. When they are, it is usually in a weird and original context. This is a fantastic album. The album cover is a photomosaic using 539 close-up Polaroids. Another interesting fact: the song title comes from a title suggestion for their first album of "Songs About Buildings and Food." They just added the More. The rollicking "Thanks You for Sending Me an Angel" begins the album with drums kicking in. Percussions would be added later. Somewhat chaotic/frenetic guitar comes in. It appears to have somewhat non-sensical lyrics...about parenting a baby? The song was a definite highlight of "Stop Making Sense." The first side continues the fast rhythmic pace and ends with another "Stop Making Sense" standout "Found a Job." Here's where Weymouth and Frantz really lay the funk. Weird and interesting keyboards. Some more original lyrics about making a relationship more interesting than what the couple sees on TV. One of my favorite Talking Heads songs. Side two continues the pace but ends on two slower-paced songs. Tina Weymouth lays a great bass line on the Al Green cover "Take Me to the River." Great vocals by Byrne and a somewhat surprising US top 40 hit. Slide guitar highlights "The Big Country." Does David want to live between NYC and LA or doesn't he or is he poking fun at coastal elitists? A lot of days " More Songs About Buildings and Food" is my favorite Talking Heads album which is saying a lot since they have a few outstanding ones. Obviously, an album highly, highly recommended for a listen.
Great album. It’s interesting to consider just how weird David Byrne’s cadence / singing patterns were.
Pretty cool, I liked this a lot. Everything sounds tight without being overly clean, the basslines are really fun, and the lyrics are interesting to think about. Last few songs kinda fell off imo. 4.5
I like what comes after this album, but holy god I cannot stand this album. Highlights: 1.
More bass + breaks than would've epxected David Byrne sounds a bit like RuPaul? Cover of that Big Mouth Billy bass song that reminds me of Tony Soprano beating up Georgie with the fish :( fav track: The Girl Wants To Be With The Girls
Call this album sausages because every song is a banger. Favorite track: Artists Only
Is it the best album about buildings and food? Yes.
Day 37 of Albums You Must Hear.. More Songs About Buildings and Food is the second album from New Wave band Talking Heads. I reviewed their debut album ‘77 about a month ago and enjoyed it. Talking Heads sophomore offering finds the band with a new producer, Brian Eno, who would help the band add a bit more danceability to their already polished sound, resulting in Talking Heads coming more into their own style that would become more and more “uniquely them” for the next few years. On MSABAF, singer David Byrne would broaden his singing a bit more, bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz would bring even more of a pulse to the rhythm section and Jerry Harrison would continue to create funky synthesizer and guitar effects. The cover of Al Green’s Take Me to the River was a smash hit for the band and is an absolute gem! I’m Not in Love is another great track that can easily get stuck in your head all day. I had fun with Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings and Food and their unique approach to punk rock. Please share your thoughts, memories and opinions!!
I just don't like his voice
more dorky 70s rock.... it's not awful but there really doesn't need to be so much of it on this list. 2/5.
Look nothing against Talking Heads, but the lead singer does sound like he's in desperate need of a No 2, and is frantically looking for a toilet.
The singing is just horrible, like Chris Martin horrible.
Automatic five stars
Own this on vinyl, love all things Talking Heads!
Talking Heads you say? Well they're no Stuart Maconie in the talking heads stakes. When was the last time you saw David Byrne on one of those I Heart The 1980s, I Heart the 1990s, I Heart Whatever Happened A Week Last Tuesday TV shows? And when was the last time Stuart Maconie wasn't featured in one of those I Heart The 1980s, I Heart the 1990s, I Heart Whatever Happened A Week Last Tuesday TV shows? Byrne just isn't putting the work in to be considered a real top level talking head. He's just not in the conversation when Channel 4 are looking for someone to reminisce about the first series of Big Brother. This album is great though, I'm sure Maconie has pretended he remembers its release vividly on some nostalgia-fest TV show or other.
I really enjoyed this album, more than I thought I would. After all the "challenging" prog and art rock that this list has been suggesting, I was braced for more despite my general appreciation for talking heads. This album was listenable end-to-end and I found myself picking my head up from my work to just sit and enjoy it. Really good stuff.
Top album
My fiftieth album from perhaps my favourite band!
Oh my god
super fun, super good, really great album
Fantastic, enjoyed this immensely
As TH no. 1 fan ;) I think that this album should be replaced by Speaking With Tongues, which to my best knowledge isn't among the 1000 (and one). Still, it's great to observe the transformation of the band from '77 to Fear Of Music. If you ever wondered how the mix of '77 and FOM would look like, that's the answer. When you listen to all the band's albums, it'll become very clear that an album like "More Songs..." had to be recorded. For me it always seemed like a natural step and maybe that's why I wasn't focusing on it. But songs like: "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel", "Found a Job'', "I'm Not in Love", "Stay Hungry", "The Big Country" and "Take Ne to the River" are absolutely TOP. I also have to say that "The Good Thing" sounds too calm and predictable for a TH song and "Artist Only" sounds too much like a Talking Heads song.
The first of a trio of masterpieces (and my second-favorite of the bunch). There is not an ounce of fat on this record and not a single disposable track. I would also recommend this as the perfect introduction album for Talking Heads. The Big Country is my favorite track.
Love this album and a big fan of this new wave-post punk genre
Another brilliant Talking Heads album.
Timeless music. Miles better than most of the other albums on the list.
I loved it, it had a very unique sound.
Amazing. Wheelhouse.
Excellent album.
Love Talking Heads and this album delivers exactly what I want from them. Excellent follow up to their debut Talking Heads: 77, it’s like a seamless continuation of that album. I’m Not in Love is my new favourite Talking Heads song.
I absolutely adore Talking Heads and David Byrne in general. They are so creative and different and such an excellent sound in everything they do. I'm currently reading David Byrne's book How Music Works which is great and he outlook on what music is and 'how it works' is great. This album really shows so many different aspects of what makes great music great. Also I think Tina Weymouth is the best bassist I know of, Talking Heads basslines are so so good and a big fat middle finger up to people who think bass is just a necessary but boring thing, the bass in Talking Heads is so integral to their sound.
Listening to this album has brought me to an entire day of Talking Heads and it's a discovery I really enjoyed. Now I've likely listened to most albums once or twice in my life before, but it has made for a great day with some incredible music. First of all, this album itself, it's so incredibly infectious and fun. The basslines are jumpy, the lyrics are different, the music is clever. And, what's more, it's a strong album. There's no song to skip, not even the Al Green cover.
Honestly, very good stuff, some very good songs.
I am very familiar with TALKING HEADS with being a fan having and listening to their second album, MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD, along with most of their entire oeuvre. After re-listening to MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD, this album still great and fresh as it was in 1978. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, along with TALKING HEADS - MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD, their debut, third and fourth albums are also listed: TALKING HEADSː 77 (1977); FEAR OF MUSIC (1979); REMAIN IN LIGHT (1980) Rate Artist: TALKING HEADS (5.0) Rate Album (Year): MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD (US 1978 Original) (5.0) Rate Album (Year): MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD (US 2006 Rhino version) (5.0) Ranking of TALKING HEADS - MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" 2:11 09.5/10 02. "With Our Love" 3:30 08.5/10 03. "The Good Thing" 3:03 10.0/10 04. "Warning Sign" 3:55 10.0/10 05. "The Girls Want to Be with the Girls" 2:37 10.0/10 06. "Found a Job" [a] 5:00 10.0/10 07. "Artists Only" 3:34 10.0/10 08. "I'm Not in Love" 4:33 10.0/10 09. "Stay Hungry" 2:39 10.0/10 10. "Take Me to the River" 5:00 10.0/10 11. "The Big Country" 5:30 10.0/10 US 1978 Original Release 108.0/110 = 9.82 / 2 = 4.91 Bonus Tracks (CD Side Only) 12. “Stay Hungry” (1977 Version) 3:47 10.0/10 13. “I'm Not In Love” (Alternate Version) 5:17 10.0/10 14. “The Big Country” (Alternate Version) 5:03 10.0/10 15. “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” ("Country Angel" Version) 2:11 10.0/10 US 2006 Rhino Release 148.0/150 = 9.87 / 2 = 4.93
Não se deve saltar para piscinas no ano novo com risco de hipotermia mas tu saltaste, sempre foste a mais teimosa dos dois, eu esperei com a toalha o teu corpo pálido e tremeluzente, sim, irradias luz própria ainda que vacile, iluminas água escura, não te cabes nos teus sonhos, demoraste de bruços e o vento cá fora aumentou, a toalha fica húmida só da aragem e eu cá fora à espera, secámos o corpo como um trabalho de grupo da escola e quando o sol raiou estavas seca, quis mandá-lo embora, ano novo lua nova, mas já o horizonte te engolia, a ti, à que todos os dias virou nunca mais e a hipotermia ficou comigo que sei melhor que saltar para piscinas no ano novo.
Not my favorite Talking Heads album but that's not saying much
One of my favorite albums
I think this album is a big step up from Talking Heads' first album, even though a lot of the songs at first have a similar feel to the first album. There's a lot more of this album I know though, whether it's from "Stop Making Sense" or greatest hits. My 2 favorite songs: 1) "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" - every time I hear this song, I envision Jackie Gleason dancing. It just has that musical freneticism to it. 2) "Take Me To The River" - It's so weird to hear the original Al Green version now. This one is so definitive to me. Although not my favorite of their albums (either Fear of Music or Remain In Light), there were so many of the songs I sang along to in the car while listening to it.
I love this album I love everything Talking Heads do.
Bastante buen disco
Love the Talking Heads!
one of the all time greats, massively overlooked within the Talking Heads catalogue
Got this a few weeks ago and originally gave it a 3 and forgot about it, but haven’t stopped listening to it today. Vocals were so unique. drums and bass spazzed the entire album. Take me to the river and the big country was an extremely powerful 1 2 punch to close out the album. “Everything Hit” - Nav
Great album, sounds stronger than their first and you can feel the confidence through the strong grooves throughout.
It’s just a mesmerising collection of rhythms and auditory patterns. Like Jackson Pollock on a 45.
Very good. Love the driving rhythms. Will be listening to more of Talking Heads.
you can really see brian eno’s influence on this album, and it feels like exactly what i want from the talking heads.
great
Perfection!
Really great TH album. Possibly the best...
Talking Heads are in my top 5 fav bands of all time. There are only a couple of releases that aren't a 5 and this isn't one of them.
I hadn't listened to this one all the way through before. I own Little Creatures and much preferred this within the second tier popularity Talking Heads albums. It's probably less innovative than some others... But it felt less like riding a wave in a bunch of different directions, stopping and going. More grounded in some way. This felt like maybe the easiest background music talking heads album, and probably the easiest to listen to -- i could see myself having this one in background in the way I have Darklands in the background a lot right now. Wish it had at least 1-2 more hits on it.
Objective masterpiece such as all the first four albums by this amazing band called Talking Heads.
Take me to the river
I don't know why I love her like I do All the changes you put me through Take my money, my cigarettes I haven't seen the worst of it yet I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river, drop me in the water Take me to the river, dip me in the water Washing me down, washing me down I don't know why you treat me so bad Think of all the things we could have had Love is an ocean that I can't forget My sweet sixteen I would never regret I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river, drop me in the water Push me in the river, dip me in the water Washing me down, washing me Hug me, squeeze me, love me, tease me 'Til I can't, 'til I can't, 'til I can't take no more of it Take me to the water, drop me in the river Push me in the water, drop me in the river Washing me down, washing me down I don't know why I love you like I do All the troubles you put me through Sixteen candles there on my wall And here am I the biggest fool of them all I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river and drop me in the water Dip me in the river, drop me in the water Washing me down, washing me down
my top 2
Solid album as always from them.
You gotta love some Brian Eno produced talking heads.
The Talking Heads’ first album with Brian Eno as producer is new wave masterpiece. The pop elements certainly date this album, but are not intrusive or cloying. You can definitely hear the seeds of their sound that would be defined in Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues. David Byrne’s lyrics are hyper focused to the point of near absurdity but I absolutely love them. Honestly, I’ll give a 5 to most Talking Heads albums, but they truly deserve it.
When I first discovered Talking Heads it felt like a gift. Something so new I didn’t even know that I needed. This album still sounds groundbreaking and I still love it.
Fun album! Would listen again. Holds interest for sure!
Saw them on their first tour here, at Sydney’s beautiful State Theatre. Went with my Girlfriend Julie & my gay friend, Fish. I was already in love with the band - I think Life During Wartime had just been released. I went home convinced I had just seen the next big thing. Fish went home having fallen in love with the dreadful support band, Mi-Sex. This album sounds as fresh today as it did then. Talking Heads were unique. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel is as good an opening track as you would want. It literally gallops - as does I’m Not In Love. In fact, as do so many cuts here. The flow between tracks is great - 1 runs into 2, 3 runs into 4. You’re breathless after Side 1, but Side 2 keeps at it. There’s a sidetrack with the band’s cover of the Al Green classic, Take Me To The River, one of the great covers of all time, but by the album’s end with The Big Country, you just knew David Byrne & genius producer Brian Eno were onto something great. And the great rhythm section should not be overlooked. I was lucky enough to see Byrne’s American Utopia tour in 2018. A genius still.
Tempora mutantur, this is one of those records and moments that changed everything. My next door neighbour left school early and went and got a job in a record bar, as you did in those far off 70's days. I went to visit her during Thursday night shopping (another life changing innovation) on my way to Maroubra Junction library and she said "buy this, it will change your life". And she was right, I listened to this in 78 and everything changed (I'd missed the first album and thought this was their first). The Pistols had scared me (they were scary..) and as much as I loved EC from the get go, I knew the traditions he was drawing on. But this, bloody hell. Even though I didn't know it at the time, as a riposte to the dreaded CSNY (hope you are well Stephen) I indeed went and cut my hair. I also gleefully frisbeed Supertramp's Even in The Quietest Moments into the clothesline, felt I was pretty rad and punk for doing it too (no doubt that fucking record is probably going to pop up in this process, Rick Davies revenge..). Just the album cover alone was an inspiration, I went and knicked my mum's polaroid camera and wasted a hell of lot of shots finding out how hard it was to assemble a shot of your head! I think the beauty of it is the creative tension between Byrne/Eno and Frantz/Weymouth, with Jerry happily looking on and providing so much of the pad to all of these great songs. Take I'm Not In Love, the riff, the rhythm section, the spoken word and the stops, tension tension tension, perfect. Artists Only, all the Byrne themes are there, offset nicely by the bass harmonics, and then Harrison's superb organ riffing..it leads us into the funky mind fuck that is David thinking whatever it is he's thinking about as a songwriter. The lightness leads to dark, while his little meditation on getting his stuff out of his head unfolds. Ditto Warning Signs, glissando bass line perfectly complementing David's musings and Frantz's funky drumming. A truly great record.
I can’t believe this is from the 70s. All of the post punk that I love now is directly influenced from talking heads. Dave Byrne can’t miss.
One of my least favorite albums from my favorite band. Still... it's Talking Heads...
First David Byrne/Talking Heads project I've gotten on this generator, as well as my first time actually listening to a full album, and it does not disappoint. I never realized how funky this could get, and the fact that this is so ahead of its time comparatively is just awesome. What an excellent album, looking forward to more.
Yup yup yup
wtwtw
This is a perfect album. Easily my most listened to output from Talking Heads. Not a miss on the whole album. The bass line on "Warning Sign" might be my favorite bass line ever.
I recall reading an article on Reddit recently asking which group has released the best three album streak. The usual suspects like the Beatles and Led Zep were in that list, but Talking Heads also got a lot of votes and deservedly so. Actually they one upped those legendary bands with four consecutive monster albums starting with their astonishing debut, Talking Heads 77, then More Songs about buildings and food, Fear of Music and Remain in light. More Songs was also the first of three produced by Brian Eno and it was a stroke of genius to combine them in the studio, truly lightning in a bottle. This album is unrelentingly brilliant, every fricking song is a killer, absolutely no filler. Also, some of the segueways are also a match made in heaven, flowing so effortlessly into each other eg. The Good thing --> Warning Sign, I'm not in love ---> Stay Hungry. Tina Weymouth's bass is so infectious, Chris Franz' drumming is tight and punky and Byrne's funky jerky guitar riffs are a perfect foil to his equally herky jerky singing style. And I haven't even mentioned their hit single Take me to the river yet, but thats moot since I've already said enough to give this album 5 stars.
This is the album where Talking Heads started putting some space between them and the other bands of the time, making a move in the direction of funk/electronic dance music. Songs like “Warning Sign” and “Stay Hungry” are good examples (and I was thrilled they played them when I saw them live in ‘80). “Artists Only” is fresh, and along with “Found a Job” offer up Davis Byrne’s lyrics at this hilarious best. There isn’t a weak song on the album, though when I was in University and I asked a friend to tape it for me, I requested that leave out “Take me to the River”. It seemed like a shame to include a soul cover on such a ground-breaking collection of original songs. But one thing that 1001 has taught me is that it’s rare for albums to be remembered if they don’t include a single for mass appeal. The first 4 TH LPs get 5s from me but this one easily has the best title.
I'm a huge Talking Heads fan. There will be Talking Heads albums (that I assume appear on this list) that WILL hit 5 stars. I even considered giving this one a perfect rating. In fact, in the writing of this and in considering why I *wouldn't*, I talked myself into doing just that.
I love a T-Heads and Eno collaboration, always. Eno has a way of teasing the best work out of brilliant artists, and it's no different here. These songs are quirky and energetic, frequently strange, adventurous and insanely funky. This is the kind of album that's full of angular twists and turns, without much in the way of hooks. You have to work a little to settle into this one, but once you're in the groove, it's amazing. The funny part is that one of the greatest covers of all time resides on this album, and it's not even remotely the most interesting song. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): I'm Not in Love, Stay Hungry, The Big Country, Found a Job, Artists Only, Take Me to the River, Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, The Good Thing, With Our Love, Warning Sign, The Girls Want to Be with the Girls
I always love some Talking Heads. From the interesting rhythmic guitar playing to the unique vocals, this is a great album. I also love the Brian Eno production, which probably at least in part due to the fact that it’s Brian Eno. Amazing, and it only foreshadows the absolute masterpiece Remain in Light.
Talking Heads have at least 3, probably 4, albums which are arguably their best. This is one of them. Straight 🔥
This is the second Talking Heads album that I've gotten on this list (the first being Remain in Light), and I absolutely loved this album. I loved the rhythm-heavy sound of this album, both for the bass and lead guitar parts. The rhythm focused sound worked well regardless of whether the song was a faster tempo, like the lead track "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel," or a slower tempo, like the cover of "Take Me to the River." And speaking of the title track, "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" was the perfect way to start this album off. There were some wonderful piano, organ, and synthesizer parts on this album as well, especially on "Artists Only," "Stay Hungry," and the "Take Me to the River." This album had the perfect amount of funk influence, and even a little rockabilly in my opinion. Every track on here was fantastic, with "I'm Not in Love" being my favorite of the bunch. I don't know if the sound of this album was due completely to Brian Eno's production, or if it was just the direction the band decided to take, but either way, this is a masterpiece of late 70's post punk music.
Much more acoustic than later Talking Heads stuff. Take me to the river stands out as the big banger. Overall cool look into what they would become
I understand that Byrne's vocals might not be for some, but me personally, I love them. The bass lines and funky sounding guitar hooks throughout this album make it really fun, and very different. Absolutely awesome album.
cool
Easily one of my favorite bands, fantastic album
If I stick to my goal of one release per band, I am not sure this would be my Talking Heads entry. However, this is a great disc and has one foot in the version of punk they displayed on their first release and one foot into the funk, rhythmic focus that would dominate the next few releases. Tina Weymouth is tremendous throughout. As Talking Heads are in my top five of all time, I recommend all of their releases (even True Stories).
Perfect
Three full albums later, I GET IT NOW! I LIKE TALKING HEADS. Standout tracks are With Our Love, Artists Only, and Take Me to the River.
Well I was expecting to hate this. Instead, Bowie and I had a super fun dance party. Loved it
Take me to the river was the only song I recognized, super cool song and album. His singing is kinda hilarious at times but I am a huge fan of David Byrne. 4? 5?
Cool album. Kind of has an 80’s rock vibe with som modern production. Favorite songs are the last two : “I’m so lonely you could die”and “Heat” The title track is cool kinda reminds me of the talking heads (I thought it may have been a David Byrne colab). Other favorites are “ If you can see me” and “Dancing out in Space” Feels hard to rate this after listening only once. 4.5
Maybe I’m rounding up a bit but I love this album. Inventive in so many ways, especially the lyrics and his vocal creativity.
Thank You for Sending Me an Angel- 4.6/5 With Our Love- 5/5 The Good Thing- 4.8/5 Warning Sign- 5/5 The Girls Want to Be With the Girls- 5/5 Found a Job- 5/5 Artists Only- 3.6/5 I'm Not in Love- 4.9/5 Stay Hungry- 4.9/5 Take Me to the River- 5/5 The Big Country- 4.7 Total- 4.77
Funky, punky, lean and punchy.
This album isn’t full of hits, but sometimes that’s a sneaky strategy to build a well-balanced classic. I particularly like how the album title implies that the record’s contents are about inconsequential things. “What’s the new record about, David?” “Oh, I don’t know, buildings and food.” Given the Talking Heads’ nonchalant style and Byrne’s blithe voice, you’d be tempted to believe him. But it’s far more than buildings and food, and that’s the beauty of it. From couples who save their relationship by replacing the monotony of TV with nutty games of make-believe (“Found a Job”) to boys who can’t come face to face with their emotions (“With Our Love”) to a comical anti-love song (“The Girl Wants to Be with the Girls”), the contents of this album are anything but normal and expected. With lines like “You can’t see it till it’s finished,” the bizarre “Artists Only” might just be the musical interpretation of Vonnegut’s underrated 1987 novel Bluebeard. Of all the possible songs to cover, the band does a fantastic job with Al Green’s “Take Me To The River,” another late night banger I associate with the Hanszen Old Section movie room. “The Big Country” feels like a Tralfamadorian disapproval of Earthlings and our meaningless lives, but why should we care what they think? It’s a great song, and I stand by it. David Byrne’s voice may be an acquired taste, especially aside from the Talking Heads’ most popular tracks. I didn’t know much about this album coming into this listen, and while I wouldn’t expect to hear much of it on the radio, it is extremely well written. I’d go so far as to say it talks about a bit more than just buildings and food.
These guys are so much fun
an 8. Cool