Reviews (page 10 of 14)
i have never really liked any talking heads songs i've heard so this was a pleasant surprise. cool vibe and mostly good songs (song about buildings was ass)
it's not like they were normal before Eno -- clearly "Psycho Killer" betrays a lot of the eccentricities you'd hear on later records -- but otherwise a lot of the songs here have more in common with Chrissie Hynde than Adrian Belew. nothing's wrong with that, but its a bit like seeing pictures of surrealist authors in yearbook photos. maybe its because the guitar work is so straight laced or because David's a little more anxious and less willing to go buckwild on record. over time, they loosen up, like on "No Compassion" and "The Book I Read". of course, "Psycho Killer" is in its own league. nothing will ever beat that bassline. that's how you know this band is gonna work out; not the initial bass part, but the one that comes in with the chorus. these guys are going places. P.S.: i really do love the title "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town". it makes me picture a giant heart terrorizing some suburb in Ohio to the beat.
3-4 странни, готини
There are some very cool sounds here. And this must have been phenomenal to hear in 1977. But a lot of the songs a bit rambling and forgettable. Which is surprising to me as I really really like their "stop making sense" live concert. (In fact it seems that it's only psycho killer from this album which made it into stop making sense. Which does in fact make sense). So it's a slightly disappointing 3, in spite of some great songs e.g. "The Book I Read", "Pulled Up" and of course "Psycho Killer".
Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? then some other songs that are tolerable.
I can hear the influence of this album on the new wave era. I like the song writing style and the way they layer different tones of instruments even if it’s just the basics. But all in all, this didn’t make me excited and jump up and down. Psycho Killer and Pull Up are the standouts but I hear those enough in every day life.
s'alright
A nice little funky record from Talking Heads. I think they would go on to better fine-tune their sound on their later works like Remain In Light, which I find more interesting. I found it pleasant to listen to, but nothing mind blowing or too special from my first listens.
Decent and fun but they have much better albums that I'd rather listen to. 6/10
Wierdly MOTHERSBAUGH style vocals. Interestingly funky but needs better peaks and troughs
Uh oh Love Comes to Town: Vocals are questionable in my opinion, but the bass line is SEXY. 😻. New feeling: vocals match the instrumentals a bit better this song. Tentative Feels: feels tingly to listen to, skipped. Happy Day: lowk really peaceful. Who is it?: vocals feel off again. Very repetitive, had to skip this one. No Compassion: has similar vibes to New Feeling. Skipped the rest of the album cause I was getting bored. Overall a fairly slow album, but no hate to those who like it! Might try listening again in the future.
Four albums, and all of them from 1977 so far... *scratching chin emoji* I'm not going to have as much time to write about this album as the previous three, suffice to say I am already familiar with it, and it gets a thumbs up. I like Talking Heads. I like the IDEA of Talking Heads, perhaps more than I like some of their albums. You see, to me - post-punk, new wave, alternative - all those tags matter, but what matters more is that Talking Heads are a cracking little singles band, however you choose to pigeon-hole them. At their best they have catchy hooks, great melodies, and interesting rhythms. They are also eccentric, witty, experimental, and thought-provoking and everything a great pop band should be. Amazing greatest hits collection, and I'm totally onboard with Stop Making Sense being the greatest concert movie ever made. But their studio albums? Hmmm, bit hit and miss to be brutally honest. Always interesting, not always entertaining. Sometimes the melodies get neglected at the expense of rhythmic exploration. Sometimes the hooks take a backseat to the eccentricity and experimentation. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes Talking Heads' long players less accessible than some might have you believe. 77 is fine, although Psycho Killer is (predictably) the high point. Uh-oh, Love Comes To Town is up there too, but everything else is brilliant only in fits and starts. Definitely not for everyone's taste, and in some ways I feel a bit harsh giving this a three - I do so only because I know there are better albums and there are only two positions above this, I'm reserving my fives for albums I consider nigh-on perfect. (At least that's the theory)
PSYCHO KILLER… Qu’est-ce que c’est Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa. Yes i had to google how to spell that. Album was very nothingish and abit boring to me until that come on. I knew I recognised the album artwork but I’m glad I didn’t check the tracklist. That song bumps it up to a 3 for me. I hate the word but it really is a nice vibe of a song.
It’s okay. Might not be a talking heads fan
Loving talking heads more and more with each album ! Favs: New feeling Tentative decisions Happy Day Don’t worry about the government Psycho killer
Energetic, creative, wry, and funny party music. But not the pinnacle of the Talking Heads art. It’s a 3 — might be good to listen again, when not on a plane.
Sometimes you go back to a bands first album and find a raw edge that got sanded off. In this case, Talking Heads 77 has all the ingredients in the kitchen, but the cake hasn't been fully baked yet. David Byrne's punky singing is there, the hopping base lines are there, the catchy hooks are there, but it is all a bit dull. Psycho Killer closes the album with a glimpse into the greatness to come.
"Psycho Killer" is the clear standout here. The rest of this album just isn't for me - all the tracks sound the same and Byrne's vocals just don't do it for me. I'm sure if I was in college in '77 I would have loved it, but listening to 2025, I'm just kind of bored by it all.
"Psycho Killer" rules but the rest of it is a bit meh and David Byrne has always just struck me as exactly the kind of art school kid who'd annoy the absolute fuck out of me.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I'd probably relisten
Ok
Psycho killer is great- I love talking heads, but this isn’t my favorite album by them.
Pretty good album with several outstanding songs, mostly engaging on album hit - Psycho Killer.
I always find debit albums to be hit or miss. Either a band/artist comes out of the gate swinging or it’s a weird stepping stone that would lead to better albums later. For the Talking Heads, I think this falls into the latter. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is overall a good album. It’s still has the standard quirkiness and charm, mainly provided by David Byrne’s one of a kind vocals. And there are good songs. Psycho Killer is a classic and Don’t Worry About the Government and Who Is It are fun. But compared to the band’s later input, it didn’t leave much of an impact on me. The songs just came and went in some places. My only prior Talking Heads album on this project, Fear Of Music, provided me with a better time. And I’m sure the future albums on this project will do so too (Remain In Light HAS to be here). But this to me is merely a step in the Talking Heads legacy. A crucial one into starting an iconic discography and worth checking out, but there are better albums from them out there. Favorite track: Psycho Killer Other hits: Tentative Feelings, Who Is It?, Don’t Worry About the Government, No Compassion
Psycho killer is good! Mood; 70's giddiness! Lyrics; Small everyday oddities. "My building has every convenience It's gonna make life easy for me It's gonna be easy to get things done" (...) "Loved ones, loved ones visit the building Take the highway, park and come up and see me"
its ok, not a patch on later Talking Heads albums though. 2.8
embryonic talking heads…it’s interesting to hear the bones of their signature sound but these songs end up seeming pretty emaciated and frankly quite silly compared to the all-encompassing genius of their later records. there’s a heaviness missing here—not emotionally heavy but something solid in which to ground the melodies that i feel like is necessary to balance out the abject goofiness. fav tracks: uh-oh, love comes to town; don’t worry about the government
definitely not my favorite talking heads album tbh....there's a specific element to the bounciness of the beat in a lot of these songs that almost sounds like it could be a reggae (??) influence or something, i'm not really sure what it is but for some reason i just don't love it in this context. I think it might actually be a funk-inspired rhythm but idk. i don't HATE it but it just sounds a little dopey to me and usually i find the bounciness of talking heads songs somehow does not make it sound dopey in the way it would if another artist attempted that sound. But sometimes that style does still work for me here -- I love it in "Don't Worry About the Government" and "First Week / Last Week... Carefree". so idk. and I love "Psycho Killer" obviously. maybe a little more time with this one would make me appreciate it but my gut instinct upon listening to the whole thing for the first time in awhile is that i didn't like it as much as i remembered.
Didn't capture me until "No Compassion" but that song absolutely rips and drew me in. Don't worry about the government also drew me in but because it's lyrics are ridiculous.
Not my favourite but I need to listen to it a few more times. Good tracks (pulled up, psycho killer)
I always loved Talking Heads, but to sit down and try to critically listen to this album made me feel like, "Are these guys even good?"I guess not in the classical sense, but I'm sure that wasn't the aim anyway. It's an oddball band for sure, and that's probably what I like most about them. Somehow the whole becomes greater than the sum of its various parts. On this album, I think Tina's buoyant basslines were the ingredient that stood out to me the most. 3.79 stars.
si può ascoltare, non male..
normal rock
psycho killer and sugar on my tongue are so bangers!!! liked few joints on this album but i dont think it had a huge impact on me... I love it for what it is feel currently on a (3.5/5.0) listen to tommy newport version of sugar on my tongue... he did a really good spin on it and i love both, but his version deserved to be heard.
Pretty great. I'm honestly not the biggest Talking Heads fan, in part because I know the biggest Talking Heads fan. Anna--she's great. This one feels like a middling performance for them. Quite enjoyable, but not wow.
achei o álbum por si meio fraco, talvez porque todas as músicas me parecem a mesma e poucas delas representam um ápice pro álbum. elas não estão nem perto de ruins, só não diferem muito uma da outra.. entretanto, algumas composições me interessam bastante, como “i felt it in my heart”, “sugar on my tongue”, entre outras (além da óbvia “psycho killer”) apesar de tudo, acho que o álbum captura bastante de um som característico da década em que foi lançado, e representa isso de forma clara, quase como uma reafirmação a cada música que toca.
2.9
Very good start, but not near as good as what was to come
Not listened yet but will soon
some tracks are good and others fall flat
Pretty mid still, Psycho Killer is a banger though.
Probably would not listen again, but I am always charmed by David byrne’s weirdness. Love psycho killer, and I was grooving with the first three songs. Talking heads, i can never hate you - rounding up to a three
david byrne è il mio spirito guida
Hmmm some interesting guitar, almost surfer like. Singer is a bit overdone at times. The moving bass isn't really my thing but I guess it's music of the era. Not really my thing but enjoyable. Could be a grower. 5/10
I've heard this before, but not often. Solid debut album that includes lots of experimentation but a sense for hooks and grooves. Psycho Killer remains a pretty amazing track. Trivia: One of the producers on this album was Tony Bongiovi, cousin of Jon Bon Jovi.
Talking Heads is undoubtably influential, so I suppose that's why their first album is on this list rather than some of their later work where they had better works. Interesting to read about the studio tensions and the band's commitment to their own work, and also David Byrne's hairy arms. :-) I can't go higher, because Psycho Killer is the only truly engaging song on this album for me.
Glimpses of great things to come...solid 3. Strong recommendation for American Utopia on Max...saw it a few years ago with zero expectations and really enjoyed it.
So now the 4th album from Talking Heads for me in this project, their debut album. And again I realize that the music, and therefore this album, doesn't mean much to me. After listening to about half of it, I'd had enough and switched to something else. I find the music a bit thin, flat and meaningless. At least it doesn't bother me, but then I don't have to listen to it either. 3/5
Very quirky and goofy. It's got some cool songs but I gotta be in the mood
7/10
Decent. They hit their peak later on though
Foundation from where they build…the album and band are at their most interesting and enjoyable with non-standard instrumentations or arrangements, like the steel drum effect or slide guitar. That, and more upfront synths are what, to me, eventually define the band. Otherwise it’s fairly rote guitar comparisons that ape The Clash and its ilk. Byrne still finding his way as a writer and singer but you can tell he’s on the brink of the breakthrough.
Maybe some more time with this album would make it grow on me. Qu'est ce que c'est?
Nice album, good songs and chilled vibe 7/10
Angular well produced rock that combines dissonance and melody like nothing else. B
I enjoyed the first few songs in like the guitar riffs and sound in general. Towards the end I was sick of the guy's voice though. He seemed kind of whiny.
Some of their better work, if you happen to like that sort of thing. Psycho Killer is a casual listener favorite. The rest I can do without but didn't hate. Three stars.
I most excited about my new headphones. They sound great! The album…eh…it’s fine.
Boring pop-rock. Slightly better than the last Talking Heads album on the list, but I don’t need any more now.
Couple of classic songs
I don't like Talking Heads, but '77 was actually listenable and very consistent. Psycho Killer is a great song (but not great enough for my liked list). Having said all of this, I don't like Talking Heads.
I feel like the Talking Heads have always tried to insert themselves in my life. I'm not mad about it
Enjoyable. Idiosyncratic. The fist LP from the Talking Heads has glimmers of what would would come, but this is a valiant first effort. "Psycho Killer" is a jam.
Funcionou bem ao desenvolver a expectativa para escutar o hit "Psycho Killer".
There's some great music here and psycho killer is banging but the vocals and lyrics largely piss me off. Seem like a band for folk who want to show how clever they are
My 365th album review! A pretty decent one to celebrate my first year through this project. It’s damn fine for a debut. It’s hard to believe a classic like Psycho Killer is among their first work.
inga tankar om första tre låtarna, roliga och svängiga men inte jättemycket mer. 4e lite skum, går väldigt upp o ner. 5e lite samma. 6e låten "no compassion" helt okej, ett steg upp från alla andra. 7 va decent. 8 rätt kul också. 9 ner lite kanske. "psycho killer", klassiker riktigt bra. sista låten helt okej också. Många okej låtar, förutom "psycho killer" som är den ända som står ut som en riktigt bra låt, men inte tillräckligt för att göra nått för albumet. Tyckte andra halvan va lite bättre, första va inte för mig. 3/5
Psycho killer is a 5* song but others are meh
First disc didn't do much, but after Who Is It things picked up for sure. Psycho Killer is an obvious classic, but tracks like No Compassion and Pulled Up are also splendid.
Solid debut. Fun music - more island style music than I’ve heard from them before. Upbeat and enjoyable.
The very popular track is great: "Psycho Killer". I also like "Don't Worry About the Government" and maybe some of "Happy Day" and "Who Is It?". But on the whole I have a hard time pushing Talking Heads above a 3. The music is just so random and not-serious sounding. I do see a clear influence on other bands, e.g. They Might Be Giants and REM.
I've never actually played this from start to finish, yet it all sounds somehow familiar. It gives you a peak at what is to come, without quite reaching its potential. You can almost hear the band fighting and pulling in different directions, even in its infancy. That's what made Talking Heads so cool and complicated. Psycho Killer still sends a shiver.
Lots of Carribbean influences, from the more obvious steel drums in the opening track, to more subtle things like the beats and rhythms. I honestly would have guessed this was British rather than American based on sound alone. Drags a bit in the middle. I've had fa-fa-fa-fa stuck in my head all day.
Kinda samey but not bad.
Psycho Killer! Hell YEA! Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town was good too. Rest was ehhhhh
Never heard of Talking Heads before, but I'm digging it. Fun songs, good to vibe to. Some bangers, some misses. All in all a solid album. Best song: Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
# 351 : They've done a pretty decent job, good album, it’s enjoyable and fun overall, desperately trying to be adventurous. A great first album. Weird but catchy and lively songs. Not too heavy. Favourite Track : Psycho Killer
Like some of the songs, but don't like the production. 3.5 stars
Good debut. Not as good as subsequent albums. 3.5 stars.
Kinda cool but scrappy debut offering with herky jerky riffs and annoying vocals as is always the case with this band and below par production. Songwriting is bit random and terms of hit rate percentage it’s more like 33.5. Psycho Killer is easily the best of the rabble with The Book I Read and No Compassion the next most goodish tunes.
As much as I tried not to, I had high expectations for this album because Psycho Killer is such a great song. I reckon it’s exactly those expectations that led to me not getting full enjoyment out of this album. The album wasn’t bad by any means, but my experience kinda felt like this: Tracks 1-9: Eh, this really isn’t as good as Psycho Killer Track 10: Psycho killer… qu’est que ce’st?! Track 11: Hey actually this one’s pretty cool too Maybe another unbiased listen or two would allow me to appreciate the album more. Comparison was certainly the thief of my joy.
Definitely sounds like an album from 1977. Stand outs are Psycho Killer and Love Building On Fire. Also apparently the band inspired Radioheads name.
Psycho Killer was fun, but didn’t love it
Bueno
pior que eu acho talking heads sólido mas só com o brian eno produzindo. o erro aqui foi ter recebido o segundo album antes desse.
Honestly I've never really gotten Talking Heads' music. Just seems took out of the norm for my liking and the singing sucks. "Psycho Killer" obviously the big hit but the rest was just ok. 5/10.
It's pretty good. It had its ups and downs, but it was a solid listen for the most part. It was either I was sleeping or vibing, but with confidence, it was most definitely both. Top 3 Fav: Uh Oh, Love Come To Town, Don't Worry About the Government, and Psycho Killer Top 3 Worst: no bad songs 3.00-3.25/5
This is one band that felt fully formed from the first note on their first album. Everything that makes the Talking Heads the Talking Heads is there. It's a good but not great album. But you can definitely see where they were going.
It’s okay. Good background music but not really stand out as either great or terrible. Psycho Killer remains a classic. 3
pretty fun sound, not my favorite, but its a good one
Só só, more or less,
Alright
Some very good songs.
Not as good as the other album of theirs but I like it
Ashamed that I never listened to this album beyond Psycho Killer. Has some great moments. Haven’t been a huge Talking Heads fan but would probably put this as my favorite link of theirs. Would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
It was pretty good. Still had a little 70s sheen to it, but felt ahead of its time.
It's punk and it's pretty alright. It sounds kind of familiar, but I don't think I've heard it before. It gets a bit strange - sorry "artsy" - at times, but it's not too bad, most of it is pretty enjoyable. By no means a new favorite band or album, but I didn't mind it, and I wasn't particularly bored Standouts Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'es/5 (3/5)
good! and weird!
Overall: I think Talking Heads for me are not an album band. They’re a ‘sprinkled in a playlist’ kind of band. In some songs his voice is really good but in others it’s a tough listen. Shame as I really enjoyed the music on a lot of the songs. Best song: Psycho Killer Track 1 - Uh Oh, Love Comes To Town - Immediately yes. Shaking my tush. Could be a Guardians of the Galaxy song. His voice is strangely strained but it works so well in this song haha. Steel drums?! Stop it. I’m in. What a start. Track 2 - New Feeling - bit more of an experimental sound to this one. It sounds a bit messy and is a bit forgettable. Still dancing though. Love the guitar, bass and beat. Vocals are a bit all over the place for my taste. Track 3 - Tentative Decisions - this feels quite ahead of its time as an album. You can definitely feel the early 80s influence in this. This one feels a bit like it could be The Police. Quite good. I have no other thoughts. Dancing slightly less. Track 4 - Happy Day - I like everything about this song except the chorus. The vocals are throwing me off a bit. Hmm. This is a skip. Track 5 - Who Is It? - I hate the tone of the guitar with the vocals. One or the other sounds really off. Lyrics suck. Weirdly I’d probably listen to it again. This is the song that goes through my dogs’ heads when they hear one (1) single noise outside. Track 6 - No Compassion - okay we’re back with this song. Okay no we’re not. I really hate the tone of the vocals in this one but love the background music again. Feels very generic lyrically. Like loads of words just thrown together that don’t make a lot of sense. Track 7 - The Book I Read - another cracking backing track. The lyrics are a bit naff and the backing music and way they’re sung isn’t enough to distract from that. At times it’s giving karaoke. I bet the lead singer of the Talking Heads was quaking in his boots when Nicholas Cage’s Longlegs started singing. #twins Track 8 - Don’t Worry About the Government - I like this one. It’s a bit different and the bass is good. His vocals are strong in this song and don’t sound so strained or vibrato. It’s a bit polka-y. I think it works. Would I come back to it more than once or twice? That’s the question. I think it’s a good song for when you’re travelling, so maybe if it was in a playlist. Track 9 - First Week / Last Week… Carefree - I won’t elaborate on this but I feel like Tom Hanks exclusively listens to this band. They give me gigantic Tom Hanks energy. This song is alright. Probably the fourth best song so far but still only on the better side of ok for me. Track 10 - Psycho Killer - okay hello baseline. I already knew this song and it’s definitely the highlight of the album. The weird lyrics and strange singing and incredible background music come together perfectly. I feel like this album is like that bit in Alien Resurrection and every song that isn’t this one is all the iterations of Ripley clones that didn’t quite work out. Some were really nearly there but not quite. This is the best of the bunch. The Ripley of the album, if you will. Track 11 - Pulled Up - yes this one is quite good too. Weird and fun! Probably the third best song off the album. Was this a single?
It's fine but nowhere as good as when they started using rhythms with Eno.
super adequate record. not gonna act like this changed my life, but it was certainly an easy listen.
3- Stars (7/15)
psycho killer is great, eh on the rest but not a bad listen
Missing a lot of what makes the talking heads great - but you can see it developing! Not a bad listen, Psycho Killer is always fun
The Heads debut. Doesn't have the "hits" other than Psycho Killer but still a good record
I have always liked the hits but never did a deep dive on the band or the catalog. I went into this cold without even reviewing the track listing. I was a little lost in the first half but then “Psyco Killer” came on and it all made perfect sense. It is a sound and style that was definitely ahead of its time in ‘77. A preview of changing sounds and styles to come.
T Heads is one of those bands that wrote a handful of songs I really love… but a little goes a long way. A full album wears me down a bit
Psycho killer! Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba bababa ba! 3.25
3.5
An enjoyable new wave album, nothing amazing except for a few standout tracks like "Happy Day," "No Compassion" and, of course, "Psycho Killer." Their later albums definitely blow this one out of the water.
179/1001
Cool to see Talking Heads have so much personality from the beginning. Felt this whole album didn’t have the sauce and strong singles like other albums of theirs
Para ser el primer disco como banda, hermosa declaración de principios.
Much of the music on this album is repetitive. If you like one song, you’ll probably like them all. Psycho killer obviously gets the most attention because of its classic and enduring status but other than that, it’s listenable, but ultimately a little boring.
Sept. 10, 2024 Listening to the deluxe version. New Feeling is giving me Queens of the Stone Age vibes?? Blasphemy?? I don't think this album will be memorable for me, but it's generally nice to listen to. Psycho Killer is obvs good, and I also like Pulled Up. The rest was fine. 3/5
I love the Talking Heads. Psycho Killer is an all timer, Few other good memorable tunes. Just too many OK songs here (16). They have better albums.
Enig med teitur i at det ikke er lige så godt som deres album. Synes en håndfuld af sangene flyder ret meget sammen. Ville nok give det 3,5 men det er nok tættere på 3
Synes ikke det er lige så godt som Speaking in Tounges eller Remain in Light, men stadig okay :))) 3/5
Muy monótono
true crime weirdos on tiktok who are basically in love with criminals kinda ruined psycho killer for me but aside from that this is actually kinda good
This one I felt I just needed more time with. I listened to it maybe four times, I obviously love psycho killer but none of the others had time to click except maybe tentative decisions. I guess this site is mostly for first impressions and in that case it’s not getting past a three.
Not for me. But got better.
Papapapapaaaaaa papapapapaaaaa better!
first talking heads album and you can hear that they were trying to find their general sound with the fillers in the album. the fillers were ok and the standouts were pretty good. great energy, but overall pretty forgettable for some of the tracks. 3 personal favs: uh oh love comes to town, the book i read, pulled up
enjoyed this one a bit more than the others i’ve heard so far, still not my favorite
Autism music (positive)
Spiky
easy listening, a solid 3
was okay
An interesting album. I'd say I generally liked/could stand what was going on, but there were times when I wished the singer would just shut up. He doesn't necessarily have a bad way of singing, but it's across between shouting and singing, in my opinion, and it can get annoying. Quickly. The instrumentals were all pretty good. I think if there was a better vocalist singing these songs, it had the potential to be 5-start worthy. That ain't the case, though. My favorite song is "Pulled Up" because it sounds like he's saying "pooed" at times. "I sliiiiipped....and I got pooooooed. Pooed up. I tripped. And then you pooooooed."
Talking heads really are an interesting bunch. One of the few bands that actually manages to make ‘quirky’ work, where other bands on this last have tried and failed. Sometimes David Byrnes singing can get a bit too weird and tiresome though. Not my favorite album from them, but there are have few decent here like ‘Uh Oh, Love Comes To Town’ and ’Psycho Killer’ for example. The rest is decent, but not really anything I would put on the record to listen to. Strong 3 will have to do.
The vibe is fun, it feels kind of punky and new wavy,. Fun, high energy and different. It did turn in to a bit of a slog in the tail end. The main exception is "Psycho Killer" which is a great track!
This was a New Feeling for me, like Sugar On My Tongue. It was a Happy Day.
I didn't hate it, but it really just started blending together after a while so it was somewhat easy to tune out becoming background music. When I would force myself to really listen the lyrics were good and deep. They are different and their jams are funky. For me the melodies just blended together and became long as an album.
Psycho Killer is great but they have better albums
I like Talking Heads and their debut is pretty good and influential. But I am fairly certain I’ll never think: “I am really in the mood for a Talking Head-record”. The type of band I respect a lot but never get the itch for (at least in album form). Their debut is better than “More songs..” but not as good as “Remain in light”.
Weird, but good weird. I always knew the talking heads were out there and this just confirms it was like this from the start lol
Idk what 4 talking heads records are on this thing, but if this replaced more songs, fear of music, remain in light, or speaking in tongues, absolute blunder. Good album, pales in comparison to what would come next for the group
Great album but quite uneven. I didn't really click with the first half, but the second one is such a delight.
Sounds consistently pretty good but nothing jumps out at or hooks me. 3/5
Very good
A lot of quirky interesting songs. I don’t think one of their best but definitely interesting.
Okaish Art Rock. Most well known song is "Psycho Killer".
It's all that I expect from Talking Heads. The voice isn't nails on a chalkboard for me, but it's not something I really love either. 3.5
Gotta admit, after instantly enjoying the absolute shit out of their second album when it popped up, one I was previously unfamiliar with, I found this first album to be quite underwhelming by comparison. Psycho Killer is obviously a very bright highlight in their entire discography, but I feel the rest is good albeit somewhat forgettable, and the band were yet to find their groove on this one. Just doesn't have the usual Talking Heads magic to me. Interested to see if it grows on me, but I'm having trouble mustering more than a 3.
I was a slow study with Talking Heads, but one day in the early 1980s they clicked for me.
Catchy tunes throughout, with some rather sinister lyrics that make it more memorable than a lot of similar albums.
Another easy rock. Think this is my second talking heads album? Favorite Song: I feel it in my heart Rating: 3.2/5
Not my favorite Talking Heads album of the time.
Experimental and fun. Young, early psych rock, maybe some ska in there…
good. no compassion goes hard
I got mixed up, this is my rating for More songs about buildings (and vice versa) Once again; talking heads have definitely got something, there lots of times I enjoy, but something just doesn’t quite cut it for me
1.Favorite Songs: Psycho Killer, Sugar on My Tongue 2.Thoughts: Very British rock with a hint of psychedelic rock, Some songs straight up sound like rock/pop though. Anyone listening to this would immediately think "Beetles!" but it's pretty unique to itself by including a bunch of different instruments, even though each song sounds a little overused by them. 3.Overall Score: 6/10 - Felt like the album lacked in creativity, sure, pretty much every song had a different "sound", but I would get put out by them after hearing them after 2 minutes.
3.5 Not a big talking heads guy byt some big hitters on this, not much more to say
3 1/2 Hyvä soundi, mut biisit ei vielä myöhempien levyjen tasolla vaikka pari bängeriä onkin.
i like psycho killer the rest was fine
Seminal album that came out fully formed, doesn't sound like a debut effort at all. Psycho Killer the clear hit though. The rest of the album is good but I know there is much better to come in future.
As always, David Byrne’s voice is like nails on a blackboard. Other than that, it was fine.
Some good songs
solid not my fave
Doing reviews has certain traps. i am a long term film critic and have a deep, objectively sensible system in place to reduce bias and increase overall consistency. With music it is more seat of the pants but I still try to be objective as possible. This is why, for instance, while I don't even like Metallica all that much, I gave their album a high rating in knowing it is canon and deserviing (although personally that was the first and last time in a LONG time that I listened to them). Thus someone scanning my ratings might think I really like classic rock or metal but I actually don't favor either really. I personally like the Talking Heads and the alternative genre more. Yet this album suffers a certain fate that many do: It sits among others that while all unique in their own way, is not a particular "must listen" if one is not a superfan. They grew as a band from here and it was fun to listen to, but it feels like a band in development album.
There were some good, recognizable songs here and some equally good ones I'd never heard before.
Talking heads more like clicking heads am I right gamers? Probably the quintessential talking heads album, I’m just more of a remain in light guy myself
One giant single. The rest are solid to good. Not a bad song.
Talking heads have a weird feeling like the music and the lyrics were recorded separately and then just put over them.
future participants heed my warning: le secret pour profiter de ce projet et ne pas expérimenter l'épuisement est de s'assurer que vous n'écoutez pas les albums de longueur double ou de luxe si vous n'en avez pas besoin. nobody needs wall-to-wall david byrne. 2.5
The more I listen to the Talking Heads, the less sure I am of how much I like them. Psycho Killer is, unsurprisingly, the standout song on this album. Nothing else stood out as particularly interesting. This list has had quite a few debut albums that were wall to wall fantastic, some that were loaded with hits although not completely great, and others that showcased a burgeoning talent. This album has Psycho Killer.
Not their peak, but still certainly a strong, influential effort from a band that had one of the greatest album runs of all time.
Psycho Killer is the standout track. No Compassion is pretty good, too, though. You can see the bones of all that came after.
As much as I love some of the Talking Heads other albums, this one just doesn't land. You can hear the potential but other than Psycho Killer, much of this blends together.
Already listened, Grade B
Probably the best Heads album I've heard on this list
Their first album. They were chased to sign a record deal and this is it. Very talented musicians, unique voice but personally, I'd head straight for the greatest hits album.
Some classics.
Good album. Not all that soecial
That's the album with the "Psycho Killer" song, but I had no idea what the name of the band was. I would say that this is a bit of a meh album, nothing too exciting but not too bad either. It's alright for having it playing in the background.
STEEL DRUMS jaa d weirdness vo ihne überrascht iden sinn nümme aber es löst nanig vill in mier uus au wenn ich sini liecht überschlagendi stimm immer wieder geil find hahaha happy day isch jz s erste wo mich chli meh überzügt hahahah no compassion isch so ufe komischi art catchy aber mengisch chli holprig im text ahh und de schluss hends au nöd gwüsst wie jaa s isch chli besser, immerno weirdibaffi aber s macht echli meh(wenn au immernanig vill) first week last week kinda en banger? profitiert sehr vode zuesätzliche instrument PSYCHO KILLER KESKES-SEE ich lieb njanjanjanjanjanja pulled up sehr cool er macht eifach sache hahahah hahaha omg de schluss au geil ja schlussendlich trz es 3 sorr
A fun album - but made special through Psychokiller. I would like to get to know this album more but it didn’t totally win me over - on paper I would love it but somehow.. I don’t
80s music before the 80s. Soft vocals and rhythmic music, and a little wonky at times. Not my cup of tea, but it’s not bad. I can hear their influence in other artists I like.
I was only familiar with one song- Psycho Killer, but I liked the rest. For some reason they reminded me slightly of Steely Dan which i LOVE. Unfortunately this is once again out of 5 rather than 10 and I feel like if I was able to listen to this album a couple more times it may grow to be above average (4/5) however I just can’t do that. 7/10.
Pretty good. Mostly good. I feel like sometimes it's easier to note what parts of Talking Heads I don't always like.... David's voice gets a little old, the rhythms of the band are at once cool but also tend to be... stilted? they don't swing but they try to. In thinking a little about it, I think that IS a function of the vocals. it's a tough thing to parse, he's such a vital component of the band but I do think held them back on some material. e.g. "New Feeling" The drumming is a little.. mid? merely competent? Ok keep it positive here - the bass playing is a highlight on pretty much every song. Excellent guitar work. and even though they have a "sound" each song 8a pretty unique. They're a very mid 70s "square" sounding band which is in no way an insult. just is. and sometimes it's awesome and sometimes it's not. Solid 3 and that's probably low - I would never be sorry to hear it even if it's not a top favourite. 7/10 3 stars
A few toe tappers.
Psycho killer slaps, the rest is noise
idk expected more somehow
Such a cool sound, unmistakably Talking Heads (and David Byrne), and I love it. Can be a little one-note, so I couldn't listen to it for more than an album or so without getting a little tired of it, but the quality of the music and recording is just spectacular. Three stars.
I usually like the start of albums more than the ends, but 77 flipped that on its head - for the first half I was sure this would be 2 stars then suddenly I had to buy some potato's because this brought the bangers. Favourite track: No Compassion.
Кричащая наивность
questo ricade nella categoria "album rock o adiacenti che non mi fanno ne caldo ne freddo e che non ascolterò mai più attivamente, ma sono molto orecchiabili e piacevoli da ascoltare"
More jangly/skittery and less dense than their later stuff. Delightfully odd (most of the time). Highlights: "Uh-oh, Love Comes to Town" (has a reggae/ska-ish bounce to it), "Happy Day" (cute little tune), "First Week/Last Week...Carefree" (cool horns and are those steel drums?), "Psycho Killer", "Pulled Up" (poppy)
I'll be merciful, the album has one good song.
Worse than I expected. Yet still not bad.
Not a bad album by any means. They would perfect their sound so much more later on though
It was fine, I guess. Nothing revolutionary IMO
On the track Psycho Killer, Talking Heads managed to sound like a postpunk band before punk had even happened. Tina Weymouth’s mammoth bassline and David Burns quirky vocals make this a classic. However the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to this high point. I think I prefer their subsequent Brian Eno produced albums.
The post-punk bits are nice but it kind of lacks the "dark side" of post-punk, it's sometimes a bit too sweat, as a '60s pop album. Interesting but not overwhelmingly good
All in all it's a good album, with a couple standout tracks being Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town and Psycho Killer. I also now know where Modest Mouse developed their sound from. It's a good, maybe not great listen.
Honestly finding this kinda hard to get through. I dont think im a very big talking heads fan.
It is generally fun, Psycho Killer rules. Nothing else here really touches it, but it is still an alright album outside of that. Really enjoy Tina’s playing, always quite fun bass lines.
Notable tracks: The Book I Read, Pulled Up, Psycho Killer
The music is mundane, but the songs are driven by the unique vocals of David Byrne. Listenable but it gets old after a while.
Good listen.
This wasn't as interesting to me as the other talking heads album.
70's pop music with punk harshness. The album feature lengthy tunes with cool guitar parts. Favorite track: No Compassion
The talking heads are hilarious. The vocal style could certainly be described as wacky and zany. I like to imagine all the band members looking around at each other like "get a load of this guy". However, I enjoyed the dynamic but I would need to be convinced to listen again. Psycho Killer really is a banger, not just a great rock band song.
I usually like the singers eclectic voice but at times it can be grating (eg. Happy day). Wasn't giving it my full attention tbh, apologies. Top songs: Psycho killer
early punk, not a huge fan but it‘s ok
Overall a great debut album, but we all know they get even better.
A few good songs, the rest starts to sound the same.
It was okay. (#66)
There's just something about Talking Heads. There’s a coolness factor to them that’s hard to put into words—they're quirky, they're unconventional, and yes, their music is weird. The overall vibe of "Talking Heads: 77" is offbeat and unconventional, which, while initially may seem jarring, also gives it a certain edge that’s hard to ignore. While the album as a whole hasn’t completely won me over yet, it’s clear that there’s potential lurking within its tracks. Some songs have already begun to stand out with their catchy rhythms and clever lyrics. It feels like "Talking Heads: 77" is an album that needs a bit more time to truly grow on me, to fully appreciate the layers and nuances of what at first might only seem weird. In essence, the cool factor of David Byrne and the band adds an undeniable appeal, nudging my overall impression of the album into more favorable territory. There’s definitely something compelling here, amidst the initial strangeness, and I’m intrigued enough to keep listening. Favourite Tracks: Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town, Psycho Killer
My favourite of the Talking Heads albums I've gotten thus far. Favourite songs: "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town", Psycho Killer, Pulled Up, I Feel It In My Heart, New Feeling, Tentative Decisions Least favourite songs: Happy Day, The Book I Read 3/5
Ita different and Weird.
Big fan of the subsequent albums, but fun to listen to the early stuff.
Psycho killer and sugar on my tongue were standouts. Very unique vocals
4/7/24
I love Talking Heads, but then whenever I listen to one of their full studio albums, I realize what I really love are Talking Heads’ greatest hits and live albums. There’s some great tracks on 77, but there’s also some lackluster songs that sort of just drone on in the background. Compare that to Stop Making Sense which is an absolute tour-de-force of all of Talking Heads’ best songs up to that point pumped full of even more energy than on the studio recordings. Even with David Byrne’s broken French, “Psycho Killer” is just an incredible song. Byrne’s robotic voice fits in perfectly on tracks like “Don’t Worry About the Government” and “Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town”. The rest of the tracks are good but mostly forgettable. While I don’t think Talking Heads made a bad album during their ~10 year run, I also don’t think they made very many exceptional studio albums. This, their debut album, is pretty close though, and it’s one of my favorites of theirs.
Quite alright
Not really my kind of music. Fine as background music, and a few interesting twists.
Was okay. New Wave but old fashioned.
This is the third talking heads album we've had in 60 albums so I think I have talking heads fatigue. Still a fun listen though
Yea, not bad
2.5
More pop than I was expecting
Don’t like his voice too much, but it was ok. One song had a random marimba.
Knew one song which was decent. Rest of the album just kind of blended together
I like the Talking Heads and Psycho Killer is a fantastic song, but the rest of the tracks on this album were underwhelming...
6/10 Psycho Killer...and Talking Head songs. like it, don't love it. but PSYCO KILLER!!! 4/1/2024
Talking Heads höre ich eigentlich gerne, aber melodiös waren sie in den 70er eher (noch) nicht. Highlight für mich nur Psycho Killer, alles andere eher Mittelmass.
Unvergesslich Psycho Killer! Und der Rest des Albums hörenswert.
Fun album
Beautiful, high energy without ever getting manic.
I don't see the appeal of Talking Heads that much. They've never clicked for me. I feel like they were a "had to be there" kind of band. David Byrne played at a festival I went to in like 2017 but I didn't pay attention at all and didn't realize he was the lead singer of the talking heads lol whoops. Lost opportunity
pa escucharlo d fondo esta bn, buen ritmo
3.7
Daora
Like everything they do it's alright; some bangers, some misses.
Gotta love Psycho Killer!
Usually love Talking Heads but haven't been huge on this one aside from Psycho Killer.
I have always enjoyed Psycho Killer, but nothing else on the album seems to live up to that. A couple songs sound like imitations, a couple were kind of annoying, a couple were alright. Overall it was fine, but not something I will probably seek out in the future.
Never really listened to Talking Heads before this and didn’t know what to expect, but this was ok! Listened a week or two ago at this point so I can’t really remember very well, but let’s give this 3 stars.
Kinda of odd singing that reminded my of men at work (which I love) overall I thought it was pretty good, but I didnt add any songs to a playlist. 3.5 stars
interesting album, would like to listen some more. Grew on me. Probably a 3.5.
Eh. It's fun in parts, and I always enjoy Psycho Killer, but in general I have a hard time getting on the same wavelength as Talking Heads. 2.5.
Enjoyed the album but not sure how often I'd come back for a full listen. A few songs were a little too quirky for my taste.
Talking Heads is classified as New Wave, which I guess is fair because of what a catch all that term is. Their debut album has all the elements and is quite enjoyable. Just a really easy to listen to and easy to like band for me. 3.5 that I'm rounding down to a 3. Highlights - Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town, Tentative Decisions, Psycho Killer
My least favorite Heads album but it does have Psycho Killer.
far from their best, but its some decent fun
Kind of fun.
Once again, I find a great album that just isn't my thing! I can hear the inventive and more sophisticated take on punk, as well as the energy and well-crafted songwriting. It just doesn't resonate with me aesthetically. Some songs are great, and I like quite a bit of Talking heads. But I do think they get better later on (which may or may not have something to do with them collaborating with Brian Eno and King Crimson, who I adore). But the non-funky attempts at making punk and funk work together just sounds like a bunch of art school kids making an album that is important for the wrong reasons. They were inventive and interesting, but I don´t know if the impact they had and what came after did music much good.
It was good I liked New Feeling, Happy Day and Psycho Killer.
Fun album that faltered a bit in the middle
Very Talking Heads. No song stood out to me.
Starts and ends well middle very meh and a bit odd
Good sounds. Weird voices and lyrics.
Alright
I get David Byrne is a legend, but this album is kind of annoying to actually listen to lmao
Better than Fear the Music by a lot. Some good groovy post-disco songs.
Talking heads ok
Some fun. Some odd. Composition is neat.
When I was a kid, my big brother would play Talking Heads in the car and I would complain about every song that wasn't Burning Down the House. Now I'm older and wiser and I complain about every song that isn't Psycho Killer. 2.5 of these stars are for Psycho Killer
Definitely better than the other Talking Heads stuff that we've had - and obviously has their most famous song on it - but it's still not something that I really enjoy listening too. David Byrne's voice when he strains it gets quite painful to hear quite quickly. That said, the album does get better as it goes on (not just because they leave Psycho Killer until track 10). Would really like talking heads, I think, if it wasn't for the repetitive squawks that end up in almost every song. 3/5.
I feel like I just got drugged by David Byrne. I’ve never listened to a Talking Heads album in full, but I thought I knew some of the eccentricities of the band (and namely Byrne), but clearly I wasn’t fully prepared. This album goes in so many directions lyrically that it kinda distracted me from REALLY great production that feels ripped a little more out of 1987 than 1977. I’m not complaining about the album, necessarily; I think it’s a good listen, but you really have to be in the mindset for it, and you have to accept that shit will get kinda wacky. It's like a 3.5 that I don't think I can really round up to a 4, but I think it's a good album, and it’s certainly an album that I think needs another listen or two to really get and appreciate more.
Unusual
Ab dem zweiten Titel interesssant. Muss aus dem Blickwinkel 1977 betrachtet werden.
Ok, psycho killer were obviously the peak of the album.
music was good although some parts were giving garageband esp the drums and the singer annoyed me at times - 3.5
So viel Power!
so much better than the other one
I wish I liked talking heads more. They’re good but wasnt really in the mood for them. Still a solid album of course
its unique, and alright but its not something i could listen to all day
FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA BETTER
Ok
As I listened through this album I found my self instantly loving some songs, and the rest neither made me excited or angry, so I could listen again and I’d be fine but I’d just as soon play something different. Solid middle ground.
Good but, other than psycho killer, not hugely remarkable.
Not bad, distinctive sound.
This was decent. Good overall.
Yes was ok Psycho was the standout tge rest was fine
Psycho Killer gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Overall the album was fine, interesting enough.
Talking Heads makes me wish i liked art music more as a genre, but alas it is only Talking Heads that I like. Solid album, good music.
The basis is good. But I like the live album more. 3,5 stars
Like Airport 77? David Byrne hijacks an album from Jack Lemmon and George Kennedy has to safely sound engineer them home. Would watch.
"during recording of this track, Bongiovi went into the studio kitchen and gave Byrne a knife, telling him to get into character when singing. Byrne simply responded with "No, that's not going to work"
Much better than the previous talking heads album. Overall I’m not entirely sure what I’d rate this considering I was too sick to even hear it half the time but a did like a few of the songs. The singer voice does irk me a good bit. Though the few songs I liked make up for it. I’ll give it a 6.5 or 7 out or 10 I probably would listen again
OK, but not as good as those fantastic albums that followed..
Couple hits on this one, I can’t say in a huge fan, but I enjoy listening to them on shuffle. Gotta say they have good melodies and beats. 3.4
Well, I absolutely love Talking Heads. This is my least favorite album. I hear the burgeoning coming sounds o remain in light, but it’s just not here yet for me to rank this album higher than three stars.
not my thing but still nice! personal top3 in no order: psycho killer pulled up the book i read
More of a promising debut, really. Psycho killer and pulled up are absolute classics. The other tracks are enjoyable but not as memorable. 3.4
Niet bijzonder.
It was fine.
I confess I was totally oblivious to the Talking Heads in the 70s and later. Not sure I had a real reason for that but that's the way it was. Compared to the last two albums, this one is certainly easier to listen to from my perspective. I can't see it was overly inspiring but pleasant enough. It's not something I would seek out, however.
Got through it. They had a definite style and sound. I’m not the biggest fan, but liked several cuts. It may slide off this list someday, but they had some big hits.
I can appreciate it but the vocals aren't my thing
Ich wusste gar nicht, dass \"Psycho Killer\" von den Talking Heads ist!
A fine album with some good tracks and one known banger. Wouldn't come back but saved a few tracks into playlists.
Somewhat basic but I could see the potential
6/10
I can appreciate this as a rebuttal to the self-serious hyper-produced schlock of the 70s but to me it just sounded tuneless and jarring. It comes off as Byrne and co being cheeky for the sake of it. I couldn’t quite connect to the lyrics. Music is supposed to make you feel something and all I felt was mild irritation. “Psycho Killer” is a classic, obviously, but one songs does not an album make.
Wow, classic. Gets old fast, though.
Classic talking heads geluid. Psycho killer is een banger uiteraard, maar heb er verder niet super veel mee