Reviews (page 12 of 14)
“Talking Heads 77” by Talking Heads (1977) It was new. It was different. It was influential. And it (almost) stood the test of time. Here’s an album that’s like a scary clown. You know the comedy is a pose, but you’re not sure if or when he’ll bring out the knife. Lyrical obscurity works well when it draws the listener in. On this album, songwriter David Byrne is mostly successful. In “Don’t Worry about the Government”, for example, he doesn’t even mention “government”, but rather the “I”, and “me”—satisfied, conveniently situated, and balanced. His protagonist IS the government, and hence the ominous undertones begin to percolate upward in the psyche of the listener. This is a parody, but it is not a joke. And it is more meaningful now than it was in 1977. Good stuff. Musically, it’s a mixed bag. Vocal dubbing is sometimes necessary, it is hard work, and on this album, where it is attempted, it fails. Calling it “new wave” does not relieve one of the obligation to sing. Byrne’s voice seems to always strain to reach up to the pitch. It makes the listener tired. But the instrumentals are quite good. The musical highlight of the album is the understated but supremely effective bass guitar of Tina Weymouth. Produced in 1977, this debut album by Talking Heads clearly demonstrated that they were going places. But not yet. 3/5
This was a good album. Nice to listen to it and very nice recognizable singles, but also very repetitive. Good to know a little bit more about this important band.
discovered im not the biggest fan of talking heads. Theres only a few songs besides the big hits that stood out to me. Probably wouldn't listen to in entirety again. Favorite song besides psycho killer (classic so doesn't quite count) is Dont worry about the government. Id give the album a 6/10
Pretty Good. Too much talking. Gets better towards the end.
tres bonne voix bon musicien mais encore mauvais choix d'album
Super-ambivalent. Svinger fra irriterende til bra hele tiden. Foretrekker Datarock
Wasn't listening closely but good background jamz
Rock, post punk.
Psycho killer was really the only one I could get in to, the rest were a bit to monotone on the vocals and repetitive with the beat
Not bad - psycho killer is great, but I think this was some of their earlier work. I'll probably like it more with time.
Not bad at all, ich hab das Lied Psycho Killer gespeichert und dann gesehen dass es das meistgehörte Lied von der Band ist, I am just saying guys maybe ai am the next Melon
Le di tres vueltas trabajando, para ser honesto, sin encontrar nada que jalara mi atención. 2.5 estrellas que suben a 3 porque sí lo puedo escuchar de nuevo.
Meh. Instrumentation saves this but the sound hasn't aged well and the high-pitched lead singer doesn't do it for me. Psycho Killer is a great track. Probably 3.5 / 5 for me.
I liked this better than the other Talking Heads album I have listened to. Less repetitive with the same musicality
I thought I was going to line this more. Psycho Killer is phenomenal but most of the rest was just perfectly fine.
Pretty good
This is pretty decent but it’s not even the best talking heads album
Lovely English talking music
didnt do it for me i'm afraid. psycho killer stands out but otherwise a bit mediocre. unfortunately the artistic genius that is evident in his live shows didn't come through on the album
Pretty Decent Rock
Not much I can say about this besides "it's Talking Heads", that is to say it's pretty good.
Fun background album with 2 well-known songs.
It's okay! New wave/punk is alright with me. What's up with the marimbas tho? Psycho Killer is still a bop.
There is the famous "Psycho-Killer". Good enough, but Talking Heads is not my thing.
Not bad
I'm digging it. It's weird but in a good way
Going for the discography
class is talking heads some good tracks, but most sound very similar.
so os classicos
It was ok
Men without Hats vibe which makes sense since it belongs to the 1970s to 90s era of New Wave.
I’m just not a talking heads fan
A decent debut album by legendary act Talking Heads, everyone's gotta start somewhere but this album is very consistent and has great tracks such as the classic "Psycho Killer", as well as "New Feeling" and "Who Is It?"
2.5 stars
percebo parcialmente o encanto, mas nao me aquece nem me arrefece pessoalmente
I like it, good!
psycho killer is on this one. but thats it
I haven’t revisited this in about a year. I really forgot how quaint it sounds next to the following Heads albums. Curiously, Side 2 is perhaps the better side?
So widely imitated, its hard now to hear how unique and surprising this must have sounded when it came out. The songs themselves don't, however, always hit gold - but the album remains an engaging listen because of the daring arrangements. And then, the two final tracks are both stone cold classics and point the way for the huge improvement the band would go on to make.
Utterly boring and flat, with the exception of Psycho Killer which is a well-known hit for a reason 😬
appreciate the real music from 70's but personally i didnt really enjoy listening this album. For me the vocal and voice itself kinda dry, boring and silly. Sometimes feel Fleetwood mac vibes but worse. The instrumental is funky and colorful tho. Like the enegry of music itself. Maybe would rock this album on a background while doing my things. I feel 5.5/10 for instresting instrumental mixing. Best songs: "No compassion"
feels like maybe the rawest talking heads most like punk or in reaction to punk david byrne feels especially squeaky on this one 💥the book i read 💥don't worry about the government 💥psycho killer 💥pulled up
Just can’t get down with David Byrne’s voice…
definitely not for me. kinda out of harmony
Struggled a little bit to get into this one, but I am going to preserver as its one of my Dads favourites
I've tried many a times but enjoying talking heads is not within my abilities.
Nah.
Liked the music, didn’t like the vocals. Sounds like a guy at a karaoke bar trying to cover a more talented vocalist.
I like their older stuff better.
Felt pretty meh
sounded decent too
its okay
Didnt finish it so might have missed a banger but overall a pretty shajt album imo unfortunately
Franchement un peu décevant à part Psycho Killer y'a rien qui ressort et la voix du gars m'énerve il a tout le temps l'air essoufflé...
meh
Not really my cup of tea. Lowkey meh .
bardzo monotematyczny, nie siadł mi poza jednym oczywistym bannerem
Standouts Psycho Killer
This is the first time I'm hearing the songs that are supposed to Psycho Killer. And I don't they are anywhere near as catchy or stand on their own in any significant way. Talking Heads have so many 80s hits that I was hoping for something that grabbed my attention. But it wasn't on this album. Psycho Killer
This one didn't do anything for me. In fact, it left so little impact that I don't remember it at all. 2 Stars
He sings like everything is a question. 2.1/5
It's not a bad album, just a bit dull for me, and I don't like David Byrne's voice, or the music much. Two stars.
Mid
Not every album needs to be in this list. Speaking in Tongues, sure. Little Creatures, yes. Talking Heads 77, no, not really.
This was a drag for me. Not something that I want to listen to again.
I don't have enough anxiety to enjoy this album. But I can tell the musicians aren't idiots.
Not my vibe
Is Psycho Killer enough to make me listen to the whole again ? Probably not. The albums a classic for a reason, and a definitely a classic, but all the same, probably not for me
Decent IMO very seventies esque and flamboyant. Nice listening to something far from my usual but not my cup of tea.
i understand why it's a classic, but it's just not my cup of tea. i find the songs repetitive, with the tracks sometimes blending in with each other. the songs i did like were the ones where they weren't talk-singing or doing something a bit experimental. overall only liked 5 songs.
did not enjoy felt very one-note i've liked their other albums but his voice is annoying and the songs here don't carry it
mid
Not for me
Only reason it gets 2 is Psycho Killer
Psycho Killer is great but don’t care for much else from this album
damn those vocals got annoying fasttttttttt sorry
Aika vaisuks jäi lopputulos vaikka psycho killer on ihan kova styge, muuten jopa tylsäkin lopputulos
tylsää musaa
En nyt ihan kyllä innostunut. Psycho Killer toki entuudestaan tuttu. Vähän ehkä yllätyin että se päätyi lopulta olemaan levyn tiukin biisi. Muuten melkoista läpsyttelyä.
Psycho Killer is the only song on this I've heard before. I am glad I got to listen to the whole album. Though, I'll not consider this one of my favorite Talking Heads albums.
First listen - I was not impressed. One song that is extremely popular and good (Psycho Killer) but other songs are not that known. They did not really grab me. Second and third listen improved the album marginally - but I still do not like it.
it's fun but not so good. it's giving '80 dad. ... but psyco killer is a masterpiece
4/21/26. Didn't love it! I've always been lukewarm on the Talking Heads and know their influence is large, but couldn't really get into this record. Perhaps I need more listens in the future, but felt it was inconsistent and all over the place.
Not into it
A lot of the songs sound the same. I know I’m supposed to like the Talking Heads. I’m assuming this is an earlier album for them so maybe they were still finding themselves? Psycho Killer obvious highlight. I was surprised by “The Book I Read”.
One of my favourite bands in theory. When it comes to actually listening to any studio album of theirs, though, I always find I don't enjoy them an awful lot as albums. With the exception of Stop Making Sense (okay, not a studio album), which isn't actually on this list for some incredibly weird reason.
5/10 - can only remember psycho killer, the issue is that their sound can be too much over an entire album
Aptly named. Favourite track: Psycho Killer
Feel like this either an album u love or hate and im one of the latter
meh
one good song rest boring
You could definitely tell that every song was the Talking Heads. I like their hits and that’s about it.
I really thought I would like this more than I did
Fint nok, litt søvndyssende.
Mediocre
2/3
I really dislike the main vocalist's voice. Ruins songs that are otherwise fine.
I need to start this off by saying I'm not a fan of the band Talking Heads. I think David Byrne is given too much, and for the most part I don't ever hear their songs. So if you're wondering why this is such a low review it's a personal dislike of the band. Only good song on here is Psycho Killer and if that was not on here it would be a single star review.
Like individual tracks they did on later albums, but can never really understand the hero worship status of the group and David Byrne. Psycho Killer is about the only track I’d go back to.
Not a great fan of their sound. The lead vocals grate a tad. I do like Psycho Killer, which for me is the only stand out track.
This is like slightly better Devo. It's not nearly as good as the other album, More Songs About Buildings and Food. This is just a weird album. This is more like what I thought of Talking Heads before I heard More Songs About Buildings and Food. And now I see my first impression was not unfounded. Psycho Killer is the biggest hit on the album and maybe their biggest hit ever. I never liked it and I still don't. Better than Devo though.
It was interesting. Some song were like nah this is not for me. Others were like hmmm I could listen to this
Sound engineering is nice in my opinion. Instruments sound great. HOWEVER, who have that guy a microphone!?! Terrible singing, sounds like my grandfather attempts to sing in karaoke fully drunk and eyes closed.
it wasn’t objectively bad but it was not my cup of tea. maybe if i was drunk and it was summer and i was 19?
Boring
I listened to 3/4th of the album. I can see how it was really a cutting edge sound. I just wasn't super into it.
Psycho Killer is great. Everything else is not really for me. The last song was okish.
ehhhhh
The backing is good i just don't like the singers voice
Not aged well for me. Psycho Killer allows me to give a 2.
Apart from Psycho Killer nothing on here is better than mundane. A surprise they got the chance to make a 2nd album
Listened to 4 songs. Wasn't in the right mood for the genre. 2/5.
2 stars. Not my thing
Disappointing… Psycho killer is great but the rest not so much.
Fine to listen to until psycho killer and you realise how much better it is compared to the rest of the album, like holy moly its so different from the rest its insane. Some songs are good like No Compassion but it doesnt really live up to the hype that is Psycho Killer.
It was ok, probably won't listen to again
Ok background noise
Nah. Two stars because of David Byrne.
i do not understand what the heads are talking about. absolutely nonsensical.
Vocals are weak and annoying. Instrumentals are basic.
Just find this a bit boring
umm ya
Not fan of the vocals at all. 2/5
Nice background noise, but I wasn't drawn to it personally!
Overall not my thing but I liked the funkiness of the songs and the use of different instruments.
Not my style of funk-rock. Psycho Killer is good, however.
55. ok
Ei oikein iskenyt, bändi ei ole vielä soitannollisesti tiukassa kunnossa ja kappaleet eivät miellytä.
Nothing intersting really stood out to me in this album.
Again with TH, I just can’t connect to it. Not for me.
I have to be honest - I found this album incredibly annoying. The vocals are just so all over the place. Unique voice, yes, but this isn't always a good thing. Some people may like it and that's fine, but it just goes through me. Incessant yelling, sounds like someone's jabbing him with a hot poker half the time. Random high pitched yelps, even the "normal" parts of his singing voice grate on me. Musically, it isn't awful. I was trying to separate his voice out and just focus on the music in parts and some of it was okay. Nothing remarkable but probably saved this album from a 1 star rating for me, I'll give it a 2.
mid ngl
Not exactly my music. A few songs appealed to me but I think Talking Heads might be an acquired musical taste.
Remain In Light CLEARED. Δεν μου αρεσε καθολου το βαιμπ, πολυ "παλιο". Εχει βεβαια το Pshyco Killer και ειναι ο μονος λογος που δεν εβαλα 1. xoxo
not my vibe! I'm sorryyyyyy
Not a bad debut album, but later works are much better!
Aside from the hits I haven't really explored the discography of Talking Heads. Off the bat I don't recognize any titles aside from Psycho Killer. As I progress through the album, I find it kind of boring, bland with a very monotone feeling to it. Stand out tracks: Tentative Decisions Psycho Killer
not really my style biut i really liked one song called psycho killer
Decent, but not my favourite talking heads record
I love this band so much, but this record is not their best. A couple of really great songs, but the rest is kind of boring/ so-so.
Can't say I actively disliked it, but it didn;t do much for me either. Not a bad album just didn't hit home
2.5
I tried to get into this album but ,besides their iconic song psycho killer, I didn’t really achieve that. I can appreciate the band but this album was just not for me.
Track 1 - Groovy, not a fan of the vocals. Track 2 - not a fan of the vocals Track 3 - ^ Track 4 - ^ weird singing again Track 5 - I like this groove Track 6 - Good groove Track 7- probably my favorite in the album so far Track 8 - 2nd best? I like the more mellow singing rather than the energetic singing in the first half Track 9 - ehhhh... Track 10 - I know this chorus! otherwise not my style Track 11 - this is enjoyable
Album guilleret, des morceaux entrainants, joyeux, des instruments atypiques pour certains morceaux, le tout porté par une voix presque théâtrale
1.8 / 5 Sorry to bring it to you, but this is very dated in both production quality and sound design. It fits the category of "We're approaching the 80s, let's do something that hasn't been done before". If that only meant that "77" had anything interesting to offer, but for me it just doesn't. Someone else found a very fitting description, Funk for white people. I don't want that in my life. What I want from this list is to finally give me something actually worth listening to again.
Too art-punk for me. One overplayed classic.
not a fan
Good album. I appreciate the Talking Heads quirkiness.
I ~think~ I understand why '77 is impactful and forward-thinking, but the Talking Heads may be the band for whom my affection is most uneven. I love some tracks deeply and loath others in equal measure. Maybe it’s the overt "narrative" lyrical impulse or their goofiness that's kept me at arm’s length all these years. Psycho Killer is, undeniably, a classic, but The Book I Read is my true favorite of ’77. 2/5 stars in the context of the 1001 Greatest.
2.5/5! i don’t think classic rock is necessarily for me, but i enjoyed this album a bit more than others. the lead vocals are, at times, very hard for me to get along with, but the musicality can sometimes make up for it. i really enjoyed psycho killer! that one is a classic, however i’d be okay never listening to any other song again :,)
Chill rock, like Talking Heads is known for. Voice is unmistakeable, textst kinda quirky sometimes.
There's really no rules to be followed with the lyrics so it comes across as chaotic and redundant. I'm not very impressed with the sing/talk approach for most of the songs and the singer's pitch is poor. The instruments are more developed, but are also quite repetitive. 4/10
Psycho Killer is a classic. Overall the album is fun but not really my cup of tea.
Got half-way through. Not awful, just a bit boring.
I feel sorry for people who don’t get Talking Heads. You know the ones; they like “Psycho Killer”, “Once in a lifetime”, one of those songs – and while they always meant to listen to more they just … didn’t. Or maybe they did and it didn’t make much of a dent on their opinion of Talking Heads either way. Those people just don’t get it. And I feel sorry for them. I bet those people prefer Tom Tom Club. Weird, unfashionable, broken those people. Anyway, this was fine. Might have left a little too much space for introspection and make of that what you will, but know that I definitely, definitely get it.
Just not a fan of the singers voice. Psycho killer is maybe the most interesting piece on the album which is probably why it's stretched so far into the zeitgeist
Didn't really vibe with it. Should give it another shot though.
i feel like a bad art gay giving this a 2 but these things happen
THIS ALBUM IS GOOFY LMAO
One of my favorite bands honestly, but this album could easily not be in this list, especially when they have better ones that weren’t included. They were barely getting started with letting the creativity flow here.
Ok
If there's one thing that will prevent me from completing this list it's the volume of talking heads records punctuating it like badly used apostrophe(')s. That being said, this is the most (only) listenable of theirs I've heard so far. A band and record I should like, but just don't/can't; lyrically it's just too poorly written.
Eh
Talking Heads är roligt och min spontana reaktion när skivan börjar är att digga med. Tyvärr blir det för mig rätt repetativt genom albumet, dock så älskar jag Psycho Killer sedan tidigare.
Vad är detta för goofy flum?
Помню, что послушал, но не помню, что именно это было.
Whatever
Psycho killer drar upp från 1 till 2. Finns en anledning man inte hört de andra. Ganska tråkigt
Aldri forstått meg på Talking Heads
Synes ikke dette var noe spennende å høre på, veldig banal tekster og det kan jo være litt gøy men det ble for det meste teit synes jeg. Favorittsangen var Psycho Killer, det var den eneste som var fengende. Men den har jeg også hørt før da. Ikke sjokker at det var den eneste.
I get it - it was groundbreaking for its time, but it’s too goofy for me.
its al a bit the same sound and gets boring quickly
Verspielt, bisschen funky, erinnert mich manchmal ein bisschen an Falco. Nervt mich stellenweise ein wenig. Mir fehlt der Punch.
70s New Wave. Just kind of banal and repetitive. Only like Psycho -killer.
We’ve had our one album from these guys. David Byrne, the Elvis Costello of the US new wave movement is way too up himself to be taken seriously. Nowhere near as talented as his inflated ego would tell you, most of his crap is hidden by a stupendous band. Meanwhile he treats people like garbage and tells them he’s diagnosed himself with autism so he’s allowed to act like a arsehole. Fuck right off. And when you get there fuck off again. One Talking Heads album gives you the idea. One or two good to great songs. The rest is just onanistic nonsense. Would much rather Stop Making Sense or a greatest hits than this. Psycho Killer is a good song. The only good one on the album. Pfft.
Pretty certain I'd follow David Byrne anywhere, The Book I Read was mostly ululating—and saved to Liked Songs
I hate the vocal
Can't stand the voice
It’s hard to imagine this coexisting with Saturday Night Fever. Like, who walked into a record store and had to have this? Who is it for? These all sound the same. Psycho Killer is cool, but it's all the same otherwise.
It may be lynching talk but I've never seen talking heads as more than a novelty band. Given credibility by the scarcity of their albums and that there are one or 2 songs per album that are great. Such as psycho killer on this album. Sonically quite interesting but byrnes voice is annoying to the point of distraction
Some good instrumentation, but cannot look past his just irritating voice. Makes most of the tracks unbearable to listen to despite the potential for a few decent songs. Used to think Psycho Killer was a decent track but now all I hear is his ridiculous voice. 2/5
Ok but all sounded very samey apart from Psycho Killer
hurts my head to listen to why does he sound like that i think I'm gonna have an aneurysm
Not for me, nothing caught me
The music gets a plus for being upbeat, but man these vocals suck. I think Talking Heads might have been one of those bands you had to be around to get because I’m not seeing what everyone else is.
Really liked the music, disliked the vocals quite a bit. I usually like the alternative singers like this, but it didn't have anything special going for it. Inspired me to listen to the B-52s
Psycho Killer is the big hit from this one. The rest were fine, but again vocals lack.
I don't dislike it but I also don't really like it? His voice really starts to annoy me. But can't help but jam to psycho killer.
Talking Heads are weird. I like 'em, but this album isn't their best work. It gets old pretty fast.
I liked the hit single, but not really anything else.
So passé. Why are we still idolizing people like him?
I think I just don’t like the Talking Heads. I have an extra star because Psycho Killer is on this album
Too slow.
It's just not for me. They are clearly talented, but the vocals really rub me the wrong way.
not terrible, but not me.
Nope, I don’t like it. Can’t really tell you why. I think it’s his voice. Not a talking heads fan. I’ve tried three different times now, and my feelings have not changed.
Not the greatest debut album, hasn’t aged well. Psycho Killer the only stand out track
I really do not love Talking Heads. The whole vibe of the music feels a bit goofy, a little off to me, but not in a way that I can jive with. I don't love David Byrne's voice, which is very distinctive but comes across to me as comical. Even "Psycho Killer," a song that I have heard a lot and find myself singing, when I really listen to it, I don't love it. Talking Heads is just not for me, but I respect that clearly they've had a significant musical impact and people do quite love it.
Yeah... this is forgettable garbage
Weird and I didn't really pay attention
I was expecting a lot more from this.it sounds like a bunch of B side demos with psycho killer thrown in. I really don't like his voice either. Maybe this is where my dislike of post punk stems from? Anyway, a few good moments at the tail end. 2/5
Psycho killer is a banger but not for me the rest of it.
2.5
I now understand why I never became a Talking Heads fan. Don't get me wrong I love the singles they banged out in the late 70's and 80's, but i never scratched below the surface and listened to an album in full until starting this 1001 journey. Psycho Killer is the banger, the rest is not. Maybe i need to listen to them more to appreciatethe finer details of their work, but i probably won't.
Quite boring, psycho killer is good obviously, but the rest is kind of meh
Favorite tracks: Tentative Decisions, Psycho Killer Overall I can't help but to feel a little bored with this album. It feels like they're trying to cater to too many genres and end up sounding a bit generic because of it. There are definitely some fun and funky elements to some of these songs, but I just can't get behind the vocalist, who is largely quiet and monotone but tries to make up for it with random scatting.
Pretty chill vibes, kinda zoned out and did some "work" to this, also my first one! Good background music.
Psycho killer was good, rest not really my jam
Psycho killer excellent, every other song is mediocre
Meh, love TH bit this is weak
The music is interesting, generally upbeat with a positive tone. The vocals however, sound as if Mick Jagger had a smoother voice and wanted to add some Alt-Pop to his catalog. This album falls under that category for me of those who try to sound weird or different for the sake of just being different. Which is fine - but they had to listen back to these vocals and all should have come to the same conclusion that - it sucks. Sounds like a direct influence on modern bands such as The Flaming Lips, with good music and a vocalist that just wants to destroy the tracks to be a 'seen' frontman. Some vocalists are blatantly high on their own supply. If they were unknown and playing a show at an establishment I happened to be at, I'd leave in about 3 songs.
This is the first album generated for me! First song was great, then it felt like filler until No Compassion woke me back up. Psycho killer is obviously a classic, Pulled up is a grower bop.
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please let this be the last Talking Heads album on this list.
Liked some of it but not for me. Doubt I’d go back to it.
As with the previous Talking Heads album this process has thrown up, David Byrne’s stylised vocals for a full album is just too much. Psycho killer and first week/last week aside from the tracks generally blur into one for me.
This is a bizarre album. Its standout track is “Psycho Killer” - which is a song which does not fit the overall vibe of the album (which is quite… happy? For want of a better word). It also makes you wait for said standout track - it finally appears as the penultimate song on the album. By the time I got there, I had lost interest.
Not for me. Singing style grated on me.
No. Nope. No thank you.
This is the second Talking Heads album that has been presented on this list, and I must say, it is two too many, so it gets a two. I have discovered I really don't care for them. A somewhat generous 2.
More of the same drivel from Talking Heads that didn't impress when listening to "Remain in Light" album. The saving grace here was the song "Psycho Killer" which was immediately recognized and lightly mumbled along to especially during the "Psycho Kill-UR" pronunciation. AS it really isn't my music, this will get a similar 2/5 as their previous album in the generator.
Made for decent background music, but nothing too exciting. I kind of liked the first track had a little upbeat ska like feel to it at the beginning. After that the album got a little too synth pop 80s for my tastes.
I didn't love it.
Not my thing
"Yes, we listened to Modern Lovers and Television. How can you tell?"
Who is it has a nice sound minus vocals. No compassion has a cool break around the 3.30 mark. Do not vibe with the vocals at all, which sucks because some of the instrumentation isn’t half bad.
I liked three songs off this album. Gotta be honest, not great.
Fav songs: New Feeling; Psycho Killer I love how weird TH are and some of my forever favorite songs are by them. This is a good, solid debut but there is better TH. I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary to listen this particular album but I won't say it shouldn't be on the either.
Heard it before. I will be honest, this album is kinda boring except for 3 songs (No Compassion, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up) 2/5
flemme de fou
2.5 - not bad
my least favorite of the first 5 Talking Heads albums. not necessarily bad, and Psycho Killer is a really iconic and important song, but flat and a bit underdeveloped compared to their later work deserves to be one of the 1001? eh they have 4 albums on the list. the argument for it is there, but the other 3 albums i would leave on before this. so no. /shrug
Psycho killer still goes hard but the rest of the album is just okay
⭐️⭐️✨/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I know Talking Heads and their history but haven't listened to full albums. There debut was not at all what I expected and not something I enjoyed much either. It is so boring, almost lifeless sounding. Some songs sound like a very bad David Bowie impression. However, Psycho Killer is 1000% better than anything else on here! That song is awesome.
approachable and easily enjoyable but not all that interesting
Aside from Psycho Killer there really isnt much in this album that is for me. A lot of the songs sound similar and are sprinkled with weird for the sake of weird. Just not that enjoyable to listen to, at least for me.
Nothing for me
Bit too unconventional and quirky for me, has the foundation of something of really like but feels too all over the place
Couldn't finish it
#600. It's exactly what you'd expect from a Talking Heads album. 1 or 2 good songs accompanied by a lot of weird. 2/5: meh [I wonder if anyone will notice i just copied and pasted this review four times?]
Like kje Talking Heads, syns Psycho Killer e irriterande
This really seems like the kind of album I would like. '77-era punk. NYC art-school nonsense. The playing is just so stupid, and even at this early stage David Byrne is insufferable.
Lekkere dansmuziek I guess, voor de tijd, maar nee, niet voor mij
Psycho Killer is iconic, but the rest of the album was disappointing 70s rock.
Definitely not my favourite album. In fact a day later the only song that has any resonance is Psycho Killer.
I only knew Psycho Killer beforehand and honestly listening to this album gave me a lot of context into their music style. It was cool to understand, but I didn’t particularly like it.
Didnt like it at all
i just don't like em
Should have renamed their band to the 'Talking Asses' judging by the sheer amount of incoherent, infantile lyrics. I feel like the singer is singing at me like I'm a toddler in kindergarten. It's a damn shame because the instrumentals are good, funky even, but if I have to hear this guy do one more na na na na~ or Oh Oh OH~...
Not their best.
I just don't care for Talking Heads. I don't get it.
Sånn irriterende kul 70-tallsmusikk
Not really my taste
The rhythm section is on fire and doing lots of really interesting things. The songs themselves are largely unmemorable. Really the only exception is Psycho Killer, which is the only song most everyone knows from this album. Going with 2 stars. Would be 1 star, but the rhythm section had some really cool things going, so I'm giving them an extra star.
Country pub, jukebox, 80s guitar, warm. Not a genre I'm into
Very samey. While "Psycho Killer" is a great song, the rest of the album sounded like one song which was way too long.
Psycho killer is great but the rest just annoys me
1. Uh-oh, Loves Comes to Town / 2 Niks aan, geen mooie stem. irritante instrumentatie 2. New Feeling / 2 Begon groovy en vervolgens verpesten de vocals het 3. Tentative Decisions / 2 De laatste 30 seconden zijn goed omdat hij dan niet meer zingt 4. Happy Day / 1 Shit 5. Who is it? / 1 Shit 6. No Compassion / 1 Shit 7. The Book I Read / 2 I like the intro until he starts singing 8. Don't Worry About the Government / 1 Shit 9. First Week/Last Week / 1 Shit 10. Psycho killer / 3,5 Catchy, maar je bent het ook gauw weer zat 11. Pulled up / 2 Funny but shit 12. Love -> Building on Fire / 2 Somewhat catchy but still shit 13. I wish you wouldn't Say that / 1 Repetitive shit 14. I Feel it In my Heart / 2,5 Nice instrumentation, vocals shit 15. Sugar on my Tongue / 2,5 I like that he doesn't sing as much, still shit
Massively out of step with what you expect from 1977 and that has to be applauded, but having heard later TH you can’t help hearing the elements that aren’t there yet. It is a bit middling overall.
Not really all that into this album. Didn’t really like the vocal style. The instrumentation was alright, but didn’t stick out at me as all that interesting. Probably like a 4 or a 4.5/10
Starts as funky white music, and doesn't really ever achieve that. This feels like they've watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show and tried making that into an album, badly.
not a fan
Album art:4
Refer to my review of fear of music. 2 stars
1 good track, still don't like this man's voice.
Tbh did not like this. Sounded too quiet and washed out. 2!
This is the third album I've heard from them, and I just don't get the appeal. The instrumentals are alright, but the vocals are terrible.
Dit album heeft de drive en de historische significantie, maar mist - op Psycho Killer na - body en memorabele tracks. Kan deze vrijbuitige en vernieuwende invalshoek binnen de punk scene wel waarderen, maar ondanks dat het een onuitwisbare indruk achter liet aldaar laat hij mij op muzikaal vlak eigenlijk koud tot lauw. 6/10 Highlights: Psycho Killer
These guys kind of suck ngl
Wow, David Bryne's voice is fucking grating at times man... album did nothing for me. Better came from Talking Heads after (if I remember correctly)
Everyone loves Talking Heads and Byrne, but I can’t get into it and it’s not my thing. Psycho Killer is a bright spot for me but only because I’ve heard it so many times.
Talking Heads 77 was weird back then and is still weird. Very one sound, and only one hit - but Psycho Chicken is a good one. (OK, Chicken is the Boston band The Fools cover version, which made it big in the local area.) As you know, this band gets better, way better. L = (1.5*s) which is generous due to 2 G&Ts J = (1.7*s) David, you’re singing too much but saying anything.
The song about his building was pretty funny but otherwise the album was not my thing. Funny, but just not my thing
I like Psycho Killer but otherwise not a big fan.
Not a huge talking heads fan. His jacket doesn’t fit.
2 - Never really cared for Talking Heads. Still don't.
I have a mostly hate-hate relationship with the Talking Heads. There are maybe 2 songs of theirs I genuinely enjoy. I feel like I should like them more and I have really tried to like them more, but I just don't. New Feeling was pretty good. Parts of No Compassion sound like a first draft for Wild Wild Life. I'm not sure why so many people love Psycho Killer, it's not bad, but it's not that great. Everything else ranges from mid to meh. 72 albums so far, this is the third Talking Heads album I've gotten. For whoever is angry with me, I'm sorry! OK?!
I started with "Psycho Killer" and then went back to the start and for a brief moment this registered much better than their #96 "Fear of Music" but I'm now through this and: Nope. Same cringe, simultaneously stilted and exalted, often intolerable vocals, just rather painful. With the video in mind of Byrne rehearsing dumb dance moves and then the Big Suit, I guess, this is all very much on purpose, but I need someone to explain the joke to me. Or, on second thought, don't. [...] Rating day. the analytical side of brain responds favourably do the guitar work here, but the sum of it all? It's better than "Fear of Music" but this album falls into the pattern of late 70ies white people with their forced attempts at deconstructing Rock just to make shit funk instead. Which sucks.
This didn’t click with me much , faded into back ground although psycho killer is a classic
The best song on the album was Psycho Killer. I didn't think the rest of the songs weren't as good unfortunately
Psycho Killer is great. The rest of the album is all kind of... the same? So I will give this one a 2.5 and round down.
This is okay. I don't love the vocals.
There are moments of music for these guys that I really like. But then there is a lot of junk around it and the singer is just terrible, should have found a career on a children's tv show or something.
Not a band i was ever keen on. Psycho Killer apart, this doesn't do much for me.
2.5/3 Standout tracks: - Don't Worry About The Government - 3.5/5 - Psycho Killer - 4.5/5
Not a fan of talking heads. I find it quite annoying
Wouldnt listen to anything other than psycho killer again
Definitely the worst Talking Head album on this list. Nothing was working, they didn't find the groove yet, vocal sounded terrible, it was boring and repulsive. I had hard time trying to listen to side a, not much better on side b. I guess one more star for the name, but it feels wrong.
Talking heads are not really my thing but I can still vibe to some of their songs. Wouldn't relisten to the entire thing.
Not my fave
Not very interesting, I don’t see the importance of them other than creating Psycho Killer and Burning Down the House Voice cut: Psycho Killer
Clearly getting on in years. Typical early Talking Heads sound that still sounds quite simple and develops little dynamics.
Another situation where I don't like the vocals. It's quirky and tolerable at times, but I can't listen to this more than once a year. I can see why Psycho Killer was the hit. It is the best song on the album. 2
2.5/5 no soy muy fan de talking heada
When his voice gets nasally, this gets bad. When it's not nasally, it's still not good, but it no longer is horrible. His vocal skill is just not particularly good at all. And the rest of the music doesn't really do much to hide or enhance it. Psycho Killer manages to catch some magic. There are some bad moments, but it's like the singing figures itself out, while the musicians find a fun groove for the whole song. Alright. The band does figure something out after Psycho Killer, and the album is at least tolerable from that point on. Favorite Song(s): Psycho Killer
This album makes me mad, but more because of how people speak about it as being so zany and unique but like, is it?? It's got great songs for sure like Psycho Killer and No Compassion but besides that it just feels like the same or less decent funky new wave song played over and over again and none of them interest me, they barely do something for me because they all sound basically the same (or worse in the case of Don't Worry About the Goverment). I think my frustration is partly how people talk about Talking Heads as the quirkiest band around (they aren't tbh) but legit you could be hearing a better version of Talking Heads 77 in the shape of The Contortions' Buy or Liquid Liquid's Optimo or really a myriad of bands that did this sound but better and crazier. This was such a disappointment. A competent album sure but not anything I could care for even within my favorite music.
I found this album a bit boring. Psycho Killer is a strong track but the rest just feels like filler to me. Not my vibe
Meh, only thing I remember is that Psycho Killer is on it. Not horrible though
yeah - nah... more nah really, with sometimes yeah... background music really