Monday, September 24, 2007

382. Talking Heads - 77 (1977)
















Track Listing

1. Uh Oh Love Comes To Town
2. New Feeling
3. Tentative Decisions
4. Happy Day
5. Who Is It
6. No Compassion
7. Book I Read
8. Don't Worry About The Government
9. First Week/Last Week... Carefree
10. Psycho Killer
11. Pulled Up

Review

There are few albums in history which just sound so original like this one, this isn't punk, it isn't rock, metal or anything else. The most appropriate tag is "art-rock", but that sounds tacky and doesn't do much justice to the music, if there was a band before the Talking Heads that you could compare them too, I would most definitely say that it was Sparks.

So here I am trying to define the undefinable, but you already know who the Talking Heads are if you have any taste, and I know you do dear reader(unless you are Anonymous Billy Joel fan number II - scroll down if you don't know what I mean).

So this is staggeringly original, there are elements of Punk here, but it is definitely not a punk band, there is too much artistry to the lyrics and instrumentation, and Byrne is unhinged in a very different way from most punk vocalists, the songs are also more melodic and the humour is subtler, more like the Sparks really.

Hell this is one of the great albums of all time and you need it.

Track Highlights

1. Psycho Killer
2. Uh Oh Love Comes To Town
3. No Compassion
4. Don't Worry About The Government

Final Grade


10/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

In 2005/6, it was re-released and remastered by Warner Music Group on their Warner Bros./Sire Records/Rhino Records labels in DualDisc format, with five bonus tracks on the CD side ("Love → Building on Fire," "I Wish You Wouldn't Say That," "Psycho Killer (Acoustic version)," "I Feel It in My Heart," and "Sugar on My Tongue.") The DVD-A side includes both stereo and 5.1 surround high resolution (96 kHz/24bit) mixes, as well as a Dolby Digital version and videos of the band performing "Pulled Up" and "I Feel It in My Heart."

David Byrne does Psycho Killer by himself, with the help of a Ghetto Blaster:

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is one of those albums that is part of the soundtrack to my life. As much as I love the later, more sophistimicated stuff, I can still remember getting this in about 1980-81 - and having my mind blown.

I sometimes think the rythym section (Tina and Chris) don't get nearly enough recognition for there contribution to the Talking Heads sound.

Anonymous said...

The Youtube clip is from Stop Making Sense, one of the best concert movies ever made.

Francisco Silva said...

Timbo:

Yeah and Tina is one sexy momma.

Anonymous:

Yeah, I know... If you live in the UK the Obsever is giving it out for free Sunday after next.

Anonymous said...

Francisco,
Some smokin' clips here for your consideration from upcoming Talking Heads albums on the list:

Home of Elvis and the ancient Greeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51IZG6Ryeis

Facts are useless in emergencies:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6g8lFmsCXhg

I'm not a burning building:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SVIKF03KkVM

The world moves on a womans hips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KQjy02eqOk

Enjoy!