Heads, Talking...listening, suggested. (1 Viewer)

Milker · Mar 29, 2011

I've decided that April will be my 'getting to know Talking Heads a bit better' month. I've always approvingly admired their 'hits' and honestly was quite happy to leave it at that but a David Byrne solo album here and a cover of Memories Can't Wait (AND a working out of Wild, Wild Life on gtr for the kids) there, got me feeling regret for not pulling my finger out of my arse sooner and sticking up the nasal cavities of the Heads earlier shtuff. Pissypants got me listening to 'Fear Of Music' which I didn't overexplore but enjoyed and I felt I'd scratched an itch.

But recently I got More Songs About B&F and I can't stop playing it. I imagine it's what XTC were trying for but has a sounder foundation. It's 3fucking3 years old and is, to my ears, brilliant.

What album would Heads heads recommend next? Just move discographically backwards to 77? Does any album top the wirey, whitefunk, impulsiveness of B&F?

Foggy · Mar 29, 2011

have you checked out Tom Tom Club at all Milker? (Chris & Tina's band)

taubstumm · Mar 29, 2011

Milker said:
I've decided that April will be my 'getting to know Talking Heads a bit better' month. I've always approvingly admired their 'hits' and honestly was quite happy to leave it at that but a David Byrne solo album here and a cover of Memories Can't Wait (AND a working out of Wild, Wild Life on gtr for the kids) there, got me feeling regret for not pulling my finger out of my arse sooner and sticking up the nasal cavities of the Heads earlier shtuff. Pissypants got me listening to 'Fear Of Music' which I didn't overexplore but enjoyed and I felt I'd scratched an itch.

But recently I got More Songs About B&F and I can't stop playing it. I imagine it's what XTC were trying for but has a sounder foundation. It's 3fucking3 years old and is, to my ears, brilliant.

What album would Heads heads recommend next? Just move discographically backwards to 77? Does any album top the wirey, whitefunk, impulsiveness of B&F?

i love remain in light, even though it's not really a fit with their sinewy-post-punk era stuff. but i don't think i truly got talking heads until i watched stop making sense.

taubstumm · Mar 29, 2011

also: just listen to whatever jill hives tells you to.

platters · Mar 29, 2011

77 is boss, if you haven’t checked out Remain In Light yet you’re in for a treat, likewise Speaking In Tongues. Also the Byre & Eno LP My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts is sonically top-notch, but not as song driven

rettucs · Mar 29, 2011

all their albums

jonah · Mar 29, 2011

Talking Heads might just be the best band in the history of the world. No jokes.

Lili Marlene · Mar 29, 2011

what the last two said.

and don't leave out Naked or the 1975 CBS demos. In fact imho those 1975 demos are better than their first 3 albums.

here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8LRVZWE0

Oh, and Stop Making Sense has a tendency to ruin Speaking in Tongues

coast to coast · Mar 29, 2011

Stop Making Sense is a pretty good overview of their music and what makes them so great. Its also one of the most convincing and enthralling concert films of any band ever made.

washingcattle · Mar 29, 2011

My two cents are as such

Buy Remain in Light and live inside it forever.

But before you do that get '77 and Fear of Music and live inside them until you feel the urge to go for the goal. Remain in light isn't just a fucking amazing record in its self, it seems (and there may be some debate about this) to be one of those special albums which takes all the great work they'd already done and knick bits, evolve other bits discard certain things and twist it all into a wholey satisfying newness. They seemed to go in a certain direction, starting in a pond with other post punk arty types and over the course of those albums that follow they just got further away from them and to me Remain in Light is the destination, it's a plateau. Now don't get me wrong their other albums are all great, really really great, but they seemed to arrive at something so unique with Remain in Light that I judge everything against it.

Also this is the single greatest thing on the internet.

SomethingManic · Mar 29, 2011

Remain in Light seems great from what I've listened to. Need to do more listening.

nlgbbbblth · Mar 29, 2011

the live LP, And The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads. Great overview of the first few years and a real journey to the centre of their mindZ.

taubstumm · Mar 29, 2011

nlgbbbblth said:
the live LP, And The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads. Great overview of the first few years and a real journey to the centre of their mindZ.

the version of 'found a job' on that album is just perfection

cletus_buckley · Mar 29, 2011

This Forever

cletus_buckley · Mar 29, 2011

Followed by this album.

Also I bought the "Stop Making Sense" LP and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" isnt on it! Strange isn't it, since it's easily the highlight of the film. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Must_Be_the_Place_(Naive_Melody)

Lili Marlene · Mar 29, 2011

nlgbbbblth said:
the live LP, And The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads. Great overview of the first few years and a real journey to the centre of their mindZ.

There is an argument that both Stop Making Sense and the Name of this Band is Talking Heads give a false history of the band. And it makes sense to an extent.....

Stop Making Sense tells you the band started with David Byrne and his guitar while it in fact started with graduates Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth asking that dropout David Byrne to do something with his life and start a band with them (something along those lines)

and The Name of This Band is Talking Heads leaves out the unique sound they had for their first 3 or so years from 1974-77, namely acoustic guitar, drums and bass. As captured on those CBS demos.

Anyway, imho:

1) Remain In Light
2) Speaking in Tongues/Stop Making Sense
3) CBS Demos
4) Naked
5) Fear of Music
6) Little Creatures
7) '77
8) More Songs
9) True Stores

I'm sure that list is breaking someones rules of what is allowed but may I encourage you, all of you, to make your own lists!

My own favourite Talking Heads songs is:

Milker · May 14, 2011

It finally happened...got past my fave More Songs and now loving Remain In Light which I had first thought a bit indulgent-ISH...but now loving it to the point that the 'hit', once comfort track, Lifetime, kinda has me wanting it to end...it actually feels like an imposter track, still brilliant but almost tedious. The subtlety that enriches the rest of the songs lies in how they are freed from conventional plot-points....like 'here comes the chorus'...and that takes fairly solid soul to achieve to desirable effect.
Hope that makes sense. The only other way I can describe it is they don't have punchlines. Songs without punchlines. And I LOVE a good punchline AND I lack subtlety, eh, in spades.

Anyways this has all been a great endeavour. Was surprised how many people I know who love music were only aware of Heads hits!!!

Denny Oubidoux · Jun 17, 2011

The fuck is this?!! is this stop making sense? is Stop making sense as good as this?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RlZ4-ZbRog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">

ann post · Jun 17, 2011

shutup. stop making sense is the only one i've seen therefore it is undestrucatable.

Denny Oubidoux · Jun 17, 2011

ann post said:
shutup. stop making sense is the only one i've seen therefore it is undestrucatable.

what do you mean?

Heads, Talking...listening, suggested. (1 Viewer)

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