Wikipedia:
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[9] The band comprised David Byrne (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar). Described by the critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s,"[3] the group helped to pioneer new wave music by integrating elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with avant-garde sensibilities and an anxious, clean-cut image.[3]Former art school students who became involved in the 1970s New York punk scene, Talking Heads released their debut album, Talking Heads: 77, to positive reviews in 1977. They collaborated with producer Brian Eno on a trio of experimental and critically acclaimed releases: More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978), Fear of Music (1979), and Remain in Light (1980).[3] After a hiatus, Talking Heads hit their commercial peak in 1983 with the U.S. Top 10 hit "Burning Down the House" and released the concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme.[3] They released several more albums, including their best-selling LP Little Creatures(1985), before disbanding in 1991.[10]In 2002, Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their albums appear in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and three of their songs ("Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", and "Once in a Lifetime") were included among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[11] Talking Heads were also number 64 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[12] In the 2011 update of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", they were ranked number 100.[13]
AllMusic:
At the start of their career, Talking Heads were all nervous energy, detached emotion, and subdued minimalism. When they released their last album about 12 years later, the band had recorded everything from art-funk to polyrhythmic worldbeat explorations and simple, melodic guitar pop. Between their first album in 1977 and their last in 1988, Talking Heads became one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks.
Britannica:
Talking Heads, American art rock band that was popular in the late 1970s and ’80s. Band members were singer-guitarist David Byrne (b. May 14, 1952, Dumbarton, Scotland), drummer Chris Frantz (b. May 8, 1951, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, U.S.), bassist Tina Weymouth (b. November 22, 1950, Coronado, California, U.S.), and keyboardist Jerry Harrison (b. February 21, 1949, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.).
In 1974 three classmates from the Rhode Island School of Design moved to New York City and declared themselves Talking Heads. Byrne, Frantz, and Weymouth used the ironic sensibilities of modern art and literature to subvert rock and then embraced dance rhythms to alter it even more. After adding Harrison (formerly of the Modern Lovers) in 1976, Talking Heads spent a decade moving from spare intimacy to rich pan-cultural fluency—and then back again. The enormous popularity of the quartet’s records paved the way for other rock adventurers; their videos and film were also influential.
Byrne’s anxious lyrics, twitchy persona, and squawky singing dominated Talking Heads ’77 (featuring “Psycho Killer”), a debut album that sold surprisingly well for a group so removed from the musical mainstream. Talking Heads’ blend of workable rhythms for dance clubs and brain fodder for hipsters provided an intellectually challenging and creatively adult musical alternative to arena rock, disco, and the commercial impossibility of punk. As the group’s music developed, it became a great white answer for an audience whose curiosity about world music and funk was most easily sated under the guidance of white urban intellectuals.
Talking Heads’ choice of Brian Eno as producer affirmed their commitment to creative growth. Eno began simply, adding percussion and other elements to the group’s own constructs on 1978’s More Songs About Buildings and Food (ironically, what propelled the album to sell half a million copies was not its visionary originality but a straightforward hit cover version of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River”). Over three albums, the application of Eno’s inscrutable modus operandi—songwriting and performing as well as production—inspired an organic leap of ambition. With increasing confidence, ambition, and success, the group gathered rhythmic and textural elements into such potent inventions as the African-inflected “I Zimbra” and “Life During Wartime” (both from 1979’s Fear of Music) and “Once in a Lifetime” and “The Great Curve” (from 1980’s Remain in Light, Eno’s final album with the group).
Following a year of solo projects (during which Frantz and Weymouth, who married in 1977, launched the Tom Tom Club, offering playful dance songs) and a carefully conceived live album (The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads, 1982), the group released Speaking in Tongues (1983), yielding the top ten single “Burning Down the House.” Stop Making Sense (1984), the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme’s acclaimed Talking Heads concert film, followed. Little Creatures (1985) returned the group to a simpler sound and became its first million-seller. Talking Heads’ final album was 1988’s Naked. The group then ceased to exist, its farewell unannounced. Thereafter Byrne pursued a fascinating multimedia solo career. Harrison became a producer; Frantz and Weymouth also kept busy as a production team. Harrison, Weymouth, and Frantz reunited as the Heads for a 1996 album and tour, which Byrne unsuccessfully attempted to block with legal objections to their use of the name. Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Recordings
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| 77 (Sept 1977) |
The band's debut. Released in the same year as Television's debut, Marquee Moon, Wire's debut Pink Flag, Elvis Costello's debut My Aim Is True, Ian Dury's debut New Boots, Mink Deville's debut Cabretta, the third album by the Residents, Fingerprince, the third album by Split Enz, Dizrythmia, the fourth album by Dave Edmunds, Get It, and a few months before XTC's debut White Music, a year before Devo's debut Are We Not Men?, Buzzcock's debut Another Music, Rezillo's debut, Can't Stand, and Wreckless Eric's debut The Wonderful World. The music here fits in with what else is happening at the time in both the UK and America. The music of the above artists is classed as belonging to one or other or a mix of these: pub rock, art rock, new wave, and art punk (a genre I'd previously not been aware of). Pub rock is sometimes seen as a precursor to punk rock, but it had a long history in which the attitude and style of music of the main practitioners, such as Dr Feelgood, Nick Lowe, The Stranglers, and Ian Dury, continued into and beyond punk; so, while the two movements might have features in common, they were distinct and separate. Joe Strummer moved from The 101ers, pub rock, to The Clash, punk rock, in 1976; the subtle differences in the attitude displayed in the music marks out the subtle differences between the two genres. Pub rock, like punk, was about the songs rather than the music; unlike punk, it wasn't about attitude or clothing or being part of a movement or making a statement, it was just about playing good songs and entertaining people. As with punk, pub rock had a distain for the flashy, the pretentious, the ambitious, the indulgent, etc; but, unlike punk, in pub rock there was a pride in writing good songs with an awareness of R&B, and playing them well. America didn't have a pub rock scene, though it had CBGB, a New York club, which attracted bands, such as The Ramones, Blondie, Television and Talking Heads, with a similar interest in playing well written and entertaining songs with an awareness of R&B. The difference with CBGB is that the artists there were more aware of being part of a scene, and so were more self-conscious, and often came from an art school or arty background, so there was a little more emphasis on image and appearance, but not so much that it detracted from the music. The music that came from the CBGB artists is generally termed new wave; a genre considered to be closely related to punk rock, and also with pub rock. Generally the difference between punk and new wave is that new wave is mostly seen as being more melodic, more pop focused, more arty, more musical, and less aggressive, less banner waving, and less tribal. The difference between pub rock and new wave is more to do with time and place. Those who encountered The Stranglers early in their career saw them as pub rock, those who encountered them later saw them as either punk or new wave, depending on how closely they looked. If Dr Feelgood had released their first album in 1977 rather than 1975, they likely would have been regarded as part of the UK punk or new wave scene. They might, however, have been regarded as too old and inappropriately dressed for punk, so most likely would have been regarded as new wave.
These days the term "new wave" is regarded as too broad and inclusive to be meaningful, and clearly "pub rock" does not sit well for an American band who only ever played one pub in the UK (The Greyhound in Croydon), but it is still useful to look at what else was happening at the time, to understand the musical impulse. When compared with the contemporary music scene in which Talking Head's debut emerges, the album doesn't really stand out - apart from "Psycho Killer". That track was released as a single, caught the attention of Brian Eno, and would point the direction the band would now profitably go in. Without "Psycho Killer" this album is no more remarkable than XTC's White Music or the Residents' Fingerprince or Split Enz' Dizrythmia, and somewhat less remarkable than Television's Marquee Moon or Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True.
These days the term "new wave" is regarded as too broad and inclusive to be meaningful, and clearly "pub rock" does not sit well for an American band who only ever played one pub in the UK (The Greyhound in Croydon), but it is still useful to look at what else was happening at the time, to understand the musical impulse. When compared with the contemporary music scene in which Talking Head's debut emerges, the album doesn't really stand out - apart from "Psycho Killer". That track was released as a single, caught the attention of Brian Eno, and would point the direction the band would now profitably go in. Without "Psycho Killer" this album is no more remarkable than XTC's White Music or the Residents' Fingerprince or Split Enz' Dizrythmia, and somewhat less remarkable than Television's Marquee Moon or Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True.
| Released | September 16, 1977 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | Late 1976 – April, June 1977 |
| Studio | Sundragon, New York City |
| Genre | |
| Length | 38:37 |
| Label | Sire |
| Producer |
|
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "New Feeling" | 3:09 |
| 3. | "Tentative Decisions" | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Happy Day" | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Who Is It?" | 1:41 |
| 6. | "No Compassion" | 4:47 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Book I Read" | 4:06 | |
| 2. | "Don't Worry About the Government" | 3:00 | |
| 3. | "First Week/Last Week… Carefree" | 3:19 | |
| 4. | "Psycho Killer" | Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Pulled Up" | 4:29 |
Best track: "Psycho Killer"; Performed on Old Grey Whistle Test Jan 1978
- David Byrne – guitar, lead vocals
- Chris Frantz – drums, steel pan
- Jerry Harrison – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Tina Weymouth – bass guitar
Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 4
 |
| More Songs About Buildings & Food (July 1978) |
Largely the same as the debut, though slightly improved, perhaps because Brian Eno is on board as producer. Contains the hit cover of Al Green's "Take Me To The River". A good album, though not the band's best or most important.
| Released | July 14, 1978[1] |
|---|---|
| Recorded | March–April 1978 |
| Studio | Compass Point, Nassau |
| Genre | |
| Length | 41:32 |
| Label | Sire |
| Producer |
|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" | 2:11 | |
| 2. | "With Our Love" | 3:30 | |
| 3. | "The Good Thing" | 3:03 | |
| 4. | "Warning Sign" | Byrne, Chris Frantz | 3:55 |
| 5. | "The Girls Want to Be with the Girls" | 2:37 | |
| 6. | "Found a Job[a]" | 5:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Artists Only" | Byrne, Wayne Zieve | 3:34 |
| 2. | "I'm Not in Love" | 4:33 | |
| 3. | "Stay Hungry" | Byrne, Frantz | 2:39 |
| 4. | "Take Me to the River" | Al Green, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | 5:00 |
| 5. | "The Big Country" | 5:30 |
- David Byrne – lead vocals, guitars, synthesized percussion
- Chris Frantz – drums, percussion
- Jerry Harrison – piano, organ, synthesizer, guitar, backing vocals
- Tina Weymouth – bass guitar
- Brian Eno – production, synthesizers, piano, guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 5
 |
| Fear of Music (Aug 1979) |
| Released | August 3, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | April 22 – May 6, 1979[1] |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 40:40 |
| Label | Sire |
| Producer |
|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Zimbra" | Byrne, Brian Eno, Hugo Ball | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Mind" | 4:13 | |
| 3. | "Paper" | 2:39 | |
| 4. | "Cities" | 4:10 | |
| 5. | "Life During Wartime" | Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Memories Can't Wait" | Byrne, Harrison | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Air" | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Heaven" | Byrne, Harrison | 4:01 |
| 3. | "Animals" | 3:30 | |
| 4. | "Electric Guitar" | 3:03 | |
| 5. | "Drugs" | Byrne, Eno | 5:10 |
- David Byrne – lead vocals, guitar
- Jerry Harrison – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
- Tina Weymouth – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Frantz – drums
- Brian Eno – production, electronic treatments, backing vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:
 |
| My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Brian Eno & David Byrne (Feb 1980) |
Religious and political sampling use as the lead voice on an album of drum loops and African beats. Utterly fascinating. Confused and alienated many American critics who were unfamiliar at that time with European avant-garde rock music, but they have since noted the album's huge influence and impact on a range of music genres, including hip-hop. Essential.
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 8
 |
| Remain in Light (Oct 1980) |
| Released | October 8, 1980 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | July–August 1980 |
| Studio | |
| Genre | |
| Length | 40:10 |
| Label | Sire |
| Producer | Brian Eno |
All lyrics are written by David Byrne, except "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" and "Crosseyed and Painless", written by David Byrne and Brian Eno; all music is composed by Byrne, Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" | 5:49 |
| 2. | "Crosseyed and Painless" | 4:48 |
| 3. | "The Great Curve" | 6:28 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Once in a Lifetime" | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Houses in Motion" | 4:33 |
| 3. | "Seen and Not Seen" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Listening Wind" | 4:43 |
| 5. | "The Overload" | 6:02 |
Additional musicians
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Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:
 |
| The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads (March 1982) |
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:
Discography
- Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
- More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
- Fear of Music (1979)
- Remain in Light (1980)
- Speaking in Tongues (1983)
- Little Creatures (1985)
- True Stories (1986)
- Naked (1988)
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