Talking Heads
More Songs About Buildings and Food (Sire/Rhino)
OK, it's probably time to admit defeat and accept the fact that there's never going to be a Talking Heads reunion. David Byrne just doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in revisiting the band, even if the other guys have hinted at some level of keenness.
So we're left to enjoy their solo projects, other bands, and these fairly regular reissues. 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food was and is a quirky, unpredictable, oddball gem. There might not be a "Psycho Killer" or a "Once in a Lifetime," but their cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" is on here. Hits aside though, this Eno-coproduced album sees the Heads at their experimental, awkward best.
"The seeds for More Songs About Buildings and Food were planted in London in 1977, when the band met producer Brian Eno while touring behind their debut album," reads a statement.
“When we went over to his flat, there was the immediacy of recognizing in his library books [and records] from our own collections,” recalls Jerry Harrison. “There was both mutual respect and a sense of shared sensibilities—all harbingers of a comfortable and successful collaboration.”
This "definitive" version comes in a variety of editions on vinyl and/or CD. The one we received featured four LPs, and a beautiful hardcover book of previously unseen photos plus liner notes by all four band members.
LP 1 is the original album, remastered. LP 2 is packed with previously unreleased outtakes and b-sides. The other two feature a previously unreleased 1978 live show, recorded in New York.
"The release launches a yearlong celebration of Talking Heads’ 50th anniversary," they say. "Formed in 1975, the band became one of the most influential to emerge from New York’s CBGB scene—helping shape modern music and redefine the art of the music video."
