More Songs About Buildings and Food

Traté de pensar un pero para no ponerle las 5 estrellas. Es cierto que no es su álbum más famoso o que tenga los sencillos más conocidos, pero el trabajo y la esencia están ahí.

Played this in the car just this week. Can't go wrong with a Talking Heads album!

the lady looks like the female version of ringo starr

Of all the Talking Heads albums, I’m least familiar with *More Songs About Buildings And Food*. I’ve never really warmed to it, nor have I ever actually owned a physical copy (I have all the others, apart from the odd one out, “True Stories”). It lacks the raw, wild energy of the debut, but it also falls short of the creative diversity of its follow-up, “Fear of Music”, let alone the genius of “Remain in Light” or “Speaking in Tongues”. Sure, Brian Eno did give the band a better sound here, but in terms of composition, Byrne only hints here and there at the great things to come. It’s still a good album, but not an outstanding one.

What earlier might have been a 4 in this project turns into a 3 the longer it goes on - and this one might be the perfect example.

There is way better Talking Heads, with catchier hooks, better singles and less monotony. But they are still the heads and the sound is always still so unique and timeless.

Most Talking Heads albums share the same problem that they are neither Remain In Light or Stop Making Sense.

Overraskende seigt til å være så groovy

Very ahead of its time! This would have blown my mind at the time.

Four Talking Heads records into this project and the pattern is clear: a band with such a singular identity that recognition is instant within seconds, whose music doesn’t always fully land emotionally but when it does is genuinely awesome. More Songs About Buildings and Food fits comfortably in that consistent 4-star tier — really good without being transformative, which turns out to be exactly enough.
The cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” is the centerpiece and it’s brilliant. Taking one of the most soulful performances in American music and running it through the Talking Heads’ nervous, angular filter is an audacious choice that earns every second. The fact that it works — that the song survives and even thrives in such an unlikely interpretive context — says something real about both the strength of the original and the band’s ability to fully inhabit material miles outside their natural aesthetic. Coming from someone who gave Let’s Stay Together five stars, “brilliant” is not a word deployed lightly.
Brian Eno’s production debut with the band adds warmth and texture without overwhelming the identity. Tina Weymouth’s bass takes on more melodic personality here than on the debut, giving the rhythm section a groove dimension that keeps Byrne’s anxious intellectualism grounded. The transition toward the funkier, more rhythmically adventurous sound of their peak is clearly underway.
A confident four — distinctive, often awesome, and exactly where this band lives in this listening world.

My fourth album by Talking Heads in this challenge, and one thing I’ve definitely realised after 800+ albums is that I love this band—and David Byrne is a genius.

This is their second album and the first produced by Brian Eno. You can really hear them starting to find their sound here, with Eno’s influence bringing a sharper, more refined production. It feels like the beginning of something special.

The opening run of tracks is fantastic. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, With Our Love, and The Good Thing are all brilliant and set the tone early. The second half keeps it going too—Stay Hungry and Take Me to the River are standout moments. There’s a consistency across the album that makes it such an enjoyable listen.

Favourite tracks: With Our Love is a fantastic track
Least favourite tracks: Nothing stands out, every song earns its place
Album artwork: Brilliant cover, simple but iconic

The idea that these guys - all art school, jerky, nervous twitchy energy - used to open for The Ramones and shared a tour bus with them is hard to imagine.

The first album was "nearly, but not quite." A fine announcement of intent, but Jerry Harrison has only just joined the band and they hadn't quite developed complete confidence in their abilities.

But here, with the guiding hand of Brian Eno, they hit their stride.

From the first track, Thankyou for Sending Me an Angel, (what a title) they grab the listeners attention and don't let go. Full of Byrne's quizzical lyrics and yelping vocals Franz and Weymouth's solid, driving rhythm section and Harrison's decorative keyboards it's a hell of a way to start.

Byrne writes songs that sound like they ought to mean something, but whose key stays just frustratingly out of reach. The titles are no help at all. "Found a job" seems to be about a couple who view their life as a TV show and are hoping for a spin off series. "The Girls Want to Be With the Girls" could be about the differences between the sexes could be about lesbianism or could be about how girls are into abstract analysis. Or maybe not.

The crowning moment is their take on Al Green's up-tempo, horn driven, soul classic "Take Me To the River". They slow it down, strip it back, give it a monster bass line from Weymouth, fill it with electronic percussion and turn it into a song that seems more about baptism than love. It's an early direction sign towards what was to come.

Just a classic album. Is it for everyone? Probably not. But hlget on board and its a joy.

It's not a bad album, but it really doesn't have anything to stake it down. It's mostly just mid song after mid song.

Take Me to the River was the first song that I recognized from the album. It's not a bad album, but it's not as good as some of their other work, IMO.

I'd have three TH albums in this list. Probably not this one. Still, five stars as they are the greatest.

Good at the start, got weaker towards the end.

𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 is a record that really clicks with me. The band refines their nervous, quirky sound and gives it a stronger rhythmic focus, helped by the crisp production of Brian Eno.

The songs are tight, catchy, and slightly off-kilter in a way that keeps them interesting. It’s a confident step forward for the band and an enjoyable listen throughout.

I love Tina Weymouth's bass on this album. It sounds so good on Found a Job. And on I'm Not in Love. And all over the rest of the album TBH.

The Good: Food… who doesn’t like food?
The Bad: Not understanding what buildings have to do with food… unless we are talking about restaurants, huge restaurants!
The Ugly: No restaurants mentioned… just a river…

Fucking Talking Heads, with their great album covers, and oddness and general stuff…

Uncertain what to think of this album, but eager to listen to it, I was struck by one thought over and over again: how I wish I could have been there, in the ‘70s, to attend a show
In stark contrast with the album I reviewed yesterday, this album just looked at me, grabbed my hand, and walked me through one thought, to the next, in a circle, then a square, then up the staircase, and down again… and all the time I had no idea what I should be thinking…

Fucking Talking Heads…

5*

There wasn't a single song that I liked on this album. The beats and backtrack are catchy, but overall this is nothing that I want to revisit.

I found it pretty annoying and cacophonous until the final two tracks. The last two are very good songs. Take Me To The River is like The Doors if they played CBGBs.
This is my 3rd Talking Heads album. I still think they're overrated. Great singles band but the albums don't do it for me.