Talking Heads put out a concert movie called Stop Making Sense. The movie is so phenomenal that a first rate director, Demme of Silence of the Lambs fame, directed it. The live version of Psycho Killer from that concert is terrific as is every song from the movie. I suggest reacting to a song of their that comes live from the Stop Making Sense concert movie.
Hopefully either "Life During Wartime", "This Must Be The Place", "Slippery People" (All three far superior to their studio versions) or "What A Day That Was"
Talking Heads collaborated with Brian Eno and Adrian Belew on their Remain in Light album. It is their most praised album, with a unique sound. You may check that album, I think you'd enjoy it more than Psycho Killer.
Talking heads studio stuff rarely impressed me but their live stuff is nothing less than impressive, it's like a whole different band and their songs really shine.
For me, Talking heads is a band that grows slowly until it clicks and you get what the band is about. If you want to sample more of the them... i suggest start with " remain in light" , it is produced by brian eno and it shows.
I’ve always loved this song, and this album is up there in my favorites list. ‘77 was a good year. 💜 Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” was also released in ‘77.
It was written in 1973 and was partly inspired by the 'Psycho' character Norman Bates and Alice Cooper's brand of 'shock' antics on stage and in his music. Great song in any case.
Talking heads are definitely an acquired taste for some. That said if you can really dig into it, I honestly think Remain in Light is the best new wave album, period. Highly recommended!
It's one of my Desert Island five. Adrian Belew fresh from being Frank Zappa's stunt guitarist just before he joined the crew at King Crimson was a spectacular fit.
Talking Heads are incredible. I don't listen to their first album much, but 'Buildings and Food', 'Fear of Music' and 'Remain In Light' is one of the best album steaks I've ever heard in terms of progression. All three are classics in my book. 'Stop Making Sense' is easily one of the best concert films ever made. If you ever get to 'Speaking In Tongues' material, just remember that the superior/definitive renditions are in 'Stop Making Sense' (I think most TH fans would be inclined to agree). 'Remain In Light' certainly deserves the album-first listen treatment as well as the Eno/Byrne collaboration album 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts'. Both re-defined music production & electronic music while being a big inspiration for artists like David Sylvian, Kate Bush, Public Enemy, Peter Gabriel & Massive Attack (Gabriel would end up doing a cover of "Listening Wind" from RIL a couple decades later) Plus, you can thank 'Remain In Light' & "I Zimbra" for giving us Discipline-era King Crimson.
Talking Heads are one of the most respected and accomplished groups to come out of the CBGB's scene in New York, along with The Ramones, Blondie and Television. They mostly met at the Rhode Island School Of Design, one member is a Harvard grad, went to NYC and set up shop. Personal note: Tina Weymouth is my all-time favorite female rock artist. She is all about the music, and she can really play, as you noted. She is the inspiration for a couple of generations of female musicians of all types, and is still married to drummer Chris Frantz, so the Heads are a good family band.
LOVE this Talking Heads song and always.. love your thoughtful reactions to the music. You pretty much nailed this. Talking Heads have an amazing catalog of music to explore... and you should check out their live videos for greater context of how dynamic they were. Art students make good. The Jonathan Demme film "Stop Making Sense" is a must see.
Genius. Talking Heads album Fear of Music changed everything for me. I think it is one of best albums ever recorded and would like to nominate it as a potential album review.
Not a lot in common Justin between Talk Talk and Talking Heads, except time frame. They were both outstanding bands and staples of my late 70s and 80s listening as many prog bands kind of frittered away or evolved into more chart single orientated bands and disco seemed to take over the airwaves. TH were a rock band you could fill the floor with at parties without resorting to disco mush. Their gigs were amazing, so much energy and no one sat in their seats. I know you prefer to listen to the recorded versions but once you have heard a fair number of their songs ( and you need to listen to more to ‘get them’ as a band - my introduction was 5 consecutive tracks from 77 at a party where I went from Wtf is this, to buying the album and playing it repeatedly for months) do yourself the biggest favour and set aside an evening, get out the popcorn and sit down and watch the Movie ‘Stop making sense’. It sounds like fan hyperbole but that film is critically acclaimed as one of the best concert movies ever and because it was filmed and not videoed the quality of both sound and picture remains undimmed. ‘Stop making sense’ makes sense of Talking Heads and captured the essence of what made them so popular.
Well said! All these thoughts were swimming in my mushy brain too but you got them out and now I can move on with my day. I played TH a lot on my college radio show in ‘83 and thereafter but never saw them live. The tickets to see “American Utopia” are just souvenirs as NYC shut down the weekend we were supposed to go. At least we all can still access “Stop Making Sense”.
Psycho Killer is usually the gateway to Talking Heads because of it’s title and quirky singing style of David Byrne. It’s become an iconic song over the years and although it fits the Talking Heads music style in their early beginnings it’s far away from what they made later. If you like the works of Brian Eno - and you do - and if you like intelligent post new wave music - think of Sylvian - then Remain in Light is the album for you. It’s an highly influential album that today stands as a monument in time. So, Justin, you passed the gateway, now follow up with Remain in Light (any song will do) and you’re in for a new surprise that will be the same as when you put on Talk Talk’s Happiness is easy. I’m looking forward to it.
Read through lots of comments and shocked nobody has mentioned Jonathan Demme's amazing film "Stop Making Sense," considered by many to be the seminal concert film. It really presents the band at their apex, musically and performance wise, and opens with a great and unique version of this song.
Not a massive Talking Heads fan, but this song is a classic - made so by the bass line. You should maybe check out David Byrne's album with Brian Eno 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' - excellent album. I usually recommend epic length prog tracks for you react to, but here's 3 shorter tracks... Golden Earring - Radar Love David Essex - Rock On Helen Reddy - Angie Baby You may already know these as they were hit singles. Cheers, Pete
Round about September 1978, after the Talking Heads played their show at Houston's Texas Opry House, I played pinball backstage with David Byrne. He'll say he won, but my memory says otherwise! Fun to hang with, as were Chris and Tina!
Oh man, Talking Heads is a fun rabbit hole to fall down. Keep in mind that this is from their debut album, which is before they really developed their sound. definitely check out tracks from 'remain in light' such as 'once in a lifetime' and 'born under punches' Also the 'stop making sense' concert film is probably one of the finest concert films ever made.
Great band. I've recently just been going through all of their albums for the first time. 'Fear of Music' and 'Remain in Light' have some great tracks.
Thanks Justin. Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem, in No Country for Old Men is my favorite villain. This Must Be the Place is my favorite Talking Heads song.
Favorite Killer: For Friede it is Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang's "M" from 1931. The first serial killer movie. For me, Jean, it is Toshiro Mifune as Tajōmaru in Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" from 1950.
I've long been fascinated by the odd cross pollination between King Crimson and Talking Heads with Fripp's work on the Fear of Music album and Adrian Belew's time with both bands. I may be mis-remembering this but I think I heard that Talking Heads asked Adrian if he would front Talking Heads when David Byrne left, but he chose instead to work with King Crimson.
Iconic band who just hit the ground running. Simply put, David Byrne is a total genius who sees things just a little bit differently than many of us. My wife and I were going to see “American Utopia” on Broadway but unfortunately NYC got shutdown the same week.
@@williamandres1042 I know what you are sayin' - but I'm going to double down here because the interpretation through the use of the acoustic guitar were far more in line with the mood of the song - I'm a long time TH fan and have heard quite a few versions of this song - my easy favourite has always been David on his own !
One aspect of truly great songs (rather than recordings) is how they are still great when performed in different ways. You did a great job of pointing out the strengths of the studio recording of Pscho Killer. They did a very psychedelic version of on "The Name Of This Band Is ..." and then the almost-acoustic version that starts off "Stop Making Sense" (it doesn't even have the bass line at all!) - both are awesome and, while very different presentations, are still fundamentally the same song. I will add my voice to the "listen to Remain In Light" crowd - it is a masterpiece. Also the "Stop Making Sense" movie (and the performance it depicts) is a work of art! Thanks so much for your entertaining and insightful videos!!
This is a band album by album, progressed with each release. Don't get me wrong, I love '77, it has a place in my heart as a CBGB's record, but by the time they made the movie "Stop Making Sense", it was a whole different ballgame.I was lucky to see them at Forest Hills, but also would have loved to see the at CBGB's!
TINA!!!! This band, my favorite American band, was a change in my perspective of music. This their first album so it has it's rawness. But if you choose to travel through the THs world, it will be interesting to say the least. Tina and her husband Chris are one of my favorite rhythm duos. If it wasn't for them I might not be as much of a fan, David kind of isn't my type of "singer" but he's the writing force so that part of him is forever intriguing. And as the comments earlier have eluded to, Talking Heads were my favorite concert ever. We were fortunate to see them on the "Speaking in Tongues" tour which was the tour filmed on the infamous "Stop Making Sense" documentary. I must see, because it will change your idea of "who are the Talking Heads?".
One of my favorite bands. Every album is worth your attention, as well as every David Byrne solo album. I agree about Hannibal and Mads. Psycho Killer was one of their first songs from before they had a record contract. There is so much more to come. On 77 my favorite songs are Don't Worry About The Government and The Book I Read. Their live album The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads is one of my favorite albums by anyone ever.
So...about ten years ago my wife was coming from work on a crowded bus, with only one seat available she sat down next to an elderly gentleman. After a moment she noticed he was quietly singing this song under his breath, with the accurate french. Spooky enough to relate the story to me.
Another band taken straight out of repeat playlist! Talking Heads grow on you the more you listen, and some of their stuff is absolutely sublime! I find their later stuff more accessible, especially the Little Creatures, True Stories and Naked albums, which I love. But the more I listened to those, the easier it was to go back to their earlier stuff, which is much edgier and experimental, but it's all definitely unique and Talking Heads.
For some Adrian Belew before King Crimson, he was on Talking Heads "Remain in Light", and the live "The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads" (see "The Great Curve" 2004 remaster), and the double live Bowie album "Stages". He is also on T.Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison's album "The Red And The Black". There are Y.Tube videos of him on tour with T.Heads.
Hey Justin ~ So, finally getting into the Talking Heads. In my view, the leaders of the New Wave Punk / Art Punk / Post Punk scene. Firstly, let me just say that Tina is the PERFECT bass player for this band. She knew exactly what to bring to each song. Just magnificent. David's lyrics can be as quirky as they come, but they are always still really enjoyable and singable. I graduated in '77, so this was a must have album at that time. It's a great first album, with some hints of what's to come. They progress amazingly through their later albums. You're going to enjoy them, for sure.
Some decades ago Peter Gabriel said that "Remain in Light" would be one of his 10 for the island. Maybe that has changed meanwhile. "Stop Making Sense" is one of the very few concert movies I like. Almost all of them are directed by bloody barbarians. This one is not. I can't help but every time I hear the Talking Heads The Tubes come to my mind. And vice versa. One of my favorite villains is Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet". "The candy colored clown they call the sandman..." Oooooh.
Great place to start, at the beginning. This band went through quite an evolution so you might want to dip into their discography in release order once in a while.
"Psycho Killer" was the first song I heard from Talking Heads when it was released (the song was aired a bit on the radio at the time). David Byrne has often interpreted a little weird or disturbed characters in his songs! ("Psycho Killer" on Talking Heads: 77, "I'm Not in Love" on their second album More Songs About Buildings and Food and "Animals" on their third album Fear of Music).
One of my very favorite bands and coincidences of coincidences seconds before I was listening to a great interview with Chris Frantz (the drummer and FB bud) and Tina Weymouth (pronounced Wey'- muth). Tina says she based her bass lines on the brilliant music by Bernard Herrmann for the film PSYCHO. It is not any sort of exact copy, but the drive of it is what she's getting at. I'll try to ask her next time she pops up on Chris's feed. If I tell you my favorite villain it might give away the movie, but it's from the same film Tina was musically inspired by. And by the way, Talking Heads was getting started with this album, PSYCHO KILLER was the first song they ever wrote together. '77 is a great fun album, but the masterpieces are, and I mean masterpieces, areREMAIN IN LIGHT and SPEAKING IN TONGUES. But REMAIN is really where they reach a whole new pinnacle of sound.
If you want to investigate further into this album, the song "The Book I Read" is great. That being said, as good as this album is (and it is), they improved greatly on the followup More Songs About Buildings and Food
Phenomenal band - saw them play in about 1982 after Remain In Light was released, and they had an expanded band. Absolutely incredible. You should watch or react to the live movie Stop Making Sense. All their first 5 albums are great.
Well, Hannibal Lecter is a role you can really get your teeth into. Favorite villian? Honestly, probably Bill Cipher, a Lovecraftian eldritch horror in a children's cartoon. Talking Heads do my favorite love song, "This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)".
This song always reminded me of the movie Taxi Driver. I am not sure if the film inspired the song however the protagonist ( or arguably the antagonist) of the song and movie are similar.
Kudos to you for getting the studio version that was played on the radio back then. Every other reaction channel that I've seen review this uses an inferior version (that's apparently an easy to find youtube vid). Great song. The 3 albums after this were produced by Brian Eno and it shows. More Songs About Buildings and Food is an excellent album to look at sometime. I would recommend something less popular off that album like Artists Only (Take Me to the River is the popular but less interesting pick). Or the next album, Fear of Music, has some great tracks like Drugs, or Animals.
I was in my teens when Talking Heads had their major hits and I used to like them. But Psycho Killer came out just before I started listening radio and I had never heard it until a few years ago, actually. Nowadays, I don't find most Talking Heads songs particularly interesting anymore. But I love Psycho Killer.
Speaking of Fa Fa`s, this song made me immediately seek out Datarock`s Fa Fa Fa from 2008 here on youtube. I`d forgotten just how much i love this song, i`m dancing&singing all over the place. Fa Fa Fa would be a great song for you Justin to react to, that is unless you`re already familiar with it.
Somewhat off topic, there is an award-winning novel called 'Blackburn' by Bradley Denton - a writer from near my home town in Kansas. The main character is a serial killer who preys on those who deserve killing for one reason or another. (this book pre-dates the 'Dexter' series by at least a decade). The book includes a childhood story about the protagonist that gives insight into his personality. It is a mesmerizing book and if you want to know my favorite psycho killer, it is Jimmy Blackburn from Brad Denton's novel.
Nice honest reaction. The Talking Heads came out of the CBGB's punk scene of the late 70s... they were very much "art house" and an acquired taste. They did their own thing their own way, so I'd hesitate to compare them to any other band or over-analyze the lyrics. David Byrne had a vision and it didn't click with everyone right off the bat, but I've found that over the years the songs hold up incredibly well. They're all very different but very Talking Heads.
My fave villain is the anti-hero Robert Maudsley, he's housed in a jail (polycarbonate cell) 5 miles from my house and he inspired a well known film character!! This song was gash btw.
Favourite villain - Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter. In fact everything about that movie. Talking Heads - anything from Remain in Light and absolutely the Stop Making Sense version of any of the songs. Interesting (to me at any rate) is Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo's 2018 cover of the entire Remain in Light album in her style. It's satisfyingly circular in that Remain in Light was inspired by African music, which is obvious once you know.
Talking Heads is one of those bands that was better live than it was in the studio. That being said, Talking Heads was musically taking African rhythms and blending them with other African diaspora music like R&B, Brazilian and Reggae with experimental lyrics, like unconventional subjects and stories wordplay... etc. A very wonderful wonderful song that's a little more traditional is Naive Melody, which is a love song. There are few of them. Bryne is also interested in things that may be otherwise taken for granted, like houses, and little moments with oneself. Born Inder Punches which pursues a humanistic pov is one of my favorites as is I Zimbra, which is a Dadaist sound poem put to music. Most people know Burning Down the House and sadly for me it is perhaps the only TH song I don't care for, along with Psycho Killer, and Once In A Lifetime (still a genius and mindblowing song). As for albums, the best are Remain in Light and Fear of Music. Personally, I favor Fear of Music, but that's an ongoing debate. The live albums are all good. After leaving TH, Bryne continues. Wild Life is a great movie with original music, written and narrated by Bryne. My favorite scene is Pops Staples singing Papa Legba. Bryne put out an album with Brisn Eno called My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. They take spiritual radio shows and put music over it. It's not pop music. Its stunning. Bryne toured and did an album with St. Vincent. Bryne took up a project with Damon Albarn highlighting the music of William Onyeabor. This project called the Atomic Bomb Band toured with legendary African musicians and contemporary young musicians. It was reunited in 2016, when Bryne was named the Curator of the British Music Festival Meltdown. I was blessed to see it in London for the single performance. It is one of the best things I've ever done. His latest is a mobile band which had a show on Broadway that was cut short. Wonderful insights in how Bryne tells a story. It was broadcast on HBO last May in response to the pandemic shutdowns.
Studio Talking Heads: Take Me to the River, Burning Down the House, And She Was, Road to Nowhere, This Must Be the Place, (Nothing But) Flowers, Once in a Lifetime Live Talking Heads: Psycho Killer (yes, again, it's a completely different vibe), Girlfriend Is Better, Life During Wartime Tina Weymouth is a goddess among bass players and I will hear no argument. And David Byrne is just plain a unique talent. As for the posed question, I go obscure: Cosmo, the main antagonist in the movie Sneakers. He's the part of the movie that was way, way ahead of its time ("It's not about who's got the most weapons, it's about who controls the information" - the movie was released in 1992). HIS METHODS SUCK BUT HIS MAIN POINT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT.
Was never a big talking heads fan. But as always your review was great. This was more of a crusin song not a sit down and listen for me. Favorite Villain Michael Corleone from The Godfather trilogy. Truly a disturbed individual.
I’ve always liked this song, though the version I first heard was a solo version. David Byre walked on stage with a ghetto blaster, dressed in a hugely oversized white suit, and clicked on the ghetto blaster and away he went. Now, villains, you say… I’ll pick just one. Francis Dollarhyde, aka The Tooth Fairy, in Michael Mann’s ‘Manhunter’ of 1986. It’s the same Thomas Harris story as The Silence Of The Lambs, which came out a couple of years later, but this one has Brian Cox doing a great turn as Hannibal Lecktor (as spelled in this film). The Tooth Fairy is terrifying! A great soundtrack too!
Fantastic album when it was released in the midst a punk rock revolution. Stripped back sound and intellectual sounding, the band were amazing live. This is probably the best known track but it's also the odd one out. The rest of the album is a collection of great songs.
Other recommendations: Peter Gabriel's Secret World, Growing Up, Signal to Noise, Digging In the Dirt, Steam, Secret World. Yes, I know I'm a total PG fanboy, but still, it's worth looking into those tracks. ;)
I bought the cd when it was published. So many excellent songs; all very recognizable as a Talking Heads songs. This album is much older (1984) than the Hannibal Lecter series. Try: Burning down the house Take me to the river.
This would not have sounded too out-of-place on King Crimson's DISCIPLINE album; could have been Belew singing this...(and they both share red covers, so they have that going for them...)
I take it you haven't listened to Remain In Light? That was like the main inspiration for Discipline. Adrian Belew plays guitar on "Once In A Lifetime" and I think a couple others on that album. The singing/writing on Discipline is practically Belew doing his best David Byrne impression. "I Zimbra" is another similar one. That's got Belew & Fripp on guitar. It might've even been the first time the two met.
@@GareksApprentice Hah, you've taken it wrong! I know all about the Belew connection between the two bands. (Wasn't just a coincidence that i made that that comment... :P )
What's happening, Justin? Talking Heads few days after XTC? I love classic Prog and Hard Rock, but Post-Punk and New Wave are just as exciting. Siouxsie and the Banshees, PIL, Ultravox! (the first three LP's with John Foxx), Magazine, Cure and, above all, WIRE. Fantastic stuff, a breath of fresh air after the late self-indulging rock. And my favourite mass murderers are the Sex Pistols because they wiped away music dinosaurs (that's what Prog and Hard Rock bands had become in 1976) or obliged them to change.
I'm enjoying the ride however long it lasts! I like 70s rock & prog as much as anyone, but "Good music" didn't die off when punk emerged. New Wave & Post-Punk can be just as artistic & daring as that era, perhaps moreso. I'm always of the belief that there's good music in every era/decade/year. You might have to dig deeper now to find it, but it's there. I get why JP feels the need to prioritize the 70s, but I absolutely love it when he moves outside the comfort zone. It's as much a listening experience for him as it is the viewers who only want him to listen to pre-1978 prog.
@@Cires789 Actually, since Justin loves David Sylvian (as I do), I'd say "Hiroshima Mon Amour" or something from Systems of Romance. And because we're off track with this conversation, let me tell you a short personal story. From 2009 to 2013 I managed a project in Jordan for the development of Amman's fashion centre. We organised an open air fashion show for our students at Amman's Citadel. Being the person in charge, I took the chance and selected the soundtrack. And guess what... The lights went down and the notes of "Hiroshima" flooded the catwalk. It was magic.
@@GareksApprentice I was 15 when I listened to the Sex Pistols in the early '77. You know how kids are... I continued loving what I had loved, but could not listen to new stuff of the same kind. And I agree with you: the plus of Justin is that he help us to discover things that we would not normally approach.
I've always called this one "Taco Dinner". "Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum ole!" Talking Heads never did too much for me until their third album. Then things started getting interesting. Especially on the fifth and sixth. My favorite villain is definitely Anton Phibes in "The Abominable Dr. Phibes". One of Vincent Price's best, and of course, you're rooting for him all the way.
Favorite "killer song" - Harry Chapin "Sniper" the "live at Soundstage" video version is indescribable. Best villian (when younger ) was the "Wicked Witch of the East".. but now a tie between Darth Vader and Annie Wilkes.
Was never a big talking heads fan. This was more of a radio listen in the car while crusin. But Favorite villain Michael Corleine from The Godfather trilogy. Truly a disturbed individual
She'd just had a screaming argument with David Byrne AND Jerry Harrison just before they'd done their Old Grey Whistle Test set, and was still really pissed off at them.
David Byrne made a virtue of being a bit of an outsider, if Norman Bates had joined a band this is what I think he would have sounded like. Talking Heads made New Wave music funky, at the same time often down right surreal lyrically. There is a keen creative brain behind the inspiration for his lyrics, and their music just got groovier and groovier. Their live concert film, and accompanying album, 'Stop making sense' is the pinnacle for the band, you'd rarely catch David Byrne cracking a smile but through his tense (and intense) persona he puts so much fun into that performance and the band are so energised. You have to check out some of that footage.
A good question you offer. Overall I'd say my favourite villain might not be considered an actual villain, which would be Doofenshmirtz from Phineas & Ferb. What a plonker!
First The Doors and now Talking Heads, I'm happy! Even though this one didn't wow you, I would definitely recommend trying more. Something from Remain In Light, as people are suggesting, maybe Born Under Punches or Once In A Lifetime. And continue with the first Doors album, s'il vous plait. 😁
Talking Heads put out a concert movie called Stop Making Sense. The movie is so phenomenal that a first rate director, Demme of Silence of the Lambs fame, directed it. The live version of Psycho Killer from that concert is terrific as is every song from the movie. I suggest reacting to a song of their that comes live from the Stop Making Sense concert movie.
Yes, a thousand times this!
Hopefully either "Life During Wartime", "This Must Be The Place", "Slippery People" (All three far superior to their studio versions) or "What A Day That Was"
Weird coincidence. I discovered that concert on UA-cam last night. OMG, it's fantastic. The energy they had live was amazing.
I was at that concert in Forest Hills, Queens, NY. Was really memorable. I love this band.
Stop making sense concert video is THE BEST concert video of all time. That's where talking heads really shined...in concert
Talking Heads collaborated with Brian Eno and Adrian Belew on their Remain in Light album. It is their most praised album, with a unique sound. You may check that album, I think you'd enjoy it more than Psycho Killer.
Talking heads studio stuff rarely impressed me but their live stuff is nothing less than impressive, it's like a whole different band and their songs really shine.
Talking Heads did a great version of "Take Me to the River". Give it a listen! Also, "Once in a Lifetime"... Great song!
Peter Gabriel’s Intruder is my go-to song for menacing creepiness.
Tripping my 1st listen.
Such a great way to kick off his third solo album. Also of note, Phil Collins on the drums.
Yea that's a creepy tune for sure
No wonder it wasn't a radio single!
Phil Collin's Mama is mine. That laugh!
For me, Talking heads is a band that grows slowly until it clicks and you get what the band is about. If you want to sample more of the them... i suggest start with " remain in light" , it is produced by brian eno and it shows.
I think Remain in Light is indeed a good suggestion. Maybe The Great Curve will do it for you.
@@mjp3186 + you get some of that adrian belew elephant guitar weirdness.
This was the start of Talking Heads. You might want to listen to Life During Wartime, one of their peaks.
Good shout
I’ve always loved this song, and this album is up there in my favorites list. ‘77 was a good year. 💜 Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” was also released in ‘77.
It was written in 1973 and was partly inspired by the 'Psycho' character Norman Bates and Alice Cooper's brand of 'shock' antics on stage and in his music. Great song in any case.
Oh, the journey into art-punk is afoot :-) this is a great song but not even representative of the directions the Talking Heads would go...
The best Talking Heads song is Once in a Life Time from the 1980 album Remain in Light which always headed the best album list of the decade.
Talking heads are definitely an acquired taste for some. That said if you can really dig into it, I honestly think Remain in Light is the best new wave album, period. Highly recommended!
Their music is art, they're true artists.
One of my fave ever albums. So good.
It's one of my Desert Island five. Adrian Belew fresh from being Frank Zappa's stunt guitarist just before he joined the crew at King Crimson was a spectacular fit.
Nice review. This band is much deeper than you hear at first listen.. Byrne is a great songwriter.
Talking Heads are incredible. I don't listen to their first album much, but 'Buildings and Food', 'Fear of Music' and 'Remain In Light' is one of the best album steaks I've ever heard in terms of progression. All three are classics in my book. 'Stop Making Sense' is easily one of the best concert films ever made. If you ever get to 'Speaking In Tongues' material, just remember that the superior/definitive renditions are in 'Stop Making Sense' (I think most TH fans would be inclined to agree).
'Remain In Light' certainly deserves the album-first listen treatment as well as the Eno/Byrne collaboration album 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts'. Both re-defined music production & electronic music while being a big inspiration for artists like David Sylvian, Kate Bush, Public Enemy, Peter Gabriel & Massive Attack (Gabriel would end up doing a cover of "Listening Wind" from RIL a couple decades later)
Plus, you can thank 'Remain In Light' & "I Zimbra" for giving us Discipline-era King Crimson.
Talking Heads are one of the most respected and accomplished groups to come out of the CBGB's scene in New York, along with The Ramones, Blondie and Television. They mostly met at the Rhode Island School Of Design, one member is a Harvard grad, went to NYC and set up shop. Personal note: Tina Weymouth is my all-time favorite female rock artist. She is all about the music, and she can really play, as you noted. She is the inspiration for a couple of generations of female musicians of all types, and is still married to drummer Chris Frantz, so the Heads are a good family band.
Note of interest: Adrian Belew spent time with The Talking Heads as well as Zappa before joining King Crimson.
And Bowie
Belew the badass. If you know you know...
@@mrtyreus0 He'd be perfect in an avant garde band. I wish I spent more time make noises on my guitar
@@avantprog6902have you checked his playing with Zappa?
@@mrtyreus0 I've seen clips, but not extensive, have a suggestion?
LOVE this Talking Heads song and always.. love your thoughtful reactions to the music. You pretty much nailed this. Talking Heads have an amazing catalog of music to explore... and you should check out their live videos for greater context of how dynamic they were. Art students make good. The Jonathan Demme film "Stop Making Sense" is a must see.
The album Remain in Light is well worth a deep dive.
Genius. Talking Heads album Fear of Music changed everything for me. I think it is one of best albums ever recorded and would like to nominate it as a potential album review.
Totally agree Brad. i love fear of music from start to finish.
I also agree
Not sure how far you are along with the talking heads A most unusual and wonderful band Hope you enjoy love you
This song was released about a decade before the birth of Hannibal Lecter, so "Fa fa fa" is definitely not a reference.
I assume it's a stuttered, minced (radio friendly) "fuck off", just like The Who asking "Why don''t you all f-f-fade away!"
@@donaldb1 well it leads into "far better"
"Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-far better"
Maybe it harks back to Otis Redding (Fa Fa Fa Sad Song).
Not a lot in common Justin between Talk Talk and Talking Heads, except time frame. They were both outstanding bands and staples of my late 70s and 80s listening as many prog bands kind of frittered away or evolved into more chart single orientated bands and disco seemed to take over the airwaves. TH were a rock band you could fill the floor with at parties without resorting to disco mush. Their gigs were amazing, so much energy and no one sat in their seats.
I know you prefer to listen to the recorded versions but once you have heard a fair number of their songs ( and you need to listen to more to ‘get them’ as a band - my introduction was 5 consecutive tracks from 77 at a party where I went from Wtf is this, to buying the album and playing it repeatedly for months) do yourself the biggest favour and set aside an evening, get out the popcorn and sit down and watch the Movie ‘Stop making sense’. It sounds like fan hyperbole but that film is critically acclaimed as one of the best concert movies ever and because it was filmed and not videoed the quality of both sound and picture remains undimmed. ‘Stop making sense’ makes sense of Talking Heads and captured the essence of what made them so popular.
Well said! All these thoughts were swimming in my mushy brain too but you got them out and now I can move on with my day. I played TH a lot on my college radio show in ‘83 and thereafter but never saw them live. The tickets to see “American Utopia” are just souvenirs as NYC shut down the weekend we were supposed to go. At least we all can still access “Stop Making Sense”.
Psycho Killer is usually the gateway to Talking Heads because of it’s title and quirky singing style of David Byrne. It’s become an iconic song over the years and although it fits the Talking Heads music style in their early beginnings it’s far away from what they made later. If you like the works of Brian Eno - and you do - and if you like intelligent post new wave music - think of Sylvian - then Remain in Light is the album for you. It’s an highly influential album that today stands as a monument in time. So, Justin, you passed the gateway, now follow up with Remain in Light (any song will do) and you’re in for a new surprise that will be the same as when you put on Talk Talk’s Happiness is easy. I’m looking forward to it.
This is pretty good but I always notice how The Road To Nowhere always seems to get overlooked when it comes to Talking Heads.
This is one of those songs you hear once and for the rest of your life the chorus will randomly pop into your head out of the blue!
Read through lots of comments and shocked nobody has mentioned Jonathan Demme's amazing film "Stop Making Sense," considered by many to be the seminal concert film. It really presents the band at their apex, musically and performance wise, and opens with a great and unique version of this song.
Welcome to the David Byrne rabbit hole! Life during wartime next!
Absolutely
Not a massive Talking Heads fan, but this song is a classic - made so by the bass line. You should maybe check out David Byrne's album with Brian Eno 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' - excellent album.
I usually recommend epic length prog tracks for you react to, but here's 3 shorter tracks...
Golden Earring - Radar Love
David Essex - Rock On
Helen Reddy - Angie Baby
You may already know these as they were hit singles.
Cheers, Pete
"My Life in the Bush of Ghost" is a fantastic album. Great recommendation!
I don't understand how anybody can give this a thumbs down.
Round about September 1978, after the Talking Heads played their show at Houston's Texas Opry House, I played pinball backstage with David Byrne. He'll say he won, but my memory says otherwise! Fun to hang with, as were Chris and Tina!
Oh man, Talking Heads is a fun rabbit hole to fall down.
Keep in mind that this is from their debut album, which is before they really developed their sound.
definitely check out tracks from 'remain in light' such as 'once in a lifetime' and 'born under punches'
Also the 'stop making sense' concert film is probably one of the finest concert films ever made.
Great band. I've recently just been going through all of their albums for the first time.
'Fear of Music' and 'Remain in Light' have some great tracks.
Thanks Justin. Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem, in No Country for Old Men is my favorite villain. This Must Be the Place is my favorite Talking Heads song.
Oo that's a good pick!
Love The Talking heads and loved crooked DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman) in “Leon: The Professional”
Gary Oldman, Fifth Element. Same director.
Good call LJ! Used to love that movie
Favorite Killer: For Friede it is Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang's "M" from 1931. The first serial killer movie. For me, Jean, it is Toshiro Mifune as Tajōmaru in Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" from 1950.
I've long been fascinated by the odd cross pollination between King Crimson and Talking Heads with Fripp's work on the Fear of Music album and Adrian Belew's time with both bands. I may be mis-remembering this but I think I heard that Talking Heads asked Adrian if he would front Talking Heads when David Byrne left, but he chose instead to work with King Crimson.
Talking Heads were a fantastic band with a one of a kind sound...
Iconic band who just hit the ground running. Simply put, David Byrne is a total genius who sees things just a little bit differently than many of us. My wife and I were going to see “American Utopia” on Broadway but unfortunately NYC got shutdown the same week.
Lyrical theme aside, this is such a great driving song...I crank it every time it comes on in the car...
Amazing song the vibes immaculate you actually get lost in the lyrics and makes you become crazy I love it
Epic song !! - The version from the Live video "stop making sense" is whole lot more entertaining - and better musically !
That version is just David by himself so it can't be better musically than the whole band.
@@williamandres1042 I know what you are sayin' - but I'm going to double down here because the interpretation through the use of the acoustic guitar were far more in line with the mood of the song - I'm a long time TH fan and have heard quite a few versions of this song - my easy favourite has always been David on his own !
@@jonsey156 Ok, I respect your opinion. Huge Talking Heads fan aswell 👍
@@williamandres1042 Thanks Dude, Sometimes Less is More !! - Cheers !! - Always glad to know TH fans !!
One aspect of truly great songs (rather than recordings) is how they are still great when performed in different ways. You did a great job of pointing out the strengths of the studio recording of Pscho Killer. They did a very psychedelic version of on "The Name Of This Band Is ..." and then the almost-acoustic version that starts off "Stop Making Sense" (it doesn't even have the bass line at all!) - both are awesome and, while very different presentations, are still fundamentally the same song. I will add my voice to the "listen to Remain In Light" crowd - it is a masterpiece. Also the "Stop Making Sense" movie (and the performance it depicts) is a work of art! Thanks so much for your entertaining and insightful videos!!
Ty Gregg!
This is a band album by album, progressed with each release. Don't get me wrong, I love '77, it has a place in my heart as a CBGB's record, but by the time they made the movie "Stop Making Sense", it was a whole different ballgame.I was lucky to see them at Forest Hills, but also would have loved to see the at CBGB's!
TINA!!!! This band, my favorite American band, was a change in my perspective of music. This their first album so it has it's rawness. But if you choose to travel through the THs world, it will be interesting to say the least. Tina and her husband Chris are one of my favorite rhythm duos. If it wasn't for them I might not be as much of a fan, David kind of isn't my type of "singer" but he's the writing force so that part of him is forever intriguing. And as the comments earlier have eluded to, Talking Heads were my favorite concert ever. We were fortunate to see them on the "Speaking in Tongues" tour which was the tour filmed on the infamous "Stop Making Sense" documentary. I must see, because it will change your idea of "who are the Talking Heads?".
One of my favorite bands. Every album is worth your attention, as well as every David Byrne solo album. I agree about Hannibal and Mads. Psycho Killer was one of their first songs from before they had a record contract. There is so much more to come. On 77 my favorite songs are Don't Worry About The Government and The Book I Read. Their live album The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads is one of my favorite albums by anyone ever.
So...about ten years ago my wife was coming from work on a crowded bus, with only one seat available she sat down next to an elderly gentleman. After a moment she noticed he was quietly singing this song under his breath, with the accurate french.
Spooky enough to relate the story to me.
Another band taken straight out of repeat playlist! Talking Heads grow on you the more you listen, and some of their stuff is absolutely sublime! I find their later stuff more accessible, especially the Little Creatures, True Stories and Naked albums, which I love. But the more I listened to those, the easier it was to go back to their earlier stuff, which is much edgier and experimental, but it's all definitely unique and Talking Heads.
one of my favs albums and as a kid in 77 I was 10 and rockin out to this shit
For some Adrian Belew before King Crimson, he was on Talking Heads "Remain in Light", and the live "The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads" (see "The Great Curve" 2004 remaster), and the double live Bowie album "Stages". He is also on T.Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison's album "The Red And The Black". There are Y.Tube videos of him on tour with T.Heads.
Hey Justin ~ So, finally getting into the Talking Heads. In my view, the leaders of the New Wave Punk / Art Punk / Post Punk scene. Firstly, let me just say that Tina is the PERFECT bass player for this band. She knew exactly what to bring to each song. Just magnificent. David's lyrics can be as quirky as they come, but they are always still really enjoyable and singable. I graduated in '77, so this was a must have album at that time. It's a great first album, with some hints of what's to come. They progress amazingly through their later albums. You're going to enjoy them, for sure.
Now you need the Bobs a capella barbershop quartet cover of this. Seriously, it's glorious.
Love Talking Heads! David Byrne is an amazing performer!
Some decades ago Peter Gabriel said that "Remain in Light" would be one of his 10 for the island. Maybe that has changed meanwhile. "Stop Making Sense" is one of the very few concert movies I like. Almost all of them are directed by bloody barbarians. This one is not.
I can't help but every time I hear the Talking Heads The Tubes come to my mind. And vice versa.
One of my favorite villains is Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet". "The candy colored clown they call the sandman..." Oooooh.
There in rock and roll hall fame and sold a album and seeing it live at cbgs club and seeing the dead boys
Great place to start, at the beginning. This band went through quite an evolution so you might want to dip into their discography in release order once in a while.
The Heads have a great large catalog of songs. They are considered an important band in the “post punk / new wave / art rock” era.
Two favorite villains - Heath Ledger as Joker, so good but so disturbing that once was all I could watch. The Grinch (nuf said).
"Psycho Killer" was the first song I heard from Talking Heads when it was released (the song was aired a bit on the radio at the time).
David Byrne has often interpreted a little weird or disturbed characters in his songs! ("Psycho Killer" on Talking Heads: 77, "I'm Not in Love" on their second album More Songs About Buildings and Food and "Animals" on their third album Fear of Music).
One of my very favorite bands and coincidences of coincidences seconds before I was listening to a great interview with Chris Frantz (the drummer and FB bud) and Tina Weymouth (pronounced Wey'- muth). Tina says she based her bass lines on the brilliant music by Bernard Herrmann for the film PSYCHO. It is not any sort of exact copy, but the drive of it is what she's getting at. I'll try to ask her next time she pops up on Chris's feed. If I tell you my favorite villain it might give away the movie, but it's from the same film Tina was musically inspired by. And by the way, Talking Heads was getting started with this album, PSYCHO KILLER was the first song they ever wrote together. '77 is a great fun album, but the masterpieces are, and I mean masterpieces, areREMAIN IN LIGHT and SPEAKING IN TONGUES. But REMAIN is really where they reach a whole new pinnacle of sound.
If you want to investigate further into this album, the song "The Book I Read" is great. That being said, as good as this album is (and it is), they improved greatly on the followup More Songs About Buildings and Food
Do something of Remain in Light , Born Under Punches the opener would be fun.
Phenomenal band - saw them play in about 1982 after Remain In Light was released, and they had an expanded band. Absolutely incredible. You should watch or react to the live movie Stop Making Sense. All their first 5 albums are great.
Well, Hannibal Lecter is a role you can really get your teeth into. Favorite villian? Honestly, probably Bill Cipher, a Lovecraftian eldritch horror in a children's cartoon. Talking Heads do my favorite love song, "This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)".
This song always reminded me of the movie Taxi Driver. I am not sure if the film inspired the song however the protagonist ( or arguably the antagonist) of the song and movie are similar.
Kudos to you for getting the studio version that was played on the radio back then. Every other reaction channel that I've seen review this uses an inferior version (that's apparently an easy to find youtube vid). Great song. The 3 albums after this were produced by Brian Eno and it shows. More Songs About Buildings and Food is an excellent album to look at sometime. I would recommend something less popular off that album like Artists Only (Take Me to the River is the popular but less interesting pick). Or the next album, Fear of Music, has some great tracks like Drugs, or Animals.
I was in my teens when Talking Heads had their major hits and I used to like them. But Psycho Killer came out just before I started listening radio and I had never heard it until a few years ago, actually.
Nowadays, I don't find most Talking Heads songs particularly interesting anymore. But I love Psycho Killer.
Speaking of Fa Fa`s, this song made me immediately seek out Datarock`s Fa Fa Fa from 2008 here on youtube. I`d forgotten just how much i love this song, i`m dancing&singing all over the place. Fa Fa Fa would be a great song for you Justin to react to, that is unless you`re already familiar with it.
Somewhat off topic, there is an award-winning novel called 'Blackburn' by Bradley Denton - a writer from near my home town in Kansas. The main character is a serial killer who preys on those who deserve killing for one reason or another. (this book pre-dates the 'Dexter' series by at least a decade). The book includes a childhood story about the protagonist that gives insight into his personality. It is a mesmerizing book and if you want to know my favorite psycho killer, it is Jimmy Blackburn from Brad Denton's novel.
Nice honest reaction. The Talking Heads came out of the CBGB's punk scene of the late 70s... they were very much "art house" and an acquired taste. They did their own thing their own way, so I'd hesitate to compare them to any other band or over-analyze the lyrics. David Byrne had a vision and it didn't click with everyone right off the bat, but I've found that over the years the songs hold up incredibly well. They're all very different but very Talking Heads.
My fave villain is the anti-hero Robert Maudsley, he's housed in a jail (polycarbonate cell) 5 miles from my house and he inspired a well known film character!!
This song was gash btw.
Favourite villain - Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter. In fact everything about that movie. Talking Heads - anything from Remain in Light and absolutely the Stop Making Sense version of any of the songs.
Interesting (to me at any rate) is Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo's 2018 cover of the entire Remain in Light album in her style. It's satisfyingly circular in that Remain in Light was inspired by African music, which is obvious once you know.
Talking Heads is one of those bands that was better live than it was in the studio.
That being said, Talking Heads was musically taking African rhythms and blending them with other African diaspora music like R&B, Brazilian and Reggae with experimental lyrics, like unconventional subjects and stories wordplay... etc.
A very wonderful wonderful song that's a little more traditional is Naive Melody, which is a love song. There are few of them. Bryne is also interested in things that may be otherwise taken for granted, like houses, and little moments with oneself.
Born Inder Punches which pursues a humanistic pov is one of my favorites as is I Zimbra, which is a Dadaist sound poem put to music.
Most people know Burning Down the House and sadly for me it is perhaps the only TH song I don't care for, along with Psycho Killer, and Once In A Lifetime (still a genius and mindblowing song).
As for albums, the best are Remain in Light and Fear of Music. Personally, I favor Fear of Music, but that's an ongoing debate. The live albums are all good.
After leaving TH, Bryne continues. Wild Life is a great movie with original music, written and narrated by Bryne. My favorite scene is Pops Staples singing Papa Legba.
Bryne put out an album with Brisn Eno called My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. They take spiritual radio shows and put music over it. It's not pop music. Its stunning.
Bryne toured and did an album with St. Vincent.
Bryne took up a project with Damon Albarn highlighting the music of William Onyeabor. This project called the Atomic Bomb Band toured with legendary African musicians and contemporary young musicians. It was reunited in 2016, when Bryne was named the Curator of the British Music Festival Meltdown. I was blessed to see it in London for the single performance. It is one of the best things I've ever done.
His latest is a mobile band which had a show on Broadway that was cut short. Wonderful insights in how Bryne tells a story. It was broadcast on HBO last May in response to the pandemic shutdowns.
Talking Heads/Wild Life from the motion picture soundtrack True Stories! featuring music from the Talking Heads.
A great movie to review.
This is an important song/album. It was pretty much the moment "punk rock" branched into "new wave".
Studio Talking Heads: Take Me to the River, Burning Down the House, And She Was, Road to Nowhere, This Must Be the Place, (Nothing But) Flowers, Once in a Lifetime
Live Talking Heads: Psycho Killer (yes, again, it's a completely different vibe), Girlfriend Is Better, Life During Wartime
Tina Weymouth is a goddess among bass players and I will hear no argument. And David Byrne is just plain a unique talent.
As for the posed question, I go obscure: Cosmo, the main antagonist in the movie Sneakers. He's the part of the movie that was way, way ahead of its time ("It's not about who's got the most weapons, it's about who controls the information" - the movie was released in 1992). HIS METHODS SUCK BUT HIS MAIN POINT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT.
The first song that I saw from them on MTV back in the day was "Once in a Lifetime" You should listen to that.
Was never a big talking heads fan. But as always your review was great. This was more of a crusin song not a sit down and listen for me. Favorite Villain Michael Corleone from The Godfather trilogy. Truly a disturbed individual.
I’ll repeat what most people are suggesting. Listen to Remain in Light! Produced by Brian Eno , and Adrian Belew contributing some great guitar work.
I’ve always liked this song, though the version I first heard was a solo version. David Byre walked on stage with a ghetto blaster, dressed in a hugely oversized white suit, and clicked on the ghetto blaster and away he went.
Now, villains, you say… I’ll pick just one. Francis Dollarhyde, aka The Tooth Fairy, in Michael Mann’s ‘Manhunter’ of 1986. It’s the same Thomas Harris story as The Silence Of The Lambs, which came out a couple of years later, but this one has Brian Cox doing a great turn as Hannibal Lecktor (as spelled in this film). The Tooth Fairy is terrifying! A great soundtrack too!
Fantastic album when it was released in the midst a punk rock revolution. Stripped back sound and intellectual sounding, the band were amazing live. This is probably the best known track but it's also the odd one out. The rest of the album is a collection of great songs.
A legit favourite of mine. Glad to see you react to it. :)
That bassline is definitely the root of the song. :P
This def predates Hannibal Lecter, so it's def not a reference to that, but still, it's neat that you get it. ;)
Other Talking Heads songs to consider: Road to Nowhere, Once in a Lifetime, Life During Wartime, This Must Be The Place.
Other recommendations: Peter Gabriel's Secret World, Growing Up, Signal to Noise, Digging In the Dirt, Steam, Secret World. Yes, I know I'm a total PG fanboy, but still, it's worth looking into those tracks. ;)
This was my driving home from a bad day at work song.
.....Bush of ghosts and Remain in Light are masterpieces. The great Brian Eno and his DX7.
I bought the cd when it was published. So many excellent songs; all very recognizable as a Talking Heads songs.
This album is much older (1984) than the Hannibal Lecter series.
Try:
Burning down the house
Take me to the river.
This would not have sounded too out-of-place on King Crimson's DISCIPLINE album; could have been Belew singing this...(and they both share red covers, so they have that going for them...)
I take it you haven't listened to Remain In Light? That was like the main inspiration for Discipline. Adrian Belew plays guitar on "Once In A Lifetime" and I think a couple others on that album. The singing/writing on Discipline is practically Belew doing his best David Byrne impression.
"I Zimbra" is another similar one. That's got Belew & Fripp on guitar. It might've even been the first time the two met.
@@GareksApprentice Hah, you've taken it wrong! I know all about the Belew connection between the two bands. (Wasn't just a coincidence that i made that that comment... :P )
Most evil villain - the hunter who shot Bambi's mother. No contest. More bands with a T, Television, Marquee Moon.
What's happening, Justin? Talking Heads few days after XTC? I love classic Prog and Hard Rock, but Post-Punk and New Wave are just as exciting. Siouxsie and the Banshees, PIL, Ultravox! (the first three LP's with John Foxx), Magazine, Cure and, above all, WIRE. Fantastic stuff, a breath of fresh air after the late self-indulging rock. And my favourite mass murderers are the Sex Pistols because they wiped away music dinosaurs (that's what Prog and Hard Rock bands had become in 1976) or obliged them to change.
I'm enjoying the ride however long it lasts! I like 70s rock & prog as much as anyone, but "Good music" didn't die off when punk emerged. New Wave & Post-Punk can be just as artistic & daring as that era, perhaps moreso.
I'm always of the belief that there's good music in every era/decade/year. You might have to dig deeper now to find it, but it's there.
I get why JP feels the need to prioritize the 70s, but I absolutely love it when he moves outside the comfort zone. It's as much a listening experience for him as it is the viewers who only want him to listen to pre-1978 prog.
I think JP would probably really like Magazine. As for ultravox! Something like "My Sex" or "I want to be a machine"?
@@Cires789 Actually, since Justin loves David Sylvian (as I do), I'd say "Hiroshima Mon Amour" or something from Systems of Romance. And because we're off track with this conversation, let me tell you a short personal story. From 2009 to 2013 I managed a project in Jordan for the development of Amman's fashion centre. We organised an open air fashion show for our students at Amman's Citadel. Being the person in charge, I took the chance and selected the soundtrack. And guess what... The lights went down and the notes of "Hiroshima" flooded the catwalk. It was magic.
@@GareksApprentice I was 15 when I listened to the Sex Pistols in the early '77. You know how kids are... I continued loving what I had loved, but could not listen to new stuff of the same kind. And I agree with you: the plus of Justin is that he help us to discover things that we would not normally approach.
@@mariosandri4010 Hiroshima Mon Amour is one of my Desert Island Discs. :-)
A true classic! The lead singer definitely has a few screws loose but that just adds to the song.
One of those bands where you really gotta watch and listen to the live performances rather than the studio stuff.
I've always called this one "Taco Dinner". "Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum ole!" Talking Heads never did too much for me until their third album. Then things started getting interesting. Especially on the fifth and sixth. My favorite villain is definitely Anton Phibes in "The Abominable Dr. Phibes". One of Vincent Price's best, and of course, you're rooting for him all the way.
Try watching them doing this live on the the old Grey Whistle Test on the BBC from 78. The definitive version in my opinion.
TH's Remain In Light album is a masterpiece. Listen to it.
Favorite "killer song" - Harry Chapin "Sniper" the "live at Soundstage" video version is indescribable.
Best villian (when younger ) was the "Wicked Witch of the East".. but now a tie between Darth Vader and Annie Wilkes.
Was never a big talking heads fan. This was more of a radio listen in the car while crusin.
But Favorite villain Michael Corleine from The Godfather trilogy. Truly a disturbed individual
Its worth watching Talking heads doing this on the Old Grey Whistle Test just to see Tina Weymouth going full psycho on the bass (seriously scary) 😈
She'd just had a screaming argument with David Byrne AND Jerry Harrison just before they'd done their Old Grey Whistle Test set, and was still really pissed off at them.
@@robertwilloughby8050 Worth the argument! The expression on her face just makes the performance.
David Byrne made a virtue of being a bit of an outsider, if Norman Bates had joined a band this is what I think he would have sounded like. Talking Heads made New Wave music funky, at the same time often down right surreal lyrically. There is a keen creative brain behind the inspiration for his lyrics, and their music just got groovier and groovier. Their live concert film, and accompanying album, 'Stop making sense' is the pinnacle for the band, you'd rarely catch David Byrne cracking a smile but through his tense (and intense) persona he puts so much fun into that performance and the band are so energised. You have to check out some of that footage.
Favourite villan in film? Henry F. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life.
Lionel Barrymore played the part brilliantly.
A good question you offer. Overall I'd say my favourite villain might not be considered an actual villain, which would be Doofenshmirtz from Phineas & Ferb. What a plonker!
First The Doors and now Talking Heads, I'm happy! Even though this one didn't wow you, I would definitely recommend trying more. Something from Remain In Light, as people are suggesting, maybe Born Under Punches or Once In A Lifetime. And continue with the first Doors album, s'il vous plait. 😁
Ty Jason! I'll likely try some more!