#423: Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

Zack: Just about 6 years later, we finally got around to listening to our second Talking Heads album. It’s hard to explain how powerfully deflating that sentence was to type. Anyway, last time I found Talking Heads to be pretty interesting but remarkably pretentious. I didn’t pick up on the pretentiousness this time around (and Wikipedia did not have as an-depth of a discussion about it), but I also didn’t find the music as compelling. I frequently forgot that the album was even playing, and I can’t say I was doing anything terrible exciting while I listened to it. The album had a few songs that I started tapping my feet to, but beyond that it just sounded pretty conventional, which was kind of a downer coming from a band that once wrote a protest song aimed at the atmosphere.

Favorite Tracks: Take Me to the River; With Our Love; I’m Not In Love

Emily: As a fan of both buildings and food, I liked this album based on its title alone. It's kinda goofy and has immense parody potential, provided the songs live up to the promise of the title. I don't really think they did. I didn't pick up on any overt discussions of either food or buildings, but perhaps they were going for something more subtle than silly. The album itself was perfectly pleasant, with a few fun and upbeat songs and an especially good Al Green cover. But I feel like it could have done something more, even though I'm not exactly sure what that "more" is.

Favorite Tracks: Take Me to the River; Thank You for Sending Me an Angel; I'm Not in Love

#87: Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979)

Zack: I vaguely remember writing that I thought '80s hipsters sat around and talked about how awesome Joy Division was. I was wrong. '80s (or late '70s if you're going to nitpick me) hipsters probably LOVED Talking Heads. Because I wasn't exactly sure what to write, I turned, as most lazy people with questions do, to Wikipedia. There, in the lyrics section, I discovered... "'Paper' compares a love affair with a simple piece of paper;" "in 'Life During Wartime,' Byrne cast himself an 'unheroic urban guerilla,' who renounced parties, survived on basic supplies like peanut butter, and heard rumours about weapons shipments and impromptu graveyards;" and, my personal favorite, "'Air' is a protest song against the atmosphere, an idea Byrne does not consider 'a joke.'" The fact that the theme of your song is so ridiculous that you need to clarify that you're serious should probably be a warning sign. One with big flashing lights. Now I'm not saying that artists should stick to normal, boring themes. And I'm definitely not saying this album was bad. In fact, I thought it was very cool and fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed it. But the fact that they seem to be taking themselves soooo seriously (at least as far as I can determine from Wikipedia, the most reliable of sources when trying to decode inflection) when their topics of choice are so over-the-top is slightly annoying.
Favorite Tracks: Cities; Heaven; Papers

Emily: According to Wikipedia, Fear of Music is supposedly rather deep and profound. Either that, or pretentious. I'm not quite sure, because I didn't get that vibe at all. As I've said before, I usually don't pick up much on lyrics the first time I listen to an album. This album was no different. What I got out of it was a fun, New-Wavey brand of post-punk that seamlessly transitioned between slower, melancholy tracks and upbeat, bouncier songs. Perhaps I need another listen to get that deeper message. Even if it's not there, this album is very good based solely on its musical merit.
Favorite Tracks: I Zimbra; Life During Wartime; Cities