Talking Heads—More Songs about Buildings and Food

Talking Heads—More Songs about Buildings and Food

More Songs about Buildings and Food—Perhaps it was foredestined that the follow-up to a debut like Talking Heads: 77 would become the band's forgotten boy. That's not to say people don't love More Songs about Buildings and Food, because they do, but its songs are generally eclipsed by those from any other Talking Heads album. If the self-deprecating title didn't do it, it may have just been because it was, in fact, exactly what it purported to be: a close examination reveals four of More Songs' eleven entries to date from the same time as 77 or even earlier, and the new songs don't stray far from that formula.

The key difference with the Heads' second record is production. Their first was handled to some degree by a pair of Bon Jovi associates (Lance Quinn and Jon's brother Tony), but More Songs began a more significant relationship with glam-turned-ambient musician Brian Eno. Already a generative artist and sideman, Eno had only a handful of production credits by 1978, though the distinction is sometimes trifling in his case; the main difference here is that where Eno's presence made an intrinsic impact on albums like David Bowie's Low, "Heroes" and Lodger, here he also leaves a particular glow on the whole of it: if 77 was fluorescent, More Songs is soft-white.

There is a sweetness to More Songs that was haphazardly approached on 77 in a limited capacity. Ironically, the title more aptly references the single "Love → Building on Fire" and perhaps "Sugar on My Tongue," neither of which appeared on the original release of 77, and in that case, More Songs is something like a backlog of songs too pretty to stand with ugly ducklings like "Psycho Killer." "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" is a shimmering acclamation of some lyrical idea only half-realized—vocalist David Byrne's lyrics incite more double takes than than ever, ducking in and out of coherent ideas that sometimes form stories. "With Our Love" sounds as cryptic as Byrne's words; in addition to the quirky dissonance that pervaded the entirety of Talking Heads: 77, the band now has a more genuine minor-key dynamic to their songs. On this song, they provide a haunting chorus to stress uncertainty in a new way; on the other hand, "The Good Thing" is a feel-good, hyper-literal song that exhibits the underrated humor of Talking Heads, which succeeds by a sort of careful improvisation.

"Warning Sign" is an anti-lovesong for the ages, and probably the recording where Eno's influence can be most felt. Instead of guitars, the manipulated sounds of each instrument—Byrne's voice included—take the forefront, swirling into a sonic landscape that resembled the direction the Heads would take in coming years. "The Girls Want to Be with the Girls" is an update on the underrated "Tentative Decisions." "Found a Job," one of the major highlights, is frankly hilarious with Byrne's oddly-delivered dialogue over near-ska instrumentation. "Artists Only" is the band's stab at spy-movie music. "I'm Not in Love" is another old one and a typically subversive alienation rant; it's easy to see why "Stay Hungry" was also left off Talking Heads: 77, being more of a straightforward workout than a dense, winding Byrne platform. "Take Me to the River," the Al Green song and only single, is covered here fairly faithfully, though it now sounds like an aquatic baseball park jam. Despite this, the biggest surprise is perhaps "The Big Country," which borders on sentimentality—strange for a band that almost exclusively puts on a front of neuroticism.

It is questionable whether or not More Songs about Buildings and Food could be called the Talking Heads' best album, but on the simple notion of accessibility, it is less abrasive than Talking Heads: 77, more focused than Fear of Music, less intransigently cerebral than Remain in Light, and more purposeful than Speaking in Tongues or anything that followed. It is an excellent entry point to the band, and like its brethren, rewards repeated listening.