Review: Talking Heads New ‘More Songs About Buildings And Food – Super Deluxe’ – Revisiting Their 2nd LP

Seminal punk rock band (albeit an artsy punk rock), who sprung from CBGB no less, the Talking Heads (David Byrne: guitars/vocals; Chris Frantz: drums; Tina Weymouth: drums; Jerry Harrison: guitar/keyboards) have revisited their second album with the release last week of More Songs About Buildings And Food (Super Deluxe Edition). This is on the heels of last years release of Talking Heads: 77 (Super Deluxe Edition). Like last year’s release this “Super Deluxe Edition” includes three discs. The first disc is the original album, the second is a bunch of alternate versions of songs from the album, and finally (and perhaps most importantly) the third disc contains a concert from 1978 recorded at the Entermedia Theater on August 10th of that year. Let me just say, the Talking Heads know how to do the whole “super deluxe” treatment. This is another home run.

I recently wrote about groups that suffered from the “sophomore slump,” and who’s “difficult second album” (per Bono) ranged from disappointment to disaster (U2 for the latter). The Talking Heads certainly didn’t suffer any let down on Buildings And Food. Although admittedly, I didn’t include them on my list of bands that eluded the sophomore slump with an even stronger second album. I think I excluded them from that list because Talking Heads: 77 was such a great debut it was going to be hard to top that. But I will admit to you, if I was being honest, and I realize in some Talking Heads circles this will be blasphemy, that I might like Buildings And Food more than the debut. I certainly think that title – More Songs About Buildings And Food – might be the greatest album title ever. Some of my fandom may be because it was their second album that was the first time I’d heard any Talking Heads. I didn’t start listening to music until 1978 so I never heard “Psycho Killer” (or any other Talking Heads) from the debut on any of my hometown radio stations. I live in the Midwest, so it was probably different for folks on one of the coasts or in say, Chicago. The Heads were probably too weird for KC radio at first. But if I close my eyes, I can still remember sitting on the edge of my bed in the morning, getting ready for school, and hearing “Take Me To The River” on my tinny speaker on the clock radio… like it was yesterday. I remember thinking, what is this wonderful weirdness. Of course, at the time I didn’t realize it was an Al Green cover. For a long time I thought Buildings and Food was their debut, to my shame.

The Heads had a lot going for them going into their sophomore album. First and foremost, Jerry Harrison who had been floating around the edges of the debut was finally fully assimilated into the band. His second guitar and keyboards help flesh out the sound. The rhythm section of Weymouth (bass) and Frantz (drums) had really gelled… they provide such as strong and one might say funky foundation for Byrne to soar. Byrne’s lyrics and singing here take his paranoia to the next level. They also hired legendary alternative rock producer Brian Eno for what would end up being a three album collaboration. His production also really shines on this album. This was the last time it was just the core four members recording, on subsequent albums they added a lot of additional musicians on their albums. That’s why those first two Talking Heads albums are special to me – it’s just four folks bashing out some wonderful noise. Admittedly, I know Eno added some synth here and there to this album. I guess some might consider Buildings And Food to be a transitional album, from that great debut to the weirder stuff on Fear Of Music, their next album (and another of my personal favorites) but if this is a transition, what a smooth one it was.

The thing about Buildings And Food was they sequenced it so the biggest and best tracks were reserved for the last two songs on the album. Al Green’s “Take Me To The River” is one of their biggest tunes and it’s such an iconic song but it’s relegated to the penultimate song on the record. Harrison’s organ drives an undercurrent of menace to the song. It was the lead single and it’s the next to last track on the album? The final track, “The Big Country” is an almost country music tinged take down of America outside of the big cities… After listing all of the parts of the country he’d seen, he sings, in a rather laconic way, “And I have learned how to look at these things, and I say, I wouldn’t live there if you paid me.” Beyond those two great songs there is so much to love on this second album. “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” is a great opening track with Frantz’s galloping drums. Saddle up, partner. “The Good Thing” is pure pop joy. “The Girls Want To Be With The Girls” is quintessential quirky Heads. I’ve always loved “Artists Only,” whose lyrics were written by painter Wayne Zieve. I’ve always imagined it’s an artist screaming at his blank canvas. “I’m cleaning, I’m cleaning my brain.” “I’m Not In Love” has such a great groove. If you’ve never owned this record, you must.

Disc 2, as mentioned, is full of alternative versions of songs from the album. There’s an instrumental version of the song “Electricity” which I think eventually became “Drugs” on the next album that I’d never heard before. While these alternative versions are the cliched “glimpse inside the creative process” they’re probably for completist only. I will admit I almost like the alternate versions of “The Good Thing” and “Warning Sign” more than the released versions. They are all certainly very interesting. All of these songs come across as complete songs, not demo’s. I did find myself going back to those alternative versions quite a bit. There’s a great countrified version of “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Country Angel Version)” that is a great listen if you haven’t heard it before.

Disc 3 is where I think the gold is in this Super Deluxe Edition. It’s a live concert from August 8th of 1978. Oh, to have been in New York that night. But then, I was in junior high school and was years away from a drivers license. I will take any live Talking Heads I can get my hands on, especially these recordings of just the four of them on stage. These early shows are so phenomenal. I often wonder if the folks in the crowd were wondering, when they saw and heard David Byrne, if he was someone who was out on a weekend pass from the local asylum. He sounds so wonderfully unhinged. It’s almost like if that Sheldon character from The Big Bang Theory formed a band. The set list is littered with tracks from just the first two albums so if you love that early Talking heads era, this is the live set for you.

They open with “No Compassion” and it starts slow and then builds to a burn. It almost sounds like Byrne is playing slide guitar on that song? “The Book I Read” is a great addition to any set list. I didn’t think “Artists Only” could sound more unhinged than the original until I heard this live version, and I mean that in a good way. They include the early single “Love Goes To A Building On Fire,” a non-album single and it’s always a treat to hear. “Electricity” is here, this time with vocals. The new tracks fit in perfectly along side of the songs from the debut. They stretch out “Psycho Killer” to almost five minutes and its just a joy to behold. “Take Me To The River” is glorious live with Harrison’s organ just perfect. The show ends where the entire box began with a version of “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel.” It’s the circle of life or at least of rock n roll.

I’ll admit I didn’t get into the Talking Heads in earnest until I was in college. I didn’t own Buildings And Food until I bought that white brick box set Talking Heads, and the version I had contained four of the alternative versions found here, including the “Country Angel Version” of “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel.” If you had that version of the album, there is still over half of this box that was previously unreleased which will make it a must have for the Talking Heads obsessives out there.

Overall, with this live show, this is a great Super Deluxe Edition of a great, great album. While it even took me a while to connect with the Heads’ music, this was a great way to revisit a wonderful era in their catalog. I wish I’d been cool enough in 8th grade to jump on the bandwagon…but I was decidedly not cool in 8th grade, trust me I have the pictures to prove it… Dial this one up and prepare to dance in a twitchy manner across your living room… I’ve been lucky and the Rock Chick has not caught me dancing to this music this week… she usually summons the paramedics in the fear I’m having some sort of massive seizure…she usually mutters, “I knew this day would come,” when she sees me dancing but then I’ve always been a wallflower.

Enjoy this one! Cheers!