More Talking Heads
AMAZING SOUND ON BOTH SIDES of this White Hot Stamper LP. Side two rates A+++ and side one is not far behind at A++ – A+++. This copy murdered the typical pressings in an incredibly enjoyable shootout.We couldn’t believe how amazing this album can sound on a top copy. I’d even say that it’s a sonic step up from More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear Of Music and Remain In Light, probably tying with Little Creatures for top Talking Heads honors.
We’re huge Talking Heads fans at Better Records, but we’ve never tried to shoot out this album before this year because the copies we had played to this point were no great shakes. Regular copies of this album are now getting priced up to $17.99 at our local stores, so we just hadn’t bothered to pick up too many until we heard a surprisingly good copy earlier this year. We started stocking up on them and we ended needing a big stack, because only a few of them were able to show us what this album can really do.
Both sides are incredible, dramatically better than what you get on most copies. Side two is super rich and open with lots of layered depth to the soundfield. It has a big meaty bottom end and sound that really jumps out of their speakers. This side gets it all right folks! Side one is a small step down, but still sounds out of this world. It’s big, open and transparent with excellent clarity and lots of texture to the vocals and instruments.
This album, and specifically this Hot Stamper, has the energy and power of live rock and roll, no doubt about it. The sound here is so analog — warm, rich and smooth. This copy has the kind of fullness and life that are hard to come by for this music. Put this one up against your old copy and you’ll hear what I’m talking about!
TRACK LISTING
Side One
Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
New Feeling
Tentative Decisions
Happy Day
Who Is It?
No Compassion
Side Two
The Book I Read
Don’t Worry About the Government
First Week/Last Week…Carefree
Psycho Killer
Pulled Up
AMG 5 Star Rave Review
Talking Heads threw you off balance, but grabbed your attention with a sound that seemed alternately threatening and goofy. The music was undeniably catchy, even at its most ominous, especially on “Psycho Killer,” Byrne’s supreme statement of demented purpose. Amazingly, that song made the singles chart for a few weeks, evidence of the group’s quirky appeal… they had succeeded as artists, using existing elements in an unusual combination to create something new that still managed to be oddly familiar. And that made Talking Heads: 77 a landmark album.