Talking Heads: 77
	Produced by Tony Bongiovi, Lance Quinn & Talking Heads
	Released on September 1977
	US CHART POSITION #97 . . . UK CHART POSITION #60
	Find it at GEMM
6036-2 cover [high resolution scan]

W illiam Ruhlmann captured this nicely in a review for AMG, an excerpt of which follows: “All pretenses of normality were abandoned... the staggered rhythms and sudden tempo changes, the odd guitar tunings and rhythmic single-note patterns, the non-rhyming, non-linear, non-narrative lyrics full of aphoristic soundbites that came across like odd remarks overheard from a psychiatrist’s couch, and that voice, singing above its normal range, leaping into falsetto and from there into strangled cries like a madman trying desperately to sound normal.” No point in picking up a pencil when the picture is already perfect, really. I was aware of this music in 1977, but Elvis Costello and (later) The Clash had the steam to reach my suburbs first, the Heads only crashing the gate after Fear of Music. In fact, the whole NYC scene (Television, Patti Smith) didn’t filter down into my little world for years, so I can’t write a testimony to how Talking Heads: 77 changed my life. I didn’t even own this disc six months ago, finally capitulating after resisting the purchase for years (I own all the other “official” Heads albums). Of course, I’ve had the opportunity through compilations and live releases to hear much of this material already: “Pulled Up,” “Don’t Worry About The Government,” “No Compassion,” “Psycho Killer.” Always liked their playful spirit, something the band would return to in later years as complicated sonic textures yielded again to disarming melodies. It would be easy to see the Heads as the class clowns of the new art rock school if David Byrne’s angst wasn't so palpable. It’s a ride unlike any other, where the roads to Candyland and morbid self-obsession cross. Some of the treats are half-baked (“Who Is It?,” “Tentative Decisions”), others employ subtle but complex flavors (“Happy Day”), and a few reveal a real sweet-tooth (“Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town”). Now the task is to go back and re-evaluate More Songs in this new light. In the meantime, if you’re torn between the two, I’d start at the beginning with 77.

6036-2 back cover	6036-2 booklet inner sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. UH-OH, LOVE COMES TO TOWN    2:48
2. NEW FEELING    3:09
3. TENTATIVE DECISIONS    3:04
4. HAPPY DAY    3:55
5. WHO IS IT?    1:41
6. NO COMPASSION    4:47
7. THE BOOK I READ    4:06
8. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT    3:00
9. FIRST WEEK/LAST WEEK... CAREFREE    3:19
10. PSYCHO KILLER    (David Byrne/Martina Weymouth/Christopher Frantz)    4:19
11. PULLED UP    4:29
    
    All selections written by David Byrne unless noted
    

CREDITS

DAVID BYRNE -- guitar player and singer, cover
CHRIS FRANTZ -- drummer
JERRY HARRISON -- guitar and keyboard player, 2nd singer
MARTINA WEYMOUTH -- bass player
Ed Stasium -- engineer
Mick Rock -- photography

return to TALKING HEADS discography

For more discographies visit...

© 2005 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.