More Songs About Buildings and Food

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Choosing former Roxy Music member and David Bowie collaborator Brian Eno to produce them, Talking Heads expanded their sound greatly for their 1978-released second album. While most associated Eno with hi-tech, electronic fare, he surprisingly brought out the more organically rhythmic side of the Heads' material. With Jerry Harrison's keyboards playing a more pronounced role--most notably on their spirited hit cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"--and drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth powering the band through tracks like "Stay Hungry" and "Warning Sign," leader David Byrne sounded more relaxed and "normal," even as he wandered through such high-concept works as "Artists Only" and the sprawling "Big Country." --Billy Altman --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

More Songs About Buildings and Food
Average customer rating:

Talking Heads hit their stride

best TH album

4 1/2 stars-- the "second debut" with Brian Eno.

Stands the test of time

Inventing Situations

More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Talking Heads: 77

Fear of Music

Remain in Light

Speaking in Tongues

Little Creatures

ASIN: B000002KNV
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
With Our Love
The Good Thing
Warning Signs
The Girls Want To Be With The Girls
Found A Job
Artists Only
I'm Not In Love
Stay Hungry
Take Me To The River
The Big Country

Amazon.com essential recording

Choosing former Roxy Music member and David Bowie collaborator Brian Eno to produce them, Talking Heads expanded their sound greatly for their 1978-released second album. While most associated Eno with hi-tech, electronic fare, he surprisingly brought out the more organically rhythmic side of the Heads' material. With Jerry Harrison's keyboards playing a more pronounced role--most notably on their spirited hit cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"--and drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth powering the band through tracks like "Stay Hungry" and "Warning Sign," leader David Byrne sounded more relaxed and "normal," even as he wandered through such high-concept works as "Artists Only" and the sprawling "Big Country." --Billy Altman

Customer Reviews:

Talking Heads hit their stride.......2006-10-11

The Talking Heads' debut album, Talking Heads: 77, clearly stood the test of time like few punk and proto-punk albums. But if 77 was one of the best creations of the punk genre, then with their second album, More Songs About Buildings And Food, David Byrne and co. achieved a sound of their own that transcended time and genre, and assured their place in the pantheon of rock n' roll.

In no small part, thanks are due to producer Brian Eno; though he was only four years older than Byrne himself, Eno had a rich career behind him, not only as a former member of art-school heroes Roxy Music but also as a collaborator with varied artists such as David Bowie, Devo, John Cale and Robert Wyatt. Eno helped the Heads mature their style, giving Jerry Harrison's keyboard a more important role than in 77, and Harrison carries many of the songs on his wonderful playing. But Eno or no Eno, the show still belongs to Byrne, and he matured greatly in his singing and most notably in his songwriting from the first album. The angst and cynicism of Psycho Killer and Don't Worry About The Government is still there, but it's more subtle, more low-key, and much, much nastier. In fact, the beautiful The Big Country may just be the meanest piece he has ever written.

Not all the tracks on More Songs are standouts; in fact it starts out pretty mildly. The first three tracks - Thank You For Sending Me An Angel, With Our Love and The Good Thing - are relatively lukewarm, nice little tunes with good and intelligent lyrics, and aren't as powerful and straightforward as most of 77. But when Warning Signs hits, it's clear that the change that went over the Heads is not a mellowing of their first album, but on the contrary - Byrne merely sharpened his knives. Warning Signs is a phenomenal song and a strong one, and once the album hits its stride, it doesn't let go. Warning Signs is quickly followed by the brilliant Found A Job, that remains one of the Heads' greatest songs, and one of Byrne's best lyrical inventions, telling the story of a problem couple who start creating their own TV shows at home; the song is sharp and cynical, and in its subtle ways the message is more powerful than in straightforward anti-social numbers like the classic Psycho Killer. The next three tracks - Artists Only, I'm No In Love and Stay Hungry, are consistently engaging and challenging and keep the album running smoothly, even if Stay Hungry might have felt more at ease on 77.

The last two tracks show just how much the Heads have grown in the past year, and how much they have increased their versatility. The cover version of Al Green's Motown classic Take Me To The River instantly became the Heads' biggest radio hit, and even if it's not one of the best tracks on the album it's easy to see why; it's a fantastic cover version, done with every bit of respect and love for the original and for the Motown sound, but infusing it with new life and modern sounds. Byrne and co. prove on that track just how talented a group of musicians they were, setting themselves completely apart from punk rockers like the Sex Pistols or the Ramones; the Heads were capable of instrumental grooves that few punk bands could master. On the other hand, the epic The Big Country is the best showcase of Byrne's song craftsmanship, and it remains one of his greatest creations. Byrne's mild and subtle sarcasm on The Big Country is immensely stronger and nastier than anything on 77, and it's perfect in composition and in delivery both. The Big Country is the best track on More Songs, and it would be the springboard for their finest albums.

So even if More Songs About Buildings And Food is not the Heads' best album, it's the beginning of their creative prime, one that would produce the brilliant masterpieces Fear Of Music and Remain In Light, and even if it's not necessarily better on the whole than Talking Heads: 77, in many ways it's the first true Heads album. It's essential for any fan, and a standout album of its time.

best TH album.......2006-05-17

Talking Heads were one of my favorite bands in the early 80's, but back then I listened mostly to Fear of Music; and Remain in Light has always been the critically more acclaimed album by the band.
Although many consider those two albums more significant, and I do not want to argue that opinion, 25 years later it's "More songs..." the CD I elect to listen to. That makes it the best Talking Heads album for me

4 1/2 stars-- the "second debut" with Brian Eno........2006-02-21

After hitting the ground running with their stunning debut, the Talking Heads decided to enlist the assistance of Brian Eno for their second album, "MOre Songs About Buildings and Food". In all likelihood, this was a wise move-- following up a debut as fresh and superb as "Talking Heads '77" was a difficult task, and in Eno they had someone who could grow their music. The partnership would last through the next two Talking Heads albums, a collaborative effort between Eno and Byrne ("My Life in the Bush of Ghosts") and Byrne's "Catherine Wheel". The one thing that's pretty much consistent throughout is that the union of Byrne and Eno produces high results.

In many ways, all Eno did was encourage natural outgrowth from the last album-- certainly the debut record was a quirky and timeless effort and more than a superb springboard to work from and pieces such as "Stay Hungry" (in fact originally attempted for the debut left unused) and "Artists Only" recall the best of '77'. But Eno also seemed to encourage more diversity, pushing the band in a number of different directiosn-- opener "Thank You for Sending An Angel" uses march rhythms and high energy, "With Our Love" hints at Eastern European sounds and the Ramones, "Warning Sign" bubbles with a frantic power that sounds like the successor to Eno's "Third Uncle" and the cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" slinks into a deep organ groove with Byrne bringing a quite unexpected vocal to the table for the gospel-infused monster (and proved to be the first major exposure the band got). But perhaps closer "The Big Country" is the best of all of them-- Byrne sinks into a more calm and melancholy delivery over a laid back and yet somehow still energetic groove. Like the debut, there's some less than fantastic material, but even that is very listenable ("Found a Job").

This album has just been rereleased in dualdisc format and the sonic upgrade is well worth the extra couple bucks investment.

The collaboration between Brian Eno and the Talking Heads would continue to yield superb results-- in many ways, this is as much a debut as the previous album was, and like the debut, is equally essential. Recommended.

Stands the test of time.......2006-01-10

"Take me to the River" was the first Talking Heads song I ever heard, being a huge radio hit way back when. I got around to buying this album a couple years later (along with Talking Heads 77) I only wondered "why that song, when there are so many better ones on the record?"
That being said, this album is chock-full of great songs, and with great production to put them across. Worth every cent!

Inventing Situations.......2006-01-10

This is my personal favorite of the Talking Heads CD's I own. Why? It is both playful and lyrical. Each song seems to tell a complete story, with characters, motivations, and conflict. The best example of this on the album is "found a job", explaining how a couple saves their relationshp through creating their own TV shows on a new videocamera. Every song seems to create a complete lyrical and sonic vision, with catchy melodies that make the CD easy to listen to over and over again.

Average customer rating:

Dual Discs are horrible
SCRATCHED AND GOUGED DISCS; BAD HANDLING AT THE PRESSING PLANT!
Thankyou for sending me a surround sound remaster.
4 1/2 stars-- the "second debut" with Brian Eno.
I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends.

More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Talking Heads: 77
Fear of Music
Remain in Light
Speaking in Tongues
Little Creatures

ASIN: B000C3H4LS
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
With Our Love
The Good Thing
Warning Sign
The Girls Want To Be With The Girls
Found A Job
Artists Only
I'm Not In Love
Stay Hungry
Take Me To The River
The Big Country
Stay Hungry (1977 Version)
I'm Not In Love (Alternate Version)
The Big Country (Alternate Version)
Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Country Angel Version)

Customer Reviews:

Dual Discs are horrible.......2007-01-01

Talking Heads are great, but the Dual Disc format is really really lame. The Dual Disc is to thick to work on every CD player/CD drive. I tried it on my PC and it works some of the time and never on my laptop. It does work all the time in my dvd player and normal cd player. It works in my car but has trouble being ejected all the way (because of the thickness). If you are going to buy a dual disc I would suggest trying to make a copy to a normal disc ASAP, if you can. I don't understand the use for this format. If they want to include DVD audio/ video extras just put it on an extra disc. Also one side of the disc is always exposed so scratches can pile up real quick. The Dual Disc format is just not worth the hassle. 0 for dual disc format, 5 for Talking Heads.

SCRATCHED AND GOUGED DISCS; BAD HANDLING AT THE PRESSING PLANT!.......2006-07-14

I have had an infuriating experience with Warner Music Group lasting a year, first, over the Rhino "Brick" box, and now the individual T-Heads DualDisc titles. My problem is physical damage to the discs, unnecessarily caused by obvious careless handling & packaging at the pressing plant.

In the "Brick", the unique white jewel cases come gouged and scratched, and the discs in both the Brick and individually-packaged titles, have fingerprints, smears, scratches, and pits.

This began last year when I purchased the "Brick" upon release. When I opened the set, every jewel case was damaged. These cases have a solid white rear panel, and can't be commercially replaced. They are not individually shrink-wrapped (which would eliminate the problem), and are obviously forcefully shoved into the box set's plastic outer shell at the plant, hence the damage.

It was worse inside each jewel case: All of the discs literally looked like they were used. Several were so badly artifacted they couldn't be read in any player or drive.

So, following web site direction, I e-mailed "Dr. Rhino". I received a reply, which directed me to return the set for replacement. As this is an expensive item, that entailed going to the Post Office to buy Insurance & Delivery Confirmation at my own cost. Annoyed, I decided to wait a few months, reasoning that perhaps the first production batch was bad and they would sell through. I stood in line at the USPS for 45 minutes, mailed it and waited. Six weeks later, the replacement showed up, carelessly packed into a crushed box, and the entire set was in worse shape than the first one. I e-mailed again, didn't get an answer for 2 months, and when I did, it was "send it back again"! The audacity of that response was pretty amazing: Why would I keep wasting my money and time to cycle their defective product?

So, I contacted the CD store where I purchased the original set. All the TH titles had been released individually, so the store manager & I decided we would change out the box for the separate titles, and he would return the bad ones.

I just received those yesterday: In five of the eight titles, all the same surface-damage artifacts. Several digipaks had their plastic disc retaining spindles broken with shards floating around inside. Also, inside each digipak, there is a 3.5"-square paper "DualDisc" tutorial insert. In some of the digipaks, it was tossed on top of the disc, where it rubs against the disc, an additional cause of surface damage.

So, the store manager is going to continuously order in each individual title and open them, looking for virgin discs. He is going to return all the defective discs, and repeat the process going until he finds five clean discs. Which is pathetic.

I've been thru three complete sets in one year, which means you are almost certainly going to run into this problem with your purchase. So, when you buy the Brick or any of the individual titles, please do not accept & settle for damaged product. Send it back to Amazon, e-mail Rhino, do whatever you have to do to get what you paid a lot of money for.

This would have never happened, or would have certainly been quickly corrected, when Messrs. Foos & Bronson, who founded Rhino, were in charge. Unfortunately, in 1998, Rhino was swallowed whole and "WEA-fied" by the odious Warner Music Group, where CEO Edgar Bronfman is obviously far more interested in extolling the virtues of DRM than he is in running a business that can deliver quality.

Thankyou for sending me a surround sound remaster........2006-04-11

Stop whingeing the lot of you! These remasters are brilliant. The Digipacks are fine. Maybe like me you'll want to put them in plastic sleeves to keep them pristine, but unless you treat all your possesions like dirt then they will last your lifetime. If the Dualdiscs aren't working in your gear then it's time to upgrade. The stereo remasters are as they should be, sounding full and rich and clear. I always held the 'More Songs...' album down a peg or two on my list of Heads favourites because sonically it seemed thin and weak, but not anymore! By returning to the multi-track tapes the 5.1 Surround Sound remixes have put the meat back on the skeleton. What a gem. Sometimes in surround mixes you can pick out individual sounds to the detriment of the overall blend and the ear feels let down by discovering the secret ingredients, but in the Talking Heads remixes some of those sounds are even more interesting in isolation but still entwine with everything else to preserve the intention of the stereo mix. How lucky we are to live in these times when technology allows us to listen to great music that's nearly 30 years old and have it sound better than it ever has! And aren't we lucky to be fans of a band called Talking Heads.

4 1/2 stars-- the "second debut" with Brian Eno........2006-02-21

After hitting the ground running with their stunning debut, the Talking Heads decided to enlist the assistance of Brian Eno for their second album, "MOre Songs About Buildings and Food". In all likelihood, this was a wise move-- following up a debut as fresh and superb as "Talking Heads '77" was a difficult task, and in Eno they had someone who could grow their music. The partnership would last through the next two Talking Heads albums, a collaborative effort between Eno and Byrne ("My Life in the Bush of Ghosts") and Byrne's "Catherine Wheel". The one thing that's pretty much consistent throughout is that the union of Byrne and Eno produces high results.

In many ways, all Eno did was encourage natural outgrowth from the last album-- certainly the debut record was a quirky and timeless effort and more than a superb springboard to work from and pieces such as "Stay Hungry" (in fact originally attempted for the debut left unused) and "Artists Only" recall the best of '77'. But Eno also seemed to encourage more diversity, pushing the band in a number of different directiosn-- opener "Thank You for Sending An Angel" uses march rhythms and high energy, "With Our Love" hints at Eastern European sounds and the Ramones, "Warning Sign" bubbles with a frantic power that sounds like the successor to Eno's "Third Uncle" and the cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" slinks into a deep organ groove with Byrne bringing a quite unexpected vocal to the table for the gospel-infused monster (and proved to be the first major exposure the band got). But perhaps closer "The Big Country" is the best of all of them-- Byrne sinks into a more calm and melancholy delivery over a laid back and yet somehow still energetic groove. Like the debut, there's some less than fantastic material, but even that is very listenable ("Found a Job").

This reissue is in the dualdisc format with both the CD side and the 5.1 DVD audio side remastered to provide a crisp, clean sound that is a huge step forward from the early '90s issues of these albums. Additionally, both sides are augmented with bonus tracks-- four unused alternates (including the 1977 recording of "Stay Hungry") on the CD side and two live video clips on the DVD side. All in all, a quite worthwhile upgrade.

The collaboration between Brian Eno and the Talking Heads would continue to yield superb results-- in many ways, this is as much a debut as the previous album was, and like the debut, is equally essential. Recommended.

I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends........2006-01-27

Talking Heads didn't make a classic album with "More Songs About Buildings And Food", but they were working on it. This digitally remastered dual disc greatly improves the sound quality from the old cd version.

The cd side sounds great in stereo, but it's the dvd side that will knock your socks off. When you hear "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" in 5.1 surround sound it's like hearing it for the first time again. The other great tracks on this album are "The Good Thing", "Warning Sign", "Artists Only", "Take Me To The River" and "The Big Country". The dvd side also includes two live videos which is good if you missed seeing the Talking Heads in concert like myself.

The four bonus tracks are all marked previously unreleased, and I know I've never heard these versions of four songs from this album. I actually liked the '77 version of "Stay Hungry". The alternate version of "I'm Not In Love" does nothing to improve the song, and the alternate version of "The Big Country" is more stripped down than the original, which didn't do much for me. The alternate version of "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" is likewise uninteresting.

The booklet comes with praises by different popular musicians and a note about the 5.1 remixing process by Jerry Harrison. The lyrics are not included like in the old cd version which I think was an oversight. The price of this remastered dual disc is steep and really ought to be more like $9.99.

All in all, worth rebuying if you're a true Heads fan like myself.

More Songs About Hockey...and Buildings and Food

Average customer rating:

A Solid Album
One-of-a-kind!
Great stuff
Better Than The Beatles (at hockey songs)
A must have for any hockey fan

More Songs About Hockey...and Buildings and Food
The Zambonis
Manufacturer: Tarquin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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100% Hockey...and Other Stuff
And the Hockey Song

ASIN: B00003A9EE
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Tracks:

Hextall
Hockey Monkey
Slapshot Man
Andy Moog Meets Robert Moog
Drop That Puck!
Russian Pop Song
The Breakaway
Lost My Teeth
The Helmut Song (Remix)
Johnny Got Suspended
Hockey Week
The Wait
Great Zamboni Of Devotion
Ode To A Minor League Mascot (Buddy's Theme)
Bob Marley & The Hartford Whalers
Zamboni Drivers' Local Union
We Write The Songs That Make The Whole Rink Sing...

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Album.......2006-06-14

Knowing that The Zambonis are buddies with Harry and The Potters, you can automatically assume that they will rock. And they do, as long as you like hockey. If not, the album can appear stupid and confusing. Except for "Hockey Monkey," of course. It was recently the #1 alternative song on the Sirius Sattelite Radio station, "AltNation." But honestly, the album is pretty hard not to like, with its mix of different styles of music, from game chants to ska tunes to pop hits.

One-of-a-kind!.......2005-07-14

I love minor-league hockey, which is what the Zambonis sing about, so this disc was a must-own for me. The standout songs on this CD are "Johnny got Suspended" (for wearing an Islanders sucks t-shirt, oh yes he did), "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers" (big ups for mentioning the Quebec Nordiques too) and the super cute "Hockey Monkey" - although "The Wait" best describes fans of my local team! Personally, I love the ska flavor of "The Breakaway" - it is my favorite song on this CD. I also like the little chants and stuff they put on here, like "Hextall" and "Drop That Puck". It's hella fun to listen to in the car on the way to the game (we always end up singing along) or in the summer, personally when I miss the ice most.

Great stuff.......2004-12-15

I happen to live in CT, where hockey is a big thing, so big, that Dave Zamboni (The lead singer of this band), is the MC for the Bridgeport Soundtigers (Islanders affiliate AHL team). This CD is great! It's got the catchy tune "Hockey Monkey", which is just a funny song. If you like hockey, then you will LOVE this CD!

Better Than The Beatles (at hockey songs).......2002-05-16

WOW!!! I knew that title would get your attention. The Beatles never wrote songs about hockey so the title is correct. These guys really are incredible. Their sense of melody, musicianship, humor and the fact that they make songs about hockey better than most junk that comes out from non hockey bands is INCREDIBLE! If you like hockey, you will love these guys. If you like music, you need to listen to this band and then you may find yourself heading out to the rink soon after. GREAT STUFF!!!

A must have for any hockey fan.......2001-08-02

This is probally the bands best CD. And this band is one of the best kept secrets in the hockey world. The band uses a few different musical styles, but it all revolves around hockey, and the music can be catchy even if your not a hockey fan. The lyrics are great, well written, but not too serious. I got this CD months ago, and I've still got it in my CD player.

Average customer rating:

Masterpiece

More Songs About Buildings & Food

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000CSUUMS
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Customer Reviews:

Masterpiece.......2007-07-26

On this second album, those Talking Heads trademarks still sound fresh and innovative: the unusual song structures, weird evocative lyrics, pained vocals and jagged rhythms. My favorites include The Girls Want To Be With The Girls, I'm Not In Love, the cover of Take Me To The River (interpreted as a type of anthem) and the remarkable track The Big Country with its country flavor, flowing rhythms and cinematic imagery. In retrospect, the sentiment of the song was snobbish but it charmed me way back in 1978. Talking Heads were in the same league as Television, Patti Smith, Richard Hell and the Voidoids - a new wave of music with poetic substance, as opposed to the 3-chord punk wonders of the time. Read all about it in From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk Rock. It still sounds great today.

The Best of Talking Heads

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