Talking Heads
Speaking In Tongues
1983
In my mind, the only blemish on "Speaking In Tongues" is that many fans may be more familiar with the charismatic live versions of these songs featured in Stop Making Sense. The studio versions of some tracks ("Girlfriend Is Better","Slippery People") initially feel a bit stale in comparison to the "live" concert film while others ("Swamp","Making Flippy Floppy") have their own unique life on the record.
The production of this album (again, only initially) struck me as a weak point. The reverb-heavy kick drum sound and distanced mix of the vocal tracks serve to date this record to the mid-80s but that stopped bothering me after several listens. The mix is far different on this album because the songs, accordingly, are a departure for the band and would not be as well served by their previous studio sounds. The drum intro to "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" (which is a fucking brilliant song) wouldn't be as effective without the drum echo in flowing with the delayed guitar David Byrne is weaving over it.
The quartet of songs comprising "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity", "Swamp", "Moon Rocks" and "Pull Up The Roots" may be the best sequence I've ever heard on a record. A good friend described the Talking Heads to me as "the closest white people get to black music" and it seems fairly true on this record. The more authentic Brazilian percussion of Remain In Light is toned down here in order to meld more with a spacey, New Wave feel but the swing and white-boy funk hold true.
I will start a fight with anyone who doesn't think "Moon Rocks" is killer. It absolutely explodes with energy. How can a four-some of caucasian art school nerds get so funky?
Best Track: "Moon Rocks"
The production of this album (again, only initially) struck me as a weak point. The reverb-heavy kick drum sound and distanced mix of the vocal tracks serve to date this record to the mid-80s but that stopped bothering me after several listens. The mix is far different on this album because the songs, accordingly, are a departure for the band and would not be as well served by their previous studio sounds. The drum intro to "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" (which is a fucking brilliant song) wouldn't be as effective without the drum echo in flowing with the delayed guitar David Byrne is weaving over it.
The quartet of songs comprising "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity", "Swamp", "Moon Rocks" and "Pull Up The Roots" may be the best sequence I've ever heard on a record. A good friend described the Talking Heads to me as "the closest white people get to black music" and it seems fairly true on this record. The more authentic Brazilian percussion of Remain In Light is toned down here in order to meld more with a spacey, New Wave feel but the swing and white-boy funk hold true.
I will start a fight with anyone who doesn't think "Moon Rocks" is killer. It absolutely explodes with energy. How can a four-some of caucasian art school nerds get so funky?
Best Track: "Moon Rocks"
Oddly enough, I listened to this for the first time on Friday. I really enjoyed it, but I'll probably have to give it a few more listens to fully appreciate it.
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