More Songs About Buildings And Food [CD]

Part of our Two CDs for £9 offer*

Most of what has been written about this series, starting with the Brick box set has focused on the 5.1 DVD remixes. Since I don't have a surround system, here's a few words on the CD in package.

Firstly, the CD in this CD+DVDA set is a completely separate disc to the DVD. No double-sided, incompatible with lots of things, dualdisc. Secondly, it has 4 bonus tracks unlisted by Amazon. They are: Stay Hungry (1977 version), I'm Not in Love (Alternative version), The Big Country (alternate version), and Thank you for sending me an angel (Country Angel version).

It would be fair to say from the get go that the bonus tracks are not why you want this CD. Stay Hungry and The Big Country sound here as rejects from TH '77. The Alternate version to I'm Not in Love is a novelty version (at least today it sounds it) with massive flanging and phasing effects all over certain instruments. The only thing among the extras worth hearing more than once is the Country Angel version of "Thank you for sending me an angel". It's like the original version, but the with the country elements turned up. It works fine, though I still strongly prefer the original.

The cover says the CD is remastered. In most cases this means that some mastering engineer has slovenly run the tape through a savage peak limiter, screwed up the volume by 5-10dB, and instant remaster! This remaster though is an entirely different animal. While it is louder than previous masters (about 3dB louder than Sand in the Vaseline and 7db louder than the original MSABAF CD), the big differences are in two areas: the bass and the details.

This CD has MUCH more bass than the original. On "Take me to the river" I measured an increase of 10dB at 55Hz and 20dB at 30Hz (set to an equivalent volume at 1kHz). The treble is slightly dropped to, though this is only 1-2dB.

The result is a much weightier, more modern sound. This no longer sounds like lightweight pop, it's getting bolshie and powerful. The music is immensely engaging (it always was of course) in a new way. It drives, it hits, it moves.

The other thing is the details, and here I am starting to wonder if something more than remastering has gone on, cause I'm hearing so much new music. I suspect these things were always there because when I go back I can hear the things I am hearing for the first time on the early pressings, but now there are stereo placements and details, especially I am guessing Eno's input, that stand out much more clearly. And this isn't just the volume making them stand out since I have adjusted for that. There is space here I have never noticed - and the space gives room for instruments to appear more clearly. David's voice is very clear in the mix, and his manic intensity is even more powerful than ever.
And all this is before you even get to the DVD! my money was rarely better spent.

This is the essence of Talking Heads, Okay, so I know Brian Eno's on board now and it changes their sound dramatically from 77 but it's still tight and in control. I saw them touring this and it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to - they could pretty much do it live. Typical quirky songs, neat guitar phrases, I love Tina's bass,however much everyone else disparages it. If you only get one Heads album I'd recommend this one. Later stuff can get a bit overindulgent and too much studio production. 'Buildings' still retains it's soul, energy, integrity and essence. Screw loose and fancy free.

More songs about buildings and food.....and artists, abstract analysis, office jobs, bodybuilders, restaurants, Al Green - in fact America. More songs about America and how weird normal can be.

Talking Heads were always the epitome of late 70's USA cool. They were funky, self contained, literate, fun and soooo normal (The drummer was married to the bass player...!)yet it all worked. What an alternative to the UK New Romantic scene...

Centred around David Byrne's astonishing lyrics, they wove a heady stew of clipped funk, classic soul and sparkling pop all shot through with an avant garde edge that made sure they sounded like no one else on the planet.

From here on it was 'Fear of Music' which introduced African polyrhythms for the first time and then onto the their career peak 'Remain in Light' - still the greatest LP ever released. This one's great too - buy it, dance to it, think about it.