Grand success on their debut album gave Talking Heads major headway. Immediate fears of becoming a singles band were mounted by the success of Psycho Killer. Reacting against the possibility of this categorisation saw David Byrne take a left-field approach to their follow-up. It still held all the heady components of their self-respecting original. Still, the feeling of pulling yourself up out of malaise and throwing yourself head-on into the world lingered. Hence the title, More Songs About Buildings and Food. But within their second record was an Al Green cover, a collection of narrative-driven moments which trifled with the everyman way of living. Getting a job, working to stay well-fed and partnering up. More Songs About Buildings and Food, from song to song, changes its perspective from disrespecting the norms to idolising them.
Because that is the crossroads Talking Heads found themselves. Confidence growing, funk elements relied on more and a warm collation of instruments fighting for second place behind an unconventional frontman makes for a fiery experience. With Our Love has the integral Talking Heads members attempt to outdo one another, the goading back and forth between bass and guitar as Chris Frantz slinks off to provide a foundation for this back and forth is an incredible experience. Catch yourself in the right mood and the emotive depth in these moments drowns you. Let the work unravel you. The Good Thing marks those efficient turns of capitalism as inevitable. Throw yourself into the blender of production. Found a Job maintains this course of countering the grind, this expectation of improvements to your quality of life is no guarantee.
How we hold our heads above the waters of simplicity and symmetry is tricky. I’m Not in Love sounds out the disassociation we feel for ourselves when in this rut. We bleed ourselves dry and leave no case for recovery. If we do we go hungry, cold, and find ourselves spiralling while trying to keep a hold of everything. Talking Heads, through their interchangeable instrumental work on Stay Hungry, find a sound which gives their listeners the freedom to wax over their fear. Escapism is the key. Through titles alone a narrative forms but listen in close, the revelatory moments on The Big Country, sweeping acoustics and a fresh air washing through it, is a stark contrast to the likes of Warning Sign.
What can we find when the pressure is off? Talking Heads hopes to hone listeners into thinking outside of the rat race. Doing so reopens the environmental approach Talking Heads would later take on Naked. Life is not just about buildings and food. The Big Country hopes to kindle this love for the great outdoors. More Songs About Buildings and Food is a rejection of the considered norms. They still hit out at the average days in the life of billions. Why settle for the same? Byrne holds out hope of an idyllic lifestyle and it would infect his view of suburbia. His work on True Stories is the clearest example, but More Songs About Buildings and Food feeds the fire.
