Vinyl Profiles with E.K. Talking Heads: More Songs about Bulidings and Food

Hello Everyone,

Eric is back for his second weekly dive into our record collection. I had seriously high page views last week so I assume that means you want more! Enjoy!
~Maria

Welcome to the second installment of Vinyl Profiles with E.K. I thought picking a band’s second record would be fitting and, since I’m still apparently banned from 80s metal, I decided to pick a record that’s on heavy rotation in the Wimmer household. 

Maria and I often discuss how difficult it is for a band to have only winners. Most have a winner and several duds. However, on rare occasions there is, as the tiger head entrance to the Cave of Wonders would say, “a diamond in the rough.” The experimental late 70s/early 80s band Talking Heads is one of those “diamonds” (in fact, that’s probably what the tiger head was telling Jafar).

I’d like to profile the fantastic 1978 sophomore record More Songs About Buildings and Food by Talking Heads. We found this album at a Goodwill thrift store in Denver, CO back in 2006-7 for $1.50. Come to think of it, we have found nearly the entire catalog of Talking Heads over the years at various thrift stores. A dedicated regimen of vinyl hunting at thrift stores often yields amazing rewards.

This profile should really begin with the unique album art by the late great New York artist Jimmy De Sana. More Songs was a super cool photomontage and inspired many indie bands in the following years. The only Talking Heads cover I can think of that comes close was world renowned artist Robert Rauschenberg’s limited edition cover of the 1983 album Speaking in Tongues.

The other obvious reason I’m picking this out of their other albums is because it marks the band’s first collaboration with producer/musician Brian Eno. Now, there is only one reader that truly knows the extent of my unending love for Brian Eno (*hint, this one reader may also be referred to as Hottie McWifey). Brian Eno is a genius, pure and simple. On this record he took a group of four talented, but scattered musicians and focused their skills, played to their strengths. These strengths include David Byrne’s vision and unique voice, the iconic rhythm section of Chris Frantz (drums) and Tina Weymouth (bass) and some great guitar riffs from Jerry Harrison that greatly enhance the sound. This winning combination of sound and vision, often under the guidance of Brian Eno, would go on to solidify Talking Heads as one of the most original and inspiring bands of the 20^th century.