Ty Listens to "Talking Heads"

I grew up in a house where music was played constantly. My parents are children of the 60's, two of my brothers are kids of the late 70's and early 80's and my brother closest in age to me was a hip hop kid in the early 90's. There has been plenty of music, and plenty of different music that I have heard in my 37 years so far on this planet. Like most people I have developed my own taste, I have very emotionally charged feelings about what I like and why I like it and I consider myself a music snob. But, my taste has been molded by everyone in my family. I have my love for The Beatles from my dad. The Band is one of the best bands ever, and I have my mom to thank for that. Hip hop groups like Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, I have RD to thank for that. Jam music and hippy bands, I can attribute my other brothers, and my oldest brother's wife for my love, albeit short lasting, for jam music.

The one band that all three of my brothers have listened to, and grown to love over the years, Talking Heads, never really, truly spoke to me. I listened to them. I was the typical guy that liked their hits, but I never really ventured beyond that. I would just listen to their songs that I heard in movies or on TV shows or other bands covering them live. Recently though I have found myself revisiting bands that I never gave a true chance. I have been listening to a lot of bands people have told me about, but I never really felt that I needed to give them the time. I am also running all the time during the pandemic, and lately I have been devouring music on my runs because podcasts can get a bit boring, or they don't give me the energy that I need. My kids would also much rather listen to music than another basketball podcast. Over the past week I decided that I was going to give Talking Heads a fair shake. I don't know if it was the new Scott Aukermann and Adam Scott podcast about them that got to me, or if I just decided it was time, or a combination of the two, but the time had come to give in.

Boy am I glad that I did. Talking Heads are absolutely incredible, way ahead of their time, geniuses, have made some of the best music that has ever existed and just an all out wonderful band. Forgive me if I have already written about them in my Greatest American band pieces I did, but I didn't really get them until just the other day. In the past three days I have listened to "77", "More Songs About Buildings and Food" and "Stop Making Sense" each about three times from start to finish. This is some of the most incredible music I have ever heard in my life. To hear them, especially on a debut album like "77", sound like they did is amazing. They were so ahead of their contemporaries. They had a clearer vision than anyone else where their genre was headed. If I had to pick a genre for them I'd say they are post punk, but Talking Heads is so much more than just a genre. They bend so many different styles and blends of music. They can do so many different styles. The band is truly phenomenal, and David Byrne, he may be one of the most musically talented writers and composers of all time. Hearing what he wrote on "77" is simply astounding. Then to hear the sonic change they made on "MSABAF", they knew where they wanted to go, got some help from Brian Eno, and they went there, but also went beyond.

Then yesterday I decided to give "Stop Making Sense" my first listen. I have read and heard many things about the record, but I never dove into it. I decided I was going to go run for about an hour, so I figured it was a perfect time to finally check it out. Well, my run lasted for an hour and 20 minutes because I had to hear the whole thing. I got three songs into it and I was absolutely blown away by what I was hearing. It has to be one of the best live albums that has ever been made. Listening to "Stop Making Sense" actually makes me miss live music that much more. I didn't think I was missing it much during the pandemic, but this record changed all that. I wanted to be there when they recorded this. I want to see Talking Heads. I know it's not viable anymore, but this album makes me miss it, and wish for live music. It is perfectly crafted, perfectly sequenced and lets the band totally shine. And talk about hits. This record is filled with incredible live versions of any Talking Heads song any average fan could ask for. But they also throw in some other stuff that just blows me away. When they turn into the Tom Tom Club and play "Genius of Love", it is such a change departure, but it is groovy as hell. To go from that right into a sped up version of "Girlfriend is Better" shows how gifted they were as a band. Also, the version of "This Must Be the Place" that they play, they call it "Naive Melody", makes me adore the song so much more. "Life During Wartime", which they play right after "Burning Down the House", is legendary. And that is how the whole record is. It just gets better and better with every listen.

I have found that has been my feeling with the first three records I have chosen to listen to as well. I have found myself craving their music lately. I wake up and turn them on when I make breakfast. I listen to them when I workout. They work for everything. I'm so excited to see where they go from here, and how much more I grow to love them. I definitely waited too long to really listen to Talking Heads, but better late than never, right. They are clearly one of the best, most influential and most important bands of all time. Talking Heads are amazing. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.