Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food LP

Formed in NYC in the mid-’70s by David Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth, and ex-Modern Lover Jerry Harrison, Talking Heads soared out of their humble CBGB’s beginnings to become Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and one of the most adventurous and influential bands of all-time. 

 

The Talking Heads recorded their second album in March of 1978 at Compass Point Studio's in the Bahamas. For a band with their roots and soul firmly in Manhattan, such a location might have been disorientating; but the addition of Brian Eno - ex-Roxy Music keyboardist and pioneer of discreet music - as co-producer sharpened the band's sound rather than diluting it.

 

More Songs About Buildings And Food - the title satirized the group's offbeat subject matter on their debut album - made one commercial concession, including a cover version of Al Green's "Take Me To The River." This proved to be a perfect vehicle for the group's faintly R&B-flavored sound, and it provided them with a U.S. hit single, reaching #26. 

 

The album hardened the sound of the debut LP, with Jerry Harrison's guitar making its presence felt. David Byrne's songs were equally uncompromising, however, and although Brian Eno's production gave the group a richer feel than ever before, they were still far removed from the kind of music that most 'new wave' artists were unveiling.