#206
June 10 1985
Talking Heads
Little Creatures
Genre: Rock
4.5 out of 5
Highlights:
And She Was
Give Me Back My Name
The Lady Don’t Mind
Stay Up Late
Road to Nowhere
It was the end of sophomore year and I was reading a newspaper on the subway platform. The reviewer was talking about this record and, specifically, how it seemed that David Byrne had finally learned to trust himself as a singer.
I never forgot that review. Just one of those things that stayed with me. And then the video for “And She Was” hit and it was so forward thinking and edgy. The song was sparse and catchy and the video was cluttered but just as catchy.
The entire album is that. These aren’t just rhythm riffs over which songs were crafted. They are actually songs designed to be played as songs not as jams. It’s refreshing. In a way this is Talking Heads’ Heartbeat City. One delicious track after another.
And, yeah yeah, I know, “Stay Up Late” is the goofiest thing I’ve ever highlighted. And I like it better than every track on Fables of the Reconstruction. I never ever thought of David Byrne as someone who knew how to laugh. This track proves me wrong.
And, “Road to Nowhere” is the climax to their career: A wholly accessible tune, enjoyable by anyone who listens, pop rock ear candy, with weird growls built on a steady parade snare march. And yet, it never is anything other than a Talking Heads tune.
Excellent.
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