More Songs About Buildings and Food

by Talking Heads

Overview

The title of Talking Heads' second album, More Songs About Buildings and Food, slyly addressed the sophomore record syndrome, in which songs not used on a first LP are mixed with hastily written new material. If the band's sound seems more conventional, the reason simply may be that one had encountered the odd song structures, staccato rhythms, strained vocals, and impressionistic lyrics once before. Another was that new co-producer Brian Eno brought a musical unity that tied the album together, especially in terms of the rhythm section, the sequencing, the pacing, and the mixing. Where Talking Heads had largely been about David Byrne's voice and words, Eno moved the emphasis to the bass-and-drums team of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz; all the songs were danceable, and there were only short breaks between them. Byrne held his own, however, and he continued to explore the eccentric, if not demented persona first heard on 77, whether he was adding to his observations on boys and girls or turning his "Psycho Killer" into an artist in "Artists Only." Through the first nine tracks, More Songs was the successor to 77, which would not have earned it landmark status or made it the commercial breakthrough it became. It was the last two songs that pushed the album over those hurdles. First there was an inspired cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"; released as a single, it made the Top 40 and pushed the album to gold-record status. Second was the album closer, "The Big Country," Byrne's country-tinged reflection on flying over middle America; it crystallized his artist-vs.-ordinary people perspective in unusually direct and dismissive terms, turning the old Chuck Berry patriotic travelogue theme of rock & roll on its head and employing a great hook in the process. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	05/07/1987
Label:	Sire
UPC:	0075992742528

Tracks

1. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
2. With Our Love
3. The Good Thing
4. Warning Sign
5. The Girls Want to Be with the Girls
6. Found a Job
7. Artists Only
8. I'm Not in Love
9. Stay Hungry
10. Take Me to the River
11. The Big Country

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Talking Heads   Primary Artist
Tina Weymouth   Percussion,Vocals (Background),Keyboards,Guitar,Synthesizer,Bass,Guitar (Bass)
David Byrne   Percussion,Keyboards,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Synthesizer Drums,Synthesizer Percussion
Chris Frantz   Keyboards,Drums,Percussion
Brian Eno   Guest Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background),Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Tina & the Typing Pool   Vocals (Background)
Busta Jones   Guitar (Bass)
Jerry Harrison   Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Talking Heads   Audio Production,Producer
Brian Eno   Audio Production,Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Rhett Davies   Audio Engineer,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Chris Frantz   Composer,Producer
Benji Armbrister   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Wayne Zieve   Composer
Jimmy DeSana   Reproduction
Christopher Franz   Composer
Mabon Hodges   Composer
Joe Gastwirt   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Ed Stasium   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
David Byrne   Artwork,Composer,Producer,Cover Art Concept
Mabon "Teenie" Hodges   Composer
Jerry Harrison   Composer,Producer
Tina Weymouth   Composer,Producer
Al Green   Composer