More Songs About Buildings & F

Talking Heads | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KNV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,082 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > American Punk

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Choosing former Roxy Music member and David Bowie collaborator Brian Eno to produce them, Talking Heads expanded their sound greatly for their 1978-released second album. While most associated Eno with hi-tech, electronic fare, he surprisingly brought out the more organically rhythmic side of the Heads' material. With Jerry Harrison's keyboards playing a more pronounced role--most notably on their spirited hit cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"--and drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth powering the band through tracks like "Stay Hungry" and "Warning Sign," leader David Byrne sounded more relaxed and "normal," even as he wandered through such high-concept works as "Artists Only" and the sprawling "Big Country." --Billy Altman

Product Description

Audio CD.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Their finest studio recording January 10, 2001

By Richard R. Johnson

Format:Audio CD

For a band that produced many fine and innovative studio recordings, I can say without hesitation that this is their absolute best. David Byrne's lyrics are scalpel-sharp, especially on "I'm Not in Love." Other songs feature his quirky observations, such as in the "Big Country" or "The Girls Just Want to Be With the Girls." The music is tight, with expertly timed stop-starts, unusual chord changes, and hypnotic riffs. I find that the songs "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" and "Found a Job" are the true stand-outs. However, those who are only vaguely familiar with the Talking Heads will zero-in on the cover version of "Take Me to the River," which though it brought the band some much needed attention, had the effect of overshadowing what was otherwise perhaps the finest album recorded in the decade of the 70s.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars As funky as hell June 2, 2004

By Wee Jimmy

Format:Audio CD

More Songs About Buildings And Food sees the Heads moving away from their poppier first album and, under the guidance of Brian Eno, discovering that there had always been a dance element to their music. It's an inspired move - whereas before Byrne had been the focus of the band, the formidable Weymouth / Frantz rhythm section relly makes its presence felt here: from With Our Love through Found A Job up to Stay Hungry, they just keep churning out those grooves. Retrospectively, this was an element of their music that was already there just waiting to be expanded upon: several of the songs featured on the album had already been written, sometimes as long as two years before the release of the record, and were already (I think) part of the band's live repertoire. Byrne's lyrics and way with a chorus are not forgotten, however - Good Thing has an absolute monster of a chorus. Another excellent feature of the album is that many of the songs crescendo at the end with an absolutely storming vamp that you want to continue forever.
The Big Country deserves special mention because it showed that the band still had much more to explore - it's a melodic, country tinged, slightly balladic (although not actually a ballad - they didn't do one of those till their seventh album) song about an idealised American heartland; although in typical Byrne style the narrator of the song doesn't seem to find the vision particularly appealing ('I wouldn't live there if you paid me'). They wouldn't really travel in this direction again until Little Creatures, although nothing on there is as good as The Big Country.
Overall, the album is excellent. As with Fear of Music, Remain In Light and Speaking In Tongues, if you're a music fan of any sort you should consider getting it.... If you scroll up you'll find some preview links - I suggest you click them. Read more ›

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends. January 26, 2006

By Jason Stein VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Talking Heads didn't make a classic album with "More Songs About Buildings And Food", but they were working on it. This digitally remastered dual disc greatly improves the sound quality from the old cd version.

The cd side sounds great in stereo, but it's the dvd side that will knock your socks off. When you hear "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" in 5.1 surround sound it's like hearing it for the first time again. The other great tracks on this album are "The Good Thing", "Warning Sign", "Artists Only", "Take Me To The River" and "The Big Country". The dvd side also includes two live videos which is good if you missed seeing the Talking Heads in concert like myself.

The four bonus tracks are all marked previously unreleased, and I know I've never heard these versions of four songs from this album. I actually liked the '77 version of "Stay Hungry". The alternate version of "I'm Not In Love" does nothing to improve the song, and the alternate version of "The Big Country" is more stripped down than the original, which didn't do much for me. The alternate version of "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" is likewise uninteresting.

The booklet comes with praises by different popular musicians and a note about the 5.1 remixing process by Jerry Harrison. The lyrics are not included like in the old cd version which I think was an oversight. The price of this remastered dual disc is steep and really ought to be more like $9.99.

All in all, worth rebuying if you're a true Heads fan like myself.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Talking Heads' greatest album October 21, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

More Songs about Buildings and Food is Talking Heads' best album, not only because it combines punkiness evident on their first album (77) but because it expands on that format to include funkiness and a more rounded sense of songwriting. "Found a Job" is still my favorite Heads song ever, and my other favorites are "With Our Love" and "I'm not in Love", which show David Byrne's obvious discontent with love and lovers. "Thank you for sending me an angel" kicks off the album sprightly, and "Stay Hungry" showcases an energy that even Heads emulators couldn't duplicate. Other highlights are "Take me to the river", the Al Green cover that later became a hit, and the album closer, the definitive "Big Country". More Songs showcases the Heads during their earlier period, before the synths dominated the music and before Byrne started parodying his own nasal, affected delivery.