Customer Reviews

Talking Heads 77

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4 star:		(1)
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Peach Of Immortality: Talking Heads '77, from what I can tell, has nothing to do with the Talking Heads whatsoever. I bought this thinking it was some sort of Talking Heads material, so imagine my disappointment when I heard this CD of random sounds, no drumbeat or vocals, and no hint of the band I payed to hear. I wouldn't have bought this CD if there had been a review of it listed, but there was none. So, I felt it was my duty to write one and perhaps save someone from wasting their money like I did. This is not a good CD.

...however, do not be fooled into thinking that the group performing these recordings is Talking Heads! Peach of Immortality burst upon the predominantly hardcore punk and go-go oriented Washington, DC scene in 1984. They used tape-manipulated rock recordings (Captain Beerfheart, Little Richard, etc.) as canvases on which they spattered ambient-dub soundscapes. Most were rather unsettling in tone; in other words, GOOD. They had a marked disdain for the prevailing "evil" industrial music of the time, however, and found the misanthropic posturing of groups like Whitehouse to be ludicrous. They were pasasionate, fiery punk intellectuals, I suppose - two of the members of the group, Jared Louche and Tom Smith, have gone on to lengthy (underground) careers as writers and vocalists (Chemlab and To Live and Shave in L.A., respectively). They chose the name "Talking Heads '77" to mock what they considered to be the stratified and emotionally numb world of independent rock. It was released in 1985. They went on to release other albums, all of which are more than worth a trip to a collector vinyl shop to track down (no others have as yet been reissued on CD). Their version of "Talking Heads '77" was recorded in an art gallery, thus the many complaints about sound quality. This is how Peach of Immortality wanted it, apparently, so if you can get past the cassette recorder production values, this remains an amazing album, full of bizarre twists and turns... Many of its moments are flat-out brilliant, although it's easy to see why so many people misunderstand their intent. They gave no information on the original vinyl release, apart from a variety of - get this - purposely misleading literary clues. They even used another band's photo on their album cover! The 1996 reissue employed clip art from an old 70s porno novel to very amusing effect; they even included a photo of the original band! Buy it, yes, but remember, it's not a product of David Byrne and company!

First of all, DO NOT, under any circumstances, confuse this album with the New Wave band led by David Byrne.

This album is an expiremental, free form, all out assault on song structure, with some very thrilling transitions and moments. Anyone interested in instrumentals similar to Sonic Youth's SYR 1,2, and (especially--) 3 recordings will find this album a unique and refreshing glimpse into the history of undergroudn music. Perhaps the only questionable thing about this album is the low-fi quality at which it was recorded; some, however, may find even that to be a bonus. "for the soon to be hearing impaired"

I have a ton of patience and a fascination with expiremental music, but this is just one annoying sound effect after another. No form, structure, or thought went into this. Maybe that is the brilliance of it- but I cannot see it.

Peach of Immortailty - an enigma in a pre-fab world! Please add my voice to those who enjoy this album, the work of the Situationist-inspired sonic terrorist Tom Smith, and the confusion it/he inspires. The sound quality is well below N*Sync standards, of course, but sometimes you have to swallow anti-music venom and not complain about the aftertaste. Sonic Youth's mid-to-late 90s SYR recordings seem to have been inspired by POI's "Talking Heads '77" - it's no surprise then that Thurston Moore is a fan of Smith's most recent group, To Live and Shave in L.A.

What does it sound like? Shimmering, frightening ambience, like the sound of speeding tractor-trailers as heard from farmhouses and dirt roads miles away. Creepy, but not goth. There are some vocals, but they are mixed far below the surface of the music. It just gets under your skin! The Little Richard sample is BRILLIANT. Recorded in late 1984, this record was well ahead of its time. Highly recommended if you have a sense of musical adventure.