The Listening Room

I've always found myself in the minority in calling this the best Talking Heads album. Starting with Fear of Music in '79, Talking Heads hit a three album stretch that (to me) feels like an exploration in rhythm and dance. Much of that stems from African roots, which Fear of Music's opening track I Zimbra doesn't try to hide. That exploration eventually finds it's way to 1983's Speaking in Tongues which takes rhythm and combines it with 80s sounds to give us one of the best takes on that era in music. Burning Down the House and This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) have carried on as two of their greatest hits. The heart of the album to me is the stretch from Making Flippy Floppy to I Get Wild/Wild Gravity. Those songs feature some of the deepest grooves I've found from that time in music. Excited to dig in. Hope you enjoy!

Getting a last day session in on this one. Pressing play!

I've listened to this album a ton over the years. I mostly digest music through it's sounds rather than it's words, so it's always spoken to me as a more thoughtful, unique take on pop music of the time. I'm a huge fan of Tina Weymouth in particular, with her juxtaposition of danceable funk bass with a more tongue-in-cheek minimalism. It's always sounded like this natural peak of a build from CBGBs to more accessible pop band, with this being the album immediately preceding the latter. Taking the time to dive in with the lyrics has given me an even greater appreciation for the album. It's obviously a loose concept, but the theme of speaking in tongues applied to these various stories was a super cool listen. Some were more abstract than others, but it was an interesting idea to play with lyrically that gave the album a fresh layer for me to digest. This one still sits for me at the top of the Talking Heads' collection. I know I'm in the minority, but it's only been solidified with this week's listen.

@club We have a live listening session for Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues starting in 15! Stop by for a groovy break in your day!