“Talking Heads: 77” – The Reissue

To my mind, there are only three debuts that stand out as a watershed moment for the group as a whole. There’s Horses, Patti Smith’s feminist apotheosis, and poetic soapbox. Definitely Maybe is a guitar album that fused the principles of punk with the Beatles records from Noel Gallagher’s collection. And there’s Talking Heads: 77, a triumphant power pop record that employs Smith’s abstract lyricism and a flair for melody that lay in Oasis’ wheelhouse. That breakthrough album has just been reissued in a special deluxe edition that features demos and unreleased live songs.

The album may be best remembered for “Psycho Killer,” a bass-driven ballad sung partly in French, but such was David Byrne’s power as a songwriter that the album would still merit the full five stars without it. “Happy Day,” all jazz licks and scat vocals, places a spotlight on Jerry Harrison’s musicianship, while Chris Frantz utilizes every part of his drum kit on the jaunty “Don’t Worry About The Government.” Elsewhere, Tina Weymouth’s bass anchors the album, freeing Byrne to contort his voice on the wacky “No Compassion.”(Asked by Far Out what her favorite tracks were to perform live, Weymouth replied: “It’s like picking a favorite child. But what’s the most fun one to play? I always love ‘Don’t Worry About the Government.’ Oh, and ‘No Compassion!’ I just love playing ‘No Compassion,’ even though the sentiment is crazy.”)

The Talking Heads debut captures the essence of rock in a package that replays and reveres the formula. “Uh Oh Love Comes to Town” worked both on the stage and in the studio, which is clear from a live number that features on this reissue. Recorded at CBGB, this arrangement highlights Byrne’s spiky guitar ricocheting through the speakers.

The compendium also comes with an acoustic alternative to “Psycho Killer,” complete with a strident cello part, courtesy of Arthur Russell.

Indeed, the live tracks – mostly recorded in 1977 – will impress listeners aching to hear the record in a new light, but it also boasts a re-master from 2024. Of the tracks, “I Wish You Wouldn’t Say That” benefits the most from the mix, allowing Weymouth’s bass to breeze along. “Love Goes to a Building on Fire” gets a polished sheen, getting a strong balance between acoustic and dynamic, as Byrne’s vocal floats over the smoldering symphonic backdrop.

There’s an “Alternate Pop Version” of “New Feeling,” highlighting the brass elements, but to my mind the track heard on the original pressing of Talking Heads: 77 is definitive. “The Book I Read” anticipates Neil Finn’s forlorn “Don’t Dream It’s Over” due to the duality of crisp, clear hooks and shimmering production design.

Talking Heads went on to other ventures, much of them recorded with U2/Coldplay darling Brian Eno. But Talking Heads: 77 still stands as a work of great beauty, daring and ingenuity. It’s one of the greatest debuts, one of the great records of the 1970s, and with this sumptuous re-issue, Talking Heads prove their credentials as a band of the first rank. “Qu’est-ce que c’est?”

-Eoghan Lyng

Photo: Talking Heads in 1977 (publicity photo/public domain)