Talking Heads: 77
Barney Hoskyns, Rock's Backpages, 1997
NEXT TO CBGBS peers like the Ramones and the Voidoids, Talking Heads barely sounded like a punk band. After the startlingly non-conformist Love Building on Fire, 77 made for a surprisingly tuneful collection of songs: nervy vignettes of urban unease, arranged for a tight little new wave quartet. The most overtly disturbed song, Psycho Killer, now sounds a touch heavy-handed; more unassuming tracks like New Feeling, Happy Day, and Don't Worry About the Government--preppie pop with brains--have aged better. The first of four consecutive masterpieces for Sire, 77 is the work of a truly great American band.
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