Here’s my relationship with Talking Heads: I’ve never been satisfied with anything less than the polyrythmic, quasi-progressive, general-funkyness of Remain in Light. Fear of Music comes close, but it’s much, much closer to More Songs About Buildings and Food and, well, the record I should be reviewing. But then I realized that Remain in Light was its own deal, a record so far-out even for a band already warped and twisted that having it exist in this world is privilege enough and that asking for anything like it is a battle I’ve already lost. So I try to like everything else by them, and I often do. This isn’t one of those times.

The universe is a harsh mistress. 77 is indeed a great debut album that showcases great muscicianship and general quirkiness that defines Talking Heads and David Byrne even today; but we’ve come to the point in history where nobody starts with 77 as their first Talking Heads album. Thus we’ve come to the point where to like 77 one has to disregard the fact that its successors are much stronger albums, including its aforementioned immediate successor More Songs About Buildings and Food. Everything succeeding 77 is catchier, smarter and funkier, but that doesn’t mean that 77 does not have tracks that succeed others in their library in terms of quality. Here are the obvious choices: “Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town,” “Who Is It?” and “Psycho Killer.”

Honestly, 77 is a meh record only because everything afterward - records you’ve listened to before 77 - are just better, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to it. Don’t skip it if you’ve enjoyed everything else by the band so far, but only if.

PSYCHO KILLER



7.4

Originally Posted by Crowquill I only listen to Santana when I feel like being annoyed.