True Stories [DualDisc] [2/14] - Talking Heads

Truth be told, True Stories isn't my favorite Talking Heads album, in fact, its probably my least favorite, but yet, its a pretty good album.

You can buy it seperately as a Dual Disc or as part of the Talking Heads new box set, the Talking Heads Dual Disc Brick, which contains ALL EIGHT of the Talking Heads Studio albums in dual disc format.

On the CD side of the dual disc is the standard album which, if you don't remember which Talking Heads songs are on which album contains:

Love For Sale; Puzzlin Evidence, Hey Now, Papa Legba, Wild Wild Life, Radio Head, Dream Operator, People Like Us, and City of Dreams.

Bonus tracks are also included: Wild Wild Life, extended mix; Papa Legba vocal version and Radio Head vocal version.

The DVD Side has the whole album in the DVD audio format including Advanced Resolution Stereo Track, Advanced Resolution Surround Sound 5.1 mix, Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1 mix, and PCM stereo mix. My favorite is the Advanced Resolution Surround Sound 5.1 mix. Bonuses include the vocal version of Papa Legba in 5.1 and two videos Wild Wild Life and Love For Sale.

Of the Surround Sound mix, Jerry Harrison said conceived to mesh with the movie of the same name, these songs of Americana were begun at the same time as Little Creatures. One of my favorites is "Papa Legba" with the wonderful percussion of Paulinho da Costa. We've included both David's version and Pop Staples' because they each create fantastic but different moods. "Dream Operator" and "City of Dreams" are both lovely ballads that respond particularly well tot he spread of 5.1 but in truth they all sound great (Jerry Harrison, Talking Heads Guitar player and keyboard player from the liner notes to True Stories).

My Thoughts on the Advanced Resolution Surround Sound Mix

The album begins with Love for Sale which is played and sung like standard eighties pop fare. Continuing in a trend started with last years Little Creatures on this album the band has abandoned for the most part the complex multiple rhythms of their early eighties albums in favor of a more accessible pop sound. I for one, was dissapointed.

Puzzlin' Evidence features a nice backing chorus, but again it just blares out in a monotonous fashion that I didn't particularly care for.

Hey Now carries on in the same fashion.

Papa Legba begins with some terrific percussion, and cool chanting reminiscent of the cool Talking Heads albums. A heavy bass joins in, and the percussion gets more intricate, and bounces about the room. Byrne sounds like his usual quirky self on this song, and I liked it! there is a queen of six and sevens and nines. Dust in your garden poison in your mind. There is a king that will steal your soul don't let him catch you, don't let him get your soul. When I shut my eyes for this song, I felt like I was surrounded by several sets of drums and percussion intruments.

Wild Life is next, I recall this song from some eighties movie, but I just can't recall what it was. If you do, leave it in the comment section! Although this also has an eighties pop flavor its kind of a fun song, and I like the way Byrne growls out the lyrics. I'm wearing fur pajamas, I ride a Hot potata, It's ticklin my fancy, speak up, I can't hear you.

Radio Head has a sort of country fair feel to it, I could picture the band on a gazebo playing this complete with an accordian.

Dream Operator when you were little, you dreamed you were big, you must have been something a real tiny kid You wish you were me, I wish I was you, now don't you wake up, this dream will come true Although this song moves slowly it has a nice dream like quality that I really enjoyed. The surround mix allows it to just float there as you listen to it.

People Like Us has that country sound that I am just not fond of complete with twangy guitars. At least the lyrics were interesting I was called upon in the 3rd grade clas, I gave my answer, and it caused a fuss, I'm not the same as ev'ryone else, and times were hard for people like us.

The DVD-Audio official version ends with City of Dreams (the CD side has bonus tracks, as noted above), but really ends with the extra surround track Papa Legba Pop Staples vocal version. It is not sung by David Byrne, but Pops Staples. This version is really cool, and it is really a redeeming feature of the album.

I just didn't get into True Stories like I did with all the other Talking Heads albums. It doesn't have enough poppy hooks to it to make up for leaving the complex multilayered rhythms as their earlier albums. It's as if they are trying to sound radio friendly, and I liked the Talking Heads when only the cool people listened to them. I didn't like this album in college, and I don't like it again now, except for the couple songs I noted. However, the sound is well done, and the surround mix is used well. Although I think this is below average for the Talking Heads anyway, I will round it up for 3 stars. I would only get this album as part of the Talking Heads Brick, and I wouldn't waste your money on it as an individual Talking Heads album, any of the other seven are better. If you do get the brick, there are a couple cool tunes on it, and the videos are fun.



Recommend this product? No

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