The Talking Heads have released all their studio albums on Dual Disc. You can pick them up individually, or as one big box set. More Songs about Buildings and Food was the Talking Heads sophomore album, and it was released in July of 1978. I am not sure if I am the first to make this observation, but '77 had no songs about buildings or food, so I am not sure why this album is MORE songs about buildings and food. I would also note that there are no songs about buildings and food as promised on this album either! This album also has Brian Eno on sythesizers, piano, guitar, percussion and the occasional background singing in addition to the usual Talking Heads, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison (who was responsible for making the surround mixes for the box set of dual discs), and Tina Weymouth.
CD The CD side has the original studio album, which has the following dozen songs on it: Thank you for Sending me an Angel, With our Love, The Good Thing, Warning Sign, The Girls Want to be with the Girls, Found a Job, Artists Only, I'm Not in Love, Stay Hungry, Take Me to the River and The Big Country
CD EXTRAS Ah, because this is a beautifully done re release, four extra tracks are included as well. Different versions are included of the songs; Stay Hungry, I'm Not in Love, The Big Country and Thank you for Sending Me an Angel I had no problems playing the CD side in any of my players, although I couldn't play the CD side in one of my friends cars. (Sometimes Dual Discs don't play)
DVD-Audio Side Four tracks of the album are on the DVD side; You can listen to the whole album in advanced resolution 5.1 surround sound, and advanced resolution stereo with a DVD-Audio players. For those with ordinary DVD players, you can listen to the album in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound or PCM stereo All the tracks are very well done, but my favorite is hands down the Advanced Resolution Surround Sound mix. I only have one DVD-Audio player that wouldn't play this Dual Disc's DVD side, and that is a cheap Pioneer 536A, it played just fine on my Pioneer 45A, and 47A.
DVD EXTRAS Two videos are included on the DVD, Found a Job and Warning Sign.
Surround Sound Review I get these Dual Discs mainly because I love the higher resolution sound, its so close to perfection. I also really enjoy the multi channel sound of most DVD-Audios (some SACDS, Dual Discs, and DVD-Audios are high resolution, but only in stereo). Before I give my thoughts, let me quote Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison on the 5.1 Surround sound remix I had thought when we began this process that the early albums would be more difficult to translate into 5.1. They are more compact, far fewer parts were recorded, and we often recorded most of the parts in a single take. But I was wrong. More Songs.. became one of my favorites. "Artists Only" has an almost perfect psychedelic nature and is perfectly suited for surround. "Found a Job" seems more intense when Eno's off kilter part enteres in the end vamp (Jerry Harrison from the liner notes in More Songs About Buildings and Food-Dual Disc).
The album begins almost transitionally from '77 with Thank you for Sending me an Angel which has the guitar strumming quite reminicent of the songs on '77. However, it soon takes off with a bit more 'grab' with With Our Love that just seems more textured than their first album. Now in addition to Byrnes frantic lyrics and guitar strumming from the front sound stage, bass and drums assault us from the rear channels forget the trouble, thats the trouble, forget the trouble, thats the trouble with our love with our love . I love this track, the building guitar riffs, the frantic sound, it builds off of the sound in their earlier hit Psycho Killer.
The Good Thing is a mellower song, and it starts off in the front sound stage as well, but when the backing vocals kick in, they are all standing right behind you! Its a great effect that makes you feel like you are sitting right in the studio.
Warning Sign has a nice multi layered sound that is spread out through all the channels, and just plays along 'til Byrne whines warning sign, warning sign, I hear it but I pay it no mind hear my voice, hear my voice
I like the catchy sound of The Girls Want to Be with the Girls Byrne sings in this stacatto type style, each word spit out the girls don't want to play like that, they just want to talk to the boys, they just want to do what is in their hearts, and the girls want to be with the girls. Brynes vocal style is added to with the punchy drums and bass of the song.
Found a Job has a cool manic style that bounces around. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. People fighting over little things and wasting precious time, they might be better off I think.. the way it seems to me. Making up their own shows. which might be better than TV!. The guitar rhythms are in constant motion and Byrne spits out each word. Its a great song!
Artists Only has a really great musical intro which fills the room with odd sounds and cool tunes from all corners. Amidst a heavy bass, drum and synthesizer assault, Bryne bursts out I'm painting! I'm painting again, I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning again! I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning out my brain!. Soon the music seems to convey the sense of the tortured artist within, swirling about the room in aggressive bursts.
I'm Not in Love begins with guitars from the right, quickly joined by drums from the left. Then the whole band bursts forth onto the front sound stage. As Byrne sings, he alternates between being the only one heard in the room, band, vocals, band. Its a cool effect, because there is no underlying hiss with DVD audio, so when the band is quite and it is only Bryne singing, you feel like you are all alone with David, and when the band kicks in, its really powerful. Soon the song switches to power drive, and the band is just rocking full force, then its back to just Byrne singing with the band bursting in and out of the track.
Stay Hungry is a rapid fire song that just pours out of the speakers. I don't think it's about food though.
Take Me to the River was probably the second big hit for the Talking Heads, and it still enjoys radio play today. Who doesn't know the chorus take me to the river, drop me in the water, take me to the river, dip me in the water, washing me down, washing me down. The song sounds even cooler in surround, it just sounds bigger, grander, deeper.
The DVD-Audio side closes with The Big Country a country song of sorts from the band, well country as performed by the Talking Heads anyway. There's a bit of twang in the guitar, and Byrne sings a bit slower and moodier. Just when you think David is singing about the beauty of the country, the chorus kicks in I wouldn't live there if you paid me, I wouldn't live like that, no siree, I wouldn't do the things the way those people do, I wouldn't live there if you paid me!.
Summary The second album by the Talking Heads is one of my favorites, it just has very easy to get into songs. This re issue on Dual Disc makes it all the more so. If you were only going to get a few Dual Discs by the band, instead of the box set, More Songs about Buildings and Food is a good one to get. I give it four and a half stars, which is rounded up to five stars.
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