“More Songs About Buildings and Food” by Talking Heads

It’s the recent 45th anniversary of a star-making Talking Heads record.

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For me, the second Talking Heads album, the slyly titled More Songs About Buildings and Food, is all about movement. Movement away from the confines of the CBGB-centric sound and towards a funkier, more funk-centric sound that would culminate in their masterpieces, Fear of Music and Remain in Light. Movement away from the standard-issue production value of their debut and, in working with Brian Eno, who was fresh off producing David Bowie’s Low, adopting a bolder, full studio sound. And, more than anything, this collection is all about moving your hips to the beat and your mind to the center of the Venn diagram where alt-rock and dance music converge.

You can hear the group’s beloved persona rounding into form as the record charges towards their first Top 40 hit, their peerless cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River.” The swirling organ and guitar riffs on “Artists Only” exemplifies the dynamism of the creative process, while “Stay Hungry” layers on the reverb to add punch to what’s clearly a nod to James Brown. Through it all, David Byrne’s vocal stylings are as good as anything he’s recorded, veering from the tender (”Thank You for Sending Me an Angel”) to the plain strange (”Found a Job”). Not the apex of their popularity, but a record that has quirky personality in abundance.

Got thoughts on this album? Did you love it? Sound off in the comments.