This Week's 80's Music Moment

Talking Heads - Love -> A Building On Fire (Sire, 1977)

OK, you caught me. This 45 is not an 80's record. But it is the first release by a classic 80's band, Talking Heads.

Originally released in February 1977 (some seven months before their first album, Talking Heads '77), this recording is, in a sense, atypical Heads music. For one, guitarist Jerry Harrison had not yet joined the band (note the picture sleeve above). Also, the dense sound of the Brian Eno era was yet to be developed.

However, in many ways, Love -> A Building On Fire points to ear-tickling sounds to come. Lyricist / vocalist David Byrne's quirky, staccato delivery is apparent, as is his unique view of romance (later developed on songs like "Uh-Oh Loves To Town" and "Girlfriend is Better"). The sweetness of twittering birds and poppy melody call forth the pop-music-to-come on 1985's Little Creatures. The horns would come back in full force on the band's final album, Naked (1988) (remember "Mr. Jones" and "[Nothing But] Flowers"? OK, maybe not...)

In many ways, this disc - although not a hit when first released - helped launch the changes in music of the 1980's. Herein lies the seed that would sprout into a decade of pop music, for under this shell lies the musical germ of good 80's pop. Well worth a listen, and available on a few Talking Heads compilations (most recently The Best of Talking Heads [Rhino / WEA, 2004]).