TALKING HEADS

TALKING HEADS
LITTLE CREATURES (1985)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

You know, when I first heard about this album I was ready and willing to rip it to pieces. I mean, a pop album? From Talking Heads? Yeah, that's right. It's their equivalent of Loaded by the Velvet Underground: proof they could've made good pop if they had chose to, they just never chose to. And besides, there's plenty of the group's personality here - as on the jumpy "Perfect World", and on "The Lady Don't Mind", which goes from a Pink Floyd-influenced intro to a full-on dance track. Anyway, there were several minor hits here: "And She Was" is pure catchy hummable fun; "Stay Up Late", about a perverted babysitter (At least that's my take) is fun bouncy piano-pop with wonderful guitar parts; "Walk it Down", despite having annoying keyboards, is still pretty funky and besides it has great lyrics; "Road to Nowhere" is enjoyably jerky and has a nice militant rhythm, even if the organ tone once again hurts it. But it's nowhere near perfect. For one, a bit of ambition wouldn't have hurt. For another, there are a couple songs I don't like here: the country-new wave hybrid "Creatures of Love" is awkward; the world music-flavored "Television Man" is endless; and there's nothing either here or there about "Give Me Back My Name". Plus there are some moronic keyboards. Oh well, it's a good fun time, exactly what it was intended to be.

1. And She Was
2. Give Me Back My Name
3. Creatures Of Love
4. The Lady Don'T Mind
5. Perfect World
6. Stay Up Late
7. Walk It Down
8. Television Man
9. Road To Nowhere
Bonus Tracks
10. Road To Nowhere
11. And She Was
12. Television Man