Wednesday 26 October 2011

Little Creatures - Talking Heads

I'd like to pretend to be über cool and say I first got into Talking Heads through their earlier punkier albums..... But it wouldn't be true.
Nope, instead it was the single 'Road to Nowhere' that first alerted me to their existence - a song that David Byrne was so ashamed of its simplicity that he felt he should add the opening choral segment.
But it did make an impression and I went on to become a big fan and soon started purchasing their back catalogue.
It is as close to a pop album as The Heads got as their usual polyrhythmic beats are absent as are the choppy, angular guitar riffs. Instead we get simple pop songs, country ballads and pedal steel.
Perhaps my fondest memory of this album is camping in the Lake District with school friends. We were walking back to the campsite in the rain when me and Micky, who was equally fond of the album, started singing 'Walk It Down'. As we got into our stride our confidence grew and the singing got louder. And louder. I think somewhere around Dungeon Ghyll the melody got left behind and the words became mangled. Thankfully there were only sheep and the surrounding hills to witness the cacophony.
Hearing this album again took me straight back to that soggy day in 1987 and I couldn't help but sing along. This time there were no sheep to hear me sing (although the neighbours dog probably won't be the same again!).

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