This must be Talking Heads — A song by song, album by album look at their music

20 | David Byrne (self-titled) Jan 29, 2025

By 1994 it was more important that ever that David Byrne could prove there was an audience for his unique style of art rock. After a number of high-concept albums, he returned with a more accessible yet eclectic series of tunes that not only build on the grooves on earlier projects but reach a new depth of introspection and emotional reflection.

Tracks:

A long time ago
Angels
Crash
A self-made man
Back in the box
Sad song
Nothing at all
My love is you
Lilies of the valley
You & Eye
Strange ritual
Buck naked
Live cover: Gypsy woman

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Interview | Inside the Talking Heads vault with Jason Jones Dec 11, 2024

Meet Jason Jones from Rhino Records, he's the guy behind all your favourite Talking Heads reissues from the last few years. I pepper Jason with nerdy questions about how he approaches standard album reissues as well as expanded ultra-deluxe packages full of rarities like the newly released Talking Heads: 77 boxset that he manifested into reality. A condensed version of this interview can also be found on my newly updated YouTube channel, so check that out and stay subscribed for lots more!

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19 | Uh-oh Oct 01, 2024

David Byrne's follow up to Rei Momo, the 1992 LP "Uh-oh" co-incided with the official end of Talking Heads. A new producer helped bring a clean, commercial sound to David's oddball instrumentation and left of center lyrics. While the songs were still like children to him, the overall album needed to walk the line of appealing to his previous Talking Heads audience while also showing that he wasn't taking himself too seriously and didn't mind whether you liked it or not.

Tracks:

Now I'm your mom
Girls on my mind
Something ain't right
She's mad
Hanging upside down
A walk in the dark
Twistin' in the wind
The Cowboy Mambo (Hey lookit me now)
Monkey Man
A million miles away
Tiny Town
Somebody
Live cover: Who were you thinking of (w. Richard Thompson)

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Interview | Michelangelo Carubba on touring "Remain In Light" with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew Aug 26, 2024

For Mikey, the last few years have been a wild ride to say the least. When the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself and his band joined Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew to tour for the 40th anniversary of Remain In Light it should have been a high point of his career. Instead, it triggered a tailspin that saw his band disintegrate and strained the relationships with the bandmates and collaborators that had become like family. Mikey's story goes far beyond music, and his continued success is a testament to his character, commitment to his craft, and belief in the potential for healing that comes with performing music you love with people you love even more.

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18 | Rei Momo May 06, 2024

We've finally reached the first pure David Byrne solo album, no theatre soundtrack or main collaborators, David was free to do whatever he wanted and this was it. I hope this gives everyone an insight into not just the album, but a glimpse at David's genuine passion for this music, which critics at the time labelled as passion-less and uninspired. My goal, as always, is to prove that it's anything but!

Tracklist:

Independence Day
Make Believe Mambo
The call of the wild
Dirty Old Town
The Rose Tattoo
Loco de Amor
The Dream Police
Don't want to be part of your world
Marching through the wilderness
Good and Evil
Lie to me
Office Cowboy
Women vs Men
Carnival Eyes
I know sometimes a man is wrong
Live Cover: Todo Cambia

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17 | David's 80s Soundtracks and Collaborations Nov 21, 2023

A series of featurettes outlining David's soundtracks and collaborations throughout the Talking Heads-era. I touch on everything from the beloved The Catherine Wheel, through the esteemed Knee Plays and The Last Emperor, to the surprisingly personal The Forest.

The Catherine Wheel

His wife refused
Cloud Chamber
My big hands (Fall through the cracks)
Big Business
What a day that was
Big blue plymouth (Eyes wide open)

The Knee Plays

Tree (Today is an important occassion)
The sound of business
Things to do (I've tried)
In the future

The Last Emperor

The Last Emperor (Main Theme)
Picking a bride

The Forest

Ur
Dura Europus
Ava

Live cover: The Future

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UNLOCKED | Stop Making Sense watch-along commentary Sep 10, 2023

Why watch it alone? Previously released to supporters of the podcast, to mark the theatrical release of the remastered edition of Stop Making Sense, enjoy this bonus episode featuring Rodney's watch-along commentary for the film.

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16 | Byrne & Eno: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Jun 26, 2023

Come on a journey through David Byrne and Brian Eno’s collaborative side-project “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, a ground-breaking album that has only grown in standing over the decades that Eno called the “laboratory” for Remain in Light.

Tracklist:

America is Waiting
Mea Culpa
Regiment
Help me somebody
The Jezebel Spirit
Very very hungry / Quran
Moonlight in Glory
The Carrier
A secret life
Come with us
Mountain of needles
Bonus tracks: Pitch to voltage
Two against three
Vocal outtakes
New Feet
Defiant
Number 8 mix
Solo guitar with tin foil
Covers: Fever / Sympathy for the Devil

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15 | Meet David Byrne: Fame redeems the oddball Apr 19, 2023

This episode is dedicated to the life and memory of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Seymour Stein.

Launching into season 2, I present a portrait of David Byrne as a young artist, examine the relationship between his artistic work and his music, why he left art school, and whet your appetite for the journey ahead.

Songs from this episode:

Who (w. St Vincent)
Heart's a lonely hunter (w. Thievery Corporation)
Loco de Amor (w. Celia Cruz)
Everybody's coming to my house
Like humans do
Lazy
Miss America
Strange Overtones (w. Brian Eno)
Don't fence me in
Let's dance (live w. Miley Cyrus)
Heroes (live w. Choir! Choir! Choir!)
Fame (live w. Kimbra and The Roots)

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14 | The Final Chapter (Rarities, Hall of Fame, The Heads, and more) Jan 10, 2023

Grab your pencil and rewind your cassettes to discover some live covers, drop the needle on some studio rarities, unpack the break-up and The Heads side-project, learn how Stop Making Sense nourished the concept of a reunion, and eagerly log in for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Tracks:

Live: "1, 2, 3... Red Light", "96 teardrops", "So much in love", "I wanna be your boyfriend", "I can't control myself", "Pablo Picasso", "A clean break", "Theme", "Questions for lovers"
Studio: "I want to live", "I'm not ready yet", "These boots were made for walking", "I walk the line", "Can't you hear my heartbeat"
Demo: "Hey hey"
Sand in the Vaseline: "Lifetime Piling Up", "Gangster of Love", "Popsicle"
The Heads: "Damage I've done", "Punk Lolita", "No more lonely nights"
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction: "Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", "Burning down the house", "Take me to the river"
Songs influenced by Talking Heads: "Do it all the time - I don't know how but they found me", "No you girls - Franz Ferdinand", "A punk - Vampire Weekend", "Total Life Forever - Foals", "Vegan water - Cheekface", "True Stories - Datarock"

See you soon for Season 2!

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13 | Tom Tom Club (part 2) with guest Chris Frantz Jul 13, 2022

Featuring special guest Chris Frantz, founding member of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.

With Talking Heads on permanent hiatus, Tom Tom Club becomes the default vehicle for Chris and Tina's music. Hear exclusive insights into their sounds and influences from their albums "Dark Sneak Love Action", "The good, the bad, and the funky", "Downtown Rockers" and much more - including a few surprise side-projects.

Tracklist:

Sunshine and Ecstasy
You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate cover)
Who feelin' it?
Love to love you baby (Donna Summer cover)
Happiness can't buy money
19-2000 (Gorillaz)
Il Est Ne / Christmas in the Club
Downtown Rockers
Incognito (Chris und Tina)

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Special | Talking Heads x Primus (Interview with Primus Tracks) Apr 14, 2022

Well this is something different! Instead of your usual programming, I offer my discussion with Josh and Frankie from the fabulous Primus Tracks podcast where we deep dive into the Talking Heads influence on the early Primate/Primus sound. You don't need to know anything about either band to enjoy this, but knowing a little might help.

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12 | Naked Feb 19, 2022

What did it take for Talking Heads to regroup for another album, after indulging David's personal vision for a number of years? With the release of Naked we reach a milestone in the band's history - their final album - and investigate how the world, and the band themselves, have changed along the way. And get a glimpse of what still lies ahead.

Tracklist:

Blind
Mr Jones
Totally Nude
Ruby Dear
Hero track: (Nothing but) Flowers
The Democratic Circus
The Facts of Life
Mommy Daddy You and I
Big Daddy
Bill
Cool Water
Bonus tracks: Sax and Violins
In Asking Land

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11 | True Stories Sep 28, 2021

"It's like 60 Minutes on acid." With a film, book, soundtrack and studio album all related to the one project, True Stories is far more than just another Talking Heads record. Sure it delivers MTV favourites like "Wild Wild Life", but are all the songs really based on Tabloid news stories?

Tracks:

Love For Sale
Puzzlin' Evidence
Hey Now
Papa Legba
Wild Wild Life (Hero Track)
Radio Head
Dream Operator
People Like Us
City of Dreams

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10 | Modern Lovers & Casual Gods with guest Jerry Harrison Jul 12, 2021

How did Jerry Harrison end up recording his smash hit “Rev it up” in a bomb shelter? Which song has a connection to a Presidential candidate? To find out, I’m joined by none other than Jerry himself for an in-depth career retrospective. Covering five decades we reflect on the birth of punk music with the Modern Lovers, to his groundbreaking solo albums like “The Red and The Black” and “Casual Gods”, to his turn as producer extraordinaire. And everything in between… and I mean everything.

Tracks:

Roadrunner
She cracked
Hospital
Lady Stiletto
Here comes that girl again
Things fall apart
Slink
Fast Karma/No questions
Five minutes
Rev it up
Man with a gun
Perfect lie
Flying under the radar
Kickstart
I cry for Iran
Confess
Cowboy’s gotta go
This lover’s lane is very narrow

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09 | Little Creatures with guest Jerry Harrison Apr 28, 2021

Featuring Modern Lover, Talking Head and Casual God himself... Jerry Harrison.

Capitalising on the success of Stop Making Sense, the band release their best-selling album Little Creatures which features their smash hits "And she was", "Lady don't mind" and this album's hero track "Road to nowhere". In this episode Jerry discusses what he's been up to lately and shares some insights about the recording of Little Creatures, then in the following episode we'll dive deep into his work as a solo artist and producer.

Tracks:

And she was
Give me back my name
Creatures of love
Lady don't mind
Perfect world
Stay up late
Walk it down
Television man
Road to nowhere (Hero track)

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08 | Tonight Live: Stop Making Sense (and more) Mar 15, 2021

With a reputation as one of the world’s best live bands, we embark on a detailed illumination of Talking Heads’ live albums, TV profiles and notable concerts. Learn about the inspiration and impact of the greatest concert film of all time, Stop Making Sense, including an insiders perspective from Jon Braun, frontman for Talking Heads tribute band Start Making Sense, along with details and recordings of the band’s last performances.

Features:

Warner Bros Music Show
South Bank Show
The name of this band is Talking Heads
Stop Making Sense (Film, vinyl, CD, reissue DVD/Bluray)
Interview: Jon Braun, frontman for Start Making Sense

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07 | Speaking in Tongues Jan 05, 2021

A few years after their critically acclaimed album “Remain in Light”, the band return with their most approachable and radio-friendly record to date, “Speaking in Tongues”. Fuelled by the success of their highest charting single “Burning Down the House” and crowd-pleasers like "Slippery People", "Girlfriend is Better" and “This must be the place” the band drag the reluctant art crowd kicking and screaming into the pop realm.

Tracks:

Burning Down the House (Hero track)
Making Flippy Floppy
Girlfriend is Better
Slippery People
I Get Wild / Wild Gravity
Swamp
Moon Rocks
Pull up the roots
This must be the place (Naive Melody)
Two note Swivel (Unfinished outtake)

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06 | Tom Tom Club (Part 1) with guest Chris Frantz Oct 08, 2020

With Talking Heads on hiatus, Chris Blackwell from Island Records gambles on Chris and Tina's side project Tom Tom Club — a risk that pays off big time. Exploring a selection of tracks from their first three albums "Tom Tom Club", "Close to the bone" and "Boom boom chi boom boom", this is my first look at the side projects of the band members.

Tracks:

Wordy Rappinghood
Genius of Love
L'Elephant
Under the Boardwalk (by The Drifters)
Pleasure of Love
On the line again
The man with the 4 way hips
Suboceana
Femme Fatale (by The Velvet Underground)
Born for Love

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05 | Remain In Light with guest Chris Frantz Aug 05, 2020

Featuring special guest Chris Franz, founding member of Talking Heads.

In their final collaboration with producer and song-writer Brian Eno, Talking Heads carefully sculpt their musical ideas into their most critically acclaimed album. Featuring a deep dive into the hero track "Once In A Lifetime" we breakdown the groove and lyrical inspiration, and learn how it was released to mixed reaction, something that's unthinkable considering it went on to earn it's place among the most iconic songs of the era.

Tracklist:

Born Under Punches (The heat goes on)
Crosseyed and Painless
The Great Curve
Once in a Lifetime (Hero track)
Houses in Motion
Seen and not seen
Listening Wind
The Overload
Unison (Unfinished outtake)
Double groove (Unfinished outtake)

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Interview | Talking with Chris Frantz about his book "Remain in Love" Jul 13, 2020

Chris Frantz, founding member of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, joins me to discuss his life and career in music. In this episode we cover his experience writing his first book, an autobiography called "Remain in Love", and in upcoming episodes I'll be sharing his insights into the seminal Talking Heads album Remain In Light, the full Tom Tom Club discography and he even helps me solve a mystery that is decades in the making.

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04 | Fear of Music Jun 29, 2020

On the back of their commercially successful sophomore album, Talking Heads start fresh searching for new inspiration and sounds. The result? The darkly comedic Fear of Music, their second record under the tutelage of producer Brian Eno that resulted in entirely new song-writing methods, and spawned the uber-catchy hit "Life During Wartime".

Tracklist:

I Zimbra
Mind
Paper
Cities
Life During Wartime (Hero track)
Memories Can't Wait
Air
Heaven
Animals
Electric Guitar
Drugs
Dancing for Money (Unfinished outtake)

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03 | More songs about buildings and food May 15, 2020

Hear the real story behind how Talking Heads joined forces with acclaimed producer Brian Eno for their sophomore album, which produced their first mainstream hit single, Take Me To The River. Learn the origins of “The Typing Pool”, which song was inspired by an old doo-wop tune, how early English audiences mis-heard the lyrics from Warning Sign, and the unusual origins of Stay Hungry.
Tracklist:

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 (Hero Track)
The big country

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02 | Talking Heads: 77 Apr 09, 2020

Overcoming the pressures of tight recording deadlines, meddling producers, blackouts, arson, looting and with the Son Of Sam murderer stalking the New York streets, the band finally delivers their debut LP marking the date of their arrival right in the title... Talking Heads: 77.
Tracklist:

Uh-oh, love comes to town
New feeling
Tentative decisions
Happy day
Who is it?
No compassion
The book I read
Don't worry about the government
First week/Last week... carefree
Psycho killer (Hero track)
Pulled up
I wish you wouldn't say that
I feel it in my heart
Sugar on my tongue

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01 | Love goes to Building on Fire Feb 26, 2020

Get to know the band, hear how they got their start in the New York underground music scene, and a deep dive on their debut single "Love goes to Building on Fire".

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Trailer | This must be Talking Heads Jan 15, 2020

Come on an album by album exploration of Talking Heads, David Byrne, Tom Tom Club and Jerry Harrison. No stone will go unturned as we retrace their path from humble beginnings at New York's infamous CBGB to their induction to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

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