77

Talking Heads: David Byrne (vocals guitar); Jerry Harrison (guitar keyboards background vocals); Tina Weymouth (bass); Chris Frantz (drums). Recorded at Sundragon Studios New York New York. Personnel: Jerry Harrison (vocals guitar keyboards); David Byrne (vocals guitar); Tina Weymouth (vocals); Chris Frantz (drums). Recording information: Sun dragon Studios New York NY; Sundragon Studios N. Y. C. Photographer: Mick Rock. When they burst out of the New York underground/CBGB s movement the Heads stood apart from the pack because not only were they unlike anything that gone before they were even anomalous to their contemporaries. A million miles from the detached irony of Blondie or the willful primitivism of the Ramones the Talking Heads virtually invented geek-rock setting the stage for everyone from the Violent Femmes to They Might Be Giants. Lyrically David Byrne came off as the guy who thought too much about everything. Fortunately he also happened to be a unique visionary whose quirky hyper-cerebral modernism echoed the work of poet John Ashbery and quot;seriousquot; composer Robert Ashley. All this high-mindedness doesn t detract from the infectious rock & roll appeal of the tunes on the band s debut album though. Their twitchy preppies-on-amphetamines rhythms and semi-neurotic gestalt fueled tunes like twisted anthem quot;Psycho Killerquot; and the jubilant quot;Pulled Up. quot; Byrne s high yelping tenor was the perfect complement to the band s tightly-wound but kinetic rhythms and 77 is an auspicious debut.