3. "RE: Assuming I have nothing by either? Talking Heads" In response to Reply # 2
Stop Making Sense (DVD 1st, album second) Speaking In Tongues Fear of Music
I usually prefer to get into an artist chronologically, but I think TH poses a slight problem there... if I had started with '77, I don't think I would have been very impressed. But with Remain and those listed above, I think you'll have the context to enjoy pretty much everything...
A full live show from the Remain in Light tour that captures the Adrian Belew/ Bernie Worrell/ Busta Jones augmented version of the band at their peak. There's also the reissue of the The Name of This Band is Talking Heads live album that has one CD of live stuff from around the first 3 albums and one CD of the Remain in Light tour. If I was only allowed to listen to one Talking Heads album for the rest of my life, this would be it. If you like Remain in Light, you simply have to get all the other early stuff. Stop Making Sense is a cool movie, and they have a few good songs on all of their post-hiatus albums, but their first run is amazing, and is one of my favorite eras of any band ever.
I like VU just fine, and, as Jakob says below, Television is really good too. I just happen to like Talking Heads more, and can't endorse them enough.
8. "Velvet Underground..." In response to Reply # 0 Wed Oct-30-13 12:43 PM by Jakob Hellberg
I'd go with the debut and the third, s/t-one.
Talking Heads are... OK; give me Television any day of the week before them though if we are talking dorky and nervous NYC proto-post-punk (is that a word?)...
11. "Well, that's another way of putting it..." In response to Reply # 10
The thing is that Talking Heads came out in 77 and were of course part of that OG CBGB's movement so New Wave fells kind of incorrect to me not to mention that their first two albums really don't feel New Wave to me; at the same time, they don't really fit the stereotypical idea of punk without prefix or suffix (of course, I don't think that stereotype was formalized that early). Basically, I tend to hear them (=their first two which are the only ones I rate really) and Television and the early Devo-singles as "proto post-punk" which is retarded, I know. Early Blondie feels more "proto New Wave" to me, BTW...
12. "RE: Definitely Velvet Undeground." In response to Reply # 10
Talking Heads were a funk band through RiL. Everything from Speaking in Tongues on is a conscious reach for pop stardom, and I don't defend it, but the greatness of their 2nd-4th albums makes the act of calling them overrated hyperbole. If you got the time, watch that concert I linked to above and tell me you don't feel it.
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