HiRez Poll Talking Heads - MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD [DVD-A DualDisc]

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Rate the DVD-A DualDisc of Talking Heads - MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD

  • 6:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Mix, Poor Fidelity, Poor Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    49

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Originally available in the "Talking Heads Brick", which at the time of this thread origination heads the HiRezPoll, the seven discs were released individually some time later. Here's a chance to comment on the specific discs, as requested by some of our members.

So, please post your thoughts and comments on this DVD-A DualDisc! (y) :phones (n)

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This is my favorite Talking Heads album. As much as I think that Jerry and company did a great job with the surround, I prefer the stereo mix. The 5.1 takes a lot of mystery out of the mix IMO.

Does anyone else have a problem with the second song? I've gone through 3 copies and all skip at the same spot (on the 5.1) . I think that it is around 1:50 mark IIRC.
 
70's junkie that I am, I was really looking forward to this individual disc from the "Brick".

Upon first two listens, I would call it moderately discrete with some nice effects.
Having owned only the 2-disc "Sand in the Vaseline" collection, I'm not very familiar with many of the non-hits. But there's one track I know initmately -- Take me to the River.

That track is only a moderate disappointment, redeemed mostly by the occassional very cool percussion and effects in the rear. But . . . here's just a partial list of problems:

1) Too many instruments at equal level. The percussive organ effects in the intro, so effective in the original stereo, are potted way up to the level of everything else and too dry. There is no subtlety to anything.

2) The distinctive drum effect ( dum . . . PEWWWW . . . dum . . . PEWWW) is reconstructed poorly and overdone.

3) The ending has no dynamics. The original swells to an incredible crescendo with the organ sounding like it's about to explode in a Hammond orgasm. Here . . . more like marking time till it's over.

But these are mere quibbles. There is one problem with this mix that is unforgiveable. With a nod to Mr. Trebek, I will phrase it as a question:

In a hit song whose most recognizable feature is a distinctive bass track, what should remix engineers be most careful NOT TO SCREW UP?

That's right . . . in some bizarro universe where this was remixed, in a format with a dedicated low bass channel, the knob-twirlers couldn't find a way to preserve the thumping, powerful bass line! I've played it on two of my 5.1 systems, and to say it doesn't satisfy is being kind. On one, I can barely hear it at all. There is simply no justification for this at all.

For that alone, I'm downgrading this to a 6.
 
I just picked up the CD/DVD-A version and having read the comments above, one can only surmise that things got fixed because this is a great collection of songs delivered via a great 5.1 mix.
 
I'm actually surprised there are not more reviews for these AMAZING Talking Heads discs, and this album is no exception!

A nice mix of rhythmic elements in the front (like bass guitar and drums) with the rest of the instruments spread between the front and surround channels to great effect!

Not sure why I gave it a '9' at the time, but it's probably more like a '9.5'. Maybe it's just because there are other Talking Heads albums more deserving of a '10', but regardless, this is definitely a disc worth exploring if you haven't had the chance to get it or listen to it yet. The music is very quirky and well produced, so it lends itself very well to 5.1 surround. :)
 
I'm actually surprised there are not more reviews for these AMAZING Talking Heads discs, and this album is no exception!

Perhaps because there's a also a poll for the Brick box. I posted there but not in the polls for the individual titles. Maybe now I will. I agree, these are terrific discs.
 
I was not very familiar with this HEADS disc, but because it became available in 5.1.....I just had to have it.

What a great acquisition this disc is.I love the surround mix and the music a lot.This disc is punk as opposed to the remaining "new wave" discs, and boy does it ever rock!

I know this disc doesn't have much in the way of hit singles as other HEADS discs. "Take Me To The River" is the only single, and it's not a bad rendition, but there is better.

The surround mix is excellent in my opinion.This is a must own for any collector of surround or TALKING HEADS music.

My two favourite tracks are the very upbeat, percussion oriented back to back tracks :THE GOOD THING&WARNING SIGN , no interruption or pause in between.Super guitar work by Jerry Harrison and I believe Eno contributes his ENOSIFICATIONS-keyboards as well.Eno does produce.

Anyway this disc moves! Highly recommended!

I give it a 10 for masterful Punk and a great mix by JERRY HARRISON AND E.T. THORNGREN.
 
I heard this (not very closely) recently. There appeared to be lots going on in the rears. At times quite manic, I like the slower, more conventional tracks that were probably the ends of side 1 and 2. The last track of the proper album (The Big Country?) sounded like it could have influenced the sound of R.E.M.'s Man on the Moon.
 
Okay. Have heard this more closely in surround now. It's not my favourite Talking Heads album, and there's not a huge amount exclusive or significantly weighted to the rears, but the production doesn't suit it, nor allow for it much, I guess. So that said, with what they had it seems like a good mix with general placement working well. It's cohesive, never overly dry (like all of the TH 5.1 I've heard so far - only Speaking and Naked to go) and at times there's some distinct stuff in the rears and even some panning! The Big Country is currently my favourite track on the album by a good distance. It's difficult for me to rate, so I may wait to see if I grow into the album more.
 
I remember my first listen, I did not know quite what to think of this disc.But given the year of the recording and considering it's really Punk as opposed to New Wave (what the HEADS are most famous for), I found a few listens endeared me to this album.
Yes I think "The Big Country" is a good title as well.
 
One of the first multichannel discs I bought. I live in Sweden so we were able to get the european cd/dvd-a combo rather than the US dualdisc. First let me say that I do NOT like the stereo remaster of the CD. While this is a band that could benefit from compression, adding another level of punchiness, but not here, it's just a lot of noise going on. Ear bleeding.

The DVD-A disc is a whole different story, more dynamics while preserving some punchiness. Mix wise I'm impressed by Jerry, major instruments in the fronts and more detailed textures (mind you these quirky sounds were important for their sound) in the back. Some tracks work even better in surround with "Artists Only" being my best example, where the rears take care of the semi-psychedelic guitar creating a whole psychedelic fiest surrounding you. 9 it is.
 
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Better surround mixes than "77" (no rear channel adjustments necessary); good sonics; unfortunately I just don't like many of the songs here. 8.
 
This album translates surprisingly well to 5.1. I haven't heard this album in a while and I remember it not being my favorite from the Talking Heads, but I really like hearing this for the first time in 5.1. It's a really well thought out surround mix.

Regarding the content, I forgot how quirky some of these songs are. I realized how many of these songs I like. "Thank You For Sending Me an Angel", "Warning Sign", and the last three songs, "Stay Hungry", "Take Me to the River", and "The Big Country" are classics!
 
What a great album! I must admit I had never heard it before listening to it today. I wish I had discovered it before. The surround mix is fantastic, one of the best I have heard so far. A lovely fat sound with lots of great use of the back speakers. Highly recommended! I have the CD+DVD combo.
 
What a great album! I must admit I had never heard it before listening to it today. I wish I had discovered it before. The surround mix is fantastic, one of the best I have heard so far. A lovely fat sound with lots of great use of the back speakers. Highly recommended! I have the CD+DVD combo.

The Talking Heads are vastly underrated....if you can find one at a reasonable price....this is a good one to have...good to see you posting on the threads (y)
 
The Talking Heads are vastly underrated....if you can find one at a reasonable price....this is a good one to have...good to see you posting on the threads (y)

Thanks, I’m on the lookout for this and some other Talking Heads titles. I really enjoy the Stop Making Sense concert video, too. Lots of fun and super musicianship.
 
I remember being slightly let down when I bought their first album around 1977. I had no plans to buy another Talking Heads release but happened to hear "More Songs About Buildings and Food" when it was played in a local record store where I was browsing. I purchased a copy that day and have never looked back, been a die-hard Talking Heads fan ever since.

Jerry Harrison did a marvelous job mixing the Head's catalog to 5.1, even when there were fewer tracks to work with as on the first three albums. The pair of albums after this one are even musically better, so I considered giving "More Songs..." a 9. But what the hell, they were the best band of the late twentieth century, so a 10 it is.
 
Another great surround mix by Talking Heads. It's not as good as Remain in Light, and at a first listen it might give the impression that it's heavy on the front speakers. But I've soon realised it was just an impression. The surround field is very well used and I got to appreciate a lot of details that are buried in the original stereo mix. Vocals are generally up front and much clearer than the stereo mix. Love the sliding guitar effect on With Our Love, it was completely buried in the stereo mix. It's still growing on me, but for now it's a solid 8, so a strong recommendation. In the past, I voted 8 for Three of a Perfect Pair, Beat and Discipline (IIRC). This surround remix is more or less in the same league, in my opinion, but the mastering is a bit more in front of your face.
 
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