True Stories

Talking Heads

Released on 01/09/1986 by Parlophone UK
Main artists: Talking Heads
Genre: Rock

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Time hasn't been kind to Talking Heads' ancillary soundtrack to David Byrne's oddball directorial debut. Though it generated one of the band's biggest radio hits ("Wild Wild Life"), both the film and its songs were dismissed as self-consciously quirky retreads of other, better material; and it's well-known the quartet was beginning to splinter apart around the time of the sessions. Byrne himself has said that he regretted the whole notion of releasing True Stories with his own vocals, a decision made at the behest of the film's financial backers: All along, he intended for the lyrics to be sung, in character, by Pops Staples, John Goodman, and the rest of the cast. (Some of these alternate-vocal versions were eventually released as B-sides.) Despite its perfunctory nature, however, True Stories is not without its charms. Though an obvious swipe at consumerism, "Love for Sale" boasts one of the band's best hooks, and it's easily their hardest-rocking tune since the Fear of Music days. "Radio Head" is a successful continuation of some of the regional-American motifs Byrne explored on Little Creatures (and bears the distinction of inspiring Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and company to name their band after it). Free from the movie's weird patina of irony, "Dream Operator" is one of the most affecting tunes Talking Heads ever recorded; the closing-credits theme "City of Dreams" is similarly touching. Elsewhere, there is filler -- touching upon gospel, country-western, zydeco, and sundry other Byrne influences -- but the band's skill at arranging an album and maintaining a mood remains intact. So while True Stories may remain a regrettable chapter in the band's history, it's certainly not an embarrassing one.

© Michael Hastings /TiVo

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True Stories

Talking Heads

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Love for Sale (2005 Remaster)

00:04:30

Nick Delre, AssistantEngineer - Robin Laine, Assistant Mixer - Jack Skinner, Editor, MasteringEngineer - JERRY HARRISON, Producer, Editor, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Remixer, Backing Vocals, Guitarra - Eric 'ET' Thorngren, Mixer, Editor, Engineer, OverdubEngineer - David Byrne, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Writer, Guitarra - Chris Frantz, Producer, Drums, Editor - Tina Weymouth, Producer, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Spoken Voice Vocals - Talking Heads, MainArtist - Kathy Botich, AssistantEngineer, OverdubEngineer - Charlie Brocco, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Melanie West, AssistantEngineer - Tom Nist, Assistant Mixer

© 2005 Talking Heads Tours Inc under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Ltd. This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 2005 Parlophone Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Digital Remaster (P) 2005 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Talking Heads Tours Inc under exclusive licence to EMI Records Ltd

Puzzlin' Evidence (2005 Remaster)

00:05:23

Nick Delre, AssistantEngineer - Robin Laine, Assistant Mixer - Jack Skinner, Editor, MasteringEngineer - JERRY HARRISON, Producer, Editor, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Remixer, Backing Vocals, Writer, Guitarra - Eric 'ET' Thorngren, Mixer, Editor, Engineer, OverdubEngineer - David Byrne, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Writer, Guitarra - Chris Frantz, Producer, Drums, Editor, Writer - Tina Weymouth, Producer, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Spoken Voice Vocals - Talking Heads, MainArtist - Kathy Botich, AssistantEngineer, OverdubEngineer - Charlie Brocco, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Melanie West, AssistantEngineer - Tom Nist, Assistant Mixer - Paul Christiansen, OverdubEngineer - The Bert Cross Choir, Choir

Hey Now (2005 Remaster)

00:03:41

Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Nick Delre, AssistantEngineer - Robin Laine, Assistant Mixer - Jack Skinner, Editor, MasteringEngineer - JERRY HARRISON, Producer, Editor, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Remixer, Backing Vocals, Writer, Guitarra - Eric 'ET' Thorngren, Mixer, Editor, Engineer, OverdubEngineer - David Byrne, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Writer, Guitarra - Chris Frantz, Producer, Drums, Editor, Writer - Tina Weymouth, Producer, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Spoken Voice Vocals - Talking Heads, MainArtist - Kathy Botich, AssistantEngineer, OverdubEngineer - Charlie Brocco, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Melanie West, AssistantEngineer - Tom Nist, Assistant Mixer - Michael McClain, Engineer - The Saint Thomas Aquinas Elementary School Choir, Dallas, Choir

Papa Legba (2005 Remaster)

00:05:55

Wild Wild Life (2005 Remaster)