Talking Heads - "Little Creatures" (1985)

I've had this album since my early teens, so it has been there a long time. Talking Heads is one of the bands that I generally appreciate more as an adult than as a teenager. Usually it's the opposite, the music I listened to in my teens is more difficult to listen as an adult. Maybe I wasn't quite ready for Talking Heads and their not always uncomplicated creations as the younger version of myself.

However, to Little Creatures I relate in much of the same way now as I did 30 years ago. Maybe it's because the record is one of the more accessible the band created. Gone are the sound walls from Remain in Light, no dark neurosis à la Fear of Music. Little Creatures is more of a pop album, yes, almost a party album. Indeed, next time I have a party, I will play this record, it's going to work just fine. And people will dance.

The sound is a return to the more simple production from the band's early albums. Yes, some songs could find a spot at 77, their first album. It's airy - bass, drums and guitar are in the center with various additional instruments here and there. But these never dominate, and as mentioned, we are far from the sound of e.g. Remain in Light. But fear not, as usual it sounds very much Talking Heads even though the record is quite different than the previous ones. The big difference is that there is quite happy and accesible music at Little Creatures. Where are all neurotic vibes? And this even though David Byrne has more or less written all music single handed. Maybe he was unusually happy.

This does not make Little Creatures a bad record. It's a good album with some Talking Heads classics as icing on the cake, I of course think of the opening and closing tracks - And She Was and Road To Nowhere. And She Was is a real pop gem that makes me think of REM's song Stand, and Road To Nowhere is one of my favorite songs with Talking Heads. In between those we are treated to a mixed bag where my highlight is Walk It Down while Television Man could perhaps be a little shorter. We should be thankful that Talking Heads avoided being lured into the typical 80's production. The sound of Little Creatures is timeless and it could have been produced today. It's nice with an album from the 80's that sounds good.

This is the record with Talking Heads that has sold most, so apprently it was of the taste of quite a few (a couple of millions). I have understood, though, that some hard core fans regard this album as the beginning of the downfall for Talking Heads. I don't agree. Sure, to be Talking Heads it's an unusually happy and easygoing album, but it's still a lot more challenging than Like A Virgin, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go or Take On Me that were also played in 1985. Little Creatures, qualitative new wave pop for the savvy music lover.

Tracklist

Side A
1. And She Was 3:36
2. Give Me Back My Name 3:20
3. Creatures Of Love 4:12
4. The Lady Don't Mind 4:03
5. Perfect World 4:26

Side B
1. Stay Up Late 3:51
2. Walk It Down 4:42
3. Television Man 6:10
4. Road To Nowhere 4:19