Talking Heads: 77

Talking Heads: 77
Studio album by Talking Heads
Released	September 16, 1977
Recorded	1976–77,
Studio	Sundragon Studios in NYC
Genre	Art punk,[1] new wave[2]
Length	38:37
Label	Sire (US, UK) Philips (Europe, Japan)
Producer	Tony Bongiovi, Lance Quinn, Talking Heads
Talking Heads chronology
Talking Heads: 77 (1977) More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
Singles from Talking Heads 77
"Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town" Released: 1977 "Psycho Killer" Released: December 1977 "Pulled Up" Released: 1978

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Chicago Tribune	[4]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]
Mojo	[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[9]
Uncut	[10]
The Village Voice	A−[11]

Talking Heads: 77 is the debut album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released in September 1977. The single "Psycho Killer" reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. In 2003, the album was ranked #290 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. In his 1995 book, The Alternative Music Almanac, Alan Cross placed it in the #5 spot on his 10 Classic Alternative Albums list.^[12]

Release history

The album was released by Sire Records in the UK and US and Philips Records throughout continental Europe.^[13]

In 2005, it was remastered and re-released by Warner Music Group on their Warner Bros./Sire Records/Rhino Records labels in DualDisc format with five bonus tracks on the CD side (see track listing below). The DVD-Audio side includes both stereo and 5.1 surround high resolution (96 kHz/24bit) mixes, as well as a Dolby Digital version and videos of the band performing "Pulled Up" and "I Feel It in My Heart". In Europe, it was released as a CD+DVDA two disc set rather than a single DualDisc. The reissue was produced by Andy Zax with Talking Heads.

The album was re-released on vinyl on April 18, 2009 for Record Store Day.^[14]

Track listing

All tracks written by David Byrne,^[13] except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town"	2:48
2.	"New Feeling"	3:09
3.	"Tentative Decisions"	3:04
4.	"Happy Day"	3:55
5.	"Who Is It?"	1:41
6.	"No Compassion"	4:47

Side two
No.	Title	Length
7.	"The Book I Read"	4:06
8.	"Don't Worry About the Government"	3:00
9.	"First Week/Last Week…Carefree"	3:19
10.	"Psycho Killer" (writers: Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth)	4:19
11.	"Pulled Up"	4:29

2005 reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Love → Building on Fire"		3:00
13.	"I Wish You Wouldn't Say That"		2:39
14.	"Psycho Killer (Acoustic version)" (featuring Arthur Russell on cello)	Byrne, Frantz, Weymouth	4:20
15.	"I Feel It in My Heart"		3:15
16.	"Sugar on My Tongue"		2:36

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.^[13]

Talking Heads

• David Byrne – guitar, lead vocals
• Chris Frantz – drums
• Jerry Harrison – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Tina Weymouth – bass guitar

Production

• Tony Bongiovi – producer
• Lance Quinn – producer
• Talking Heads – producers
• Ed Stasium – engineer
• Joe Gastwirt – mastering

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1978	UK Albums	60[15]

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1978	"Psycho Killer"	Billboard Hot 100	92[16]

References

1. Gittins, Ian (September 1, 2004). Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime, The Stories Behind Every Song. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 39. ISBN 0634080334. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
2. Aaron, Charles (August 2004). "New Wave". Spin. New York: 104. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
3. Ruhlmann, William. "Talking Heads 77 – Talking Heads". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
4. Kot, Greg (May 6, 1990). "Talking Heads On The Record". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
5. Smith, Jon (July 15, 2012). "Album Review: Talking Heads – Talking Heads 77". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
6. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
7. "Talking Heads 77 LP". CD Universe. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
8. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
9. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 394. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
10. Shapiro, Peter (February 2006). "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth". Uncut (105): 82.
11. Christgau, Robert (October 31, 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
12. "Alan Cross' Ten Classic Alternative Albums". Apr 18, 2010. Retrieved Mar 9, 2013.
13. Talking Heads: 77 liner notes
14. "Record Store Day releases". Recordstoreday.com. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
15. British Hit Singles & Albums, Edition 17, 2004 Guinness World Records Limited, p.548
16. Billboard chart history. Retrieved 2012-06-22.