Vinyl Reports

Talking Heads’ 1978 sophomore album More Songs About Buildings and Food was a gamechanger for the burgeoning NYC band, reaching the Top 30 on the Billboard album charts, and buoyed by a similarly ranked hit single (their cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” which made it to No. 26). Soon reaching gold-selling status, this LP — which was released 47 years ago this month on July 14, 1978 — marked the beginning of the Heads’ fertile association with visionary producer/artist Brian Eno, one that would blossom over the group’s next two even more expansive and groundbreaking recordings. Sire/Rhino’s 4LP super deluxe edition of More Songs About Buildings and Food — which just dropped today, July 25, 2025 — is the latest entry in a much-anticipated series of remastered vinyl and expanded offerings that are being released in conjunction with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Talking Heads’ formation.

For many of us getting into what was then called new wave music, this second album by Talking Heads turned out to be an important touchstone for the band — and for the era. Striking that nuanced balance between art-school craft, radio friendly production, and a glorious sense of hook-laden melody, Talking Heads proved themselves more than just a quasi-novelty act that had birthed “Psycho Killer,” a still-chilling track that can be found on their iconic debut Talking Heads 77 LP. (Footnote 1) You just knew that these folks were going to be around for the long haul — much like Elvis Costello, Blondie, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, and many others from that era have since stood the test of time.

That new generation of young artists had grabbed the torch of pop music royalty, leaving behind in their wake many icons from the earlier era of psychedelia, hard rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock. For me and my generation then coming of age, the timing was perfect. These were our new musical heroes, pointing the way forward.

Before I dive on down into the box set reviewing thing, let’s take a quick look at the DNA behind this important Food restoration. While the official press release doesn’t quite give us all the details we’d normally hope for, a little sleuthing ’n’ digging through the fine print of the box set itself revealed many of the key points. From the hype sticker adorning the cover (and as seen above), we know that the original album was remastered from the 2-track analog master tape. And if you’ve read AP Editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth preview that we posted back on June 4, 2025 (click here, ICYMI), you’ll have already found that he had already secured some important information from Talking Heads’ promo team about the underlying pedigree for this release.

As Mike reported in that piece, the Heads’ team had “confirmed directly with us that the vinyl was indeed pressed at GZ [in the Czech Republic], as we initially thought. The source material for the core album was done AAA as remastered from the original 2-track master tape, while the rarities and live material were done via digital files. Finally, Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound in Nashville is the one who cut the vinyl.”

But wait — there’s more. The entire Food 4LP collection was produced for release by Jason Jones, while the reissued recordings were mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (via a different process than the vinyl-cut lacquer mastering cited above). The Live at The Entermedia Theatre concert recordings on LPs Three and Four were freshly mixed by Jason Jones and Brian Kehew. (More on that historic hometown 1978 show in a bit.) The box set also includes a 60-page hardbound book with rare/previously unseen photos, as well as new liner notes from all four bandmembers (bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz, keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison, and vocalist/guitarist David Byrne) — and all of it is truly wonderful to behold. Each black vinyl LP in the set comes housed in its own plastic-lined, audiophile-grade inner sleeve.

The SRP for Talking Heads’ More Songs About Buildings and Food 4LP box set is $124.99, and it is available from Music Direct here, and/or via the MD link at the end of this review, just ahead of the tracklisting section. That said, do also note that there are additional exclusive editions of this box set available via Talking Heads’ official site. One version there expands the 4LP collection with reproductions of four rare original 45rpm singles from the period, and that edition sports an SRP of $174.98. A trimmed-down 2LP option (the original studio album, and a second disc of alternate takes) that also includes the aforementioned bonus singles has an SRP of $74.98, while a 2LP black vinyl version sans the bonus singles has an SRP of $34.98. (For those of you who like your Heads fully digitally, there is also a 3CD/1BD edition of the set that includes new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mixes that goes for $79.98.)

Before I cued up the new remastered LPs, I enjoyed a refresher listen to my original 1978-era pressing of the core album on Sire. While I was delighted how fresh the music remained, sonically, the album felt a little bit thinner than I’d remembered. Still, overall, the recording was excellent, and hearing it effectively with fresh ears — it had admittedly been a while since I played this LP — I was hearing all sorts of nuanced details I had forgotten about from the days when I used to play this album quite regularly. It’s also quite possible that I am simply hearing more of what was in the grooves, given some of the improved gear I’ve added into my playback system over the years (most notably, my Music Hall turntable fitted with a Goldring cartridge).

Spinning the new remastered edition of the original album was thus even more of a revelation, because its sound was much fuller and fatter, with the music emerging richer and rounder than ever. It is still a crisp-sounding LP, but this new edition bears a far warmer overall sonic footprint — a good thing, in my book!

Keeping in mind that the new vinyl was pressed at GZ, I’m happy to report zero problems with their output this time around. The quality controls thankfully feel very high on this project, so I experienced none of the past periodic problems — such as random dust, or disc noise — that have plagued some GZ-pressed releases by other major artists over the past number of years.

Also immediately happy-making for me was the simple realization that the new core LP is perfectly centered. I can’t emphasize the importance of this often-overlooked detail enough, as it makes a huge difference in how a vinyl record sounds, no matter how sophisticated your sound system is. (Footnote 2) So, when it comes to More Songs About Buildings and Food, believe me, I have upgraded from numerous off-center versions of this album over the years. This is one of those recordings where certain guitar notes and keyboard flourishes waver in and out of tune very easily, especially on songs like “Artists Only” (LP One, Side Two, Track 1) and “The Big Country” (LP One, Side Two, Track 5).

The packaging for the More Songs About Buildings and Food 4LP box set is lovely. It contains two gatefold 2LP sets, the first one including the remastered original studio album plus a second disc of bonus tracks and alternate takes. The latter tracks are all great fun, and even revelatory at times. While I am still exploring this, I got a particular kick out of hearing the early instrumental take of “Electricity” (LP Two, Side One, Track 6), which would ultimately show up on the band’s next album on Sire, August 1979’s Fear of Music, with lyrics added and duly renamed as “Drugs.” (Footnote 3) This particular version on Food LP2 was previously released on the digital-only Bonus Rarities and Outtakes collection in 2006, and this is likely the first time the track has appeared on vinyl.

The second 2LP package in this set features a previously unreleased concert in New York that was recorded on August 10, 1978. Titled Live at The Entermedia Theatre, it is a wonderful — and generally well-recorded but appropriately raw and yet finessed — concert experience. Ultimately, the performances are what matters here, as the band is in great form playing in their hometown before an adoring audience. It’s a joy hearing vocalist/guitarist David Byrne pulling out all the stops and taking his already at-times straining-yelping voice into new territories, purely on good instinct.

I’m hard-put to call out favorite tracks on this great live set at this stage, so let’s instead check out this official YouTube videoclip from that show of “Found a Job” (LP Four, Side Four, Track 2), and you’ll get an idea of just how focused the band was at this point in time with each of these four musicians’ intricately intertwined parts perfectly in sync.

I’m also always happy to hear the Heads’ first single played live — the non-LP track that’s sometimes referred to as “Love Goes to Building on Fire” but is listed on the album as “Love –> Building on Fire” (LP Three, Side Two, Track 4). (Sidenote: I first obtained this track on the great 1977 Vertigo UK compilation LP called New Wave, which indeed spells out the title as such, sans the arrow graphic, as was done on numerous early single releases of this song at the time.) Again, there are so many wonderful moments on the two Live at The Entermedia Theatre LPs, but I will take a moment to note the live version of the aforementioned “Electricity” (LP Three, Side Three, Track 1) being introduced here as a then-new song, now complete with lyrics.

Overall, the More Songs About Buildings and Food 4LP box set is a joyous celebration of time and place for the ascendant superstars-to-be Talking Heads. I have no problem giving the Music on this collection a solid 10. The Sound is overall very strong, and it garners a hearty 8.5, averaged between the all-analog-remastered original LP and the digital archival tracks on the other discs. (AP editor Mettler tells me he wholly agrees with both of these ratings as well.)

As to whether you need this entire set on vinyl or prefer some of the other available variant options is, of course, your personal choice. But know that the only way to get the live 1978 Live at The Entermedia Theatre in NYC concert on vinyl comes with one of the 4LP editions. Any way you slice it and dive into it, Talking Heads’ More Songs About Buildings and Food box set is a tasty treat for the eyes and ears.

While you ruminate over your Food obtainment options accordingly, we’ll leave you here with “Take Me to the River,” another fine official videoclip from the live 1978 concert that was officially released recently on YouTube to help spread the word about this great collection. Enjoy!

Author bio: Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for eCoustics, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.

Footnote 3: Mettler once more: Shall we start taking bets now that Fear of Music will be the very next album in the Heads catalog to get the super deluxe box set treatment from Sire/Rhino sometime next year? Here’s hoping. . .

TALKING HEADS
MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD – SUPER DELUXE EDITION
4LP (Sire/Rhino)
MUSIC: 10
SOUND: 8.5

Original album and related recordings produced by Brian Eno and Talking Heads
Original album and related recordings engineered by Rhett Davies
Original album mastered by Joe Gastwirt at Masterdisk
Reissue produced for release by Jason Jones
Reissue material mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound
Live at The Entermedia Theatre concert material mixed by Jason Jones and Brian Kehew
Vinyl lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound (Nashville)
Vinyl manufactured at GZ, Czech Republic

LP One: Original Album (2025 Remaster)

LP One, Side One
1. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
2. With Our Love
3. The Good Thing
4. Warning Sign
5. The Girls Want To Be With The Girls
6. Found A Job

LP One, Side Two
1. Artists Only
2. I’m Not In Love
3. Stay Hungry
4. Take Me To The River
5. The Big Country

LP Two: Rarities

LP Two, Side One
1. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Alternate Version)
2. With Our Love (Alternate Version)
3. Found A Job (Alternate Version)
4. The Good Thing (Alternate Version)
5. Warning Sign (Alternate Version)
6. Electricity (Instrumental)

LP Two, Side Two
1. The Girls Want To Be With The Girls (Alternate Version)
2. I’m Not In Love (Alternate Version)
3. Artists Only (Alternate Version)
4. The Big Country (Alternate Version)
5. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Country Angel Version)

LP Three & LP Four: Live At The Entermedia Theatre, New York, NY (August 10, 1978)

LP Three, Side One
1. No Compassion
2. Warning Sign
3. The Book I Read
4. Stay Hungry
5. Artists Only

LP Three, Side Two
1. The Girls Want To Be With The Girls
2. Uh-Oh, Loves Comes To Town
3. With Our Love”
4. Love –> Building On Fire
5. Don’t Worry About The Government
6. The Good Thing

LP Four, Side Three
1. Electricity
2. The Big Country
3. New Feeling
4. Pulled Up
5. Psycho Killer

LP Four, Side Four
1. Take Me To The River
2, Found A Job
3, Thank You For Sending Me An Angel