Talking Heads - Burning Down The House

I've been on a little bit of a kick for Talking Heads in the last few weeks.  I've always been a fan but for the last wee while, they've occupied a fairly regular place on my spotify favorites.  Let's see if I can explain why.


Talking Heads explored the idea of combining Dance Music with intelligence long before most ever thought of it.  Their songs explore a wide variety of territories and subject matters, but never failed to set it all to a funky beat.  Basslines that pulse and throb.  Beats that groove.

All of it providing an undercurrent to that voice, that famous voice that continues to be the signature sound of the band. 

This would probably not be considered their best song, coming in third place behind the more well known Psycho Killer and Once In A Lifetime.  But it still sets up a fantastic groove.  The song mostly provides an evolving, delicious backbeat to David Byrne's tremulous voice. 

Byrne's often said the lyrics were not the subject of great thought, instead simply using appropriate sounding phrases that fit the melody.  While sometimes this can create a song lacking in meaning and impact, here it serves to provide an overall fun tone to the song that the music, with it's staccato stabs of guitar emphasises.  The pulsing synth bassline and mechanical yet groovy drumming keeps feet tapping and bodies moving.

The synth solo that enters about halfway through the track provides the kind of energy that most tracks could struggle to muster.  Indeed, this song proves to be a fantastic showcase that sometimes, restraint is exactly what a song needs.  This song feels like a beast in chains.  It strains and twists, giving the sense of massive power held in check. 

This time we're going with a live rendition of the track, from the Heads wonderful live film "Stop Making Sense"

Posted in: Burning Down The House, David Byrne, Music, Music Review, Stop Making Sense, talking heads