Talking Heads Talking Heads: 77 [Super Deluxe Edition]

Critic's Take

The expanded Talking Heads: 77 set reasserts why Talking Heads mattered from day one, with the live and alternate takes foregrounding the best tracks such as “Psycho Killer” and “Take Me To The River”. The reviewer delights in the album's oddness and minimalism, praising how songs like “Psycho Killer” thrill precisely because of what is left out, and how the CBGB recordings capture a road-tight, playful band. This edition is presented as a fascinating document of the first 18 months, and it is those muscular, funky performances that mark the best songs on Talking Heads: 77 and explain their lasting influence.

Key Points

• The best song is “Psycho Killer” because its restraint and absence of virtuoso excess make it uniquely thrilling.
• The album's core strengths are its weird minimalism, road-tight performances, and the CBGB live document that captures a playful, experimental young band.

Themes

Critic's Take

Talking Heads’ debut on Talking Heads: 77 [Super Deluxe Edition] is celebrated here for its freshness and small-joy intelligence, with highlights such as “Psycho Killer” and “Who Is It?” standing out as the best tracks on Talking Heads: 77. Sam Richards praises the remaster for making the guitars trebly and crisp and the rhythms perfectly designed to induce dancing - it’s in those songs that Byrne’s controlled mania becomes thrilling rather than merely eccentric. The Super Deluxe extras only deepen the case for the album, from the brassy Pop versions of “New Feeling” to the revelatory CBGB live set that shows the band as a tight, punchy live unit. This edition therefore underlines why the best songs on the album still sound like the start of something new rather than a nostalgic curio.

Key Points

• “Psycho Killer” is best for its satire, chilling delivery, and multiple intriguing alternate versions.
• The album’s strengths are its fresh, trebly remaster, danceable rhythms, and the revelatory CBGB live performance.

Themes

Critic's Take

Mark Moody praises the package most for its live centerpiece, arguing the CBGB set makes Talking Heads: 77 [Super Deluxe Edition] essential. He celebrates the band’s stage pedigree and specifically lauds “Who Is It?” and “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” for Tina Weymouth’s infiltrating bass and the rubbery grooves that lift the live set. The remaster and alternate takes are described as worthwhile and interesting, even if some "alternate pop" versions pale next to the originals. Overall Moody writes that the live recording slots in nicely with Stop Making Sense and The Name of This Band is Talking Heads, making the box irresistible to completists and fans of the best tracks on Talking Heads: 77.

Key Points

• The CBGB live recording is the release's strongest asset, showcasing the band’s onstage pedigree and standout bass-driven tracks.
• The remaster and alternate takes add archival interest, though some alternate pop versions pale beside the studio originals.

Themes

Critic's Take

Talking Heads arrive here precise and wired, and when you search for the best songs on Talking Heads: 77 [Super Deluxe Edition] it is impossible not to land on “Psycho Killer” and “New Feeling”. Everett True writes with breathless admiration, praising Tina Weymouth’s monstrous bassline and David Byrne’s brittle, in places psychotic vocals, which makes “Psycho Killer” the record’s clearest center of gravity. He traces that bassline back through “New Feeling” to the unnerving “Don’t Worry About The Government”, arguing the trio’s restraint and nervous energy are what make the best tracks hit so hard. The reissue’s outtakes and CBGB live performances only bolster why these songs stand out on this expanded edition.

Key Points

• Psycho Killer is best because Tina Weymouth’s monstrous bassline and Byrne’s brittle vocals make it the record’s emotional center.
• The album’s core strengths are tight, bare-bones funk, precise arrangements, and a nervous energy that uses restraint as a weapon.

Themes

Critic's Take

Talking Heads fans get a treasure chest with Talking Heads: 77 [Super Deluxe Edition], where the best tracks like “Psycho Killer” and “New Feeling” resurface in revealing alternate forms. The review relishes the previously unheard Live at CBGB recording and the unreleased rarities, arguing that the acoustic “Psycho Killer” featuring Arthur Russell is a special attachment rather than a mere curiosity. The package reads like a definitive look back, balancing remastered originals with demos and live electricity to show why these are the best tracks on the set. In short, it is a massive, carefully curated document that foregrounds the songs that made the band essential.

Key Points

• The acoustic alternate of "Psycho Killer" is the set’s emotional highlight due to Byrne’s stated personal attachment.
• The box set’s core strength is its archival breadth: remasters, unreleased rarities, and the exclusive Live at CBGB recording.

Themes