TALKING HEADS – ANN ARBOR 1978 SOUNDBOARD (CD)

[First appearance on SBD around the same time as the official ‘THE NAME OF ~’]
　This is TALKING HEADS from 1978/1979. The Ann Arbor performance featured on this release was part of “North America #2,” the main leg of the “MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD Tour.” Several songs from this leg were also included on the official release, ‘THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS’. Let’s take a closer look at the dates and examine the circumstances surrounding this.

■ Details of “North America #2”
– August 1st to 22nd (9 shows)
* August 23rd: Chicago (1 official song)
– August 24th to September 15th (10 shows)
* September 16th: San Francisco (1 official song)
– September 17th to October 17th (19 shows)
* October 19th: Ann Arbor performance ←★This work★
– October 20th to December 17th (52 shows)
* December 18th: Cleveland (3 official songs)
– December 29th to 31st (3 shows)

…And that’s how it is. The Ann Arbor performance itself is unrelated to “THE NAME OF THIS BAND,” but there are tons of officially released live performances before and after it. They may have been recording the shows day after day in preparation for the production of a live album. This recording, which captures such a show, is a first-ever soundboard recording that is currently shocking collectors all over the world.

[A thrilling album where raw, unadulterated sound perfectly matches your brain]
　While the term “soundboard” encompasses a wide range of styles, this album is neither from an FM broadcast nor an official release; it’s a direct connection to the mixing console. In fact, even listening intently with headphones, you can’t sense the presence of an audience. Usually, even direct connection recordings include a faint trace of loud cheers, but this album is entirely comprised of live performance and vocals, making it difficult to tell whether it’s a live concert or a studio rehearsal.

　And the crucial instrumental and vocal sounds are incredibly intimate and absolutely superb. To call it an official live recording, it’s almost too raw and unfiltered, and the sound is a bit narrow, but that’s precisely what makes it so dense and tightly defined, with every detail incredibly clear. The quality is perfect, and the rawness of the raw sound itself is worthy of being called “official-level unearthed material.” Of course, that’s not a flaw. Rather, it’s an irresistible rawness for seasoned soundboard enthusiasts, and the otherworldly sense of synchronization, where the live performance and your brain become perfectly aligned, is a pleasure that cannot be experienced with FM broadcasts or audience recordings.

[An ultra-realistic live album on a completely different level from the official release]
　This exhilarating soundboard recording captures the truth of the “MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD Tour,” which opened the door to their heyday. While the official release, “THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS,” was an edited live album compiled from various tours, this album is a completely unprocessed, one-take, real live album. Of course, the track selection is also significantly different, so let’s compare and organize them.

● More Songs (10 songs)
– The Big Country / Warning Sign / Stay Hungry / Artists Only / The Girls Want to Be With the Girls (*) / The Good Thing (★*) / Found a Job / Take Me to the River / Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (★) / I’m Not in Love
● Others (5 songs + 2 songs)
– Psycho Killer ’77: The Book I Read / Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town (★*) / New Feeling / Pulled Up (*) / Psycho Killer
– Others: Love-> Building on Fire / Electricity (Drugs)
*Note: “★” indicates songs that were not played on “THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS”. “*” indicates songs that were not played after this tour.

…And that’s how it is. Not only does it have the balanced feel of a concentrated version of the two albums, “TALKING HEADS: 77” and “MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD,” but it also has plenty of repertoire that was only possible at the time, such as “The Good Thing” and “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town.” Moreover, these great songs are amplified by the stage tension and performed in a nonstop flow that only a live performance can offer. This is a soundboard album that pours the “true TALKING HEADS” into your brain, something you couldn’t experience with “THE NAME OF THIS BAND.”

　This never-before-seen soundboard recording is still thrilling collectors around the world at this very moment. This pressed CD will forever preserve the impact of this newly discovered recording. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content!

(72:55)
01 The Big Country
02 Warning Sign
03 The Book I Read
04 Stay Hungry
05 Artists Only
06 The Girls Want to Be With the Girls
07 The Good Thing
08 Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
09 Love / Building on Fire
10 Electricity
11 Found a Job
12 New Feeling
13 Pulled Up
14 Psycho Killer

— encores:
15 Take Me to the River
16 Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
17 I’m Not in Love

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

STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING