Talking Heads - Naked

Clearly better than my tastes

20 years ago I would have said this was the worst heap the band ever recorded, but I just listened to it for the first time in a long time this afternoon, and I have to say there's a lot going on here that I simply wasn't receptive to back then for whatever reason. It is certainly nothing at all like their earlier work, so if you're looking for more of the same you'll be extraordinarily disappointed, but if you forget about the legacy of the band and approach it from a thoroughly naive perspective the subtle complexities of the arrangements and coherence of the lyrics are surprisingly good for a pop record of such advanced age. It might help if you yourself are of advanced age, too. Dunno. June 10, 2008

Johnny Marr pit-stop...

Having been a huge TH fan since their earliest days, watching them, experiencing them change and morph along the way...picking up Eno, developing a phenomenal sound...AND, also having been a HUGE Smiths fan, I remember the day this lp was released. I was a bit bitter about The Smiths' demise and watching Marr go from one project to the next was a bitter pill to swallow. Nonetheless, I had to experience this.

At first listen back in the day, I was rather indifferent about this release. Did not loathe it, did not fawn over it. It just was. However, over the years, after countless listens, I fully appreciate just what was done here. And while I ALWAYS marveled at Marr's contribution on this release, time has been extremely kind to this one and, like a fine wine, it has matured and developed even greater depth and flavor. In short, it is an amazing release; one that is not deserving of the harsh criticisms and low ratings. TH always were a on-going project, one that evolved along the way. It was not static; this is not TH '77, so don't expect as much. Instead, approach this with an open mind and, more importantly, open ears. Sit and listen. You will cherish this offering as much as I, I assure you. May 3, 2008

memorable album

I remember this album for when I was growing up. An overlooked album of great songs. Side A or on the CD the first 5 songs are good but Side B the last 5 songs are amazing. Give it a listen and decide for yourself. Creative music perfect for a night drive or a walk through the city. March 26, 2008

better than advertised

This album gets slammed a lot and I don't get why. It is not as consistently good as some of their others like Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues, but the sound has held up as well as any Heads record, and it is certainly far more interesting and inventive than its stay-at-home predecessor, Little Creatures. Sure, sometimes the lyrics get too bizarre and kitschy like on Mommy Daddy You and I but since when did Heads lyrics consistently make sense anyway? This is a remarkably creative, varied, and interesting assortment that is pretty cohesive given its broad reach. At it's best, like on Nothing But Flowers, it's as good as the Talking Heads get. The horn arrangements on Blind and Mr. Jones jump out from the speakers, the relentless percussive attack is as good as on any of their records, and, of course, Byrne's vocals are as strong and engaging as ever, whether you have any idea what he's singing about or not. Also, the production is in my opinion superior to all their previous non-live records.

Which reminds me, the remastered dualdisc version has sharply superior sound quality, and plus features a neat bonus track called Sax and Violins, so even though you can buy the original for, like, 1 cent now, I still say get the remaster. July 18, 2006

not bad, but not their best

talking head's naked was released in 1988 and would prove to be thier last album together. It is also one of the most controversial of their album,s as well. not for the lyrics per se , but the quality of the album is debated among fans.many people hate this one. many love it.some don't even know what it is. my job is to give you my opnion on what i think of it.

naked was touted as a "back to basics" type album. meaning they tried to return to the mutlilayered polyrthmic sound of remain in light. instead of being influenced by african music this time TH were shooting for a more latin/south american/samba sound.although, they brought on such heavyweights as Johnny Marr(former guitarist of the Smiths) and Lenny Pickett(Saturday Night Live music coordinator)
the results are mixed.

i'm going to do this by song:

Blind:Great start to the album. if the rest of the album sounded like this it would be a classic. awesome funk horn section provided and arranged by Lenny Pickett and his ensamble;wonmnderfully goofy fake James Brown impression vocal by David Bryne and many layered rythems. the only problem is like mostof the album, the drums are programmed and often sound flat and is not really danacble look to reamin in light and speaking in tongues if you wanna dance.

mr. Jones: another neat track. the latin/samba sound is achieved with real sounding percussion that jells well with eachother. cynically funny lyrics that update Bob Dylan's character as a washed out yuppie shell of what he used to be.upbeat horns thst make you wanna groove and shimmy. this is defineatly one of the strongest tracks

totally nude:another great track. upbeat rythem and slide guitar.more cynical lyrics this time concerining the ignorant naviete of nudists.more good percussion.not samba/latin but more of a carribean tingened song slightly in the vein of(but defineatly not as good) uh-oh, love comes to town from 77.

Ruby Dear: meh, this ones ok like the song says"round and round it goes, whee it stops no one knows". this song is kinda repetitive and lifeless. the percussion saves it from being compltety horrible. david and his vioces sound tired and the lyrics are hard to understand

(nothing but) Flowers: the big hit. bounchy, chipper gutar;neat samba percussion and funny lyrics that long for the sterile safety of modern,technology dependant america make this a very solid song. This is one of the only songs were David actually sounds into doing what hes doing.

the democratic Circus: heres where the album starts to shift gears and slow down much like the two sides of reamain in light. mid-tempo percussion andd guitar. more bored, sleepy vocals that are politically charged. this a a decent political swipe at the state of our nation's politics at the time and the title especially rings true now.its a good mid-tempo song.the only annoying part is the over loud electric guitar that comes in. it grates badly with the rest of the song.

Facts of life:argh, i can barely stand this one! obnoxious, industrial like keyboards drive this song along with plastic beats and preachy,misinformated, opinionated, cliche filed lyrics that try to hard to sound intrested and intellegent (ryming Chipanzee with human being) and too top it off, it nearly runs for seven minutes and is much too repetitive. skip this one or use to torture information out of your enemies.oh, did i mention David sings in falsetto toawrds the end? i'm getting a headache right now.


Mommy, Daddy, You and I: Creepy, dark song about dyfunctional familes. the accordian is kinda annoying and the chorus is oddly and eceptivly cheery.a decent effort. David sounds creepy and slightly ric Okasik-like;cheesy lyrics hurt this song(chilly,chilly willy); but its still good

Big Daddy:another song that utilizies the horn section to its full potential. this one has more of a blues roadhouse feel to it with a harmonica making it's presence felt.more prententious, cheesy lyrics and annoying vioces keep this song from being great.

Bill: Downbeat and reptitve. plastic percussion;preachy, cliched attempt at phillosophy;stoned vocals. its ok but not really worth adding(it wasn't on the vynal verson). does nothing to enchance the album

Cool Water:this song is very dark;lyrics that remind us that while we're partying and worrying about our petty issues(like missing desperate housewives) people are being forced to do other's hard labor for little to no pay and many die;chilling vocal by David;dark, atmospheric guitar provided by Johnny Marr; quiet, yet effective brushed drums by Chris and a haunting Cor Angelis(a type of sax or flute) solo make this the best and most affecting song on the record.

Sax and violins:A bonus song only avalible on the dualdisc edition. originally included on "Until the End of the World" Soundtrack, but recorded duruing the sessions for what would become Naked. this song isn't that exciing and perobably wasn't used for a reason. it relies on electronics and is very cold soundingthe pretentious and often nonesense lyrics don't help either.however,like most of the album, the percussion saves it as does the chorus.worth checking out if your a hardcore fan.

this album is very different hen all the other TH records which is a good thing. if you are a hardcore fan, you'll like it. if you're a casual fan who liked reamnin in light you'll like this; if you liked little creatures and didn't like remain light as much stay away as you'll only find the first two songs and flowers intresting. its not their best and certainly not a great note for them to leave on but just like the seinfeld finale,closing the book on one of the most innvative and best bands of all time is really hard to pull off perfectly.this album suceeds more then it fails.like the rating says, it is a decent album.

definatly try before you buy
recommended downloads:flowers,Blind,nude and water May 17, 2006

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