Talking Heads cover

Talking Heads

Talking Heads · 2005

922 min · 210 tracks · new wave

A vibrant blend of art rock and funk rhythms, infused with David Byrne's distinctive vocal delivery and eclectic instrumentation.

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Top tracks — play these first

  • →
    Pulled Up Start here — establishes the sonic palette early
  • →
    Psycho Killer — This track encapsulates the band's unique blend of haunting lyrics and catchy melodies, serving as a defining anthem of the new wave movement.
  • →
    Once in a Lifetime — With its infectious groove and existential themes, this song highlights the band's ability to merge art rock with accessible pop sensibilities.
  • →
    Burning Down the House — A quintessential hit that showcases David Byrne's charismatic performance style and the band's rhythmic innovation, making it a staple in their live shows.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • dynamic exploration with peaks
  • wave-like pacing for engagement
  • idiosyncratic vocals driving energy
  • vibrant rhythms for movement
  • for active listening

Maybe skip if you

  • prefer straightforward song structures
  • seek instant gratification tracks

Where this album fits

In the catalog
Deep Cut — A compilation reflecting their impact but not a core studio album.
Career context
2005 marked a retrospective phase for Talking Heads, celebrating their influential career as one of the pioneers of new wave and post-punk. This album compiles key tracks from their discography, emphasizing their experimental sound that evolved throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. The release comes amidst a resurgence of interest in their music following the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Stylistic neighbors
David Byrne· The B-52's· Devo
New to Talking Heads? Find your way in →

Moments worth listening for

Where the writing does something specific.

  • Once in a Lifetime

    The narrator reflects on the surreal nature of existence and questions societal norms through vivid imagery and repetition.

    This lyrical structure enhances the sense of disorientation while inviting listeners to confront their own reality, showcasing Byrne's lyrical craftsmanship.

Tracklist

Disc 1

  • 11 Pulled Up Start here 4:37
  • 12 Love → Building on Fire 3:00
  • 13 I Wish You Wouldn’t Say That 2:39
  • 14 Psycho Killer (acoustic) 4:20
  • 15 I Feel It in My Heart 3:15
  • 16 Sugar on My Tongue 2:36

Disc 2

  • 1 Uh‐Oh, Love Comes to Town 2:49
  • 2 New Feeling 3:10
  • 3 Tentative Decisions 3:09
  • 4 Happy Day 3:56
  • 5 Who Is It? 1:44
  • 6 No Compassion 4:51
  • 7 The Book I Read 4:10
  • 8 Don’t Worry About the Government 3:02
  • 9 First Week/Last Week…Carefree 3:22
  • 10 Psycho Killer 4:21
  • 11 Pulled Up Start here 4:37
  • 12 Psycho Killer (acoustic) 4:25
  • 13 Uh‐Oh, Love Comes to Town (alternate) 2:55
  • 14 Uh‐Oh, Love Comes to Town (5.1 mix) 2:49
  • 15 New Feeling (5.1 mix) 3:10
  • 16 Tentative Decisions (5.1 mix) 3:09
  • 17 Happy Day (5.1 mix) 3:56
  • 18 Who Is It? (5.1 mix) 1:44
  • 19 No Compassion (5.1 mix) 4:51
  • 20 The Book I Read (5.1 mix) 4:10
  • 21 Don’t Worry About the Government (5.1 mix) 3:02
  • 22 First Week/Last Week…Carefree (5.1 mix) 3:31
  • 23 Psycho Killer (5.1 mix) 4:21
  • 24 Pulled Up (5.1 mix) 4:37
  • 25 Psycho Killer (acoustic) (5.1 mix) 4:15
  • 26 Uh‐Oh Love Comes to Town (alternate 5.1 mix) 2:50
  • 27 Pulled Up (live, 1978: Sprout Plaza, Berkeley, CA, USA) 4:09
  • 28 I Feel It in My Heart (live, 1976: The Kitchen, New York, NY, USA) 3:07

Disc 3

  • 12 Stay Hungry (1977 version) 3:47
  • 13 I’m Not in Love (alternate version) 5:17
  • 14 The Big Country (alternate version) 5:03
  • 15 Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (Country Angel version) 2:11

Disc 4

  • 1 Thank You for Sending Me an Angel 2:11
  • 2 With Our Love 3:30
  • 3 The Good Thing 3:03
  • 4 Warning Sign 3:54
  • 5 The Girls Want to Be With the Girls 2:38
  • 6 Found a Job 5:01
  • 7 Artists Only 3:34
  • 8 I’m Not in Love 4:34
  • 9 Stay Hungry 2:39
  • 10 Take Me to the River 5:02
  • 11 The Big Country 5:33
  • 12 Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (5.1 mix) 2:11
  • 13 With Our Love (5.1 mix) 3:31
  • 14 The Good Thing (5.1 mix) 3:03
  • 15 Warning Sign (5.1 mix) 3:54
  • 16 The Girls Want to Be With the Girls (5.1 mix) 2:38
  • 17 Found a Job (5.1 mix) 5:01
  • 18 Artists Only (5.1 mix) 3:35
  • 19 I’m Not in Love (5.1 mix) 4:34
  • 20 Stay Hungry (5.1 mix) 2:40
  • 21 Take Me to the River (5.1 mix) 5:03
  • 22 The Big Country (5.1 mix) 5:39
  • 23 Found a Job (live, 1978: Entermedia Theatre, New York, NY, USA) 4:46
  • 24 Warning Sign (live, 1978: Sprout Plaza, Berkeley, CA, USA) 4:07

Disc 5

  • 12 Dancing for Money (unfinished outtake) 2:41
  • 13 Life During Wartime (alternate version) 4:07
  • 14 Cities (alternate version) 5:30
  • 15 Mind (alternate version) 4:26

Disc 6

  • 1 I Zimbra 3:08
  • 2 Mind 4:13
  • 3 Paper 2:38
  • 4 Cities 4:17
  • 5 Life During Wartime 3:41
  • 6 Memories Can’t Wait 3:30
  • 7 Air 3:34
  • 8 Heaven 4:01
  • 9 Animals 3:30
  • 10 Electric Guitar 3:01
  • 11 Drugs 5:14
  • 12 I Zimbra (5.1 mix) 3:09
  • 13 Mind (5.1 mix) 4:13
  • 14 Paper (5.1 mix) 2:39
  • 15 Cities (5.1 mix) 4:18
  • 16 Life During Wartime (5.1 mix) 3:41
  • 17 Memories Can’t Wait (5.1 mix) 3:30
  • 18 Air (5.1 mix) 3:34
  • 19 Heaven (5.1 mix) 4:01
  • 20 Animals (5.1 mix) 3:30
  • 21 Electric Guitar (5.1 mix) 3:10
  • 22 Drugs (5.1 mix) 5:03
  • 23 Cities (live, 1980: Rockpop TV appearance, Germany) 5:16
  • 24 I Zimbra (live, 1980: Rockpop TV appearance, Germany) 4:05

Disc 7

  • 9 Fela’s Riff (unfinished outtake) 5:19
  • 10 Unison (unfinished outtake) 4:49
  • 11 Double Groove (unfinished outtake) 4:27
  • 12 Right Start (unfinished outtake) 4:07

Disc 8

  • 1 Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) 5:49
  • 2 Crosseyed and Painless 4:47
  • 3 The Great Curve 6:27
  • 4 Once in a Lifetime 4:22
  • 5 Houses in Motion 4:33
  • 6 Seen and Not Seen 3:24
  • 7 Listening Wind 4:42
  • 8 The Overload 6:10
  • 9 Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (5.1 mix) 5:49
  • 10 Crosseyed and Painless (5.1 mix) 4:48
  • 11 The Great Curve (5.1 mix) 6:44
  • 12 Once in a Lifetime (5.1 mix) 4:23
  • 13 Houses in Motion (5.1 mix) 4:33
  • 14 Seen and Not Seen (5.1 mix) 3:25
  • 15 Listening Wind (5.1 mix) 4:43
  • 16 The Overload (5.1 mix) 7:26
  • 17 Crosseyed and Painless (live, 1980: Rockpop TV appearance, Germany) 7:18
  • 18 Once in a Lifetime (live, 1980: Rockpop TV appearance, Germany) 5:35

Disc 9

  • 10 Two Note Swivel (unfinished outtake) 5:51
  • 11 Burning Down the House (alternate version) 5:09

Disc 10

  • 1 Burning Down the House 4:01
  • 2 Making Flippy Floppy 5:54
  • 3 Girlfriend Is Better 5:43
  • 4 Slippery People 5:06
  • 5 I Get Wild/Wild Gravity 5:16
  • 6 Swamp 5:13
  • 7 Moon Rocks 5:45
  • 8 Pull Up the Roots 5:09
  • 9 This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) 5:04
  • 10 Burning Down the House (alternate version) 5:18
  • 11 Burning Down the House (5.1 mix) 4:02
  • 12 Making Flippy Floppy (5.1 mix) 5:54
  • 13 Girlfriend Is Better (5.1 mix) 5:43
  • 14 Slippery People (5.1 mix) 5:42
  • 15 I Get Wild/Wild Gravity (5.1 mix) 5:17
  • 16 Swamp (5.1 mix) 5:13
  • 17 Moon Rocks (5.1 mix) 5:46
  • 18 Pull Up the Roots (5.1 mix) 5:10
  • 19 This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (5.1 mix) 5:04
  • 20 Burning Down the House (alternate 5.1 mix) 6:14
  • 21 Burning Down the House (music video) 4:11
  • 22 This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (music video) 4:49

Disc 11

  • 10 Road to Nowhere (early version) 4:39
  • 11 And She Was (early version) 3:39
  • 12 Television Man (extended mix) 7:52

Disc 12

  • 1 And She Was 3:39
  • 2 Give Me Back My Name 3:22
  • 3 Creatures of Love 4:15
  • 4 The Lady Don’t Mind 3:58
  • 5 Perfect World 4:27
  • 6 Stay Up Late 3:43
  • 7 Walk It Down 4:44
  • 8 Television Man 6:10
  • 9 Road to Nowhere 4:27
  • 10 And She Was (5.1 mix) 3:40
  • 11 Give Me Back My Name (5.1 mix) 3:22
  • 12 Creatures of Love (5.1 mix) 4:16
  • 13 The Lady Don’t Mind (5.1 mix) 4:20
  • 14 Perfect World (5.1 mix) 4:27
  • 15 Stay Up Late (5.1 mix) 3:44
  • 16 Walk It Down (5.1 mix) 4:45
  • 17 Television Man (5.1 mix) 6:10
  • 18 Road to Nowhere (5.1 mix) 4:27
  • 19 And She Was (music video) 3:37
  • 20 Road to Nowhere (music video) 4:10

Disc 13

  • 10 Wild Wild Life (extended mix) 5:36
  • 11 Papa Legba (Pops Staples vocal version) 6:01
  • 12 Radio Head (Tito Larriva vocal version) 3:50

Disc 14

  • 1 Love for Sale 4:31
  • 2 Puzzlin’ Evidence 5:24
  • 3 Hey Now 3:41
  • 4 Papa Legba 5:55
  • 5 Wild Wild Life 3:39
  • 6 Radio Head 3:32
  • 7 Dream Operator 4:38
  • 8 People Like Us 4:28
  • 9 City of Dreams 5:09
  • 10 Papa Legba (Pops Staples vocal version) 6:00
  • 11 Love for Sale (5.1 mix) 4:32
  • 12 Puzzlin’ Evidence (5.1 mix) 5:24
  • 13 Hey Now (5.1 mix) 3:42
  • 14 Papa Legba (5.1 mix) 5:56
  • 15 Wild Wild Life (5.1 mix) 3:40
  • 16 Radio Head (5.1 mix) 3:32
  • 17 Dream Operator (5.1 mix) 4:39
  • 18 People Like Us (5.1 mix) 4:28
  • 19 City of Dreams (5.1 mix) 5:09
  • 20 Papa Legba (Pops Staples vocal version) (5.1 mix) 6:07
  • 21 Wild Wild Life (music video) 3:27
  • 22 Love for Sale (music video) 3:38

Disc 16

  • 1 Blind 4:59
  • 2 Mr. Jones 4:20
  • 3 Totally Nude 4:11
  • 4 Ruby Dear 3:50
  • 5 (Nothing but) Flowers 5:35
  • 6 The Democratic Circus 5:04
  • 7 The Facts of Life 6:28
  • 8 Mommy Daddy You and I 3:58
  • 9 Big Daddy 5:38
  • 10 Bill 3:22
  • 11 Cool Water 5:22
  • 12 Sax and Violins 5:17
  • 13 Blind (5.1 mix) 5:00
  • 14 Mr. Jones (5.1 mix) 4:20
  • 15 Totally Nude (5.1 mix) 4:11
  • 16 Ruby Dear (5.1 mix) 4:01
  • 17 (Nothing but) Flowers (5.1 mix) 5:36
  • 18 The Democratic Circus (5.1 mix) 5:04
  • 19 The Facts of Life (5.1 mix) 6:29
  • 20 Mommy Daddy You and I (5.1 mix) 3:58
  • 21 Big Daddy (5.1 mix) 5:38
  • 22 Bill (5.1 mix) 3:23
  • 23 Cool Water (5.1 mix) 5:23
  • 24 Sax and Violins (5.1 mix) 5:49
  • 25 Blind (music video) 4:18
  • 26 Sax and Violins (music video) 5:10

What to play next

Speaking in Tongues
Listen next

Speaking in Tongues

1983

Continues the vibrant blend of art rock with a fresh energy and dynamic rhythm.
Remain in Light
Go back to

Remain in Light

1980

Sets the stage for the eclectic instrumentation and themes explored in the current album.
Full Talking Heads discography Where to start with Talking Heads Artists like Talking Heads
new wave post-punk

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