Talking Heads' fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues was released in 1983. After three albums, the band separated with Brian Eno and produced the album themselves. The album has a more funky edge and was their biggest seller up to that point, peaking at number fifteen, thanks to the sales of "Burning Down the House," their only top-ten charting single. The album was generally well received upon release and is usually considered one of their strongest releases.
Previously at the band's worst, I could concentrate on their complex polyrhythms and be pleased with the musicality. Additionally, they were intellectually challenging enough to forgive an occasional misfire. There's a lot here that I find completely unstimulating. Talking Heads might have thought that an increased emphasis on their funk influence would be enough to guide the direction of their newest release but without Eno's expertise and experience, they produce a fairly jumpy album that rarely distills the band's weird ideas into consumable product. Also without Eno, the synthesizers produce some pretty cheesy sounds, which makes their textural flourishes all the more distracting. In spite of the better half of this lacking grab, the album peculiarly ends with one of their greatest songs ever: "This Must Be the Place." B
