Talking Heads #1- Naked

Naked- 1988

Rating: 9

Chilly, chilly-willy

Best Song: (Nothing But) Flowers or Mr. Jones

Worst Song: The Facts of Life

             I'll explain "Chilly, chilly-willy" later, because it does actually tie in to one of my problems with this album. For now, I'll say that as far as final albums go, this isn't a bad one. It has a bit of a reputation as being not very good, but to be honest, I found a lot of merit in some of these songs. Some of the others ones, not so much.

Apparently David Byrne did spend a lot of time on this album, which is a little surprising, as there aren't exactly many songs on here that could compare to some of the tracks on earlier works such as Remain in Light or Fear of Music. Regardless, the first song, "Blind", grew on me quite a bit. At first, I was kind of annoyed by the fact that it wasn't too much like the Talking Heads and how Byrne kept yelling, "BLIND! BLIND! BLIND, BLIND, BLIND, BLIND, BLIND!" throughout a large majority of it, but as I am a huge fan of Byrne and his vocals, I did grow more accustomed to it. The playing of the instruments themselves is well-done, and the verses/choruses are memorable enough, working in their own right. Nothing really amazing, but I'd consider good. It happens to be outdone by the next song, "Mr. Jones". It is probably less like the Talking Heads than the previous song, but I find the overall vibe and a great chorus really make this song quite great. Byrne's singing is also a bit more normal (for Byrne, that is) than the previous song. It kind of has a salsa feel (especially with the horn section being there), and while it probably isn't for everybody, I thought it was an excellent idea.

"Totally Nude" has an almost Hawaiian feel to it, but if you can get past some more mediocre lyrics ("Nature boy, nature man, take me along" always sounds a little weird to me), you might enjoy it. Nothing really too great, but good if you take it for what it is. "Ruby Dear" isn't too memorable, but does have some interesting playing and a decent chorus. I'd consider it the weakest of the first four songs (well, actually maybe first six, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it). After that is my other favorite from the album, "(Nothing But) Flowers", which was released as a single from this album (as well as "Blind"). The lyrics are kinda silly, but to be honest, I can't say that are exactly stupid. They are still kind of clever and the idea behind the song (in which a man living in the modern world wakes up in a world of nature and reminiscences of all the fast-food and other places he loved) is quite creative. Also, it helps that the chorus is the best on the album (as well as the bridge before it). Of course, following it with "The Democratic Circus" wasn't the best idea, but I still find enjoyment in it. It has a bit of an atmosphere, but I feel it starts a little too slow and it isn't until a little more than two minutes in when I really start to like it a lot. Byrne demonstrates more brilliant singing, by the way.

Unfortunately, as good/decent as all of those songs were, "The Facts of Life" had to appear to ruin it. This song has a bad reputation, and I'm not going to defend it. The beginning synth line gets annoying, Byrne's singing towards the second half is falsetto and not very nice to listen to. The chorus (?) isn't even really defined and only slightly better than the verses. One of my big problems is that the song is so slow that you can't even find some enjoyment dancing or grooving to it unless you are a huge fan of really, really slow beats. I also take problem with the lyrics, particularly right at the beginning, in which Byrne sings:

"Mon-key-see and mon-key-do

Ma-king ba-bies, ea-ting food

Smel ly things, pu bic hair

Words of lo ve, in the air." 

I'm sorry, but these are just stupid lyrics that I can't imagine singing. Do you ever think you will wake up singing a line such as, "smelly things, pubic hair"? Of course not, because that would be really dumb. The lyrics improve a bit later on, but that beginning is just cringe-worthy, and this is a problem consistent throughout several songs on this album (such as "Totally Nude" from earlier). In addition, the drumming is robotic, and while the second half is slightly better, it isn't enough to save the song at all.

However, "Mommy Daddy You and I" makes up for it a little bit by having a really good chorus. Of course, it still has the line, "Chilly... chilly willy", but because I think the song grooves well by itself (I actually think the accordion helps drive the song, reminds me of "Road to Nowhere" from Little Creatures a bit), I can disregard it. "Big Daddy", however, isn't quite so good. The lyrics are rather below average (although not quite the beginning of "The Facts of Life" bad), and while it does kind of groove, it goes on too long that I get tired of it by the end. It doesn't help that "Bill", which follows it, is completely forgettable. It isn't memorable, but it also isn't bad, so I suppose it just sits in the mediocre middle. Fortunately, I believe "Cool Water" sort of makes up for some of the flaws. It takes a little too long to build up, but I feel that once it reaches the peak, it works nicely. Byrne sings well, and while the verses aren't great, the chorus actually works well when all the instruments come in towards the end. I see a lot of people who aren't fans of this song, which kind of surprises me, as I view it as a pretty good way to end the album.

So, despite the flaws, is Naked a great album? No, but I'd consider it above average still. I find a lot of songs in the good range, with some of the mediocre ones and one pretty bad one dragging it down. To be honest, if you are a fan of the Talking Heads, I'd still say to check this one out after you've checked out their other albums. You might surprise yourself.