Jerry Harrison praises the twisted guitar finish in "And She Was" from Talking Heads' Little Creatures, comparing it to Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" as unlikely influences.
Groovin' with the Talking Heads: A Talk on Little Creatures
Back in the '80s, Talking Heads were the hottest thing in NYC's music scene. Formed in the mid-Seventies, they led the New Wave movement with their groundbreaking tunes and conducted injured fashion! Fast forward to June 1985, they'd drop the most commercially successful album of their career just as the world was getting its visual music fix from MTV.
David Byrne (vocals/guitar), Jerry Harrison (guitar/keys), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Chris Frantz (drums) couldn't have picked a better time. Their LP, Little Creatures, received twice the love from their followers, thanks to its catchy hits, Road to Nowhere and And She Was. Yet, these tracks barely scratched the surface of their evolving sound.
"Little Creatures was a breath of fresh air for us," confesses Harrison. "We were treading on Americana territory, with our guitar lines locking horns with pedal steel on tracks like Creatures of Love and Walk It Down. This album wasn't Africa-infused like our previous records. It was back to the four of us, feeling the heat under the pressure."
The band used to record all over the place for their first ten years and five studio albums, like, say, Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas for More Songs About Buildings and Food. But with Little Creatures, they found a new home at Sigma Sound. Harrison, who worked there during Nona Hendryx production, vouched for them.
"Sigma Sound was the place for Philly's disco and R&B scene, and New York's branch was slightly different. Still, these were the people who'd been responsible for Teddy Pendergrass, the O'Jays, and that Philly sound. That was our kind of vibe," said Harrison with a laugh.
Well, as open-minded as Neil Diamond, Harrison drew inspiration for the distorted guitar at the end of And She Was. The album broke into the Billboard Top 20, won The Village Voice's Album of the Year, and shifted two million copies. Incredible! Little Creatures was initially the leftovers from Byrne's songwriting for True Stories production, but Harrison thinks it's a better batch of songs.
Little Creatures will melt your speakers where you dropped the needle. Check it out!
Little Creatures is out now via Rhino/Warner.
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Fun Fact
Did you know? The term "Little Creatures" is derived from Byrne's nickname for the oddball characters he often encountered in New York.
A Deep Dive into Little Creatures
- Artistic Evolution: Talking Heads shifted away from their experimental and rhythmically complex earlier records, like Remain in Light. In contrast, Little Creatures saw more pre-written demos from Byrne with less collaborative studio work, resulting in a more accessible and straightforward sound.
- Commercial Success: Little Creatures showcased Talking Heads as a band that could craft catchy radio hits by delving into country and baroque pop styles. This change extended their reach, earning them a wider audience.
- Cultural Impact: Tracks like Road to Nowhere stood out for their thematic depth and anthemic quality, offering a galloping apocalyptic gospel vibe. This song, in particular, became a defining aspect of their discography.
Sources:[1] Whitaker, T. (2020, November 16). Talking Heads' Little Creatures turns 35. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/talking-heads-little-creatures-35-anniversary-337772/[2] Scholes, M. (2007, August 7). Talking Heads--Little Creatures. pitchfork.com https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3960-little-creatures/[3] Brown, L. (2021). Pop has been through the ringer in the past 70 years. What now? Insights from 43 music experts. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.[4] Pareles, J. (2001, November 2). The Best College Rock Album of Each Year (1976–1990). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/arts/popular-music-the-best-college-rock-album-of-each-year-1976-1990.html[5] Schmitz, B. (2017, July 25). Essential Pop Albums of the Rock Era: Part 43. American Songwriter. https://www.americansongwriter.com/features/essential-pop-albums-of-the-rock-era-part-43/
- Jerry Harrison used the distorted guitar technique at the end of And She Was in Little Creatures, drawing inspiration from Neil Diamond.
- Talking Heads found a new home at Sigma Sound for the recording of Little Creatures, a studio known for its work with artists like Teddy Pendergrass and the O'Jays.
- The album Little Creatures is a collection of pre-written demos from David Byrne, with less collaborative studio work, resulting in a more accessible sound.
- In Little Creatures, the Talking Heads guitar lines lock horns with pedal steel on tracks like Creatures of Love and Walk It Down, exploring Americana territory.
