Jeff Nesin, Creem, 7/82

Survey Said...!

From a recent classified page: "We met waiting
for the 96th Street crosstown at Third Ave., 6pm,
Thurs. the 16th. I was wearing leather fringe
jacket, you black leather. Too shy to speak then.
Call me please. Nan: 622-2166." We met? Where
I come from that hardly qualifies as a meeting.
Sounds like Nan’s in Talking Heads territory.

Talking Heads is a very good band--that much
is clear. But for me, at least, they’re like
a terribly homely, awkward couple who are very
much in love. I’m glad they found each other,
but I’d just as soon they grope somewhere else.
Byrne’s stance and the band’s sound are the
same: the apotheosis of neurosis--and I find
it hard to get interested and stay interested
for more than a song or two. The unique
rhythmic vocal counterpoint of "The Great
Curve" is always a pleasure, albeit a rather
limited one given the nervous context. Even
the expanded neo-tribal format of 1980’s
Remain In Light seemed, at bottom, a move
from the Freudian couch to a chic new group
therapy--a larger, more colorful, more
supportive springboard for the same primal
discomfort and disquiet. It may be my own
reverse Puritanism, but only John Fogerty
has ever made great rock’n’roll that didn’t
include fucking. I remain cool but curious.

Large numbers of people, however, are crazy
about this band and now, with the release of
The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads, a two
record live retrospective set, I thought I’d
try to find out why. Since the original trio
met in art school and since I teach at the
School of Visual Arts in New York, I decided
to ship up a special art school survey to shed
some light on T. Heads’ popularity, with the
following choices: a) I love TH, b) I hate
TH, c) I’m generally neutral on the subject
of TH with the following exceptions...., and
d) I could care less. The results were
overwhelmingly ambivalent. Of 25 people
polled, no fewer than 15--a full 60%--professed
qualified neutrality, six loved them, one
hated them, and three could care less. Of
the handful of lovers ("Byrne is a convincing
character to me," "they make great videos.)
the strangest but most characteristic response
was: "They are a group that does new music
and is still pretty accessible yet seemingly
not compromising." Hmmm...where I come from,
that’s hardly love.

The neutral majority reflected an
unmistakable Age of Reagan dubiousness more
than anything else: "What I have heard I
seem to like," or "I saw them at Radio City
a couple of years ago and dug them. But I
have not bought any of their records and
probably never will because of my limited
budget. But if I get a lot of money I will
buy some of their records," or "They have a
unique sound and seem to be making music with
some substance. I’ll listen to anything twice."
My favorite was, "If they turn up on the radio,
I’ll listen. If I don’t want to listen I hit
the button. I think the topics used for lyrics
are not what I like. However, I do like the
riffs for ‘Life During Wartime.’"

This time I’m voting with the herd. I’m
generally neutral on the subject of The
Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads, with
a few exceptions, too. I’m not neutral at
all about Adrian Belew, the Marlin Perkins
of the electric guitar; he and Fripp should
go on safari to stay. I’m impressed by the
power and vividness of the live sound and,
yes, Talking Heads’ conviction and
intelligence are unimpeachable. So, if
that’s what you buy records for...Poll and
all, I remain in dark.