In 1983 Talking Heads released Speaking in Tongues. To say that this was hotly anticipated is an understatement. I’d fallen for the ‘heads hook line and sinker by then and I was ready for their next one, thinking that this was a band that was about to go stellar. Speaking in Tongues did not disappoint – an excellent album with an extremely strong first single, Burning Down the House.
However, their time in the sun didn’t actually come properly until later in the 80s. Burning Down the House didn’t chart and was not played on the radio. This perplexed me at the time but maybe the time just wasn’t right for them. The subsequent version by Tom Jones and the Cardigans made the song a hit – vindicating my view that it deserved more attention than it initially received in 1983. I would say now that it is one of Talking Heads’ best known songs.
As I suck on my pipe by the fireplace and wistfully recall my time this earth, I have to conclude that a song that ends up as a “classic” does not necessarily get the attention it deserves at the time of release. Several well » Continue Reading.