Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
The album Naked, in one sense, represents the ongoing evolution of Talking Heads. It is far less poppier than their previous studio release True Stories. But in another sense, it’s a return back to the band’s early work that was influenced largely by world music. On “(Nothing But) Flowers”, the musical trajectory leans much closer to the aesthetic and structure of Paul Simon’s iconic Graceland album. And I just love it.
One of the instrumental delights on the track is the inclusion of Johnny Marr on lead guitar. Fresh off The Smiths’ breakup, Marr jumped in to lay down a track that sounded in lock step with the Talking Heads world beat approach. But it also interestingly sounded distinctly like Johnny Marr at the same time. The similarities to his signature riff on “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” are unmistakeable. With wide-ranging scales, “(Nothing But) Flowers” is also one of Byrne’s greatest vocal achievements with the band.
“This was a Pizza Hut. Now it's all covered with daisies.”