Track Listing

1. Love For Sale
2. Puzzlin' Evidence
3. Hey Now
4. Papa Legba
5. Wild Wild Life
6. Radio Head
7. Dream Operator
8. People Like Us
9. City Of Dreams
10. Wild Wild Life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106198 in Music
• Released on: 1989-09-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

CD Description
Heads leader David Byrne directed the film True Stories, which layed out the surreal vision of modern American life often expressed in Talking Heads songs. In the film, the songs Byrne wrote for it are sung by the actors, but this album features the Talking Heads' own versions of those compositions. Though it came towards the end of their career, TRUE STORIES is perhaps the most '80s-sounding Heads album, the recordings full of compression, electronic percussion and synthesizers.
The songs pick up on the heavily rhythmic, world music-inflected sound the band established a few years earlier, but with more of a pop/rock compositional approach. Despite the relative lack of sonic experimentation or quirkiness, there are some solid tunes here, like the catchy, funky "Puzzlin' Evidence" and the album's sole hit "Wild, Wild Life", an ironic rocker that could have come straight off LITTLE CREATURES.

Customer Reviews

Talking Heads' most moving, uplifting album
This album, made in conjunction with the filming of David Byrnes' underrated film True Stories, is absolutely amazing from start to finish. This may not be the Talking Heads' best album, but it doesn't fall short by much, and it definitely features a few of the band's most touching and emotionally moving songs. It is both unfortunate and bewildering that this album is looked at as something of a negative chapter in the band's history. A medley group of performers (including John Goodman) sang these songs in the film True Stories, and I understand that David Byrne really wanted to release a soundtrack of the movie player's recordings (which he did) but was also talked into recording the songs himself alongside his then-fracturing Talking Heads band members.

Wild Wild Life is the best known song from this album, as both the song and the video got plenty of air time (and you get both the original version and an excellent extended remix here); Love For Sale also met with some success as a single release. I'm here to tell you these are not even the best songs on this album. Puzzlin' Evidence, Hey Now, and Papa Legba are great but uninspired, but the second half of the album is incredible. Radio Head is the Talking Heads at their eccentric, fast-paced best. People Like Us, sporting a country-type sound, is more laid-back but no less compelling; it is a true song of empowerment and a virtual theme song for "normal" people who only want someone to love. City of Dreams is a touching concluding song that reinforces all the good feelings inspired by both the album and the movie, but even this poignant piece pales in comparison to the almost indescribably good Dream Operator. The Talking Heads aren't really known for songs of a soft, tender nature, but Dream Operator is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Put all of these tracks together, mixing a number of different styles in the uniquely David Byrne-inspired way, and you have what I consider one of the best albums of the 1980s. This album never fails to make me feel better and, more importantly, to feel better about myself. This is an album for the average man or woman going about his/her life, wanting nothing more than to be loved and find contentment in his/her own heart. It may be more pop-oriented than earlier, vintage Talking Heads albums, but True Stories remains one of the best CDs in my collection.

Not quite Little Creatures, but not bad either.....
I am in the strange position of agreeing with both Neil Barnden and David Frew. Neil believes that the film versions of the songs are great (they are), but doesn't like the album; whereas David loves the album, and thinks the film is dross.

I thought the film was great (and, indeed, the old guy doing Papa Legba is worth it on its own), but I also really like the album.

I bought it because it followed on from Little Creatures, one of the very great albums of the 80s, and at first was disappointed (like most of the buying public, I suppose) that it wasn't simply that album done again. But as we all know, David Byrne doesn't do anything twice. Ever.

However, as I listened to it more and more, I began to really enjoy it for its own merits. There are some odd songs on here (including Papa Legba!), but there are some rocking classics (Wild Wild Life, Puzzlin' Evidence, Radio Head).

However, perhaps the most surprising elements of the album are the "ballads" (God I hate that word...) with which the album draws to a close: Dream Operator, People Like Us and City of Dreams are real genuine, wistful, lump-in-the-throat stuff.

This album is not as instantly satisfying as Little Creatures, but nonetheless, is a real gem, waiting to be discovered. Now it's Mid-Priced, you have even less excuse for not owning a copy; it's well worth it.

I'm a big Talking Heads fan, but...
To be honest, I was always disappointed that the studio version of the movie tracks were re-recorded by the band. Possibly this was due to contractual issues, because there certainly isn't a bad 'guest vocalist' in the entire film. In particular, Jon Goodman's 'People Like Us' and the fantastic old guy's 'Papa Legba' deserve to be immortalised on CD. With Talking Heads extensive catalogue of great albums fronted by Byrne, I wish they could have arranged it so the movie vocalists were featured on this one. I just wish they'd get on and release True Stories on DVD, so I could at least own a decent soundtrack version of the film!