Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 22, 2024

Talking Heads fans who also are lovers of either "standard" Blu-rays (i.e., with actual video content) or hi-res audio Blu-rays have had quite a year, with previous releases already of Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense, Stop Making Sense, and Stop Making Sense 4K. Rhino is now offering the very first studio album by the group, and if some of the elements are still in their nascent phase, there's the same goofy humor and weird uncategorizable approach to songcraft that made some of their later efforts so memorable. This album also provided audiences with their first taste of a Talking Heads single, Psycho Killer. This particular release is being offered by Rhino is pretty extravagant packaging, with an oversized hardback book enclosing three CDs and a Blu-ray disc.

The album's track list can be seen in the screenshots of the Blu-ray disc's menu I've uploaded to accompany this review.

Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While you may not be able to easily see it, the AVC encoded menu on the Blu-ray disc is animated, with little white flecks, scratches and other blemishes that kind of dot the background image and track list. One way or the other, though, this is an audio Blu-ray where you may want to have your monitor and display on to more easily toggle between audio codecs.

Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Talking Heads: 77 features Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. I'm assuming that most of the interest in this release will be the Atmos mix, which is noticeably more full bodied and I'd argue just flat out louder than even the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, let alone the stereo version. Immersion is really fun here, with, for example, guitars and other rhythm instruments often weighted toward the rear channels and drums and vocals toward the front. In the center of the soundstage there is consistent surround activity throughout all of the tracks, and David Byrne's plaintive and maybe slightly wacky vocals are well prioritized. Backup vocals can be regularly placed in the rear speakers with lead in the front. The overall sound of this album is maybe just a bit more sparse than later efforts, and the Atmos track in particular really makes the most of a somewhat lean, inherently spacious, sound design, even if the Atmos track is admittedly not overly "showy" in terms of amazing verticality.

Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As mentioned above, Rhino has gone above and beyond for Talking Heads fans in terms of the packaging of this release. I list the contents of the three CDs below, but possibly of at least as much interest will be the huge hardback book that encloses all four discs (in little slots inside the front and back covers). The book measures approximately 9 1/4" wide by 12" high by 3/4" deep, and is filled to the brim with amazing archival photos and press information, along with rather long and extremely worthwhile reminiscences from Martina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and David Byrne, along with equally fascinating notes on the actual recording by Ed Stasium.

The CD contents are as follows:

CD 1: Original Album

Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
New Feeling
Tentative Decisions
Happy Day
Who Is It?
No Compassion
The Book I Read
Don't Worry About the Government
First Week/Last Week… Carefree
Psycho Killer
Pulled Up

CD 2: Outtakes/Alternates/Rarities

Sugar on My Tongue
I Want to Live
(Love Goes To) Building On Fire
I Wish You Wouldn't Say That
Psycho Killer (Acoustic)
Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town (Alternate Pop Version)
New Feeling (Alternate Pop Version)
Pulled Up (Alternate Pop Version) [Previously Unreleased]
Stay Hungry (1977 Version)
First Week/Last Week… Carefree (Acoustic)
I Feel It in My Heart
Psycho Killer (Alternate Version) [Previously Unreleased]

CD 3: Live

(Love Goes To) Building On Fire (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Don't Worry About the Government (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Take Me to the River (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
The Book I Read (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
New Feeling (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
A Clean Break (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
No Compassion (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Who Is It? (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Pulled Up (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Psycho Killer (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]
Stay Hungry (Live at CBGB's, New York, New York, 10/10/77) [Previously Unreleased]

Talking Heads: 77 Super Deluxe Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I personally just can't resist the quirky humor in tunes like Tentative Decisions and Don't Worry About the Government, maybe even more than this album's "signature single". Rhino has really done Talking Heads fans proud with this great release, one which offers some nicely immersive hi-res audio, along with an extraordinary hardback book stuffed full of goodies. As excellent as the CDs and Blu-ray disc are, my hunch is fans will find the book contents at least as engaging. Highly recommended.