Naked (Talking Heads album)

Naked
Studio album by Talking Heads
Released	April 3, 1988
Recorded	1987 at Studio Davout, Paris
Genre	New Wave Art punk Worldbeat
Length	52:17
Label	Fly/Sire (US/Canada) EMI (UK/Europe)
Producer	Steve Lillywhite and Talking Heads
Talking Heads chronology
True Stories (1986) Naked (1988) Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites (1992)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]
Robert Christgau	(B+) [3]

Naked is the eighth studio album by Talking Heads, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music). It was their last studio album, with the band dissolving after the album's release and finally announcing their breakup in 1991.

Initial pressings were one of the first and few CDs from Warner Bros. Records to be encoded with CD+Graphics, a videotext-type signal with song lyrics, instrumentation, chords and other information, viewable on a standard television from a compatible CD or Karaoke-CD player (other albums to feature CD+G include Fleetwood Mac's 1990 release, Behind the Mask). The graphics were produced by Warner New Media and designed by M&Co. Such discs were identified by a sticker on the CD's shrinkwrap and as part of the CD label artwork.

In 2005, it was re-released and remastered by Warner Music Group on their Warner Bros./Sire Records/Rhino Records labels in DualDisc format, with one bonus track on the CD side ("Sax And Violins," from the Wim Wenders film "Until The End Of The World"). The DVD-Audio side includes both stereo and 5.1 surround high resolution (96 kHz/24bit) mixes, as well as a Dolby Digital version and videos of "Blind" and "(Nothing But) Flowers." In Europe, it was released as a CD+DVDA two disc set rather than a single DualDisc. The reissue produced by Andy Zax with Talking Heads.

Recording the album

Wanting to try something different after their use of regional American music and the pop song format on their previous two albums, Little Creatures and True Stories, Talking Heads decided to record their final album in Paris with a group of international musicians. Prior to leaving for France, the band recorded about 40 improvisational tracks that would serve as the foundation for the sessions in Paris.

Once in Paris, the band, along with producer Steve Lillywhite were joined by a number of other musicians in the recording studio where they would rehearse and play for the entire day. At the end of each day, one take was selected as being the ideal version of a particular tune.

In the interest of freedom for the musicians, it was decided that lyrics and melodies would be left until later. The lyrics were not overdubbed until the band returned to New York. Many of David Byrne's lyrics were improvisations sung along with the prerecorded tracks until he found something that he felt worked. In this way, the melodies and lyrics evolved in a similar fashion as the songs themselves.

Track listing

All lyrics written by David Byrne; all music composed by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth.

1. "Blind" – 4:58
2. "Mr. Jones" – 4:18
3. "Totally Nude" – 4:10
4. "Ruby Dear" – 3:48
5. "(Nothing But) Flowers" – 5:31
6. "The Democratic Circus" – 5:01
7. "The Facts of Life" – 6:25
8. "Mommy Daddy You and I" – 3:58
9. "Big Daddy" – 5:37
10. "Bill" – 3:21 (CD/cassette-only bonus track)
11. "Cool Water" – 5:10

Personnel

Talking Heads

• David Byrne – vocals, guitar, keyboards, toy piano, slide guitar
• Chris Frantz – drums, keyboard percussion
• Jerry Harrison – french piano, keyboards, tambourine, guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals
• Tina Weymouth – bass, keyboards, electric organ, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Johnny Marr – guitars on "Ruby Dear", "(Nothing But) Flowers", "Mommy Daddy You and I", and "Cool Water"
• Brice Wassy – percussion on "Ruby Dear", "(Nothing But) Flowers", "The Facts of Life", and "Big Daddy"
• Abdou M'Boup – percussion, talking drum, congas, cowbell on "Blind", "Mr. Jones", "Totally Nude", and "(Nothing But) Flowers"
• Yves N'Djock – guitar on "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "(Nothing But) Flowers"
• Eric Weissberg – pedal steel guitar on "Totally Nude" and "Bill", dobro on "The Democratic Circus"
• Mory Kanté – kora on "Mr. Jones" and "The Facts of Life"
• Wally Badarou – keyboard on "Blind" and "The Facts of Life"
• Manolo Badrena – percussion, congas on "Mr. Jones" and "Mommy Daddy You and I"
• Sydney Thiam – congas on "The Democratic Circus", percussion on "Bill"
• Lenny Pickett– saxophones on "Blind" and "Big Daddy"
• Steve Elson – saxophones on "Blind" and "Big Daddy"
• Robin Eubanks – trombone on "Blind" and "Big Daddy", "Mr. Jones"
• Laurie Frink and Earl Gardner – trumpets on "Blind" and "Big Daddy"
• Stan Harrison – alto saxophone on "Blind" and "Big Daddy"
• Al Acosta – tenor saxophone on "Mr. Jones"
• Steve Gluzband – trumpet on "Mr. Jones"
• Jose Jerez – trumpet on "Mr. Jones"
• Bobby Porcelli – alto saxophone on "Mr. Jones"
• Steve Sachs – baritone saxophone on "Mr. Jones"
• Charlie Sepulveda – trumpet on "Mr. Jones"
• Dale Turk – bass trombone on "Mr. Jones"
• Moussa Cissokao – percussion on "Ruby Dear"
• Nino Gioia – percussion on "The Facts of Life"
• Philippe Servain – accordion on "Totally Nude"
• James Fearnley – accordion on "Mommy Daddy You and I"
• Phil Bodner – cor anglais on "Cool Water"
• Don Brooks – harmonica on "Big Daddy"
• Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "(Nothing But) Flowers" and "Bill"
• Alex Haas – whistling on "Bill"

Recording personnel

• Nick Delre – assistant overdubbing engineer; mixing on "Mommy Daddy You and I"
• James Farber – mixing on "The Facts of Life", "Totally Nude", "The Democratic Circus", "Big Daddy", "Mr. Jones"
• Fernando Kral – overdubbing engineer; mixing on "Cool Water"
• Richard Manwaring – recording engineer
• Jean Loup Morette – assistant engineer
• Joseph Williams - assistant engineer
• Jack Skinner – mastering
• Mark Wallis – mixing on "Blind", "The Democratic Circus", "Ruby Dear", "(Nothing But) Flowers"

Chart performance

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1988	Billboard 200	19
	UK Albums	3

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	"Blind"	UK Singles	59

References

1. ^ Hastings, Michael. Naked (Talking Heads album) at Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
2. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/naked-19880407
3. ^ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=talking+heads