"Once called 'the best American band of the '80s', they surely did a lot to earn the title. The cerebral and eccentric musical approach of David Byrne found a very comfortable burrow in the company of another three strong characters: the impossibly dynamic rhythm section of the great Chris Frantz and the irresistible Tina Weymouth, matched perfectly to the virtuosic guitar and synth washes of ex- Modern Lovers Jerry Harrison. They developed an angular, nervy sound which made them CBGB darlings. Three years later they had progressively abandoned this simple, yet oddly effective sound in favor of a rhythmic whirlwind of sorts, which merged white and black music aesthetics perfectly and included no less than eight extra members in a live setting, whose performances were so funky that they almost seemed like a challenge to George Clinton himself. When the new wave star began to fade, the Heads started to incorporate poppier structures in their songs without comprimising their identity. In the process they released one of the archetypal concert movies and several singles that were not only popular, but also brilliant. With an insatiable appetite to innovate they succeeded in making their experiments accessible, yet arty, becoming one of the defining forces of '80s music and one of the most influential acts of all time."- sergegrone
"The music of Talking Heads has resisted classification from day one. They were too funky and melodic to be really arty, too arty and cerebral for punk and the sound too skeletal and skinny for sweaty funk. The music was also too full of anguish, tension and pent-up frustration to be lazily groovy, despite its funky rhythm section. For this reason they were refreshingly alternative, even to the alternative. They sang about everyday things, not love and death, but buildings and food (hence the name of their second album). No wonder Brian Eno approached them to become their producer and their 'fifth head'. For a few years they travelled together, and it was a truly exciting and pioneering journey."- steinib
"Talking Heads occupy an interesting and unique space in rock and roll history. A 'new wave' outfit with pop-art quirkyness and an often tongue-in-cheek, semi-detched view of the every day world, and music that is eclectic yet highly accessible. Their live performances were a high point, as illustrated in the movie Stop Making Sense, which is arguably one of the most entertaining concert movies ever made. They were also pioneers of the music video art form, with some visually stunning clips which made them one of the most intelligent of the early MTV darlings. Four talented individuals that have also made excellent albums outside of the group, with Tom Tom Club, Jerry Harrison and the Casual Gods and Byrne's solo albums among numerous projects."- King Fahtah
"How times change. When I got into this band in junior high, their name alone was enough to make people think they were too strange to deal with. Then the video for "Once in a Lifetime" came out and, boy, that singer was one strange dude. The music, though, had lyrics that were actually worth reading and giving some thought to. The music kept evolving in unexpected directions, thus no two albums in the catalogue sound similar. Of course, all of the jocks who thought they were so far out there got into "Burning Down The House" and needed to check out Stop Making Sense. A really challenging, inventive, restless, thoughtful, artistic and fun band. Few groups can be given all of those adjectives in one sentence, but Mr. Byrne and co. have earned their place."- wretlinfu
rym
