Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense

Given that the band Talking Heads first opened for the Ramones at CBGB’s in 1976 and that tomorrow is David Byrne’s 54th birthday, it seems fitting to do a brief overview of their arc.

Eclectic background and diversity combined with an interest in visual art and music set within an explosive punk milieu gave Talking Heads a razor-sharp edge when they formed in the mid-1970s. Scottish-born Byrne had a natural global outlook first harnessed by the band and later articulated in numerous independent projects during and after the band’s official disbandment in 1991. Tina (Martina Michéle) Weymouth (11/22/50), half-French, brought an equally cosmopolitan outlook to the band. With Chris Frantz (5/8/51) on drums and former Modern Lovers’ player Jerry Harrison on guitars and keyboards, Talking Heads created a winning combination as a band and in spinoff collaborations. They produced five killer albums that can for the sake of brevity be divided into two periods – early stripped down “falsetto punk” and darker, more interesting and complex “world music.” Talking Heads: 77 and More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978) made up the first period, showcasing the creepy “Psycho Killer,” the droll “Don’t Worry About the Government,” “No Compassion,” “Take Me to the River,” and “The Big Country.” Starting in 1978, Brian Eno (5/15/48) helped them in a major way to come to full fruition as a band, adding layers of complexity that are already evident in the richer sounds of the second album.

Eno’s collaboration becomes even more evident in the brilliantly creative world music period. I highly recommend these albums to anyone unfamilar with the Talking Heads catalog: Fear of Music, Remain in Light, and Speaking in Tongues. Fear (1979) includes the campy, awesome “Life During Wartime” and the gentler “Heaven.” My personal favorite is Remain in Light (1980), which besides the highly accessible “Once in a Lifetime” is a seamless, wonderful album. Speaking in Tongues (1983) showcases “Burning Down the House,” among other mind-sticking tracks.

As a band, Talking Heads crested with the excellent film Stop Making Sense (1984), which captures their mesmerizing in-concert combination of music and visual style. I was lucky enough to see them on this last major tour and was blown away by their performance style. I also adored their playful projections of random words and phrases a la William Burroughs and Brion Gysin’s cut-up method.

Their spinoff projects resulted in some gems, as well, specifically the non-Byrne Tom Tom Club, a danceable fun group that produced such memorable and well-sampled tracks as “Genius of Love.” Tom Tom Club was the brainchild of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, who incidentally married each other back in 1977 and whose children Egan and Robin are musicians, too. Harrison and Eno went on to produce any number of highly acclaimed albums with other bands. Byrne and Eno put togther the really cool My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981), a series of rhythmic tracks built around radio samples of people babbling in mystical or just plain bizarre altered states. I can’t wait to hear the just-released extended CD version, having played the original nearly into oblivion. The Catherine Wheel (1981), the musical part of David Byrne’s collaboration with Twyla Tharp, is also interesting.

All of the members of Talking Heads -- mercifully still alive and kicking -- keep creating interesting art of all kinds.

Finally, Brian Eno’s full name is wild: Brian Peter George St. Jean le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. Wow!

Viva Talking Heads!