The Talking Heads were famous for their ability to capture their era without sounding consigned to it. Just as the Fair Go Casino Online defines 21st century online casino gaming, the music of the Talking Heads largely characterizes the last decades of the 20th century.
Now, Rhino is re-releasing the entire catalog of Talking Heads songs as a Deluxe CD/DVD package. Fans both old and new see their music as more relevant now than ever. The Talking Heads tracks of the ‘70s, ‘80 and ‘90s predict, some may say, the individual’s bewilderment as humans cope with the technological age when we are consumed by a bombardment of information, commercial goods and online social interactions. Listening to the Talking Heads today gives us a glimpse into how the world in which we live was predicted 40 years ago.
Talking Heads
The Talking Heads, an American rock band formed in 1975, ushered in the age of New Wave music. The band integrated elements of art rock, funk, avant-garde sensibilities, punk and world music in a clean-cut image with which everyone could feel comfortable.Their experimental music was critically-acclaimed and the new genre became accepted among fans of all ages.
Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Three of their songs were included in the Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll†and four of their albums appeared in Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” They were included in the 2011 Rolling Stone list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time†and they were number 64 on VJ’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time†list.
Style
The Talking Heads played together from 1975 to 1991. They recorded everything from polyrhythmic worldbeat explorations to simple, melodic guitar pop to art-funk. The band is highly regarded for its art pop innovations that had a long-lasting impact on the rock scene. They, along with groups such as Blondie, Ramones and Devo, helped define the New Wave genre and brought African rock to the western world.
Fans appreciated the Talking Heads’ ability to tie connecting threads between seemingly disjointed elements, both lyrically and musically. Their willingness to give voice to the ridiculous things that lie in the subconscious was expressed as detachment or quirkiness.
Talking Heads are best remembered for being more pop art than funk. Their roots were forged in New York City’s 1970s punk scene but their eclectic, funky style moved beyond that box. They are best remembered for music that was filled with freaked-out vocals, head-spinning tempo changes and a lot of experimentation.
Collection
Now Rhino has assembled the definitive collection of the entire Talking Heads studio output. The Brick presents all eight of the Talking Heads’ studio albums in DualDisc format. The 5.1 surround mix and video extras are on the DVD side and the record and bonus tracks are on the CD side.
Together with the live footage, the set also features the band’s early music videos. Each video appears alongside their respective LPs as an enhanced video that takes the viewer beyond nostalgia. Rhino has made both intuitive and insightful use of footage from consumer logos and commercials to demonstrate the iconic transformation of the band into chocolate figurines.
Mastery
The reissue includes a clean remastering of sound quality that fleshes out the depth and dynamic range and boosts the level of the recordings. This is most evident in the earliest albums including More Songs About Buildings and Food and 77. These tracks sound better than ever, as nervy and punchy as their music. Notably, these two albums mark the band’s first phase, with Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz laying down r&b-influenced, thick grooves while David Byrne and Jerry Harrison offer dense texture and tricky underplay.
The collection highlights frontman Byrne who always got away with a level of eccentricity that other performers could only hope to try. It’s also possible to see how much each member brought to the band with songs like Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town, Take Me to the River and Thank You For Sending Me an Angel. It becomes clear that individually and as a group, the Talking Heads locked into a tense groove that allowed them to evolve into more abstract territory.
Rhino has done an amazing job of enhancing the quality of the music. The bonus material is enlightening and well-chosen, giving listeners the chance to see the band’s early videos and live footage. Fans say that the keyboards are more involving than the originals on several songs, the pressings are clean and focused, there’s a uniformed separation of instruments and there’s better bass than the original.
Talking Head enthusiasts will appreciate the opportunity to listen to these records and see how each demonstrates proof that the band was something special. In fact, their music may be more relevant now than ever.
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