Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 22/12/2003
Label: EMI

Of all the bands to emerge from the scuzz-pop revolution that ignited in downtown New York at the tail end of the '70s, Talking Heads remain the most fascinating. Television may have had the virtuosity, Patti Smith the poetry, and Blondie the sex appeal, but Talking Heads were something else entirely: nerds who got the funk.

Talking Heads never aspired to be cool: fronted by bug-eyed, besuited, cynical smart-arse David Byrne, the four-piece specialised in picking apart the paranoia and disaffection of '80s America – 'I Wanna Be Sedated' it was not. But as this three-CD (with added DVD) boxed set proves, their marriage of archly intense lyricism, pop melodies and angular punk-disco moves still sounds as thrilling and sensuous as their most obvious current successors, Franz Ferdinand.

A beautifully presented artefact, this set divides their career into three periods: the early days of scratchy, paranoid new wave numbers like 'Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town' and 'Psycho Killer'; the peerless avant-funk era represented by tracks from their masterpieces 'Fear Of Music' and 'Remain In Light'; and the 'populist years', when Byrne capitalized on his band's growing fame by leading them down increasingly compromised pop cul-de-sacs ('Creatures Of Love', 'Road To Nowhere').

It's not an entirely satisfying package though. Aside from the DVD of the band's groundbreaking videos, most fans will have everything here already. Anyone new to Talking Heads will probably be overwhelmed, and are advised to go straight to the 'Remain In Light' LP (from which their most well-known song, 'Once In A Lifetime', is taken) and the classic 'Stop Making Sense' concert video. What ultimately saves this boxed set from being yet another example of a record company shamelessly flogging old product is the wonderful accompanying 80-page booklet of rare photos, erudite essays and brilliant reminiscences from the Heads themselves – check out bass-player Tina Weymouth's wry recollection of Lou Reed's 'influence' on the band.

But still, even the vague pointlessness that hangs over this product (some interesting rarities – aside from the not-very-different 'alternate takes' of a few tracks included here – wouldn't have gone amiss) can't detract from the incredible music contained in the first two CDs. Listen to 'Stay Hungry', 'Heaven' or 'Houses In Motion' and ask yourself whether anyone today is making such fiercely intelligent, sonically adventurous, damn funky guitar music.

    by Christian Ward