Thank God for Talking Heads

Having read J K's write up on The Name of the Band is Talking Heads, I naturally felt the urge to purchase a copy myself. For 20 euros, I must say I just bought a gem. This extended live collection is superb for first time listeners and I must say that the live version of their songs are certainly more exciting from the studio versions.

It really does go through the band's musical stages perfectly as the collection starts of with their live performances between 77 and 79. This first CD, or should I say CD1, clearly shows their new wave roots and you can clearly see why Talking Heads have left their legacy on today's indie scene. Going through their repertoire from their first 2 albums, the Heads sound like a very good Franz Ferdinand mixed with Roxy Music's glam and weird vocals.

Yet it is CD2 which shows Talking Heads quality. As the album progresses, their musical style becomes more and more sophisticated and external elements are brought in such as funk, soul, African music and a little psychadellia for good measure. While CD1 showed the band in their minimalist and dancy selves, the second disc could be mistakened for a Funkadelic and Roxy Music collaboration gig.