Editorial Reviews
Music Review:
Music Review
Christ in Gethsemane - Maundy Thursday: The Office of Tenebrae & The Ceremony of Foot Washing
Amazon.com
The Talking Heads should have been the least commercial of the storied first-generation New York punk/new wave bands. After all, they didn't have the impact of the Ramones, they didn't possess the virtuosity of Television, and they weren't as accessible as Blondie. Or so it seemed. In truth, they turned out to have had enough of all those qualities to surpass their peers commercially over time. And while the group's impact waned in the years after their breakup, this splendidly packaged (albeit cumbersome) box reestablishes them as one of the great pop-art bands in rock history. That was their gift--the ability to mix pronounced artistic ambitions (three of the four members attended art school) with a sneaky pop perspective. They understood how the avant-garde fit with insistent rhythms and melodies, and in David Byrne they possessed a frontman who was undeniably quirky yet surprisingly embraceable. Unlike most of his punk peers, he was uncomfortable rather than repulsed with the way things were. Once in a Lifetime supercedes 1992's two-disc Sand in the Vaseline as the essential Heads overview, serving up three discs of music (including a smattering of rarities) and a fourth disc of videos that hold up remarkably well. --Steven Stolder
Album Description
Formed in the mid-’70s by art school chums David Byrne, Chris Franz, and Tina Weymouth—and ex-Modern Lover Jerry Harrison—Talking Heads exploded out of CBGB’s punk breeding ground to become one of the most artistically adventurous and influential bands ever. Their visionary, polyrhythmic spin on rock fused elements including funk, African beats, Brazilian sway, avant-garde minimalism, pop savvy, and punk’s DIY aesthetic into a pioneering sound that was at once experimental and accessible . . . wholly inventive yet immediately welcoming. From 1977’s self-titled debut to 1988’s Naked , their work both unceasingly pushed the envelope and delivered massive Top 10 hits like "Burning Down The House." Without question, these Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famers will forever remain one of music’s true originals. The first-ever Talking Heads box! Covers 1976–1992, including almost four hours of career-spanning, groundbreaking music. Remastered for startling sound! Over 50 tracks on three loaded CDs, including all their biggest hits, plus a selection of five previously unreleased rarities, outtakes, and alternate versions. Packaged with the out-of-print video compilation Storytelling Giant, now on DVD for the first time—and newly expanded with three previously unreleased bonus clips! Set is packaged in an artistic and uniquely designed horizontal layout, including commentary from notables including: renowned music journalist David Fricke; cultural studies guru Dick Hebdige, author of Subculture: The Meaning Of Style; revered Japanese editor and scribe Kyoichi Tsuzuki; author Ricky Moody; and women of letters Maggie Estep and Mary Gaitskill.