Talking Heads - The Name of This Band is Talking Heads
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Music CD Cover Artist: Talking Heads Brand: TALKING HEADS Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Original Language) Format: Extra tracks CD Release Date: 2004-08-17 Music Label: Rhino Soundtracks:
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| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $9.72 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $8.24 |
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Free Music Notes for The Name of This Band is Talking Heads Album
Free Music Review: rhino not the same company anymore
Hit: 1 Stars
It used to be that Rhino took excellent care and pride in all of its releases. This no longer seems to be the case.
Easily, The Name of This Band is one of a small number of superior rock and roll live albums, and preferable musically to the more famous Stop Making Sense, which works better as a theatrical release than as a listening experience at home on the victrola. That initial expanded touring band featuring Bernie Worrell of P-Funk fame adding his signature swimming textures and a post-Bowie pre-King Crimson Adrian Belew on scorching guitar was both a revelation for many in the audience uninitiated into either seventies funk or seventies noisy art-rock and an amazing leap into the unknown for Talking Heads. The expanded version indeed adds some worthy items to the overall set list, such as "The Big Country" on disc one and "Warning Sign" as well as a seemingly Fela-influenced and irresistibly funky "Born Under Punches" on disc two.
However, as other reviewers have noted, there was a slow intro to "Crosseyed and Painless" from the original vinyl release that has been deleted, which not only MADE that particular version of the song, as a contrast to the tempo increase which followed, but was one of the most enjoyable sections of the entire 1980-1981 record. The beginning of this intro can be heard on the fade at the end of "The Great Curve" where Byrne announces that it's okay to dance if you want to.
Maddeningly, the producers at Rhino chose to remove this section from album, thereby breaking what is essentially rule number one of reissues. While it's okay to remove crowd noises or orchestrations added after the fact, NEVER, but NEVER, delete ANY MUSIC that was on the original release. EVER. FOR ANY REASON. Those very familiar with an original release will want everything that was on it initially, even the parts they didn't like.
Not only that, but apparently this was done to place "The Great Curve" at the end of disc two, the slow intro excised for the mind-numbingly LAME reason to be able to present the exact set list from the tour. While understandable from a historical standpoint, I doubt that ANYONE would remember the EXACT RUNNING ORDER of the set list (unless they were some kind of fanatic and actually wrote it down during or immediately after the show) from a concert they saw 23 TO 24 YEARS AGO. Further, if time was an issue for mastering the second disc, Rhino could have easily dispensed with the version of "Once In A Lifetime" in an arrangement that would be finally and fully fleshed out on the next tour, or better yet "Stay Hungry" since it adds little to the version ALREADY PRESENT ON THE OTHER DISC.
Perhaps lopping off a one minute or so intro to a song doesn't warrant dissatisfaction with the entire job, as there is much that is commendable about this reissue. However, most songs stayed in the can on an original issue for good reason, and only a few on this expanded version needed to see the light of day; an intelligent band's initial instincts are usually correct. As far as the producers at Rhino are concerned, cutting out that little intro was simply inexcusable. The band was right in 1982 when they ended side four with "Take Me to the River;" stupid to both remove a piece of the original document and second-guess them at the same time.
Shame on you, Rhino, you've done so many things right in the past. I think you should either offer to exchange a corrected version to anyone who wants one free of charge, or give those so inclined their money back. Don't ever make such an egregious mistake again: you should know better.