QUOTE (olivia @ Mar 14 2010, 09:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
yeow...is that exemplary of 80's stuff? If so, I don't think we're missing much. (just sayin')
Yes, there are people who don't 'get' the greatness of Talking Heads.
3 visual artists who met at the Rhode Island school of design and who also happened to be musicians formed the group, studied everything from rock to African artists, wrote songs with depth, humor and irony, had great sense of rhythm, and hired and toured with some of the great studio musicians of the day. They were nerdy cool, and fun to watch.
They were one of the most critically acclaimed groups of the 80's and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
That clip is from the movie 'Stop Making Sense', directed Jonathan Demme, and hailed as one of the greatest concert movies of all time. The movie starts with bandleader David Byrne walking out alone on a bare stage to sing 'Psycho Killer', and which each additional song, he is joined by more another band member and more of the stage, until they have a full-on band for 'Burning Down the House'.
It's a favorite of mine.
I found these old reveiws: "This concert film is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the genre. Leonard Maltin rated the film four stars out of four, describing it as "brilliantly conceived, shot, edited and performed" and "one of the greatest rock movies ever made." Roger Ebert gave the film a three-and-a-half star rating, writing that "the overwelming [sic] impression throughout Stop Making Sense is of enormous energy, of life being lived at a joyous high...It's a live show with elements of Metropolis...But the film's peak moments come through Byrne's simple physical presence. He jogs in place with his sidemen; he runs around the stage; he seems so happy to be alive and making music...He serves as a reminder of how sour and weary and strung-out many rock bands have become."Danny Peary described Stop Making Sense as "Riveting...What takes place on stage will make even the most skeptical into Talking Heads converts...[The] performances are invariably exciting, Byrne's lyrics are intriguing. Byrne, his head moving rhythmically as if he had just had shock treatments, is spellbinding - what a talent!...Byrne is known for his belief that music should be performed in an interesting, visual manner, and this should make him proud."
So yes, this is exemplary stuff. It's not too late for you to convert, though! Pick up a copy of 'Stop Making Sense', or I'll let you borrow mine for a weekend. It is great.
Check out these clips:
Psycho Killer
Burning Down the House
Life During Wartime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgMhnI3QOI
