Few artists canlegitimately claim to have created truly groundbreaking popular music, butTalking Heads is one of them. Like Elvis, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Radiohead(who took their name from a Talking Heads song), Talking Heads recorded some ofthe most memorable rock and roll of the past seventy-five years. In hissong-by-song discussion of their work, American musician and journalist DavidStarkey looks at how David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and TinaWeymouth emerged from New York’s mid-1970s punk scene and quickly distinguishedthemselves as innovative musicians. Led by the enigmatic and wildly originalByrne, Talking Heads’ list of classic songs includes ‘Psycho Killer’,’Take Meto the River’, ‘Once in a Lifetime’, ‘Burning Down the House’, ‘This Must Bethe Place (Naive Melody)’, ‘Road to Nowhere’ and ‘(Nothing But) Flowers.’ Twoof their eight albums, More Songs About Buildings And Food and Remain in Light,are listed among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums. Drawing frequently on first-person accountsfrom members of the band, Starkey brings to life the composition and recordingof each song, pointing out hidden patterns in Byrne’s lyrics and ensuring thateach member of Talking Heads receives credit for their contribution to thisunparalleled body of work.
