Search - Talking Heads :: Talking Heads

Better than it ever was ... Talking Heads meet surround soun

J. Lund | SoCal, USA | 10/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a Talking Heads fan, I'm still pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming! BRICK BOX contains all eight Talking Heads studio CDs, remastered into dualdiscs with a surround-sound option on the DVD side. Added into the mix are bonus tracks, rare live video, some not-so-rare promo clips, and photos that altogether would probably sell quite well as a stand-alone product. As impressive as the sound quality is, the key element here is the music itself. The upgraded sonics are the means to better appreciate the end. That being the fact that although Talking Heads have gotten some props (induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame, for one), I still think they are hugely underrated.



Most great musical events come together via a unique balance of varied, seemingly incongruous elements, and this group is no exception. Begin with the distinctive, innovative and eccentric David Byrne (lead vocalist, principal songwriter, and guitarist), and continue with bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz, keboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison, and at times an expanded lineup of mostly funk-oriented musicians (Bernie Worrell from P-Funk, etc.). These musicians were able to blend together an amazing array of musical genres -- rock, pop, funk, gospel, etc. -- into an individualistic, constantly-evolving approach that I would argue stands the test of time as well as anyone this side of Miles Davis or Sly Stone. Unlike some others I do believe Byrne has continued this impressive streak of musical productivity as a solo artist since the group disbanded (soon after 1988's NAKED). Yet there is still something extra special about the Talking Heads' musical approach, as represented by these eight CDs.



Beginning as a left-of-center pop-meets-rock quartet, even the Heads debut in 1977 went against the grain of not only the mainstream, but also steered clear of alternative musical trends. Even the no-frills way that they dressed made a statement. The following two albums began to see their sound expanding both stylistically and sonically (in part via Brian Eno's co-production). The subsequent albums were as flawless and innovative as the debut, culminating in the absolutely brilliant REMAIN IN LIGHT (1980). Amazingly, as they got more progressive -- with prominent funk and world beat elements now central to their sound -- they became more popular; one of the too-rare occasions where the most creative music of the era found a large audience (probably because Byrne and co. didn't forget to make the tunes irresistably catchy as well as serve up provocative multi-cultural music). After a semi-hiatus, the group continued in a similar vein with 1983's SPEAKING IN TONGUES, featuring their biggest hit ("Burning Down The House"), which was quickly followed by a tour which resulted in one of the greatest rock films of all time (STOP MAKING SENSE).



Many followers believe that was the group's peak, and the last three albums were solid but less spectacular. Even if true, by any standards but their own the album LITTLE CREATURES (1985) was excellent. Perhaps it was somewhat of a retreat musically from the funk-based musical experimentation of the last several discs, but even this back-to-basics approach retained some of the intrigue and musical advances of the REMAIN IN LIGHT era. 1986's TRUE STORIES effectively put more emphasis on the tunes, while the last album (1988's NAKED, probably their least memorable overall) to an extent took its cues from the REMAIN IN LIGHT era, with Paris-based African musicians added to the quartet. However, the group never toured after 1983, and the members grew apart musically to the point where a breakup seemed the next logical step (they did reunite at their 2002 Hall Of Fame induction, still sounding ahead of their time).



Back to the fresh remixes. What the surround sound versions invariably do is expand the sound from 2D to 3D (or more accurately, 5.1 dimensional). The resulting fullness and clarity of sound are amazing to hear. In a couple of spots I take issue with the remixing decisions that were made (particularly on 1978's MORE SONGS...), but 99% of the time these new versions greatly improve on the original sound. So much more info is brought out particularly on FEAR OF MUSIC (1979) that one might at times think these are remixes with added elements. That album and REMAIN IN LIGHT in particular sound musically innovative by TODAY'S standards, let alone in comparison to their peers in the 1970s and 1980s. Really, this group could do no wrong, and these remastered versions make them sound even more right. (By the way, even if you don't have a surround sound system, the regular versions on the CD side are also significant upgrades)."

Send Rhino/WEA a message -- but the cd+dvd-a import discs in

Music Fan Jeff | San Francisco, CA United States | 02/17/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In case you didn't know it, all of the albums available in this "Talking Heads Brick" (which have subsequently been released as individual DualDiscs in the U.S.) have recently been released in Europe PROPERLY -- as 2-disc sets, one being a standard cd and the other a dvd-audio disc. I waited to hear these wonderful 5.1 mixes (and they ARE wonderful) because I was concerned about compatibility issues. Given the number of negative reviews here, it seems my concerns were well founded.



So if you've been holding out on this wonderful music because of concerns about the DualDisc format (or you're just unable to get the discs you already bought to play correctly) get yourself to Amazon's UK website and order the cd+dvd-a packages (which include all of the same music but slightly different graphics, including no outside "brick").



Oh, to the previous reviewer who explained how to "fix" his Pioneer to get it to the play the dvd-audio tracks by changing the setting from dvd-audio to dvd-video: When you did this, you instructed the player to play the Dolby Digital tracks that are also available on these discs. You are NOT listening to the higher resolution dvd-audio tracks but rather lossy, compressed Dolby Digital tracks. Yes, they are the same mixes but the audio fidelity is markedly different."

Simply spectacular!

F. Veldkamp | Netherlands | 10/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All eight official Talking Heads studio albums are collected here in a nice embossed plastic 'brick' on state-of-the-art DualDiscs.



Each DualDisc contains a remastered stereo mix on one side and a 5.1 dolby surround (DVD-A) mix of the other side. Each side comes with different bonus tracks, varying from outtakes to remixes, music videos and rare live video footage.



Of course, like with every boxset, the collection is not complete - there are different alternate versions and outtakes on the previously released "Sand in the Vaseline" 2CD set and "Once in a Lifetime" boxset, but "Brick" offers a lot of new -and previously unreleased- material to keep you busy for a while.



The 5.1 surround mix - done by longtime Talking Heads producer Eric 'E.T.' Thorngren and Heads' keyboard player Jerry Harrison - is by far the best surround mix I've ever heard. It beats 'new' surround albums like the latest Beck and Bjork easily with an amazing mix that puts you in the perfect spot with the band playing just in front of you and effects (percussion!) haunting you from every corner of the room. And it all sounds natural! Try anything from "Remain in Light" or "Naked" (the bands most tense albums) in surround and you know what I mean.



But also the less complicated albums (Jerry added some nice linernotes on the 5.1 mixes to every album) sound spectacular in surround; it's unbelievable that everything you hear now (handclaps, basslines, percussion, background vocals, soundeffects) was on the original records when they were first recorded - A lot of details were inaudible on the vinyls and previous CD releases, so even for the die-hard fans (and I consider myself one), there's a lot to explore on the new discs.



Each DualDisc comes with linernotes, lyrics and a limited edition artprint (mostly reproductions of works from Frank Olinsky's book "What the Songs Look Like).



Highlights for me -besides rediscovering the entire Talking Heads backcatalogue in glorious surround sound and high-detailed stereo mixes- include old live video footage (a 3-piece Talking Heads with drummer Chris Frantz on Xylophone!), super-funky unreleased outtakes on "Remain in Light", early versions of classic hits like "Road to Nowhere" and "And She Was" and a special extended version of "Burning Down the House" in surround sound that was done especially for this release.



The DualDisks are scheduled for seperate release in January 2006, but if you want them all, "Brick" is for you."