Talking Heads #5- The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads

*The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads- 1982*

Rating: 15

The band in this review is "Talking Heads", and that's what it's about.

Best Song: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

Worst Song: Maybe the second version of "Psycho Killer" or "Stay Hungry", but only because they were already on the first disc of this album. They're both pretty great.

                 I have to agree that this is the finest Talking Heads release. For me, essentially every track offers something, sounds great, and has so much energy that was lacking on, say, Speaking In Tongues or even Fear Of Music (as good as both of them are, especially the latter). I would go through every single track, but considering the CD version is 33 songs long (30-31 if you don't count the repeats; 31 if you think the version of "Drugs" is different enough from "Electricity"), I've decided to go a different route.

I've narrowed down ten (well, eleven technically) songs that I think are fantastic, and really show the strength of this live album. There's no particular order; they're all equally awesome and memorable. So, let's begin.

New Feeling/A Clean Break (Let's Work)

I've decided to lump these two together, considering they (appear to) go into each other, and because they are the tracks that start off the disk. I love how Byrne introduces "New Feeling" by saying, "the name of this song is 'New Feeling', and that's what it's about." It's short, and the only instance of banter from Byrne, but it's surprisingly amusing. 

"New Feeling" is incredibly tight, and features some insane Byrne vocals that shine through here better than they did on the album. Part of this could be pinned on the improved production and great sound that the Talking Heads have live. However, as good as "New Feeling" is, the unreleased "A Clean Break (Let's Work)" deserves the most praise in this case. The groove is excellent, the Byrne chanting in the middle of the song is silly yet super catchy and fitting, and the song is a complete success. I have no idea why it wasn't on an actual Talking Heads album.

Psycho Killer (1st Version)

Once again, the production and energy wins out. Byrne belts the lyrics, and the band seems to be completely into this song. The first version on the album, in my opinion, has a lot more enthusiasm (on Byrne's part) that the second version sort of lacks, but they're both great tracks. Honestly, I prefer this to the studio counterpart.

The Big Country

This was never one of my favorite Talking Heads songs, but this marks one of the few songs that improved significantly from the studio version. While I thought the one on More Songs About Buildings And Food was fine, "The Big Country" shines quite a bit here. It all comes down to the solid drumming, the impact of each note, and, as usual, Byrne's ability to captivate the listener by singing with passion. "The Big Country" is not one of the best tracks, but it is notable for the huge improvement over the original.

Love → Building on Fire

This song was released as a single, and, until recently, I didn't own this song in any other form. Regardless, this version sounds a little less dated than the single, and has Byrne at his most ridiculous and fun. The way he yells out, "TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET LIKE LOVE BIRDS!" is hilarious, but hey, he sincerely does yell them out! He's even got this odd segment around 1:15 (after the second chorus), where he is laughing in the strangest manner. It's a fun, nonsensical, and catchy song.

Memories (Can't Wait)

While I appreciate this song on Fear Of Music, this live edition is highly superior, especially during the ending segment. I think the production of Fear Of Music made this song very claustrophobic and a little uncomfortable on the album, but here, they manage to capture that feeling without being unpleasant and maintaining that tight energy. Plus, hearing David Byrne screaming out nonsense at the very conclusion of the song (as voice seems to crack on the word "these") is effortlessly entertaining.

Heaven

The song is slowed down a tiny bit here, but I think that works a little better. While the point of the song is to be a little monotonous (not in a bad way!), and I think the instrumentation does that fine, I love how Byrne adds character to his vocals. The way he accentuates the word "exactly" in the third verse, and the way he starts to belt out the lyrics in that same verse, just make the song more enjoyable. Instead of feeling like Byrne was going along with the monotonous place where "nothing ever happens", the song takes on the form that Byrne is, instead, trying to escape, but is trapped there, doomed to do nothing and do the same things over and over. That was probably way too depressing for a Talking Heads review.

Cities

The beginning of this song is excellent (with the build-up to whenever Byrne decides to come in), but what makes "Cities" is, as usual, David Byrne. He alters his tone and inflections only slightly, but they're endlessly entertaining. The extra verse added in this version, with Byrne basically screaming out things and his vocal cords seeming to strain and jump; all of it combines to make possibly the most Byrne-istic song of them all. 

It comes to the point where Byrne stops singing certain parts of the chorus, only to shout noises or make his voice crack. At the same time, this blaring Adrian Belew guitar plays behind it, and it's an insane, yet brilliant, compliment to whatever Byrne is doing. It has to be heard to be believed, in total.

Drugs (Electricity)

The version of "Electricity" earlier on the album (before it was changed a little and became "Drugs") is interesting, but the 2nd alteration of it is radically different and, possibly, blows the first one out of the water. The bassline, guitar, and drums combine to create this faster, better atmosphere that was lacking from the studio version. Despite all that, however, the choruses are what stand out. The backup singers and the repetition of the guitar give the chorus such a psychedelic, almost dream-like feel. The momentum is kept throughout the whole song, and trumps the one on Fear Of Music in almost every way.

Houses In Motion

This song undertook the most dramatic transition from the album it was originally on, and it's glorious. "House In Motion" was great on Remain In Light, but definitely not a stand-out track. Here, the transformation is fantastic. Adrian Belew and the rest of the band lay down an amazing groove, and it leaves Byrne and the rest of the backup singers to carry this song. This song lasts for about 7 minutes, and I honestly don't get bored of it at all. The choruses have so much impact, and the singing packs way more energy live than it ever did on Remain In Light. Certainly one of the best songs on the album, in addition to being dance-able!

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

This rivals "Houses In Motion" for the best song, and personally, I think this one pulls through. I find the introductory guitar solo to be utterly captivating, for one. I wouldn't have minded at all had that been the introduction to the song on the album (although I do love Byrne's scream at the start on Remain In Light), but that may not have made it as awesome here. I genuinely like this version more than the studio one, mainly because of two factors: the energy, and that man I've definitely never mentioned in this review before, David Byrne.

I find the groove just as good as the original version, except I love how the drums take a bit more of a prominent role. The percussion had to get creative, and it overall succeeds. Also, the guitar solo from Belew, while maybe not as "cool", does feel less robotic and serves to drive the song forward (which it successfully does). As for David Byrne, his singing goes from normal to crazy. He puts in the right amount of energy and lunacy when required, only to exceed all expectations. The second verse is captivating, and Byrne's little side remarks ("one step, one step") add to the insane atmosphere being crafted. It's a marvelous combination of all of the best of the Talking Heads.

---

Anyway, those are the ten/eleven songs I wanted to discuss from this release. While I could mention how this version of "I Zimbra" packs a lot more energy, how "Once In a Lifetime" has a really cool outro (although I may prefer the studio track for this one), how "Life During Wartime" picks up the pace from the Fear Of Music version, how "Animals" is a lot more melodic (with another amusing Byrne performance), and so on, but I think I addressed all the songs I really wanted to talk about. After all, I could theoretically gush about every single song on this album, but, for the sake of variety, I think it makes sense to talk about some key differences and essentials. 

I suggest buying this full album, as, in truth, every track is worthy, and every track is a highlight. Enjoy one of the best albums of all time.

P.S. - "Artists Only" and "Air" are both hilarious.

Talking Heads #4- Speaking in Tongues

Speaking in Tongues- 1983

Rating: 10

Dance until you die

Best Song: Burning Down the House

Worst Song: Moon Rocks

               While this is a weaker CD than the last couple albums (excluding True Stories, which I still haven't listened to much), this album still has a fair share of strong tracks. My main problem is that, particularly on the CD, that the tracks are way too overlong. If you have the old vinyl version of this album, then consider adding a point to my rating. Out of 5 tracks that were "extended" for the CD release, none of them are better than the shorter versions, and none of them are better than the live version on Stop Making Sense. 

In fact, besides maybe "Burning Down the House" and "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity", you could probably skip out on this album in exchange for Stop Making Sense. That album has 6 of the 9 tracks on here, and does each of them with a superior, tighter energy. Not to say that this isn't a "good" album; it's merely been made inferior by the fact that the Talking Heads are an awesome live band.

The album opens with the hit, "Burning Down the House". This happens to be the album's best track, with David Byrne screaming out his usual nonsense over slightly goofy keyboards. It's a fun listen, a great opener, and I'm sure you've already heard it before. "Making Flippy Floppy", in it's original vinyl form, probably was good, but it definitely suffers from overlong. The same happens with "Girlfriend Is Better", which, while sporting a more memorable melody than "Making Flippy Floppy", has no reason being 5:44 instead of 4:22. They're fun enough, but not much more.

"Slippery People" is actually pretty interesting, and almost doesn't suffer from the extended length. Sure, the production doesn't capture the energy of the live version, but I think the melody is excellent. "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" does the same. Once again an extended track, but it helps to break up some of the monotony with some unique vocals and a cool beat. Following that is "Swamp", which wasn't extended (thankfully), and works well. Byrne sings in a different tone/accent that makes the song stick out more, and, as always, the melody is entertaining. Stop Making Sense did it better, but this one is worth at least one listen.

The sad thing is that, after that run, "Moon Rocks" is merely okay. It's not bad, but it is overlong, and, while I like the backing guitars, it simply cannot sustain itself for almost six minutes. If you're really curious, I'd suggest the original five minute version (which is probably still a little too long). Definitely the weakest song. "Pull Up the Roots", which comes after it, is also fine. It has a decent vocal line, an intriguing melody, and usual Talking Heads quirks, but it doesn't reach the earlier heights of "Burning Down the House", or even "Swamp".

Fortunately, the album ends on one of the best Talking Heads songs, "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)". Unfortunately, this version does lack the excellent vocals of the live one, and, had this song been as powerful or good as the Stop Making Sense song, this would have been the best song. As is, it's still a great listen, and a nice ending to the album.

I may have been harsh here, but let me stress that I do like this album. I wouldn't say it is a necessary purchase, but I definitely think it is a decent listen, and better than Naked. If you really had to pick, buy Stop Making Sense, Little Creatures, and their earlier stuff first, but this isn't a bad purchase if you're a huge Talking Heads fan. Just seek out the older vinyl if you can, and enjoy.

Talking Heads #3- Stop Making Sense (Live)

Stop Making Sense- 1984

Rating: 13

Hi. I got an album I wanna review.

Best Song: Crosseyed And Painless

Worst Song: Genius of Love (Tom Tom Club)

             This album just continues to drive home the point that the Talking Heads are spectacular when they are live. I mean, the studio albums can be really great, but I think they truly shine on their live albums. For instance, this one and The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads are probably among my favorite live albums. Although this one is technically the audio from the concert movie (that is excellent as well, by the way), it still counts as a live album to me.

Anyway, on the Talking Heads live albums, sometimes they do different renditions of their songs. Sometimes they add more energy to it, expand sections, make them faster (ELP did this as well a lot on WBMFTTSTNE: LAGELP), and other ideas. Also, Byrne's singing can vary just due to how interesting and amusing he can be to listen to, so each rendition is uniquely different.

For example, this album opens with "Psycho Killer", except it features David Byrne just saying, "Hi. I've got a tape I wanna play," before a beat comes in and he just plays guitar and sings. It is a fascinating rendition of the song that really pays off, and little touches like that make Talking Heads live albums so great: They aren't just the same renditions live, and actually have little different touches. "Heaven", which comes after "Psycho Killer", also just has guitar (as well as bass I believe) and a female singer backing Byrne up. I'm not quite sure if it is better than the original (as they both get across the monotonous, never-ending idea of heaven shown in the lyrics), but for the sake of variety, it is quite nice to hear.

"Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" has a lot of energy that the original had, but I think this live version is a little better just for how raw and pure the sound and singing sounds. Either way, both versions sound great. "Found a Job" comes after it, which honestly has never been one of my favorite tracks. It is played pretty standard here with not much variation on the original track, but since that original song is still pretty great, I have no problem here. Personally, the album starts to kick in even more once they get to the material from Speaking In Tongues (which was the album before this one). "Slippery People" is a significant improvement over the original just on the amount of energy put into it. That brilliant part where the instruments cut out closer to the end of the song just for the singers to yell their words yet still sound amazing was definitely the highlight, as it is wonderfully engaging.

"Burning Down the House" is pretty much as good as the studio version, and I honestly don't have much to say about it. It is a great rendition of a great song, and while it is a little faster, I don't think it really improves on the material much or really adds too much new. Either way, I enjoy it. "Life During Wartime", however, is a lot more keyboard-based, which I actually do like. I still think I may prefer the version on The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads just because it was a bit more solid and I wasn't a big fan of the keyboard solo on this version, but I still think this song worked really well while still bringing something new. The part where a lot of the noise cut away, like "Slippery People", was probably my favorite moment just because I find those absences and sudden changes very interesting to hear. "Making Flippy Floppy", which I feel is a bit overlong on Speaking In Tongues, gets sped up a little with improved vocals and is shorter by over a minute. Therefore, I definitely think this version is marginally better than the one on that album, even if the song still isn't exactly a great classic. "Swamp", on the other hand, is one I found myself really getting into on Speaking In Tongues, and the same goes for this album. The vocals are a little different than the ones on that studio version, but they are still quite similar so there isn't much to say here. Great rendition, sounds like the studio one, I like the song a lot, moving on.

"What a Day That Was (Live Edit)" apparently comes from a David Byrne studio album, and I surprisingly like this song a lot. Maybe on the album it is weaker (as it probably lacks some of the power and energy displayed here), but here it sounds pretty good. My only gripe is that it could have been a little shorter, but no matter that, it has piqued my interest in Byrne's solo work. Following that up with one of my favorites from Speaking In Tongues, "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" elevates beyond the original studio version by just seeming a lot tighter. The instrument playing seems more confident (for good reason, as the one on Speaking In Tongues was the song in which all the members of the band played different, uncomfortable instruments), but what really sold it for me were the vocal performances. They are just incredible and the melodies are perfect. The choruses sound magnificent, honestly. Also, I prefer this ending where the singers repeat the "ooh" lyric rather than just David Byrne singing it once before it kind of awkwardly plays for a bit before fading out. Anyway, this is a lovely version that can only be matched by an amusing version of "Once In a Lifetime". As per usual on this album, it places emphasis on keyboards. It has plenty of momentum and raw power to it, but I do kind of feel that later on the keyboards kind of drown a lot of noise out towards the end of the song, so I prefer the The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads version more.

This album might have received a 14  if the rest of the album went so smoothly with only a couple other little things, but unfortunately, "Genius of Love" by the Tom Tom Club had to come in (as Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz founded it as a side-project) and contribute a really terrible song. Yeah, this song is awful, cheesy, dated 80's crap. The singing is pretty poor, the lyrics are cringe-worthy, and it doesn't even really have a good beat to dance to. Fortunately, they go through "Girlfriend Is Better" and "Take Me to the River" in order to restore order. Neither are spectacular renditions (I'd actually say the version of "Take Me to the River" is a lot weaker than the studio one), but they are much better than the unspeakably bad Tom Tom Club song so it isn't a big problem at all really.

Fortunately, they saved the best for last. "Crosseyed And Painless" starts off with a really cool, slower groove version of the song before it goes insane. I mean, literally insane. It goes incredibly fast, but what sells it all is the electric guitar screeching. Honestly, I love Adrian Belew and I believe he played live with them on The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads, but whoever plays guitar here just knocked it out of the park. However, the fast pace allows the most extreme ENERGY to emote from the band and Byrne. Byrne kills the vocals, particularly the semi-rap section that he does with alarming and impressive speed. It concludes this live album with a huge bang, and I can't imagine it ending any other way.

In total, this is one of my favorite live albums and although I gave it a 13, it is the highest possible 13 I can give it (so yes, it is better than Works Live). Enjoy it, watch the movie, and have fun, because there is plenty of things to have fun with here.

Talking Heads #2- Little Creatures

Little Creatures- 1985
Rating: 12
Accordions finally put to good use
Best Song: Road To Nowhere or Television Man
Worst Song: Creatures Of Love

           Well, I'm rather surprised. This whole album is surprisingly upbeat (for the Talking Heads). I mean, it has a couple songs with darker lyrics, but even those songs sound cheerful enough. Regardless, it calls back to the simpler times of the first Talking Heads album, and since I love that album, I have no problem with this one.

The song on here that everybody seems to know is "And She Was", which definitely deserves it. The focus is a little bit less on the beat itself than previous albums (and Naked), which works well because this song stands very well by itself. The chorus is catchy, the singing is still quite like Byrne but not too insane, and even without the focus on the beat, not grooving or dancing to it is close to impossible (still possible though; a couple later songs are definitely impossible). "Give Me Back My Name" doesn't evoke the same thing and is much weaker than the previous song, but I still find some enjoyment in it. The pure sound of it adds a lot of atmosphere, even though I think that the tune isn't actually that memorable.

Unfortunately, we do reach a lower point after that, but even then, it is a pretty decent low-point. "Creatures Of Love" is not a bad song, as it has a good chorus part and the lyrics are kind of clever (even if they sound initially a little stupid). It just has a very country-like feel that I don't really like that much. However, it is still okay due to that chorus as well as great playing, just in a style I'm not a big fan of. "The Lady Don't Mind" brings everything back to the quality of the first song though by having an amazingly catchy choruses, but still remembering to make the verses interesting. The beat actually does have a lot of focus on the song, so it ends up working quite nicely. Also, the horn section helps give the whole song a more unique feel. "Perfect World" is also great in a different way, with the chorus using an interesting keyboard sound to draw listeners in before going back to the groove of the beat throughout the verses. It may help in addition that Byrne makes more weird vocal noises before returning to the verses sometimes. They don't really add too much in actuality, but they are in the song so might as well mention it.

"Stay Up Late" follows, which has really dumb lyrics (not the beginning of "The Facts Of Life" bad still though), but is much too catchy and fun to not be at good. Nothing great, but I still like it. "Walk It Down", on the other hand, has good lyrics and an excellent groove through the verse, but I'm not a big fan of the chorus. It just doesn't really sound that great and isn't very memorable, but since that song still has likable elements, I still consider it above average. 

However, compared to all of those songs, the last two songs are what really cement the rating of 12. "Television Man" not only has a great beat, not only keeps the interest of the listener throughout the verses, and not only has catchy choruses, but also manages to go two minutes into the song before almost abandoned the early, pretty good segments to go into perhaps the catchiest and definitely most energetic segment on this whole album. Once Byrne starts the "Na na na NA na na..." part, the song truly rocks and even once that part goes away, the song just builds and builds up to this amazing ending. Honestly, it is fairly incredible until you hear the song after it, "Road To Nowhere". It takes the instrument of the accordion and actually makes it sound good, no joke. Really, after an amusing vocal-only introduction, the accordions really kind of dominate this song and add to the wonderful singing throughout the verses and choruses. I'd probably say the lyrics are the strongest on the album, and, a bit like the song before it, it ditches the verses and chorus structure in order to just move onto another ridiculously catchy segment ("There's a city in my mind..." and on) as, once again, the song builds up to a phenomenal ending before the instruments cut out and they sing, "We're on a road to nowhere" one more time. I consider it the best ending track of all the other ending tracks on the other Talking Heads studio albums, and for very good reason.

So, in total summation of everything, this album has mediocre songs and some weaker spots, but completely makes up for it with some fantastic, very catchy tracks to balance things out.

Talking Heads #1- Naked

Naked- 1988

Rating: 9

Chilly, chilly-willy

Best Song: (Nothing But) Flowers or Mr. Jones

Worst Song: The Facts of Life

             I'll explain "Chilly, chilly-willy" later, because it does actually tie in to one of my problems with this album. For now, I'll say that as far as final albums go, this isn't a bad one. It has a bit of a reputation as being not very good, but to be honest, I found a lot of merit in some of these songs. Some of the others ones, not so much.

Apparently David Byrne did spend a lot of time on this album, which is a little surprising, as there aren't exactly many songs on here that could compare to some of the tracks on earlier works such as Remain in Light or Fear of Music. Regardless, the first song, "Blind", grew on me quite a bit. At first, I was kind of annoyed by the fact that it wasn't too much like the Talking Heads and how Byrne kept yelling, "BLIND! BLIND! BLIND, BLIND, BLIND, BLIND, BLIND!" throughout a large majority of it, but as I am a huge fan of Byrne and his vocals, I did grow more accustomed to it. The playing of the instruments themselves is well-done, and the verses/choruses are memorable enough, working in their own right. Nothing really amazing, but I'd consider good. It happens to be outdone by the next song, "Mr. Jones". It is probably less like the Talking Heads than the previous song, but I find the overall vibe and a great chorus really make this song quite great. Byrne's singing is also a bit more normal (for Byrne, that is) than the previous song. It kind of has a salsa feel (especially with the horn section being there), and while it probably isn't for everybody, I thought it was an excellent idea.

"Totally Nude" has an almost Hawaiian feel to it, but if you can get past some more mediocre lyrics ("Nature boy, nature man, take me along" always sounds a little weird to me), you might enjoy it. Nothing really too great, but good if you take it for what it is. "Ruby Dear" isn't too memorable, but does have some interesting playing and a decent chorus. I'd consider it the weakest of the first four songs (well, actually maybe first six, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it). After that is my other favorite from the album, "(Nothing But) Flowers", which was released as a single from this album (as well as "Blind"). The lyrics are kinda silly, but to be honest, I can't say that are exactly stupid. They are still kind of clever and the idea behind the song (in which a man living in the modern world wakes up in a world of nature and reminiscences of all the fast-food and other places he loved) is quite creative. Also, it helps that the chorus is the best on the album (as well as the bridge before it). Of course, following it with "The Democratic Circus" wasn't the best idea, but I still find enjoyment in it. It has a bit of an atmosphere, but I feel it starts a little too slow and it isn't until a little more than two minutes in when I really start to like it a lot. Byrne demonstrates more brilliant singing, by the way.

Unfortunately, as good/decent as all of those songs were, "The Facts of Life" had to appear to ruin it. This song has a bad reputation, and I'm not going to defend it. The beginning synth line gets annoying, Byrne's singing towards the second half is falsetto and not very nice to listen to. The chorus (?) isn't even really defined and only slightly better than the verses. One of my big problems is that the song is so slow that you can't even find some enjoyment dancing or grooving to it unless you are a huge fan of really, really slow beats. I also take problem with the lyrics, particularly right at the beginning, in which Byrne sings:

"Mon-key-see and mon-key-do

Ma-king ba-bies, ea-ting food

Smel ly things, pu bic hair

Words of lo ve, in the air." 

I'm sorry, but these are just stupid lyrics that I can't imagine singing. Do you ever think you will wake up singing a line such as, "smelly things, pubic hair"? Of course not, because that would be really dumb. The lyrics improve a bit later on, but that beginning is just cringe-worthy, and this is a problem consistent throughout several songs on this album (such as "Totally Nude" from earlier). In addition, the drumming is robotic, and while the second half is slightly better, it isn't enough to save the song at all.

However, "Mommy Daddy You and I" makes up for it a little bit by having a really good chorus. Of course, it still has the line, "Chilly... chilly willy", but because I think the song grooves well by itself (I actually think the accordion helps drive the song, reminds me of "Road to Nowhere" from Little Creatures a bit), I can disregard it. "Big Daddy", however, isn't quite so good. The lyrics are rather below average (although not quite the beginning of "The Facts of Life" bad), and while it does kind of groove, it goes on too long that I get tired of it by the end. It doesn't help that "Bill", which follows it, is completely forgettable. It isn't memorable, but it also isn't bad, so I suppose it just sits in the mediocre middle. Fortunately, I believe "Cool Water" sort of makes up for some of the flaws. It takes a little too long to build up, but I feel that once it reaches the peak, it works nicely. Byrne sings well, and while the verses aren't great, the chorus actually works well when all the instruments come in towards the end. I see a lot of people who aren't fans of this song, which kind of surprises me, as I view it as a pretty good way to end the album.

So, despite the flaws, is Naked a great album? No, but I'd consider it above average still. I find a lot of songs in the good range, with some of the mediocre ones and one pretty bad one dragging it down. To be honest, if you are a fan of the Talking Heads, I'd still say to check this one out after you've checked out their other albums. You might surprise yourself.

Introduction to Talking Heads

Back to reviewing albums, but this time, I think I'll move on from ELP. I've reviewed all the albums from their classic period, and while I could go on to Emerson, Lake, and Powell or maybe their two-album reunion, not only are those albums not exactly great or good, but a bit of a waste. The classic ELP line-up and albums will always be my favorite, and I'd much rather review and take a look at those albums than anything that came afterwards.

Therefore, with that out of the way, I can move onto the Talking Heads, another one of my personal favorite bands. A lot different from ELP, they are led by David Byrne, who has a very unique vocal style that I don't really know of any other singers who are like him. Regardless, it was him who gave the band a lot of personality. It also helps that he could actually sing quite well.

Of course, we also have Chris Frantz on drums, Jerry Harrison on guitar/keyboards, and Tina Weymouth on bass. They sometimes get a little overlooked (likely overshadowed by Byrne being a bit of an enigma), but they all contribute towards the band's overall efforts anyway.

The interesting thing I will do when reviewing their albums is start backwards (skipping True Stories, as that was more of a soundtrack and the only album by them I don't own). Therefore, the first review will be of Naked, then Little Creatures, then Stop Making Sense (Live Album), and so on. Enjoy.

ELP #10- Works Live

Works Live- 1993

Rating: 13

Look! The title is short!

Best Song: Fanfare For The Common Man or Peter Gunn

Worst Song: Tank

      Right after ELP broke up, the record company released In Concert, which contained some songs from their Works tour. The band had brought an orchestra along, but it nearly bankrupted the group, so they later dismissed them. Anyway, Emerson wanted In Concert to be a double album, but the record company disagreed. Finally, in 1993, that very same record company released this album that you are reading a review.

      If I am feeling incredibly generous, I sometimes consider this to be as good as Welcome Back... (not just because it has a shorter name), mainly because of two reasons: For one, I love ELP a really huge amount (and I probably overrate all their albums). However, the second reason is that they were an incredible live band. They played their songs pretty normally, but sometimes they made they combined songs together or just put a bunch of songs together that really "clicked" ("Take a Pebble/Still... You Turn Me On/Lucky Man" from Welcome Back...).

      Anyway, after a small and slightly boring "Introductory Fanfare", they go into a fantastic rendition of a song titled "Peter Gunn". Emerson plays an excellent keyboard line on his synths and other organs, while Lake's riveting bass line drives the piece quite well. Palmer's drumming is as steady as always. Following that comes "Tiger In A Spotlight", which was one of my favorite tracks back on Works Vol. 2. It's as fun and catchy as always, but Emerson's keyboards manage to add a bit of variation later during the song so it isn't exactly the same. Greg's singing is as strong as it had been during that period. After that is pretty normal version of "C'est La Vie", which has only been improved with a bit of added orchestra, but otherwise, it's still the same, good ballad that it had been on Works Vol. 1.

      Things start to change when the next song starts to play, "Watching Over You". The combination of Greg Lake's singing and guitar works as usual, but there is now a keyboard solo to replace the original's harmonica solo. I actually kind of prefer the solo on this version better, but I don't think the piece is as well done as it was on Works Vol. 2. However, it still is a fantastic inclusion to the album. Suddenly, right after that, Emerson launches into an incredibly impressive and short rendition of "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin. Without his little 2nd outro at the end, he does the song in 1 minute and 7 seconds (add 2 seconds for the 2nd outro), which is incredibly impressive and definitely pretty stunning to hear exactly after something calm like "Watching Over You". After that is one of those ill-fated Carl Palmer Works Vol. 1 tracks, but on the plus side, he picked "The Enemy God (Dances With The Black Spirits)". To improve matters more, Emerson took the role of the brass from the original, which, believe it or not, improves the original by quite a bit. It does go a bit overlong even for being pretty short, but still manages to maintain interest for most of the time.

      Directly in line after that is perhaps one of the best tracks they ever recorded, "Fanfare For The Common Man". However, do not confuse this version with the one on Works Vol. 1, as on this one, everything is vastly superior then that on the actual album. Palmer's drumming is slightly better and Emerson jams a bit with much better keyboard sounds than on the original (honestly, the keyboard sound in the last 4 minutes of the original were mildly unpleasant). Greg doesn't really change anything, but his bass still drives the song as much as usual. This goes on for about 6 minutes, remaining incredibly interesting, until a couple seconds before the 6 minute and 30 second mark, there is a sudden change in the song. Palmer drums at what seems like random, Greg seems to be playing a bit of electric guitar, and Emerson is using his synths to make a bunch of peculiar noises. After a few seconds of this, Emerson starts playing something on his Hammond organ while Palmer starts a fast drumbeat. Suddenly, Emerson starts playing this incredible keyboard line while Greg follows him up with the bass. What the band managed to was fit their own version of "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" by Dave Brubeck, which had originally been called "Rondo" and played when Emerson was in a band called The Nice. Anyway, Emerson plays some great synths and keyboards for a couple minutes before the song just shifts back in "Fanfare For The Common Man" and ends with a fantastic ending aided greatly by the orchestra they had with them on the tour.

      Once that song is over, "Knife Edge" follows. It sounds pretty much the exact same as the original except for the added orchestra parts, making it sound slightly more bombastic. This might have been just as good as the original except for the fact that the production on this track is kind of poor. Otherwise, all remains the same as it ever was on this track. Around the same thing happened to "Show Me The Way To Go Home". On this version, the orchestra is less impressive than it was on the original, and the female backing vocals seem to have disappeared. Of course, Emerson's piano is still quite amazing and Greg's vocals are still great, but it doesn't really try to improve on the original (although that is not a bad thing). Following that is "Abaddon's Bolero", which is almost exactly the same except for heavier orchestra, but is still splendid, and probably would have been an amazing track to hear live. I might actually prefer the keyboard Emerson uses on this version, but both keyboards on both the original and the live version sound so good it would take me a while to actually pick one over the other. After a dramatic outro from "Abaddon's Bolero", Greg introduces "Pictures At An Exhibition" to the crowd ("We're gonna give you 'Pictures At An Exhibition'").

     "Pictures At An Exhibition" opens up with a little piece known as "Promenade 1". This one is played pretty similarly to the original, and still has that catchy but plain and simple melody. Of course, the only change is the heavy orchestration. "Promenade 1" goes directly into "The Gnome", which, other than a weird synth sound Emerson makes pretty much every time before the small breaks in the song and some different keyboard uses, is almost exactly the same. "Promenade 2" then comes in to interrupt the load and bombastic "The Gnome" with some pretty Greg Lake singing backed by the orchestra, which actually makes the song slightly more enjoyable. Unfortunately, this version skips "The Sage", "The Old Castle", "Blues Variations", and "Promenade 3", in favor of going straight into "The Hut Of Baba Yaga 1".This version, with some more orchestra, is pretty dang similar to the original. This is followed by the "The Curse Of Baba Yaga", which for some reason adds drums into the beginning song that was strictly keyboard to make some weird jam. I do miss the cool bass line that happens near the beginning as well, but the main song part is pretty similar and as chaotic as the original was. Anyway, Emerson still pounds his keyboard, Palmer still freaks out on his drums, and Greg still screams a couple of the lines. Anyway, after that, an orchestrated "The Hut Of Baba Yaga 2" is performed (and the fast keyboards are as good as ever) before going into "The Great Gates Of Kiev". Although this was my least favorite track on Pictures From An Exhibition, the orchestra attempts to make it feel much more dramatic on this album. It kind of helps, but the pauses are still kind of annoying, and this time there is no weird guitar to make the pauses slightly more interesting than they were originally (the second pause is much better than the first though). Anyway, the orchestra leads the band into the conclusion of the entire piece, making it sound incredibly epic and bombastic.

      After the end of "Picture From An Exhibition", "Close To Believing" follows it with another amazing Greg Lake performance. The song actually sounds almost exactly as it did on Works Vol. 1, but the song was quite spectacular to begin with. Greg sings with as much passion as he seemed to have had on the original, and the orchestra plays as well as ever. Following that is "Piano Concerto Third Movement: Tocatta Con Fuoco", which is the third movement in Emerson's long "Piano Concerto No. 1" from Works Vol. 1. This happened to be my favorite movement, and it is portrayed just as accurate as it was on the album. Emerson and the orchestra play incredibly great, and the fast paced part sounds very exciting and loud, while the huge slow downs near the middle and end are rather beautiful. Just as the album was about to improve on the greatness of Welcome Back..., the album closes out with the version of "Tank" from Works Vol. 1. Honestly, the beginning of the song is kind of a mess, and would have probably sounded better with Emerson's keyboards playing the melody. However, this is all good, but then we get to the drum solo. I thought the drum solo on Welcome Back... was tolerable, but this one eventually starts to bore me. This one mainly starts to bore me not only because it is about two minutes longer than the already long drum solo on Welcome Back..., but also because after a while, Palmer just seems to run out of ideas. For the last minute or so, he kind of just repeats ideas he already used from the beginning of the solo, which wouldn't be bad if they were really good ideas, but they just sound like they were building up to some huge drum solo spectacular, but they just end up leading back into the song. It keeps me interested for the first 3 to 4 minutes, but past that point I lose interest. However, once the song returns to normal, I really enjoy the melody and orchestra for the second part of the song, even though it is quite repetitive.

      Works Live is not only a very fitting companion to both Works Vol. 1 and Works Vol. 2, but also another fantastic release in the band's long going career. However, this tour left the band almost broke (mainly because they were touring with an entire orchestra), but it still managed to result in a quality album definitely worthy to be in any music lover's collection.