Tuesday Tribute: Talking Heads

This Tuesday I get to look into the collection of one of my all-time favorites: The Talking Heads. It would be a severe understatement to classify this band as vastly ahead of their time. Whether picking up the electronic funk in bands like Passion Pit, the artsy weirdness in artists like Bjork, the global purcussion heard in the styles of Vampire Weekend, or the current collaborations with the Dirty Projectors, their influence has been undeniable and widespread throughout music's current state. I could give a brief history lesson on the band, but what I'd rather do is make a few points of conversation that pertain to the Heads. First off, I think that Tina Weymouth is one of the most underrated bass players of all time. David Byrne is seen as the face of the Talking Heads because he did the singing and songwriting, but Weymouth had very fast fingers and was extraordinary in formulating complicated bass lines to compliment Byrne's rhythm guitar (check out "Found a Job," "Cities," "Making Flippy Floppy," etc). She's also responsible for some of the more recognizable bass lines of the time ("Take Me to the River" comes to mind). Secondly, to me, the Talking Heads were a band of singles, not a band of albums. I know this is a stubborn way to look at it, but despite how big and influential the Heads are, they don't have an album that sticks out as one of the best of all time. On the other hand, they have singles that could occupy multiple best-of albums. This is not a bad thing, just interesting in that not many bands have seen popularity with such an approach. Lastly, no matter how much anybody wants them to, the Talking Heads will never reform. I may be a pessimist, but I just cannot see these guys getting back together. Byrne has had solo success, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz are married and have gone on to form Tom Tom Club, and their creative energies have all parted ways. This is both a blessing and a curse. It would be awesome to see them take the stage as a full band once again, but at the same time, they always strived to be hip, new, and cutting edge with their music- it would make no sense for a group of 50-somethings to begrudgingly reunite and play songs that were popular 25+ years ago. Regardless, their sound is timeless, their influence is endless, and they are clearly four of the funkiest white folks to ever come together.

First up is the frenzy of percussion known as "I Zimbra." This may be one of the hardest songs to sing along to, but it's a fair trade being one of the easiest tunes to dance to. Just follow David Byrne's lead!



The Local Natives are one of the hottest bands on the rise right now. Let's see how they do with "Warning Sign."



It's clear to see the creative influence that RISD had on the Talking Heads. This influence was seen not only in their music, but in their costumes, their stage antics, and their music videos. Check out this classic video for "Burning Down the House."



"Cities" is a great example of the Talking Heads combining artistic zaniness with pure upbeat dance grooves. Tina absolutely cooks on this one, but it's really taken to a new level with the guests on percussion. And no, even though they do a great cover, it is not a Phish song.



This last video is one of my current favorites. The children at PS22 in New York do a terrific rendition of "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)." I wish music classes were like this when I was in elementary school. I don't know who this teacher is, but he deserves some kind of award not only for conjuring up such a spectacular arrangement, but for exposing these kids to such awesome tunes. If you ignore the cheesy hand motions, this version is nothing short of beautiful.