Talking Heads "The Name Of The Band is Talking Heads" opinions?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Exitmusic, Apr 14, 2019.

  1. MrCJF

    MrCJF Best served with coffee and cake.

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Brilliant album. I only have the expanded edition, but it does give the tracklisting option for the original (I haven't tried that though). I love Stop Making Sense as well, and wouldn't rank them against each other. Love them both.

    For a band that used the studio so well, their live sound was really effective. I'd pick the expanded disc 2 of this album and the expanded Stop Making Sense over the two studio albums they were promoting on those tours.
     
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  2. DeeThomaz

    DeeThomaz Senior Member

    Location:
    In The Felony Room
    Quick question: where did the original cassette version place the “Cities” bonus track? Was it integrated into the sequence or just dumped at the end?
     
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  3. Jamey K

    Jamey K Internet Sensation

    Location:
    Amarillo,Texas
    Amazing journey
     
  4. pobbard

    pobbard Still buying CDs

    Location:
    Andover, MA
    I have the US cassette version. It doesn't contain "Cities". I wasn't aware that "Cities" appears on any version of the original album (cassette or otherwise).

    There is a live version of "Cities" taken from the well-circulated 1979 Berkley Performance Center show which shows up as b-side for the "Cities" single in 1980, though. (Other cuts from this show, but not "Cities", show up on the expanded TNOTBITH).
     
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  5. DeeThomaz

    DeeThomaz Senior Member

    Location:
    In The Felony Room
    Interesting. My question was based on a the Wiki entry for the album (“The cassette edition of the album included "Cities", a bonus track not included on the vinyl edition, which also appeared on the subsequent CD release”), which is consistent with a notation in the CD liner notes (“Track 4 was first issued on the cassette version of The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads”). But like your copy, none of the cassette entries of the album on Discogs list the song either (unless I’m missing something).
     
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  6. pobbard

    pobbard Still buying CDs

    Location:
    Andover, MA
    Very curious. I forgot about that odd credit in the CD reissue (it's packed away for me right now). This makes me suspect 1 of 2 possibilities:

    1. There is a cassette version out there with "Cities" as a bonus track that isn't collected on Discogs, or

    2. When the CD version was being compiled, someone who was aware of the "Cities" 7" from 1980 mistakenly assumed the live b-side must have been a bonus track from the cassette version of TNOTBITH.
     
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  7. DeeThomaz

    DeeThomaz Senior Member

    Location:
    In The Felony Room
    A third possibility occurs to me (one you might be able to debunk immediately): could it be an unlisted bonus track? Cassettes can be such a clunky format, I imagine most of the Discog entries are simply transcribed from the labels. I don’t know if it’s the same for you but it’s been a long time since I last listened to any of my old cassettes.

    Of course, it’s hard to see the marketing value in not listing a bonus track but it has happened on occasion.
     
  8. I haven’t had the cassette in decades but I don’t recall it having a bonus track versi0n of “Cities”. Memory is a funky thing though so I could be wrong.
     
  9. Dee Zee

    Dee Zee Once Upon a Dream

    Is the expanded version available on HDTracks? I’m checking. Reading Chris Franz autobiography right now, does he have a photographic memory? Details!

    EDIT: no, boo, not on HDTracks.
     
  10. Musick

    Musick Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    I still like SMS more
     
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  11. Patanoia

    Patanoia Third Ear Centre

    Location:
    Grapevine, TX
    I love David Byrne's vocals, particularly on the first disc. Just so playful.
     
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  12. Agerst1574

    Agerst1574 Forum Resident

    Great album. I went to two of the shows where the album was recorded (Capitol Theater and Central Park). I also went to the first show where the big band premiered at Heatwave in Hamilton, Ontario which was a couple of day before the Central Park show.

    I am probably in the minority here but I prefer the 1979 tour to any other. They were incredible. This was the Capitol show and I also saw them at Queens College and at Irving Plaza. Just an astonishing run of live shows.
     
  13. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Half way through the book I got tired of his listing every little detail of what they ate, which restaurant they went to, and the constant name dropping. Add in constant jabs at belittling Byrne and honestly, I was just annoyed in the end. YMMV.
     
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  14. Dee Zee

    Dee Zee Once Upon a Dream

    I agree. I started skipping parts, never a good sign. Started this right after finishing Chrissy Hynde’s book Reckless, which was an incredible read.
     
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  15. applejam101

    applejam101 Humble Fan

    Location:
    NYC, NY, USA
    I couldn’t put Chris’s book down. I thought it was great. The only parts I didn’t like was all of the drugs Chris took.
    I never felt Chris was belittling Byrne.
     
  16. numer9

    numer9 Beatles Apologist

    Location:
    Philly Burbs
    He kept a diary.
     
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  17. brew ziggins

    brew ziggins Forum Prisoner

    Location:
    The Village
    TNOTBITH completely smokes Stop Making Sense and is one of the most under recognised Great Live Albums. The expanded band with Adrian seethes and rumbles.
     
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  18. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Are you sure you read the right book? :D
     
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  19. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    Anything by Talking Heads is worth taking the time to listen.
     
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  20. applejam101

    applejam101 Humble Fan

    Location:
    NYC, NY, USA
    I hope so. :righton:
     
  21. Dee Zee

    Dee Zee Once Upon a Dream

    I went ahead and ordered the TNOTBITH CD even though many here are hearing it as brick walled. A shame if it is

    I did listen to the 2 CD Sand In the Vaseline today and it sounds fine, not too loud. 1992 mastering.
     
  22. Musick

    Musick Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    quick question

    I’m potentially looking to pick up the cd of this set
    there is a version that has the Sire, Warner Brothers, Rhino logos on the back but also Warner Music Argentina which looks like the country of origin (UPC 0081227648923)

    I can obtain this new/sealed for about $10 less than what I assume is the US distributed edition

    any reason/concern to steer clear?
     
  23. SilverBottomSavior

    SilverBottomSavior Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hershey, PA
    No, they are all the same. Bright and brickwalled, but it's all there is unfortunately. Copies have been imported from Argentina for many years, and I can't imagine why. But my copy is indeed one of those.

    Lots of great bonus tracks - though I would prefer to have a box with the full concerts (though many have been bootlegged in excellent quality anyway). But a man can dream.
     
  24. DeeThomaz

    DeeThomaz Senior Member

    Location:
    In The Felony Room
    That is a dream project for me too.

    There might be a recent ray of hope. It looks like there *might* be an upcoming series of Talking Heads box sets. Perhaps it’ll just focus on the studio albums but even so I won’t be surprised if they include some of the TNOTBITH concerts as bonus material on these sets.

    Talking Heads: 77 Deluxe Edition (2024)
     
  25. pocketcalculator

    pocketcalculator Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    I also never thought Chris was belittling David. He was giving an honest account of his experience with the band (and his life more generally) from his perspective.
     
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