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David Byrne long ago traded in commercial viability and his
arsenal of big suits for a Panamanian accountant's wardrobe of sensible whites,
an enigmatic collection of solo recordings, and a quirky reputation as rock's
foremost authority on Yoruban dance. These days, the once-manic frontman, who
helped to define the New York punk scene in the '70s with his synaptic
convulsions and snarling vibrato, is content to serenade concertgoers with
finely polished Whitney Houston covers ("I Wanna Dance With Somebody"),
as he did during his last Fillmore visit. Luckily,
The
Name of This Band Is Talking Heads,
a live document first released in 1982 but only recently
available on CD, captures Byrne and his fellow Heads at their frenetic best,
tearing through gospel-infused classics like "Houses in Motion" and
"Crosseyed and Painless" with a nervous ferocity that borders on some
kind of transcendent musical anarchy. The expanded reissue, boasting more than
30 minutes of previously unreleased cuts and a pristine sound clarity, is an
unmatched testament to the unit's prowess as a live act, surpassing even 1984's
landmark Stop Making Sense.
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