The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads explained

The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
Type:live
Artist:Talking Heads
Cover:The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads.jpg
Caption:2004 2-CD reissue cover
Alt:A montage of several photos of the band performing
Recorded:November 17, 1977 – February 27, 1981
Genre:
Length:
  • (original album)
  • (expanded CD release)
Label:Sire, Rhino (reissue)
Producer:Talking Heads
Prev Title:Remain in Light
Prev Year:1980
Next Title:Speaking in Tongues
Next Year:1983

The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads is a double live album by the American new wave band Talking Heads, released in 1982 by Sire Records. The first LP features the original quartet in concert and radio recordings in 1977 and 1979, and the second LP features the expanded ten-piece lineup that toured in 1980 and 1981.

Though a decent commercial and critical success upon release, The Name of This Band was somewhat overshadowed by Talking Heads' subsequent live album and concert film Stop Making Sense. However, it went on to attract greater retrospective acclaim, with critics remarking on its importance in documenting the band's artistic growth.[1] [2]

Reissues

An expanded version of the record was released on CD in 2004 by Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino, marking the album's first ever CD release in the United States. It duplicated the pattern of the original album, with the first disc featuring the quartet alone and the second disc the ten-member band. Eight additional performances from 1978 and 1979 were added to the first disc, and seven additional tracks from the 1980–81 tour were added to the second disc, with the latter disc featuring a reconfigured running order reflecting the tour's set list from the larger band. However, the introduction to the song "Crosseyed and Painless" was edited out on this CD version.

In 2013, Rhino reissued the vinyl version of the album (on the original Sire label), again without bonus tracks, but with the longer version of "Crosseyed and Painless". The original design of the packaging was also replicated, but the LPs were packaged in plastic sleeves. The album also utilized the original analog mastering for the LP from 1982.

Track listing

Original LP (1982)

Information sourced from original 1982 LP liner notes[3] and 2004 CD reissue liner notes.[4]

CD reissue (2004)

Personnel

Talking Heads

Additional musicians

Technical

Reissue personnel

Charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 41
Billboard Pop Albums[6] 31

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads – Talking Heads . . February 8, 2018 . Westergaard . Sean.
  2. Web site: Talking Heads: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads . . August 25, 2004 . February 8, 2018 . Plagenhoef . Scott.
  3. The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads . . 1982 . LP liner notes . . 2SR 3590 . New York.
  4. The Name of This Bands Is Talking Heads . Zax . Andy . Andy Zax . Collins . Reggie . Peterson . Gary . . 2004 . CD liner notes . . R2 76489 . Los Angeles.
  5. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 304.
  6. Web site: Talking Heads Chart History: Billboard 200 . 2019 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20190404025437/https://www.billboard.com/music/talking-heads/chart-history/billboard-200 . April 4, 2019 . live .