Post from the unique Aquarium Drunkard about Talking Heads. Highlighted by this about a favourite David Byrne album of music composed for the Twyla Tharp dance troupe ( I have this on vinyl and CD) and recommend it for all fans who may not have considered it. 

THE CATHERINE WHEEL

David Byrne :: 

The Catherine Wheel, ’81

Twyla Tharp and David Byrne

Frequently omitted from contemporary conversation surrounding Brian Eno and David Byrne’s creative bursts around Remain In Light, and My Life In The Bush of Ghosts, is the 1981 score commissioned by Twyla Tharp for her dance project, The Catherine Wheel. While credited to Byrne, Eno’s fingerprints are obvious throughout, both explicitly and subliminally. In Talking Heads lore, the set is notable for its inclusion of nascent renderings of “Big Business” and “What a Day That Was”; both of which feature prominently in Jonathan Demme’s 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense.

Like Remain In Light and Bush of Ghosts, the score finds Byrne riding a similar aesthetic groove; one of sonic experimentation, mining funk, African poly-rhythms, scattershot processed vocals, and the avant-garde — all underscored by a sense of urgency and propulsion. And then there are the players. On deck, assists from Bernie Worrell, Adrian Belew, Yogi Horton, Brian Eno, Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, and a half a dozen others aid Byrne in his sonic realization of Tharp’s vision.

Originally released on LP (in what now feels like an abridged version), an extended issue of The Catherine Wheel was later released on CD and cassette, complete with an additional dozen tracks. For those curious, the latter is an essential listen, providing a much more comprehensive representation of Byrne’s aspirations, as well as how the score naturally aligns with the collaborative work he was doing with Eno.

David Byrne :: Ade (AD edit)

ALSO . . . . . . 

t wilcox says:
Stop Making Sense may have the Big Suit, but if you’re looking for the pinnacle of live Talking Heads footage, I’d point you in the direction of this unbelievable show from Rome, 1980. Completing the Heads’ journey from minimalist to maximalist, it features the expanded, ten-piece lineup blazing through tunes from the just-released masterwork Remain In Light, as well as dynamically re-inventing choice selections from the back catalogue. They still sound like the band of the future more than 30 years later, with careening polyrhythms, interstellar Adrian Belew guitar-work, and P-Funk grooves courtesy of Bernie Worrell. Once in a lifetime, indeed. words/ t wilcox