Talking Heads

Stalinist rock critics originally lambasted this 1982 live set because the Talking Heads augmented their lean guitar rock band with a number of backing musicians including Adrian Belew and Bernie Worrell. Released with bonus cuts in 2004, it sounds better than ever -- nobody made urban paranoia, social pondering and intellectual curiosity sound so fun.

Live albums by essentially nonimprovisatory artists who do definitive work in the studio are always slightly extraneous, but the choice songs and prime performances compiled on this twofer (one disc 1977-79, the other 1980-81) may turn out to be definitive themselves. David Byrne seems more outgoing and somehow normal in this context, yet also more eccentric--his collection of animal cries is recommended to Van Morrison. Five years and not a misstep--think maybe they're gunning for world's greatest rock and roll band? (Grade - A-)