Back catalogue: All genres

Review: This album captures a legendary live performance by David Berne's marvellous Talking Heads and exhibits the band's famously lively stage presence during their 1978 tour. This limited release offers a snapshot of the band's early electrifying sound right before they reached international stardom. The recording is taken from a performance in Chicago and highlights their signature and singular blend of punk, new wave and funk with Byrne's unique vocals and the band's tight rhythms leading the charge. A thrilling document of Talking Heads' formative years, Chicago Killers 78 is one of many superb records from this artful outfit.

Review: Talking Heads: 77 marks the band's audacious entry into the music scene, brimming with quirky, infectious energy. It opens with 'Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town', a playful yet complex love song that introduces David Byrne's distinctive lyrical style and the band's adventurous spirit. With its upbeat tempo and unexpected steel drum accents, the track hints at the future explorations of rhythm by members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. The album's standout tracks, like 'New Feeling', showcase Byrne's abstract musings set against a tight, driving backdrop. This introspective yet rhythmic approach establishes a refreshing distance from typical rock conventions. Similarly, 'Tentative Decisions' displays a blend of mechanical and human elements, reflecting Byrne's unique perspective. Contrastingly, tracks such as 'Psycho Killer' present a darker tone, discussing sociopathy with catchy hooks, while 'No Compassion' conveys a menacing detachment, talking of the complexities of urban life in 1977 New York. The infectious simplicity of 'Who Is It' reveals the band's ability to flirt with mainstream sentiment without succumbing to cliche. Throughout the album, Talking Heads demonstrate their skillful manipulation of sound and structure, weaving vibrant sonic details into an engaging tapestry. This debut not only highlights their artistic vision but also lays the groundwork for the visionary work to come.

Review: If you're a new band introducing yourself to the world it makes sense to keep your album to under 40 minutes, like David Byrne and co did with Talking Heads: 77. But the seminal new wave band, who emerged from the New York punk scene in the 70s, have earned the right to keep us on the line for a lot longer and give us the companion tracks we sorely deserve after years of fandom. There's rarities, unreleased outtakes and live recordings, which give us an intimate insight into a truly iconic band, who were at the very top of their game at the time they were making this record. Afterall, coming up with 'Psycho Killer' for a debut album shows that years spent honing their sound and shopping around for the right record deal before landing at Sire records turned out to be a shrewd move. We're still listening to them today and so will our kids and our kids' kids.

Review: Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads captures the iconic band's live energy and artistic innovation impeccably. Recorded during their 1983 tour, the seminal record blends art rock with new wave and funk influences, delivering a dynamic performance that escalates with each track. Frontman David Byrne's charismatic vocals and eccentric stage presence shine on hits like 'Burning Down the House' and 'Psycho Killer', while the band's tight instrumentation and funky rhythms drive the album's infectious groove. With its seamless flow and inventive arrangements, Stop Making Sense cemented Talking Heads' legacy as pioneers of avant-garde rock.

Review: The eighth and final studio album by giant-grey-suited art-pop auteurs Talking Heads, Rhino was a curious sendoff for the four-piece, hearing David Byrne and company move back in the direction of worldbeat and Afrobeat, harking back to earlier opuses like Remain In Light. Considered a return to form for Talking Heads after the relatively panned True Stories, the album did rather well, owing to their seeming successful achievement of the goal of writing an album about "human beings stripped of their pretensions... of their surface trappings." Now reissued via Rhino, we hear this 1985 finale in its best light once again.

Review: David Byrne's seminal Talking Heads group remains a huge influence on a wide range of artists to this day. Their artsy take on music making and performance is still unique, and plenty of their tunes still bang. True Stories was the seventh studio album by the American outfit back in 1986 and preceded Byrne's plated film True Stories. The record features studio recordings of songs from the film and standout hits like 'Wild Wild Life' whose video won two MTV Video Music Awards in 1987. As far as catchy melodic pop and beautiful rock moments go, this is packed with them.