THE HEADS: NO TALKING - JUST HEAD

This album arguably shouldn't be included in a Talking Heads discography - though you could be forgiven for being fooled, given the style of the cover. David Byrne, mastermind of Talking Heads, wasn't involved in its production at all, and was so incensed by the Heads' activities that he actually sued to stop them trading on Talking Heads' name.

The Heads themselves consisted of Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Chris Frantz, and were born out of an abortive reunion attempt that failed due to David Byrne's unwillingness to revive Talking Heads. So, they ditched the main songwriter and lead vocalist and co-opted a revolving cast of guest singers to front the album, the intent being to have the guest singers also sing Talking Heads songs on the accompanying tour.

It's not a terrible idea, except for one problem: without David Byrne, who *are* the Heads? For the project to work at all they needed to establish their own identity. Were they a new band with a new style, a Talking Heads side project with similar musical sensibilities, or something between the two? They don't appear to have any idea, and as a result the record is an enormous mess, with each song being in a different style from all the other songs. It certainly doesn't help that the Heads themselves don't really seem to have their hearts in the project, cranking out uninspiring musical backing to their guest singers' lyrics with one eye on the paycheque at all times.

Ultimately, nothing can disguise the fact that this was a shameless attempt by the Heads to trade on Talking Heads' past glories, and nothing can disguise the fact that without David Byrne at the helm the magic just isn't there. Avoid.