Friday Night Videos

I've always liked the Talking Heads and have enjoyed David Byrne's solo stuff, even if it is uneven. But I stumbled across this video he made for "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" and wondered how could I have missed it when it first came out not quite a decade ago? I mean, I was generally following him on his blog back then, yet it slipped past me. This is very much vintage Heads surrealism here. The mid-century modern aesthetic is lovely and detached and, to be honest, I have no idea what that whole shtick symbolizes, if anything. Sometimes weirdness for the sake of weirdness is its own reward.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Andy Taylor.

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Friday Night Videos

Talking Heads was the very first band I featured on my Friday Night Videos segment way back in 2006 (technically, I'd posted Sheena Easton the previous week, but I hadn't decided to make it a recurring feature at that time). I do so love the work of that band, even though David Byrne took over to the point where he refused to let them continue on after he departed (I like some of Byrne's solo stuff, but like so many others, being in a group seemed to bring out the best in his writing). That said, one of their signature pieces is actually a cover of Al Green's "Take Me To the River." I don't think I've ever seen an official video for that early hit, but when a brilliant performance from the Stop Making Sense tour exists, that's kind of a moot point.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Charlie Byrd & Stan Getz.

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Friday Night Videos

Talking Heads, for all that group's brilliance, tended to put out surreal, weird music along with surreal, weird videos. I'm pretty much convinced that the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love"--a side project by Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz--exists solely to out-weird David Byrne. Frank Zappa reportedly loved this video, so that tells you all you need to know.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Cars.

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Friday Night VIdeos

There's a surprising lack of Talking Heads featured on Friday Night Videos, considering how much I listen to them normally and the fact their song, "Nothing But Flowers," was the first video I featured here way back in 2006. Well, the only way to correct the dearth of Heads is to meet the challenge head-on. Here's "And She Was."

Previously on Friday Night Videos... ZZ Top.

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Friday Night Videos

The Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime" from their Stop Making Sense tour is just about the most mind-bogglingly amazing live music performance ever... uh, performed. David Byrne's skeleton must be made of silly string and rubber bands, and I have no idea how Tina Weymouth could run in place while playing for an entire song, much less maintain that level of activity for an entire concert. This clip still amazes me every time I see it.



Previously on Friday Night Videos... Eddie Money.

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