The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

The double live LP 'The Name Of This Band' was released in 1982, after the release of solo albums by David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, and The Tom Tom Club.

With no likelihood of a Talking Heads reunion that year and growing rumours that the band was done for, Sire released this live album, made up of performances from different stages in the band's career. But if 'The Name...' bought time between records, it also ingeniously combined two staples of the pop music industry: the live album and the 'greatest hits' collection. By putting the two together and placing the songs in some historical perspective, the Heads called attention to their own process of growth and creativity. The album seemed more a valuable historical document than the 'greatest hits' collections of most peers, which looked like easy-money corporate hustles.

The first disc chronicled the original quartet and its quirky new wave songs, including the previously unreleased "A Clean Break" and the previously single-only "Building on Fire." The album title was drawn from David Byrne's unadorned stage introductions ("The name of this band is Talking Heads. The name of this song is ...").

On the second disc, the expanded '80s version of Talking Heads explored African rhythms and complex musical patterns, with each of the instruments doubled -- Adrian Belew was on guitar, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, Busta Jones on bass, and Steve Scales on percussion, while Dolette McDonald and Nona Hendryx helped out on vocals.

The album was originally only released on double vinyl and cassette and is a collectible on these formats nowadays. In 2004, Rhino released an expanded version of "The Name of This band" on double CD with a lot of bonus tracks. All songs had been digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig.

Tracks (original version):

LP 1 : 1977-1979

1. New Feeling
2. A Clean Break *
3. Don't Worry About The Government
4. Pulled Up
5. Psycho Killer
6. Artists Only
7. Stay Hungry
8. Air
9. Building On Fire
10. Memories (Can't Wait)

LP 2 : 1980-1981

1. I Zimbra
2. Drugs
3. Houses In Motion
4. Life During Wartime
5. The Great Curve
6. Crosseyed And Painless
7. Take Me To The River

* 'A Clean Break' is not available on any other regular Talking Heads album, although the band played it during very early performances as 'Let's Work' and 'Wash That Love Away'. (See the Bootleg Survey).

Tracks (expanded 2 CD version):

CD 1 : 1977-1979

1. New Feeling
2. A Clean Break (Let's Work)
3. Don't Worry About the Government
4. Pulled Up
5. Psycho Killer
6. Who Is It? #
7. The Book I Read #
8. The Big Country #
9. I'm Not in Love #
10. The Girls Want to Be With the Girls #
11. Electricity (Drugs) #
12. Found a Job #
13. Mind #
14. Artists Only
15. Stay Hungry
16. Air
17. Love (Goes To) Building on Fire
18. Memories (Can't Wait)
19. Heaven #

CD 2 : 1980-1981

1. Psycho Killer #
2. Warning Sign #
3. Stay Hungry #
4. Cities #
5. I Zimbra
6. Drugs (Electricity)
7. Once in a Lifetime #
8. Animals #
9. Houses in Motion
10. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) #
11. Crosseyed and Painless
12. Life During Wartime
13. Take Me to the River
14. The Great Curve

# = Bonus track, not on the original vinyl/cassette editions

A very rare Japanese-only promo album (on vinyl) by the same title contains the following tracks:

• Wordy Rappinghood / Tom Tom Club
• Genius of Love (Long Version) / Tom Tom Club
• Big Blue Plymouth (Eyes Wide Open) / David Byrne
• Slink / Jerry Harrison
• Regiment / David Byrne - Brian Eno
• Once in a Lifetime / Talking heads
• Building on Fire (Live) / Talking Heads
• A Clean Break (Live) / Talking Heads
• Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes on) / Talking Heads
• I Zimbra / Talking Heads
• Artists Only / Talking Heads
• Psycho Killer / Talking Heads
• Take me to the River (Live) / Talking Heads