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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Like many live albums, Live from Austin has a pared down production, and slightly lower energy style that comes from an artist performing well loved songs with affection. For the ardent fan this makes for much to enjoy. The familiar, but here understated, rhythms of Nothing But Flowers brings a smile as it opens the album. There is a driving, super-tight version of And She Was. Once in a Lifetime is as compelling and electric as ever.
But if you are new to David Byrne don't start here (try Grown Backwards instead, or Stop Making Sense for the very best of Talking Heads). This set may seem whimsical. Byrne now uses a small string section in his live performances. I have seen him play live with this set up, and it provides a mesmerising reinterpretation of his work. But it often hovers close to indulgence, and can undermine the driving energy and edge that pure guitars and percussion gave the originals. The strings really dominate here from track five (The Great Intoxication) onwards. It takes its toll on The Revolution, which becomes harsh - and, well, stringy. The string intro to This Must be The Place could make you hit the 'next track' button. But hang on - after 45 seconds it transforms into a beautiful string-led rendition of one of his greatest songs.
But What a Day That Was feels slight and light here compared to the original on The Catherine Wheel. By and large, the strings work better on his solo pieces (they are made for Desconocido Day) than on Talking Heads classics (Life During Wartime feels way too polite) - with these you find your brain filling in some of the guitar work that you have come to know off by heart!
But if you are new to David Byrne don't start here (try Grown Backwards instead, or Stop Making Sense for the very best of Talking Heads). This set may seem whimsical. Byrne now uses a small string section in his live performances. I have seen him play live with this set up, and it provides a mesmerising reinterpretation of his work. But it often hovers close to indulgence, and can undermine the driving energy and edge that pure guitars and percussion gave the originals. The strings really dominate here from track five (The Great Intoxication) onwards. It takes its toll on The Revolution, which becomes harsh - and, well, stringy. The string intro to This Must be The Place could make you hit the 'next track' button. But hang on - after 45 seconds it transforms into a beautiful string-led rendition of one of his greatest songs.
But What a Day That Was feels slight and light here compared to the original on The Catherine Wheel. By and large, the strings work better on his solo pieces (they are made for Desconocido Day) than on Talking Heads classics (Life During Wartime feels way too polite) - with these you find your brain filling in some of the guitar work that you have come to know off by heart!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
A juicy blend of present and past in strings...
3 Oct 2007
Format:Audio CD
Some twenty years after the iconoclastic Talking Heads silently dropped their instruments and went their separate ways, their frontman David Byrne remains a fervent presence on the art and music scene. Though no longer producing mega-hits (pop music has morphed into something almost unrecognizable since "Wild Wild Life" blared from every speaker), Byrne retains a solid and dedicated following. Some ten solo albums and a handful of books and art exhibits later, the spirit of Talking Heads lives on in Byrne's solo work. "Live from Austin, TX" gives a good sample of his continued energetic output.
This CD was recorded way back in 2001, soon after Byrne released "Look into the Eyeball." So why did it take six years to release this tasty disc? First, the "Austin City Limits" show, for which this material was recorded, didn't air until early 2002. Second, the CD was "cancelled." Some time passed, Byrne recorded another full length album, "Grown Backwards," and three years later "Live from Austin, TX" appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Not a gripping tale, but not much information is available. In short, no material from "Grown Backwards" appears here. The set does contain voluminous morsels from the Talking Heads catalog set to lush string arrangements. It's as if Byrne arranged his standards to fit the mood of the sea of strings sound of "Look into the Eyeball." The results, for the most part, are fantastic.
The ensemble, referred to as "Tosca" in the liner notes, breathes new life into songs that don't need new life: "Life During Wartime," "This Must be the Place," and "What a Day that Was" swim with orchestral rhapsody. "(Nothing But) Flowers" and "And She Was" receive a paired down acoustic treatment ala the days of "unplugged." "Once in a Lifetime" was also successfully modified to fit the sound of the set. The new and the old flow together as a coherent sonic whole. This saves the set from sounding like many of the now prevalent "greatest hits" tours.
One major surprise is the chilling and staccato "God's Child," which Byrne recorded with the late Selena. The original bilingual duet appeared on Selena's 1995 album "Dreaming of You." The second biggest suprise comes at the very end: Byrne does Houston. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" gets rearranged in like manner to the rest of the numbers. As such, it also swings with strings and fits right in. It works, really it does. Most of the non-Talking Heads material comes from "Look into the Eyeball." One song from "Rei Momo," "Marching Through the Wilderness," sneaks in.
Byrne fans will welcome this surprise since more and more time seems to elapse between each of his solo releases. But soon they will have much to succor: "The Knee Plays" will finally appear on CD this year after a long obscure life on vinyl and cassette. Also, the Talking Heads albums were reprinted with voluminous bonus material. When the future presents nothing new, revel in the past. "Live from Austin, TX" provides a great opportunity to do just that.
This CD was recorded way back in 2001, soon after Byrne released "Look into the Eyeball." So why did it take six years to release this tasty disc? First, the "Austin City Limits" show, for which this material was recorded, didn't air until early 2002. Second, the CD was "cancelled." Some time passed, Byrne recorded another full length album, "Grown Backwards," and three years later "Live from Austin, TX" appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Not a gripping tale, but not much information is available. In short, no material from "Grown Backwards" appears here. The set does contain voluminous morsels from the Talking Heads catalog set to lush string arrangements. It's as if Byrne arranged his standards to fit the mood of the sea of strings sound of "Look into the Eyeball." The results, for the most part, are fantastic.
The ensemble, referred to as "Tosca" in the liner notes, breathes new life into songs that don't need new life: "Life During Wartime," "This Must be the Place," and "What a Day that Was" swim with orchestral rhapsody. "(Nothing But) Flowers" and "And She Was" receive a paired down acoustic treatment ala the days of "unplugged." "Once in a Lifetime" was also successfully modified to fit the sound of the set. The new and the old flow together as a coherent sonic whole. This saves the set from sounding like many of the now prevalent "greatest hits" tours.
One major surprise is the chilling and staccato "God's Child," which Byrne recorded with the late Selena. The original bilingual duet appeared on Selena's 1995 album "Dreaming of You." The second biggest suprise comes at the very end: Byrne does Houston. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" gets rearranged in like manner to the rest of the numbers. As such, it also swings with strings and fits right in. It works, really it does. Most of the non-Talking Heads material comes from "Look into the Eyeball." One song from "Rei Momo," "Marching Through the Wilderness," sneaks in.
Byrne fans will welcome this surprise since more and more time seems to elapse between each of his solo releases. But soon they will have much to succor: "The Knee Plays" will finally appear on CD this year after a long obscure life on vinyl and cassette. Also, the Talking Heads albums were reprinted with voluminous bonus material. When the future presents nothing new, revel in the past. "Live from Austin, TX" provides a great opportunity to do just that.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
If you're a fan of David Byrne, Talking Heads or like live sets
10 Nov 2008
Format:Audio CD
I highly recommend this album for fans of Talking Heads, David Byrne, or fans of live sets. I've bought a lot of music recently, and this is the best album I've bought in several months. He plays a mix of songs from the multiple groups he's played with, as well as some of his personal favorites(the last song).
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Conga Line
7 Jan 2009
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As an aging Talking Heads fan I was amazed at how well a small orchestra enhanced David's songs.This is a must have.
Excellent quality recording.
Excellent quality recording.
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