Rating: 
Summary: Just another Rock Book
Review: I looked at this book in the bookstore and thought it might be interesting. I wonder though, does the book mention David Byrne's notorious nastiness (at least when he was with Talking Heads). I heard a story that he was mad at some hotel he was staying out, and left an unpleasant tip "for the maid" (let's just say it wasn't money). When I heard this story, I couldn't believe that he was that much of a jerk. Of course, this story may have been spread by his former band members, but it could be true.Frank Zappa said of rock writing and rock criticism in general, "Rock criticism is written by people who can't write for people who can't read". Based on this review, I think it falls within Frank Zappa's guidelines. The best rock biography I've ever read, was a glossy knockoff music book about "Blondie" written by the late (and great) Lester Bangs. The book was no lover letter to Blondie; he did fault them for several things and was tough on them (Lester was tough on everybody). I'm amazed that the publisher selected him of all people to write what was essentially a "fan" book. It would be like asking Tolstoy to write about the "Back Street Boys". An amazing book (which is of course out of print) with excellent photographs of Debra Harry at the height of her sexiness. The worst rock biographies I've ever read are: "Transformer: The Lou Reed Story " by Victor Bockris. Bockris does supply some good information about the Velvet Underground period, but has a distaste for Lou Reed as a person, and keeps hammering away about what how he mistreated people, and how he's impossible to work with (something that John Cale spoke about in his autobiography). It's obvious that Bockris doesn't like Lou Reed. I think a biographer must like his subject if he's going to write about him. Robert Caro was working on a four volume biography about Lyndon Johnson. He wrote two books (only up to his winning a Senate seat in the early 1950s) and made a decision to terminate the project. He said, "The more I learned about Lyndon Johnson, the more I disliked him". Caro made an honorable move by not publishing any more material; he knew he would lose objectivity, and throw his own negative viewpoint into the later books. "Lennon" by Albert Goldman Possibly the worst biography (on any figure) ever written. Goldman also didn't like his subject, and painted a horrific portrait of Lennon as a thug and an emotional basket case. He also implied that Lennon was bi-sexual, and came on to several men while he was married to Yoko. A savage work of character assassination. There are great rock biographies out there (the two volume biography on Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick is one of the great ones). The recent Dylan biography by Howard Sounes "Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan) is also a great biography. This book paints a three dimensional picture of Dylan as a human being (and not a prophet). It doesn't discount his music, and gives valuable insight into how he was formed as a musician. Now, if only somebody came out with a definitive biography about Frank Zappa (one of the greatest composers of the 20th century).
Rating: 
Summary: True Stories ? I'm afraid not...
Review: I looked very much forward to this unauthorized biography on one of the worlds most renewing bands ever; I have followed the 'Heads carreer from the early 80s and have seen them live many times (both as a band and during solo appearances). I am very disappointed by this book. It basically tells only one side of the story and leaves too many of the *real* questions unanswered. In case of Talking Heads, there's at least four sides to every story, but the way the "Byrne vs. Weymouth" issue is described here is very subjective and unaccurate. A band that made so many great songs must have had fun in their carreer as well -the book doesn't say anything about this and only tries to get the dirt out. Don't waste your money on this one. Put on some (early) Talking Heads music in stead, go to the Talking Heads web site and read everything you can find there to form your own opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Backstage Pass To Nowhere
Review: I was really looking forward to this book, despite the fact that this guy wrote that totally unreadable Bunny Moderne book, which should be pulped. There are some nice little bits in here, but not much that you havent read before in about five places. And the really assaultive bit is that the writer seems more enthused and impressed with himself than with the band. Not up to the task for the mighty heads, and a completely engorssing and definitive book on them is still waiting to be written.
Rating: 
Summary: Screw "True" Fans--It's All About TTH!
Review: I'm a big-time Talking Heads fan and I take issue with these messages from the "true" fans. Of course the main issue of the band has always been David and Tina. I remember reading about their fights in Rolling Stone around 1978. Chris was married to Tina. He's going to take her side of course. As for Jerry, Bowman portrays how time after time Jerry and David worked together, independent of the other two Heads. Whether or not you prescribe to Bowman's pro-David view, the pages are mostly about how the Talking Heads created their music in the studio, and that music's relationship to world culture. For example, I take the Walkman for granted, but I laughed when I read that originally it was designed it with two ear phone jacks because they imagined people would listen to the same tape on the street side-by-side? Apparently, no one could imagine Americans isolating themselves by walking down the street wearing headphones! The book is full of these terrifically weird quirky details. I have to say what the book could have used is an in-depth interview with Brian Eno. Eno comes across as a kind of Darth Vader. He's quite the mysterious guy! There are many reasons to read this book, but foremost, to me, is that it is well written and engaging. This is not your average "rock scene" self-indulgent journey. I stopped flagging pages with post-its after using half a stack on this book - it's got that much juicy info.
Rating:
Summary: A ¿Must Read¿
Review: It was ghostly! I just finished the chapter on the Ramones ("the musical Flintstones") then learned that Joey Ramone has died. God, the CBGBs' scene really was a long time ago, wasn't it? This is a great book -- especially with all the details about the era. I am a Talking Heads fan from way back and thought this book was fun and informative. It gives hundreds of details of how the four Heads created their music while also giving a sociological/historical grounding to their records that I had never thought of before. A "must read" for fans of any musician/artist who was around during this time and an absolute requirement for Heads fans.
Rating:
Summary: The mystery is how this was ever published.
Review: It's a pretty terrible book overall. It's more like "Dick and Jane Go Downtown." There is plenty of information here concerning the band but Bowman's arrested development writing style makes the sledding rather tough, and at other times, outright laughable. One example is the purported "mystery" concerning how many times Byrne sings 'fa fa fa fa fa fa' in Psycho Killer's recorded performances, live performances, and the six fa-fa-fas documented on the liner notes for Talking Heads '77. As Bowman writes, "The mystery may never be solved". So gobsmacked was I to learn this that I nearly spilled me Jameson's down me loonpants! It also doesn't appear that Bowman actually spoke to any band members for this book. Further, he wears his own literary inclinations on his sleeve: if I read one more likening of Tom Verlaine or Patti Smith to Beaudelaire or Rimbaud I'm going to puke. It's just a not very good book - it reads more like undergraduate hero worship than objective critique. The photographs included in the book are laughable in their triviality. Only the captions are worse. Save your money, this is a real dud.
Rating: 
Summary: Is Tina Weymouth THE Son Of Sam?
Review: Not a bad book, but it is kinda written by a "Mag-Pie" type of writer. "This Must Be The Place" book about Talking Heads is lacks thoroughness and is at times limited. It felt like the author was uninformed and could have been more detailed in his research rather than depending on info we mostly all know already, and nicking stuff from related web sites and journals. Tina Weymouth certainly "bears more grudges than lonely high court judges" bit sad really. I mean if she was really p--sed off then why the hell didn't she quit the band years ago. Especially by the way she insinuated that The Tom Tom Club were more commercial and perhaps better than TH, and that TH didn't need DB. It certainly sounds that she was absolutely obsessed by DB and went through all that curvs in that process of obsession: Adoration -> Love -> Hate -> Madness. Must make Chris Frantz be really up the junction and wonder what the hell was going on in her head about DB!? I mean in all her interviews even to date she talks about David in very mixed mode, though it's somewhere between Malice and complete Adoration.
Rating:
Summary: I Wouldnt Read This Book If You Paid Me To
Review: Perhaps my being a fan of the band makes my point of view harsh, but why else would someone buy a Talking Heads book if they were not a fan. Unfortunately, the author is an overly-opinionated intruder in his own book. Bowman gets hopelessly caught up acting as if he was there for the whole ride (when its obvious that he was never even close to catching the roadies' bus). Bowman brings along his swarmy faux hipness and distorted view of Chris, David, Tina and Jerry (see- he's even got me acting like I know these guys). The only saving grace to the book is the name-dropping and tie-ins the Heads had with the rest of the New York scene. The who's-who of tag alongs and left-behinds was interesting but could have been more developed with greater detail in some anecdotes. The Tina-bashing and non-commital-milk-toasty portrayal of Chris leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. If Bowman had a bad time interviewing Tina, then lay it out on the line and let the reader in on your hostility. Too much hero-worship of Byrne (...) makes the reader feel like he didn't get any insight at all. By the way, the book was a gift... the ride was a Road to Nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: I Wouldnt Read This Book If You Paid Me To
Review: Perhaps my being a fan of the band makes my point of view harsh, but why else would someone buy a Talking Heads book if they were not a fan. Unfortunately, the author is an overly-opinionated intruder in his own book. Bowman gets hopelessly caught up acting as if he was there for the whole ride (when its obvious that he was never even close to catching the roadies' bus). Bowman brings along his swarmy faux hipness and distorted view of Chris, David, Tina and Jerry (see- he's even got me acting like I know these guys). The only saving grace to the book is the name-dropping and tie-ins the Heads had with the rest of the New York scene. The who's-who of tag alongs and left-behinds was interesting but could have been more developed with greater detail in some anecdotes. The Tina-bashing and non-commital-milk-toasty portrayal of Chris leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. If Bowman had a bad time interviewing Tina, then lay it out on the line and let the reader in on your hostility. Too much hero-worship of Byrne (...) makes the reader feel like he didn't get any insight at all. By the way, the book was a gift... the ride was a Road to Nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: As Lively and Complex as I Zimbra!
Review: Scores of source notes and research leads round out this dishy, witty and smart history of Talking Heads. Bowman gets inside Talking Heads from pre-RISD to the present (the tensions, feuds, etc.). A great gift for the neice or nephew who may know the Tom Tom Club from a rap sample, but has no idea of how "Talking Heads 77" changed the rock/alternative/new wave music-scape in that pre-Reagan year; and how Talking Heads, and its members independently continued to bring rhythms, ideas and sounds in new combinations to America's ready ears. You might as well order two, 'cause one will get nicked. (Like your albums, cassettes and CDs -- friends will "borrow" a book like this.)
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