A fascinating glimpse behind the big suits
and deadpan looks to the heart and soul of a band
that made it big by playing it cool
With their minimalist beats, sophisticated lyrics, and stoic mien, the Talking Heads were indisputably one of the most influential and intriguing bands of their time. Rising from the ashes of punk and the smoldering embers of the disco inferno, they effectively straddled the boundaries between critical and commercial success as few other groups did, with music you could deconstruct and dance to at the same time.
Culture critic David Bowman tells the fascinating story of how this brain trust of talented musicians turned pop music on its head. From the band’s inception at the Rhode Island School of Design to their first big gig opening for the Ramones at CBGB, from their prominence in the worlds of art and fashion to the clash of egos and ideals that left them angry, jealous, and ready to call it quits, Bowman closely chronicles the rise and fall of a stunningly original and gloriously dysfunctional rock 'n' roll band that stayed together longer than anyone thought possible, and left a legacy that influences artists to this day.
David Bowman is the biographer Talking Heads deserves. The Salon.com Reader's Guide to Contemporary Authors says, "There's no writer quite like Bowman...He writes brazenly, without shame--the way a toddler runs in circles through the sprinkler, gleefully naked and free." He was shortlisted as one of Granta's "Best Novelists Under 40" and is the author of the novels Let the Dog Drive and Bunny Modern. As a journalist, Bowman has interviewed musicians as diverse as Lou Reed for the New York Times Magazine and Kris Kristofferson for Salon. Bowman lives in Manhattan. He has a wife. They have a dog.
