One of the best albums in a long time

Not the biggest fan of live albums, this would definately have to be the exception. There are all the popular early songs in versions that sound new and contemporary, not 30 (gasp)years old. The performances sound so crisp and spontaneous, especially the earliest stuff. Such a treat! If you are a fan of the Talking Heads, then no collection is complete without this album. I just feel bad that I didn't get this on LP earlier.

Remarkable

As great as Stop Making Sense is, this one is even better. It captures the band before they really hit the big time. The music starts out with the early edgy sound and slowly develops into the full, rhythmic sound that would eventually make them a huge commercial success. There are so many standouts here that you'd basically be reading the tracklist - so read the tracklist.

The different versions of Drugs are both incredible in completely different ways.

I had forgotten just how incredible this set was. Thank you, Rhino, for continuing to blow me away with your updates of classic albums.

The coolest live album ever just got better!!!!

This was one of the most eagerly, and long, awaited reissues of the digital age, with the original album inexplicably out of print for years. I had actually burned my own CD off of my old cassette version, but now that I have this glorious expanded version, I can finally hear it in all the full sonic range and clarity this music deserves - with one tiny exception (see below)!



This would have earned 5 stars in its original form, but now it is infinitely improved by the addition of TONS of extra material - classics like "The Book I Read," "The Big Country," Born Under Punches," and other early gems are now available in "live" form for the first time ever! This bonus material is not superfluous - it is of the same calibre as the originally issued performances.



Truly, this sets a new standard in how reissues should be done. The only beef I have is that for reasons I can't fathom, they chopped off the original live intro to "Crosseyed and Painless." On my cassette, there is about a one-minute mid-tempo groove that abrubtly seques into the song. Why on earth did they decide to delete that?



Well, in any case this is an astonishing document which extensively recounts the first 4-5 years of one of America's most unique bands. I recommend this album above all other Talking Heads releases, live or studio.