Customer Reviews

David Byrne - Live at Union Chapel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

David Byrne is amazing and this DVD is every bit as nuanced and inventive and humourous and fun as STOP MAKING SENSE. It hasn't the manic over the top energy of the TH film, but it is just as brilliant a concert. Byrne is in spectacular form and after so many years of wandering about in wherever he was wandering about, this tour presents him with his vision fully formed and heading in exciting directions.
The instrumentation is more stripped down than in SMS, but old chestnuts from his previous life as well as new songs from his most recent disc are each delivered with passion and commitment. This must have been an extraordinary experience. Even on DVD, it is hard to resist the urge to dance hurky-jerky with the Pinnochio of Rock. His limbs are as limber as ever and his oddness has all the same endearing elements to it as he has ever had, and now with the years registered in his grey hair and his wisdom infused with time, his observations pack a poignancy you don't get from many another.
I really can't pick out a highlight. Maybe "Naive Melody", which carries all the same emotional honesty now as it ever has. In so many ways, he is "the same as he ever was," only with the grace of time deepening his shadow. Union Chapel looks terrific in the film. The setting is beyond perfect for Byrne. Production quality is of the highest calibre. You would expect nothing less from him. From "Nothing But Flowers" through to the encore, this is a categorcial triumph as a film, as music, as an emotional sojourn. Great stuff. Hope you pick this up and enjoy it.

As far as I'm concerned, David Byrne is one of the most creative, multi-talented musicians alive today. He is, without a doubt, a genius. I was lucky enough to see him perform on his Backwards Life tour, and hands down, it was the most incredible, energetic, and beautiful performance I've ever seen. The audience was alive, Mr. Byrne and the band were fired up and virtually steam rolling us with energy - amazing (I hopped and danced so much my legs were cramping the next day on my bike ride). I pre-ordered the DVD and couldn't wait to watch it. The venue is dramatic and gorgeous; a stained glass rich chapel with ornate wood structures, but the audience is dead, like zombies, or white neo-conservatives watching a movie about how to build a bomb shelter in their backyards. The lack of energy seems to affect Mr. Byrne and the band, particularly Mauro, who in my recollection was a breath taking flurry of intricate rhythm and complex variance. The entire performance appears to be dampened by the complacency of the crowd. Even 'U.B. Jesus', which had me dancing in my living room, couldn't get them off their feet. His music, as always, is impeccable. However it seems that a livelier venue would have helped better convey the power and magnitude of Mr.Byrne's talent and passion to those who missed his live performance.

First of all I want to make clear that I think the music in this DVD is absotlutely fantastic. Inventive string arrangements have taken the place of keyboards and it works. I also enjoyed the comments DB makes in between some of the songs.

Having gotten that out of the way: It is obvious that if the director watched the outstanding Talking Heads' concert film "Stop Making Sense," then, she obviously learned nothing. She has fallen prey to the MTV generation, short attention span, claustrophobic type cinematography that can best be described as Cinema For Those With Attention Deficit Disorder. Had the director learned anything from SMS, she would have realized that what made that concert film so great was that the director didn't call attention to the camera techniques being applied. She also would've learned to give us shots with at least two people in them for at least, oh say, ten seconds. Instead we get shots from DB's waist up or from his chin to his forehead. The few times that we are treated to a shot of the whole stage the camera has to zoom in. I guess the director knows what we want to see better than we do. Unfortunately for us, she doesn't realize that half the fun of watching DB is, well, getting to watch all of DB; NOT JUST HIS FREAKIN' HEAD!!!

I'd say it was a mostly-seized opportunity. Overall this film is a good idea and a live DB release of any kind was long overdue. His music is accessible and invigorating as ever, expertly firing brain cells and making hips sway all at the same time. If this had been filmed in a club or theater conducive to the upbeat quirky-pop atmosphere of a Byrne show, there'd be no question about the full five stars. Alas though, it's in Islington's Union Chapel and the whole stained-glass-and-stone vibe really doesn't fit.

Don't get me wrong; it's a gorgeous place and the architecture makes for some wonderful visuals (perfect for the operatic "Un di Felice" if nothing else), but the somber atmosphere can't quite be shaken. The audience sits stone-still through the first two peppy numbers until David shyly tells them it's ok to dance.. but even once they start bouncing and bobbing, things stay a tad too subdued. Worse yet, the bridge & last verse of "Once in a Lifetime" are cut out. I *hope* that's just a glitch on my copy, otherwise it's one of the clumsiest editing jobs I've ever heard (not to mention a hanging offense).

Despite my complaints though, there's still a whole lot to recommend here. The set selection is superb. The band (bass/drums/percussion and the six-piece Tosca Strings) gives a beautiful reinvented feel to the material, and of course the songs themselves are excellent. The quiet slow parts are peppered in just the right places, and the rest is as upbeat & catchy as you could hope for. There's even a priceless addition to the 'Great Covers Of Songs I Used To Hate' file - if anyone could make a Whitney Houston tune not only listenable but enjoyable, it's David Byrne.

Obviously this is a proposition for existing fans, so if those flaws aren't too prohibitive (and they shouldn't be), this DVD will still be well worth your time. Who ever thought we'd see violins & cellos tackle "Life During Wartime"?

Some day everybody will realize what an important contribution David Byrne has made to popular music. This guy has never lost one iota of credibility. His most recent tour (represented on this DVD) features some of his most sophisticated arrangements and a varied setlist. The one thing that bothers me about going to David Byrne concerts is that some in the audience would prefer to hear only the Talking Heads hits. Even though Byrne delivers some incredible versions of those songs (Sax and Violins is probably the best of this tour) his really incredible stuff is culled from his solo career. Watch this DVD and then go out and buy all of his music. Also be sure to watch his documentary "The House of Life" for a little insight into where some of the inspiration for "Rei Momo" came from. Another suggestion is the "Waking Life" soundtrack from the Tosca Tango Orchestra...the string section on his last two tours.

Congrats, you're a Talking Heads and/or David Byrne fan and you stumbled across this DVD and what you really want to know is, is it really a 5-star knock-down brilliant masterpiece? In short, is it as good as Stop Making Sense? Well, no it isn't.

Bummer. Well, then is it a dreadful, disastrous 1-star fiasco that you should avoid like the plague? Well, no, it isn't that either.

For starters, it's very different than Stop Making Sense was. Just the setting by itself is different. Union Chapel isn't a big, broad stage but a smaller, intimate setting, with myriad lights playing off the stained glass paintings overhead. Byrne's lead mic is probably not 10 feet from the front row pews, which curve around the stage in almost a semi-circle. Byrne also talks to the audience (and, unfortunately, to the camera: pieces of an interview with Byrne, which would have made a great bonus feature, are disruptively dropped in between songs). So the classic Stop Making Sense trick of not showing the audience until the very end simply wouldn't work here. It's a more interactive performance. Don't worry, though, the crowd shots are few and generally tastefully done. The video direction is not Jonathan Demme brilliant and is too fond of closeups, but neither does it make frenetic cuts from one thing to another every half-second.

And as for the music itself? Well, David Byrne has gone in a lot of directions since he left the Heads, and a fair number of them are on display here, from sambas to operatics, and a number of Heads songs that postdate SMS, like "Nothing But Flowers" and "Road to Nowhere," which turn out to be terrific live cuts. More importantly, though, the SOUND of Byrne's band has changed. Gone are the muscular keyboards and the righteously jubilant backup singers. In their place is a--gasp!--string section, which on tracks like Life During Wartime works a lot better than you'd think. The percussion is there in full, though it's more delicate and less aggressive than the Heads' were. Byrne often sings alone, and if he's joined it's usually by his crooning bassist. The ultimate result is a thinner, more acoustic sound, with relatively gentle crescendos and few to none of the spacy 80s synthesizers or funky distorted guitars. Even Byrne's voice is a bit reedier than before, though he remains the dynamic singer he always was.

So in sum, this will inevitably be compared to Stop Making Sense, and perhaps unfairly so. Because SMS was just maybe the best rock concert ever put to tape. Live at Union Chapel is just a pretty darn good show. It may not be as memorable, but it's still a lot of fun.

This is a really good performance. David is up there with a range of songs including older Talking Heads stuff and newer ones including 'Lazy'.
I think the older stuff is actually accentuated by the hint of Latin flavour that seems to have crept in - perhaps through instrument choice and band members.
If I have a personal quibble for not giving it a 5, it's that I'm not on the same road (to nowhere?) when he likes throwing in an opera song. I like his own offerings. There are also no extras and even a longer interview and'or a few more recent video clips might have been a welcome addition.
I actually like this concert better in some ways than the highly acclaimed 'Stop Making Sense'. The latter was great but I found its theatricality and 'concept' feel a bit distancing and not as connecting with the audiense.
David seems to have softened and loosened up over the years and there seems to be more emotion and connection. He has such a sensitive and deep sense of comples rhythms. The audience are often up and dancing around and getting into it too.
Great group of backing musicians in two groups- a small group of strings and strong rock section.
Great setting too - I'm starting to look for Union Chapel as a DVD venue as I enjoyed Procol Harem there too.

I have seen this concert in the UK on BBC. The string section lends a subtle feel to many Talking Heads standards and his rythm section support the music superbly. The range of material is impressive and the performance riveting. The man is a rare talent.

I've had the great pleasure of seeing David Byrne appear twice in London. His performances are nothing short of amazing. Most of this concert was shown on BBC4 and it is a perfect example of just how important and extraordinary this man is. Obviously you should go forth, click and purchase a copy.

Well I'm going to take a different tack here than some of the other reviews. I have always been a Talking Heads fan, but I have to admit have not always loved David's solo work. Sure there have been moments but for the most part I would never compare his solo work with the brilliance of the Talking Heads, but Live at Union Chapel has won me over. This is as good as it gets form the opening notes of Nothing but Flowers to the closing Road to Nowhere. This man actually had me tapping my foot to I wanna Dance With Somebody and I would have thought that impossible. I could gush here over such gems as the wondefully sublime version of Naive Melody or the foot stomping U.B. Jesus, but I won't, instead I'll just urge you to go out and buy this DVD. Unlike one of the previous reviewers I won't say that it matches the majesty of Stop Making Sense, but instead it has it's own unique style that will have you smiling and dancing. Enjoy.