Customer Reviews

Once in a Lifetime

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I mostly agree with the previous reviewer but would consider 'Remain In Light' to be the band's artistic peak. This compilation truly is a poor representation of the Talking Heads' oeuvre. Off the first four albums (IMHO their best) only four songs are included here, one of them as a live version. Do yourself a favour and obtain the original albums. If you must buy a compilation, get 'Popular Favorites 1976-1992/Sand In the Vaseline'.

Look, this is a quick review. 'Once in a Lifetime' is the single-disc baby brother to the American 'Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites 1976-1992' CD. Why they didn't just re-release that disc to the European markets is beyond me. But, they didn't. They instead released this scattershot collection of some of the Heads' best material. You do get 'Psycho Killer,' 'Burning Down the House' and 'Once in a Lifetime,' which are the three big radio hits in America of the Heads. But why don't you get 'Radio Head,' 'Road to Nowhere,' 'Cities,' and if this collection really wanted to be different, why not throw in the 1984 live version of 'Psycho Killer' from the legendary concert film 'Stop Making Sense'?

Overall, this is a weak compilation of Talking Heads material. If you were smart, you would go buy the studio albums and the two live albums ('The Name of This Band is Talking Heads' and the soundtrack to 'Stop Making Sense'). Or, if you really *must* have a Talking Heads collection, 'Sand in the Vaseline' and the box set 'Once in a Lifetime' still remain the best on the market.

Skip this. This really isn't a necessary purchase for any Talking Heads fan, unless you are on a *really* tight budget.

Without question an almost ideal anthology of the Talking Heads and their memorable recording moments. A much better hit purchase selection than `Sand In The Vaseline` as all their most accomplished tracks are represented yet not on two extended haphazard discs. (Nothing But) Flowers, Blind, Once in a Lifetime, Burning Down the House, Take Me to the River, Lifetime Piling Up, And She Was, Psycho Killer and Wild Wild Life all are included here on this skillfully designed retrospective. In accord, well over half the song titles of `Once In A Lifetime` represent Talking Heads at their talented best. The couple of extra live recordings [Slippery People, Life During Wartime] also give added dimension and insight to this wonderful band amongst subtle but positive crowd interaction. Had only Houses In Motion from `Remain In Light` been added, I wouldn't be expecting anything else from this near perfect chart lineup. That trivial blemish put aside, still ultimately the most impressive/gratifying Heads `greatest hit` compilation today out there available on the market and well worth its cost price. Five stars proudly deserve to shine in my opinion for this superior compilation undertaking...

... this compilation gives a fairly poor overview of their career. Though I enjoy all these songs thoroughly, for a greatest hits album, it does a poor job of culling the best from their career. Their first three albums, 77, More Songs About Buildings and Food & Fear of Music, which many consider to be there best efforts, are not well represented on this disk. Not conincidentally, I suspect, these albums also represent their more esoteric, late 70s NY punk sound, whereas the albums from which the majority of these songs come are from the "fun-lovin' 80s band" era in which the Talking Heads are often unfairly lumped. If you want a good udnerstanding of their diverse and impressive catalog, try ponying up some extra cash for the double disc retrospective Sand in the Vaseline, or for the 4-disc Once in a Lifetime Box Set, on whose success this same-named but shorter release seems to be trying to piggyback.

Radio DJ's comment that the Talking Heads were a product of their time. In listening to this album I think they were ahead of their time indeed if you take the time to listen and digest their message you will find it evocative of the middle to late '70. Yet it will make you realise so much of their work is relevant today. Loved it.

There are much better comps out there- even the new audio cd of stop makeing sense is better. After speaking in tounges they went downhill and this disc has mostly that material.

The Talking Heads are one of those bands with a bunch of different "sounds" to their music, which makes it hard to pick out a "greatest hits" and fit them all into a single disc. Unfortunately, this collection focuses mostly on their final couple of albums ("Little Creatures" and "Naked") while generally neglecting their earlier stuff, most notably "Remain In Light."

It's not bad though. These are all fantastic songs, but they don't do justice to the Talking Heads. Bottom line: get this if you've never heard the Heads before and are looking for a general place to start. It'll give you some exposure to the very different styles the band has (compare "And She Was" to "Once In A Lifetime" to "Slippery People" and you'll see what I mean) and then you can really dive into the actual studio albums these songs are pulled from.

The major plus here: "Sax and Violins." This is a song that didn't make the cut onto any of the Heads' major studio albums, but is really just a phenomenal song. Check it out.