Product Details

• Actors: Talking Heads
• Directors: Talking Heads
• Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 31, 2012
• Run Time: 109 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B005JJSG4E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,460 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Chronology pulls together live performances from across Talking Heads' career. It starts with their earliest days at CBGB and The Kitchen in New York City in the mid-seventies, through their breakthrough years in the late seventies and on to global success in the eighties. They completed their last tour in 1983 although they would continue to make very successful albums throughout the eighties before officially breaking up in 1991. The DVD concludes with their "reunion" performance of "Life During Wartime" on their induction into the Rock `n' Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002.

Bonus Features:
Full audio commentary by David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth.
35 minute South Bank Show feature (1979)
David Byrne interview (1978)

Track Listing:
1) Mic Test (1976)
2) With Our Love (1975)
3) I'm Not In Love (1975)
4) Psycho Killer (1975)
5) Intros Montage (1976)
6) The Girls Want To Be With The Girls (1976)
7) Don't Worry About The Government (1978)
8) Dressing room fan footage: Found A Job (1978)
9) Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (1978)
10) Warning Sign (1978)
11) Artists Only (1979)
12) Take Me To The River (1979)
13) Crosseyed And Painless (1980)
14) Animals (1980)
15) Love → Building On Fire (1982)
16) Cities (1982)
17) Burning Down The House (1983)
18) Life During Wartime (2002)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 72 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Before Talking Heads stopped making sense; get the deluxe edition November 24, 2011

By Thomas E. Davis TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

David Byrne presents a series of retrospective snapshots of early Talking Heads, live performances recorded back when they were recent art school grads and most folks weren't yet hip to what they were doing. Alas, I was one of those clueless souls. When I first saw them play at an outdoor gig on the UCLA campus in 1979, I was intrigued by the subversive paranoia of "Psycho Killer" and by their transformation of Al Green's "Take Me to the River," but I have to admit I was not bowled over by most of their songs or by their frontman. Who the hell was this jittery new wave robot?

Fortunately that reaction was due to my own shortcomings and prejudices as a listener rather than any deficiencies in the group or their music, and fortunately producer Brian Eno recognized their unique sound and vision and decided to collaborate with them. The insistent rhythms and angular melodies and oblique lyrics finally worked their way into my brain and took root, and I became a fan, buying and listening to everything they released.

At last we have a video compilation to document the development of one of the most vital avant-garde groups in rock history. The performances are well-filmed, if at times rather fuzzy or grainy, but they are amply worth the viewing and listening. Byrne points out that "the early clips were obviously not commercial--the sound and image can be a little rough--but you can see the extremely stripped down version of the band playing at CBGB in those days."

During the course of the 67-minute program, we watch as players are gradually added to the mix, enriching the sound and making it more and more compelling.... Especially important to its evolution was the 1980 addition of two Funkadelic members, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and percussionist Steve Scales, as well as guitarist Adrian Belew, who would soon join King Crimson. As Byrne writes about the "Chronology" project, which took him several years to assemble, "What you really get is a sense of how tight this band was."

I recommend the deluxe edition over the plain DVD. Contained within a colorful 48-page hardcover book are numerous photos, handwritten lyrics, and an angst-ridden Lester Bangs review from 1979 (Byrne calls it "a beautiful existential rant"). There are 15 songs on the program from the mid-70s to the early 80s, including gigs on Old Grey Whistle Test, Saturday Night Live, American Bandstand, Late Night with David Letterman, the US Festival, and the Montreux Festival. At the end is a performance of "Life During Wartime" from Talking Heads' 2002 reunion at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. And there are excellent extras on the DVD: a 10-minute interview with David in 1978, a 35-minute profile from the British "South Bank Show" in 1979, and enlightening full-length commentary newly recorded by all four bandmates.

When I attended the "Stop Making Sense" tour stop in Seattle in 1983, I was as electrified as everyone else by how the group had blossomed creatively; the injection of funk into the musical mix was a stroke of brilliance. You can hear and see this during the only song they play from the album "Speaking in Tongues": their massive hit "Burning Down the House." But "Chronology" isn't about commercial success. It's about the birth of genius. The photos and essay in the book and the words and music on the DVD capture it very well. Fans of Talking Heads owe it to themselves to check out the band's beginnings.

Also recommended is a live double LP from 1982, "The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads," with tracks from concerts between 1977 and 1981. The first disc features the quartet on their own while the second features the group with six sidemen. Rereleased as a 2-CD edition in 2004, the 17 original cuts are augmented by 16 additional numbers. If you enjoy "Chronology," "The Name of This Band" is a must-have.

Following is a complete listing of the chapters on the DVD:

1. Mic Test (1976)
2. With Our Love (1975)
3. I'm Not in Love (1975)
4. Psycho Killer (1975)
5. Intros Montage (1976)
6. The Girls Want to Be with the Girls (1976)
7. Don't Worry About the Government (1978)
8. Dressing Room Fan Footage: Found a Job (1978)
9. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (1978)
10. Warning Sign (1978)
11. Artists Only (1979)
12. Take Me to the River (1979)
13. Crosseyed and Painless (1980)
14. Animals (1980)
15. Love -> Building on Fire (1982)
16. Cities (1982)
17. Burning Down the House (1983)
18. Life During Wartime (2002) Read more ›

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Retrospective November 29, 2011

By KingsLeadHat

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I recieved mine today and it was a time machine disguised as a DVD.
I was lucky enough to see them live 5 times in the course of their various tours.

The early B&W videos have been cleaned-up well. The audio has also been cleaned-up too.

A must buy for TH fans.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must-Have", Collector's Item for Die-Hard Talking Heads Fans!!!!!! January 9, 2012

By Gary Covington TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

First, I definitely recommend the "Deluxe Limited Edition", this review is based on that Edition. This dvd contains some very significant, early rare, previously unreleased, footage of the Talking Heads. The Talking Heads along with the Ramones, Blondie, & Patti Smith were among the very finest punk rock bands to emerge from the New York City "CBGB" music scene, and all are inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I was fortunate to visit CBGB's in NYC before it was shut-down in 2006, due to a dispute between Hilly Krystal (founder) & the owner of the building.

The Deluxe Limited Edition Contains a DVD, a Hard Back Book written by the late Lester Bangs for the Village Voice, only in this Edition, you get his written works about the Talking Heads in a previously unreleased "Unedited" form. The Bonus Material on the DVD contains: The South Bank Show 1979, which actually is video/ audio commentaries by David Byrne, Chris Franz, Jerry Harrison, & Tina Weymouth, with their performances playing in the background.

I know the amazon product description lists the songs on the dvd, but it doesn't list the venue, & other info about the song, so I'll include that info in my review.

1.Mic Test (The Kitchen NYC 1976)
2.With Our Love (CBGB 1975 NYC)
3.I'm Not in Love (CBGB 1975 NYC)
4.Psycho Killer (intro by Seymour Stein, Sire Records, CBGB 1975 NYC)
5.Intros Montage (the Kitchen NYC 1976)
6.The Girls Want to be with the Girls (the Kitchen NYC 1976)
7.Don't Worry About the Government (Old Grey Whistle Test Show, UK 1978)
8.Dressing Room fan footage & "Found a Job" (Entermedia Theatre NYC 1978)
9.Thank you for sending Me an Angel (Entermedia theatre NYC 1978)
10.Warning Sign (Sproul Plaza, Berkely, CA 1978)
11....Artist Only (Saturday Night Live 1979 NYC)
12.Take Me to the River (American Bandstand 1979) NOTE: On this one, after the Talking Heads finish the song, Dick Clark begans to interview David Byrne, and David "freezes up", so Dick went over to Tina and asked her was David always that shy? Tina replies that David is "Organically Shy". Also it should be noted that this performance sounds just like the radio version, because Dick Clark had the bank "lip-synching" their instruments. This is covered in detail in the book "This must be the Place" by David Bowman on pages 145-146.

Note: The Following songs are greatly improved, along with David Byrne's confidence, also you get the addition of several talented, African-American, backup musicians to the band.

13.Crosseyed and Painless (Capitol Theatre, NJ 1980, includes Brian Eno)
14.Animals (rockpop concert, Germany 1980 includes Brian Eno)
15.Love - Building on Fire (US Festival San Bernardino, CA 1982)
16.Cities (Montreux Festival, Montreux, Switzerland 1982 - NOTE: This is simply an "Awesome Performance". "....Did I forget to mention Memphis, the home of Elvis & the ancient Greeks....?"
17.Burning Down the House (Dave Letterman Show NYC 1983)
18.Life During Wartime (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony NYC 2002).

In conclusion, if you like the Talking Heads, I highly recommend this Deluxe Limited Edition of their "Chronology", you'll love it. Thanks and I hope this review has been helpful.

P.S. Just an extra note, Jerry Harrison has been producing records for blues guitarist, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, from my home state of Louisiana. Jerry appears on Kenny Wayne's "10 Days Out-Blues From the Backroads" DVD/CD, as the producer. He's acually in the DVD. Also, Jerry has been involved in producing Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Live in Chicago" CD, and "How I Go" studio CD. Read more ›

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No double-dip: Buying This Makes Sense January 21, 2012

By Michael Grabowski

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

What's nice about this collection is how well it complements the rest of Talking Heads' limited catalog of live releases. While the package design and between-segment disc presentation fits right in with the gimmicky and careless visual appearance of about half of their albums, the content--a mix of live performances (or "live" in at least the American Bandstand bit) broadcast on TV and concert bits recorded professionally and sometimes perhaps not--does a nice job of adding to what's already been released without duplicating anything. None of these performances were included among the live videos in the CD-DVD reissues from several years ago, though some of these are from the same concerts. So no double-dipping here, even if it would be nice to have those 8 spots included on the disc if for no other reason than more convenient viewing. Furthermore, where Stop Making Sense focuses on their late-middle period songs, this set is all about the pre-1983 songs. In fact, for the first time we really get to see and hear the Heads' original three-piece sound over the first several performances here from 1976. Finally, it's great to see their too-short 2002 reunion captured here. Overall, this is the perfect video companion to The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads.

This video is much shorter than I'd like it to be. There is clearly more extant concert footage from each of the gigs represented here, though I suppose much further inclusion would have duplicated some songs. Then of course there's the fact that they basically stopped performing together after filming Stop Making Sense despite recording a few more albums. I guess you can say Byrne quit when he knew he was a Head.... But a bad joke doesn't make that final performance any less bittersweet as one wonders what they could have recorded in the intervening years, or better yet performed. It makes it seem as if Frantz, Weymouth and Harrison were just talented musicians Byrne played with for a number of years, and now he just goes out and plays some of those songs with other sidemen. This video showcases the great music they made together, and the understated yet agitated appearance that made that music so intriguing. So five stars for the video content, but if I could I would take two stars away from Mr. Byrne. Read more ›