Book
Burning down the house : Talking Heads and the New York scene that transformed rock / Jonathan Gould.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063022980 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 501 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Mariner Books, [2025]
- Copyright: ©2025
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographies. Personal narratives. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | 782.421660922 Talki-G | 31681010424240 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
""Psycho Killer." "Take Me to the River." "Road to Nowhere." Few artists have had the lasting impact and relevance of Talking Heads. One of the foundational bands of downtown New York's 1970s music scene, Talking Heads have endured as a musical and cultural force for decades, their unique brand of transcendent, experimental rock a lingering influence on popular music-despite having disbanded over thirty years ago. Now on the 50th anniversary of the band's formation, acclaimed music biographer and contributor to The New Yorker Jonathan Gould offers the definitive story of Talking Heads-a band whose sound, fame, and legacy forever connected the avant-garde to rock music. From their art school origins, to the enigma of David Byrne, to the internal tensions that ultimately brought them down, Gould tells the story of a band that emerged back when rock music was still young and unwittingly redefined the era's expectations of what a rock band could sound, look, and act like. At a time when guitar solos, lead singer swagger, and sweaty stadium tours reigned supreme, Talking Heads were pretentious, awkward, infectious, distinctive-most comfortable on the ragged stages of the East Village where they could make art for themselves, above all else. More than just a biography of a band, Gould masterfully captures the singular time and place that incubated and nurtured this original music-downtown in the 1970s-that much romanticized, little understood moment in New York City history when art, music, and commerce uneasily collided to cement the post-Woodstock generation of rock stars, often with messy results. What emerges is an expansive portrait of a band and a scene that permanently shifted the horizons of popular music, iconoclasts that pushed the cultural fringe into the mainstream and then burned down the house"-- - Baker & Taylor
Marking 50 years since the formation of Talking Heads, this definitive account of how they transformed 1970s New Yorkâs underground scene, blending avant-garde influences with rock to redefine popular music and leave a lasting cultural impact. 75,000 first printing. Illustrations. - HARPERCOLL
"Definitive...Not just for Talking Heads fansâitâs a masterful dive into downtown New York in the 70s, and the changing face of rock music.ââTown & Country
"Riveting"âNew York Post
"A masterful achievement." âBooklist (starred review)
On the 50th anniversary of Talking Heads, acclaimed music biographer Jonathan Gould presents the long-overdue, definitive story of this singular band, capturing the gritty energy of 1970s New York City and showing how a group of art students brought fringe culture to rockâs mainstream, forever changing the look and sound of popular music.Â
âPsycho Killer.â âTake Me to the River.â âRoad to Nowhere.â Few musical artists have had the lasting impact and relevance of Talking Heads. One of the foundational bands of New Yorkâs downtown 1970s music scene, Talking Heads have endured as a musical and cultural force for decades. Their unique brand of transcendent, experimental rock remains a lingering influence on popular musicâdespite their having disbanded over thirty years ago.
Now New Yorker contributor Jonathan Gould offers an authoritative, deeply researched account of a band whose sound, fame, and legacy forever connected rock music to the cultural avant-garde. From their art school origins to the enigmatic charisma of David Byrne and the internal tensions that ultimately broke them apart, Gould tells the story of a group that emerged when rock music was still young and went on to redefine the prevailing expectations of how a band could sound, look, and act. At a time when guitar solos, lead-singer swagger, and sweaty stadium tours reigned supreme, Talking Heads were precocious, awkward, quirky, and utterly distinctive when they first appeared on the ragged stages of the East Village. Yet they would soon mature into one of the most accomplished and uncompromising recording and performing acts of their era.
More than just a biography of a band, Gould masterfully captures the singular time and place that incubated and nurtured this original music: downtown New York in the 1970s, that much romanticized, little understood milieu where art, music, and commerce collided in the urban dystopia of Lower Manhattan. What emerges is an expansive portrait of a unique cultural moment and an iconoclastic band that shifted the paradigm of popular music by burning down the house of mainstream rock.
