<p> The Talking Heads left an indelible visual impression with <em>Stop Making Sense</em> (1984), but long before Jonathan Demme directed the group in their concert-as-performance-art documentary, the Heads had been recorded on videotape. The DVD <em>Chronology </em>is a fascinating compilation of the Talking Heads on stage and television from 1975-1983 (plus their brief 2002 reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction). </p> <p>In their early days as a trio, the Heads resembled a band of college preppies engaged in some serious extra-curricular aesthetics. David Byrne wore pullovers and double-knit slacks on stage; bassist Tina Weymouth glowered sternly as Chris Frantz made himself inconspicuous behind his drum set. Their rhythms were skeletal and sharp-boned and Byrne\'s guitar tone veered toward psychedelic drone. But by their 1978 appearance on British TV\'s “Old Grey Whistle Test,” Byrne had traded his genuine awkwardness for his nervous Anthony Perkins persona and the band had gained assurance, proficiency and a fourth member, multi-instrumentalist Jerry Harrison, who came to them from Milwaukee via the Modern Lovers. </p> <p><em>Chronology </em>traces the development of one of the most creative bands to emerge from New York\'s punk rock scene, even if their link to punk was more a matter of proximity than anything else. The Talking Heads were the \'70s outsiders who became one of the \'80s signature bands. </p>
