David Byrne has long been regarded as almost impossible to work with by his bandmates (Picture: Rob Verhorst/Redferns)David Byrne is a name synonymous with innovation and creativity in music – but he’s also more than a little controversial. As the eccentric frontman of Talking Heads, Byrne redefined the boundaries of art rock, crafting a body of work that many believe to be one of the most impactful in music history.However, behind beloved tracks like Burning Down the House and the existential musings of Once in a Lifetime lays a story of explosive conflict in the band.
Talking Heads emerged from the same New York punk scene that birthed icons like The Ramones and Blondie. Yet, from the outset, Byrne’s vision for the band was profoundly unorthodox.A visionary but an eccentric, Byrne has admitted to his own short comings in the years since his falling out with The Talking Heads (Picture: Luciano Viti/Getty Images)While their peers leaned on raw aggression, Talking Heads channelled art-rock energy, with Byrne’s quirky vocal style and off-kilter songwriting earning devoted fans.
They were decidedly one of the most intriguing acts of the MTV era – even if you didn’t like Talking Heads, you were sure to remember them. Byrne’s intensity as a creative force, however, often clashed with his bandmates and earned him a deeply negative reputation.Drummer Chris Frantz famously told the Los Angeles Times (via Ultimate Classic Rock): ‘Believe me, if you knew David Byrne, you.
