Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense: Special New Edition (1984 Film)
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Free Music Notes for Stop Making Sense: Special New Edition (1984 Film)
Free Music Review: A long overdue relief.
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard Stop Making Sense when I was 7 years old. Having grown up with Talking Heads and had an affinity for live recordings, my father bought the CD for me. I loved all nine tracks on the original album. At age 10, I saw the film and was introduced to Stop Making Sense in all its glory. There were a lot of songs in the film which were not included on the album and I wondered why. Every single song blew my mind, and I wanted so much to hear all the music without having to go to my VCR to watch the film just to hear it. People made double albums back in the 80s, why couldn't it have been released as a double album?Thankfully, with the release of the DVD came the re-release of the Stop Making Sense album, with all the songs from the film as well as the original 9. But I was a little skeptical. Two songs on here from the retrospective Sand In the Vaseline, "Life During Wartime" and "Girlfriend Is Better" had been edited down, the latter in particular being chopped to shreds, leaving out almost an entire verse. This was the case with even more songs on the vinyl release of the album, with most of the songs being shortened way too much. I worried that all of the songs would be edited down, and that the full-length versions would be lost forever. Finally, after receiving the DVD this past Christmas, my love for Stop Making Sense was rekindled, I saw this CD in Virgin Megastore for 10 bucks, and decided that for that price it couldn't be that bad, edited or not, so I picked it up.
Thankfully, the editing is very minscule, even unnoticeable. There are minor edits in "Slippery People" and "What A Day That Was," but they are almost unnoticeable. For the most part, the songs have remained untouched, and are here as we have always known them. "Girlfriend Is Better," thankfully, is here in its entirety, as it was on the original CD/cassette version of the album. "Life During Wartime" remains unedited, as does everything else. Along with mostly untouched songs from the original album, we also get the other songs from the film. The album sounds great and fresh, the remastering job is phenomenal. It's great to hear these awesome versions of "Found A Job," "Genius Of Love," "Making Flippy Floppy," and "This Must Be The Place" in great sound quality. Of course, fitting all of these tracks onto one CD means cutting out long bursts of crowd noise and in-between song chatter that graces many a great live recording, but that is not a big deal at all. The important thing is, we get the album we should have gotten to begin with, and it's a long overdue relief. I am, as I'm sure many others are, very relieved that the songs aren't edited, and the album is what it should have been and what it should be.
Of course, I am a huge fan of the film, it's one of, if not the, greatest concert films I've ever seen. However, if the music sucked, the movie wouldn't be as good. I hear plenty of people rave about the movie, but no one ever talks about the music, which is incredible. The band is really tight, it's amazing that this is a live recording. Perhaps there were some overdubs done later, I don't know, but it's still a great record nonetheless. I recommend this CD to anyone who likes the Talking Heads. Don't worry, don't hesitate, this is the album we have been waiting for and what we should have gotten to begin with. Buy this and enjoy it for a long time to come. I'm gonna end this review before I start to ramble on and stop making sense, so buy this CD, you will not be disappointed.
5/5
Free Music Review: Stop making excuses...
Hit: 5 Stars
and go buy this video! Isn't that what you wanted to know? Well there you go. Ok, I'll elaborate a little...
Not long ago, I wasn't a Talking Heads fan. I certainly wasn't in the 80s when I was in high school and college. Then I picked up their single-disc greatest hits and started listening, figuring I would at least like a few of the songs. After reading many reviews and being somewhat confused about the best "next step," I decided the next step was to buy "Stop Making Sense." I had heard it's one of the best concert films of all time and it certainly had good ratings here to back that up. It ain't exactly cheap as DVDs go, but could that many people be wrong? It just sounded like a lot of fun and I figured that even if I only watched it once or twice it was much cheaper than a concert ticket runs these days. So I took the plunge.
In a nutshell, it lives up to its billing. There is no one single reason why it's such a good video. It's not gimmicky and it's not high-tech; there are no Avatar-like special effects or pyrotechnics. It's just a very good concert film done the way they should be. It features a band at its creative peak with lots of good material to draw on, and adds an exceptional group of "extras" (musicians and singers), all of whom are clearly having a lot of fun. One of its primary draws is that it is so engaging. A professional film-maker (Demme) directed the film and the quality shows. You may have read where the film exudes energy and it certainly does that too. The extended band and back-up singers are very good and really help flesh out the sound. David Byrne is particular fun to watch. At one point he starts running laps around the stage, as if he had extra energy to use up. It's also fun to see him dancing in the big suit.
There are other things to like as well. The music was remastered for the 1999 re-release and sounds very good. You'll get 18-song concert and not a clunker in the bunch; it's basically a live version of TH's greatest hits up to 1984. On top of this, some of the songs are so strong when sung live that it's kind of hard to go back and listen to the studio versions. In fact, watching SMS even made me like a few of the songs on the Greatest Hits that I wasn't too keen on before. The music is also clean; you can watch it with kids (who are likely to appreciate the energy). My 10-year old son and I have a good time trying to replicate some of the Byrne's unusual dance moves. Best of all, after watching the video a few times, I still want to watch it. I could go watch it again right now in fact. It's not like a drama that gets old after you know how it turns out; it's more like one of those good comedies that gets better each time you watch it.
So, if you're a TH fan, you probably have this already but if you don't, you should definitely get it. If you're a casual TH fan who likes the songs you have heard on the radio, I would advise you to go for it--there's more good stuff where that came from. And if you are just someone who enjoys good concert films, I would also recommend buying it. After you do, just put on your loosest-fitting clothing and watch it with someone fun when you're in a good mood...or wanting to get in one.
Free Music Review: A Startling, Innovative (If Overlooked) Concert Presentation
Hit: 5 Stars
This 1984 concert journal by the Talking Heads--in my opinion the most unique and inventive new wave band of all time--has long been hailed for its originality and poignancy, but has never quite received the appreciation it deserves. But perhaps this very worthwhile re-issue of "Stop Making Sense" will persuade critics to give it another look.But as for the classic original in 1984, if the Talking Heads' critics didn't fully know what they were about before, they sure knew it when they were graced with "Stop Making Sense." The glorious result of the band's tour for their previous studio set "Speaking in Tongues," "Stop Making Sense" was the soundtrack to the Talking Heads' concert film/documentary, directed by Jonathan Demme.
This will sound cliched and naive, but I think that "Stop Making Sense"--aside from being a marvelous concert film--boasts some of the purest live recordings ever. Instead of gritty and inaudible music, barely noticable compared to the hooping and hollering of the audience, the Talking Heads and their guest musicians execute a power and a graceful and delicate force. The performances of their studio gems hold completely different and interesting arrangements, both vocally and musically, giving each song a new dimension and flexibility (as if they did not have them before). But overall, the product is listenable, with no drawn out improvisations to make up for a lack of material--each note is worked to perfection. "Stop Making Sense" proves to anyone the unique and brilliant world of the Talking Heads, and is a perfect accompanyment to an equally striking film.
This re-issue is worth the wait. The extra tracks are well chosen and well balanced, while still appreciating the original product. In fact, I recommend the "Stop Making Sense" re-issue as opposed to the original. Not to sound like a greedy salesman, but you'll definitely get the best for your buck.
Free Music Review: I Hate People When They're Not Polite.
Hit: 5 Stars
It's difficult to rate any Talking Heads cd, but I feel that this one is their best because it's very nearly flawless. Sure, Fear of Music, Remain in Light, Speaking in Tongues, Little Creatures and More Songs About Buildings and Food are all great cds. I have all 8 studio cds, Stop Making Sense audio and video, Sand in the Vaseline, most of David Byrne's solo material, and even The Heads (1996) cd without David. Talking Heads are undoubtedly a classic original rock band homegrown right here in America. Stop Making Sense is brilliant because the re-work some of their best songs from previous studio albums. I can't think of an artist that has improved their own catalogue of songs like the Talking Heads did on this cd. There isn't a bad song on this disc. With it being digitally remastered with added tracks, Stop Making Sense makes more sense now. Sure, it's around 75 minutes of music and who wants to sit that long? Well, you won't be disappointed or bored. There is such an energy on this disc that is missing from other Talking Heads cds. I know many people who do not like the Talking Heads but they are a bit more lenient about Stop Making Sense. But just listen to "Once in a Lifetime", "Girlfriend is Better", "Life During Wartime", "Slippery People", "Heaven", "Psycho Killer", "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" and you will know why the Talking Heads are brilliant. This isn't a bloated 75 minutes of music like the latest Alanis Morissette cd or Nine Inch Nails cds. There's not a beat missed with Stop Making Sense. If you only buy one Talking Heads disc, I would recommend this one. If you want a reasonable overview of the band then I'd recommend Sand in the Vaseline. To me, Talking Heads are like the Police, they broke up too soon and it would be great if they ever did get back together and record new material.Free Music Review: A long-overdue reissue
Hit: 5 Stars
This disc was first released on CD back in the mid-eighties, and it was criminally short...only nine measly songs. Fortunately some genius saw fit to reissue it (in tandem with the VHS and DVD) with ALL the songs from the movie...except for the "bonus tracks," but I'll get to that later.First things first...if you have not yet seen this movie, do it now! If you're not a Talking Heads fan, chances are pretty good you'll be one by the time the closing credits roll. David Byrne and Co. exert a manic, good-natured energy throughout and present some of their best songs. The four-piece Heads are wonderfully backed by keyboardist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Alex Weir, percussionist Steve Scales and backup vocalists Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt. The resulting music is nothing short of breathtaking...every song shines. I find it impossible to listen to this recording without at least bobbing my head back and forth, tapping my feet, or better yet, jumping around the room. It's "nerd funk," as a previous Amazon reviewer called it. Yes, it's a shame that the video bonus tracks ("I Zimbra/Big Business" and "Cities") were excluded from the soundtrack, but I'm probably in the minority when I say that the Tom Tom Club song ("Genius of Love") still sounds great after all these years. It provides some nice variety right in the middle of the disc.
Wonderful, awesome, glorious music from a terrific bunch of musicians...a welcome addition to ANY collection. Thank you David Byrne and the rest of the clan. You truly rock.