345 - Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

[csberry]

Yes, it's a compilation in the form of a live album. Sure, Stop Making Sense (as one expects from a live album) is dominated by the tracks of the previous studio album. But one of the strengths of this collection is how David and the others formatted the concert. Things start out spare with David on stage with an acoustic guitar and a boombox containing a basic rhythm track...and that's "Psycho Killer." For each song after that, a new instrument and/or vocal is added until the stage is filled with the largest touring band the Talking Heads had yet to assemble.

I must confess that regardless of my love for the Talking Heads, I own the film, but have never enjoyed the concert enough to buy the soundtrack. To be even more honest...I much prefer the 2CD The Name of This Band is Talking Heads to this album - both because of the sound of the band but also the song selection. Unfortunately, my feeling of pleasant apathy toward this album wasn't changed in my many repeated listens. First was the painful aspect of listening to the original 9 track listing. For over a decade, a listener could only hear 9 of the songs from the film when listening to Stop Making Sense. It wasn't until 1999 that a new "special edition" of the CD came out that presented essentially the film's songs on the album. Even when I listened to the expanded version of the album, I only enjoyed it as a good documentation of the band at that time. I guess the key for me is that I no longer really cared for the music that Talking Heads was making when this tour happened. I'm much more of a fan of their earlier music. Remain in Light is the end of when I enjoy their music and then just kind of like a scattering of tracks after that album.

Songs I knew I liked: "Psycho Killer," "Burning Down the House," "Once in a Lifetime," "Life During Wartime," and "Take Me to the River"

Songs I didn't know but now like: No new love discovered.

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: None

Comments

Talking Heads

[(Anonymous)]

I love the pop stylings of David Byrne and company. His more recent solo work is weirder but intriguing.