TALKING HEADS – STOP MAKING SENSE (LIVE) (1984)
I can’t recall where I heard my first snippet of this album. It certainly wasn’t anything my parents were into, not my older brother for that matter. I think it must have been something off the radio, but I do recall that first track being “Slippery People”. It was then a trip into Penny Lane Records in Chester to get the 12inch of the single. With no internet back then and pre my real interest or regular purchase of any music press, it was the live “B side” of “This Must Be The Place/Naïve Melody” that gave me a glimpse of what was to be one of my favourite albums of all time….”Stop Making Sense”.
It was a trip back to Penny Lane where I actually bought the VHS of the concert which was great. Back then not everyone had a VHS player (I think at the time we were actually renting ours), which limited the ability to have your mates listen to this new band I had discovered. So it was back again to buy the vinyl……which has subsequently been updated, with the CD and the full concert album at a later date. For me though it’s a case that I actually “saw” this album” before I actually listened to it (in its most recent format}
So which ever version of the album you listen to (not sure what the usual etiquette is for this) I think you will still get the marvel of the album. (Original album tracks are in bold if going simply on that version although not necessarily in the order below)
Starting with, “I just want to play you a tape” and the simplicity of “Psycho Killer”, running into the beauty of “Heaven”…and thinking that Tina Weymouth was pretty fit. Then we start to slowly build the songs (stage), the band, sound, energy and fun, that comes across on the tracks with Chris Frantz joining.
I think that last few weeks on this thread have made me realise the importance of a great rhythm section, whether it be Bruce/Baker, Butler/Ward or Black/Burnell, with Frantz/Weymouth being a pretty good match for those prior pairings.
I wasn’t sure as to whether to put this one up, as it could possibly have been classed as a Greatest Hits album, but with having had Jerry Lee a while back I thought I was OK…otherwise you may have got Gerry/YNWA!
So besides the quality songs I think you get the energy and quality here. David Byrne as a great frontman, Jerry Harrison with his keyboards and guitar and that aforementioned rhythm section. All augmented by Worrell/Weir/Scales & backing singers it reaches its end with the wonderful cover of “Take me to the River”…or “Crosseyed & Painless). An album that goes from simplicity and a little fragility I think in Byrnes voice, to the full on energy, funk and fun.
Whichever one you listen to I think it will bring a smile to your face…..
"Psycho Killer"
“Heaven”
“Thank You For Sending Me An Angel”
“Found A Job”
"Slippery People"
"Burning Down the House"
“Life During Wartime”
“Making Flippy Floppy”
“Swamp”
“What a Day That Was”
“This Must Be The Place”
"Once in a Lifetime"
“Genius Of Love”
"Girlfriend Is Better"
"Take Me to the River"
“Crosseyed And Painless”
Hopefully, enjoy!
