About

One of the most acclaimed bands of the post-punk era, a vision of innovative art-pop featuring David Byrne's manic yelp over tight R&B grooves. At the start of their career, Talking Heads were all nervous energy, detached emotion, and subdued minimalism. When they released their last album about 12 years later, the band had recorded everything from art-funk to polyrhythmic worldbeat explorations and simple, melodic guitar pop. Between their first album in 1977 and their last in 1988, Talking Heads became one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks.

Talking Heads’ complete Stop Making Sense concert film soundtrack finally sees the expanded release it richly deserves, via a stunning new 40th anniversary 2LP edition. The official press release for this 2LP reissue, Sire reports the following: “Stop Making Sense was an artistic and commercial triumph when it arrived in September 1984. The film had people dancing in theatre aisles, while the soundtrack sold over two million copies. Just last year, the Library of Congress added Stop Making Sense to the National Film Registry in recognition of its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.”

Byrne is in fine voice here: Never before had he sounded warmer or more approachable, as evidenced by his soaring rendition of "Once in a Lifetime." Though almost half the album focuses on Speaking in Tongues material, the band makes room for one of Byrne's Catherine Wheel tunes (the hard-driving, elliptical "What a Day That Was") as well as up-tempo versions of "Pyscho Killer" and "Take Me to the River." If anything, Stop Making Sense's emphasis on keyboards and rhythm is its greatest asset as well as its biggest failing: Knob-tweakers Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison play up their parts at the expense of the treblier aspects of the performance, and fans would have to wait almost 15 years for reparations. Still, for a generation that may have missed the band's seminal '70s work, Stop Making Sense proves to be an excellent primer. — (via AllMusic)

↓
Label: Sire / Rhino
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo
Country: Worldwide
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Funk / Soul, Stage & Screen
Style: New Wave, Post-Punk, Art Rock, Soundtrack, Funk, Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

File under: School of Rock
⦿