703 Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense (1984)

 703 Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense (1984)

Live Album - Art Rock



About the Act:

From 1975-1991, Talking Heads existed. They were from New York and they played music that was very distinctive. I have heard them described as Post-Punk, New Wave, and Alternative Rock. I guess I could describe them as Art Rock and be happy doing so. They were fronted by an eccentric character, David Byrne, and they made a huge impact on music, with a strong sound and idiosyncratic music. They grew and shrank in size, sold lots of records, and wowed the critics. They created 8 studio albums, and the hugely-well-regarded live album Stop Making Sense (and another lesser-known live album).

About the Album:

So there's a bit of a background to this album, there was a film created from filmed Talking Heads live performances, which was hugely well received by critics. This album is a selection of tracks from the film (mostly better-known tracks).

My History with this Album:

So, my first experience of this album was the film itself, at the time when it was contemporary. I think it was televised. I knew of Talking Heads, but not a great deal, and actually it was this film that won me over to them. Strange to say for a concert film but it was riveting.

I have had a copy of the album for quite a few years, but would not say it was a particularly common play for me. I had it on cassette and there came a point where CDs mostly took over.

Review:

I have loved re-acquainting myself with this album. It contains most of my favourite Talking Heads songs (only Road To Nowhere is missing, really). It has Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime, Burning Down The House and Take Me To The River, which are all big winners for me. Some of the other tracks I know less, but there are some good ones like Girlfriend is Better, Swamp and Life During Wartime.

Musically, at the time I would have maybe said "light rock" or "Alternative". Now, I can actually detect a large slice of funk in many of these tracks. A lot of it is verging on danceable, with a strong synth presence and lots of driving beat. This is the core of what I like about this album, the music is infectious, good poppy stuff, very recognisable, but also somewhat quirky. 80s synth-pop is a large feature I guess, but not with that kind of flattened robot-ness that a lot of synth-pop seemed to have (not bad if you use it well). David Byrne is quite an eccentric character, and one thing is that he has a distinctive voice. Another is that he is pretty expressive with it, there's a lot of life to his voice.

The lyrics - I know some of these songs quite well, and don't really know what most of them are about, just quirky in a good way. There's not really a single love song in the mix, and there is little that could be accused of being clichéd. It's a bit like having an American David Bowie.

The performances are great, there's lots of energy and solid musicianship. As I'm listening again while I write I keep getting head-boppy. Some of the best bits for me are where they go off-piste from studio versions, with breakdowns particularly. Take me to the River is particularly good in this aspect.

So all in all it's a great marriage of accessible dancy pop with funky elements, great musicians and interesting songs that are decidedly not shallow fluff. There are several dimensions of goodness here, and I love it.

9/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4FR8Z6TvIsC56NLyNomNRE

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW3M-yio9tLumpRrEh7CXxc-UaPftVNU1

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Making_Sense_(album)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots ...
Read more

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop ...
Read more

843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967)

Image
 843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Soul About the Act: The Chambers Brothers are an American Psychedelic Soul band from LA, who were formed in 1954 and are still going. They were at heart four brothers, but I think they have now all left the band.  About the Album: This was their debut album (12 years on from forming as a band), and it spawned their most successful single Time Has Come Today. My History with this Album: None. I had never heard of the Chambers Brothers before this list. Review: I am not an American, nor a Social Historian, but I think I can accurately claim that in 1960s America there was a certain separation between the Black community and other communities. As a result of this, and for marketing reasons, the idea of music that was created with a Black audience in mind was an actual thing. I'm not sure if today we would be quite so sure about what constitutes "Black Music", but then, I think, they were generally q...
Read more