80s Music Review: "Stop Making Sense" by the Talking Heads

One greatest things about being a child of the 80s is getting introduced to the original Transformers toys. Inversely, one of the worst things about being a child of the 80s is being too young to have a job to buy the music of the 80s. The 80s developed its own style of music that is pretty much a category of its own. Whether pop, heavy metal, or new wave, there is at least one 80s artist that almost everyone has as his or her favorite.

With plenty of 80s artists to choose from, one group that still sticks to my head today is the Talking Heads. Led by David Byrne, their music and music videos provided a surreal listening experience. As a child I simply found footage of burning houses funny, but nowadays I can appreciate his creative lyrics and relevant messages. The bizarre music videos eventually gave way to "Stop Making Sense," a live concert video filmed in The Pantages Theatre in 1983. The concert video replaces the special effects and visuals of the music videos with a subtle simplicity and sublime performances. Now available as a CD soundtrack of the same name, "Stop Making Sense" takes away what remaining live antics that made it on the stage and is simply a musical experience. In 2006, this soundtrack made it to "Time" magazine's All Time 100 albums.

Having watched the video concert, it is easy for me to associate the visuals that went with each song. Inside the liner notes of the CD are storyboards and a rough outline of the concert footage to follow along with the music. But the outline is written as incessant rambling that is a challenge to follow. Throughout the liner notes someone (presumably David Byrne) typed several random one-liners on a variety of topics, such as "The Space People will contact us when they can make money doing so." They are really funny to read while looking through photos of the "Stop Making Sense" concert.

The CD begins with David Byrne on guitar playing an acoustic version of "Psycho Killer" while accompanied by synthesized beats. It is a rare variation of the hit song usually played with the full band. Tina Weymouth and her bass joins David for "Heaven." Drummer Chris Frantz joins the two and adds much needed beat to "Thank You for Sending Me An Angel." Finally, Jerry Harrison adds a second guitar and the full ensemble of Talking Heads is complete for "Found a Job." The idea of putting each band member on one at a time allows the listener to hear the different contributions each member brings to the band and builds up the band as a whole. David's lyrics reveal a quirky mind while his guitar adds twang to the songs. Tina's bass is smooth and pounding. Chris' drums is an energetic beat and main source of rhythm. Jerry's guitar is a soothing foil to the bass.

Now with additional instruments and backup singers, the Talking Heads hit the audience with hits like "Slippery People," "Burning Down the House," and "Life During Wartime." Each song is an energetic with an excellent beat for dancing. The lyrics of "Life During Wartime" would make an excellent stab against former President Bush Jr. and the Patriot Act. Hopefully the song will not be so necessary during President Obama's term. Following those three hits are three songs I am not too familiar with: "Making Flippy Floppy," Swamp," and "What a Day That Was." They are okay songs, but for me they are easy to forget. "Making Flippy Floppy" is another dance tune, but the lyrics do not have much of a message. "Swamp" shows off David's ability to sing with tightened vocal chords. "What a Day That Was" is a generic happy song.

Back to playing their bigger hits, the Talking Heads performs "This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)," a love song that David sings to a lamp during the concert. No matter one's preference in inanimate objects, it is a mellow love song. David continues with the frenetic "Once in a Lifetime." The beats and rhythms are much different from the studio version, allowing for some spastic dancing resembling a grand mal seizure. David takes a break while Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth perform "Genius of Love" under their Tom Tom Club band. It is a refreshing break and excellent contrast to David's singing and lyrics. "Genius of Love" is an odd sounding mix of drum and bass that works for the married couple's project.

"Girlfriend is Better" is a large production celebrating the ambiance of David's return to the stage wearing the gigantic suit seen on the CD cover. The ending lyrics of "Girlfriend is Better" provides the title of the album. The concert begins to draw to a close with mellow cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River." It is slow and full of soul. "Crosseyed and Painless" ends the concert and the CD. I do not care for the chaotic melody and would have preferred "Take Me to the River" as the conclusion. I would have also liked to have heard "And She Was" on this CD, but that song did not exist until 1985; after the concert.

Whether you have seen the concert or not, I recommend this CD despite its flaws. Having started as a punk band, "Stop Making Sense" has an African rhythm throughout the CD. It is a great contrast to the original versions of their hits. The liner notes are actually fun to read. The music style just sings 80s. Despite being the soundtrack of a visual performance, the songs play well on their own.

Half.com, eBay, Amazon.com, and CD Universe.com sell "Stop Making Sense" on CDs. Or for the iPod and MP3 player generation, the album is also for sale on iTunes. Make sure to pick up the Special Edition version to get the complete concert with all of the songs. The regular edition only features nine out of the sixteen tracks.