The inspiration for Stop Making Sense came when director Jonathan Demme saw Talking Heads perform during the band’s 1983 tour for Speaking in Tongues. Afterward, he approached them with the idea of making the show into a concert film. They agreed and worked together over the next few months to finalize the details. Ultimately, Demme filmed three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 to create Stop Making Sense.
The concert film presents a retrospective of the band up to that point, with a performance that weavestogether songs from all six of its studio albums. The show progresses methodically, opening with Byrne onstage performing “Psycho Killer” alone with a drum machine. After each song, he’s joined by a new band member until Weymouth, Frantz, and Harrison are all on stage with him. The group continues to grow throughout the concert as members of the stellar touring band are added: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, guitarist Alex Weir, and back-up singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt.
Released: August 2023
Cat: 0603497832835
Label: Rhino
Listen
Tracklist
Side One
1. Psycho Killer
2. Heaven
3. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel’
4. Found A Job
5. Slippery People
6. Cities
Side Two
1. Burning Down The House
2. Life During Wartime
3. Making Flippy Floppy
4. Swamp
Side Three
1. What a Day That Was
2. This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
3. Once In A Lifetime
4. Big Business / I Zimbra
Side Four
1. Genius Of Love
2. Girlfriend Is Better
3. Take Me To The River
4. Crosseyed And Painless