The Youngest Years 1 - Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
The first album I am going to write about, thankfully, is not one of those albums that will provoke laughs. Of course, this is not to my credit as I was very young and had no say as to what I was listening to at most times. Yes, this first entry goes to the credit of my parents. Age: my earliest childhood years. Band: Talking Heads. Album: Stop Making Sense.
For those who don’t know, the Talking Heads were a prominent band in the New York punk scene during the 70’s. I never really thought they fit in with the “punk” moniker, but I guess they were victims like so many bands before and since that get lumped in with a certain movement simply thru timing and circumstance. This happened to Talking Heads, I believe, for the simple fact that they started to make a name for themselves thru performing at CBGB’s. Talking Head’s music is quirky and whimsical while maintaining a subtle political edge. In their formative years, frontman David Byrne purposefully created music that was very trebly and light. At one point, he mentioned how everyone those days was trying to make their guitars as loud and beefy as possible so he tried to do the exact opposite by making his guitar sound light and wimpy. Soon after, the band cultivated a creative relationship with Brian Eno and produced some their best albums. The album I will be talking about, Stop Making Sense, is a concert movie released in 1983 shot over 3 nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater during their tour to promote Speaking in Tongues. The performance itself is truly amazing and a testament to the talent and influence that the Talking Heads have on music today. For anyone interested, the DVD is worth checking out. However, I will be talking strictly about the soundtrack to the film.
Just thinking about this album, I am taken back to my childhood home in Memphis, Tennessee. My mother would put this on in the record player and dance around with me as a small toddler. The song that always stood out – and the song that is always playing when I think on this memory – is Burning Down the House. It had that really simple line that even in my tiny state, I could sing with a certain amount of passion and conviction. “Burning down the house!” This is one of those memories that are so ingrained in my head that it is probably one of the first that occurs to me when someone asks, “So what is your earliest memory?” I loved it. One thing that always stuck with me was how David Byrne had such a great voice, but was still willing to use it in a very quirky and abstract way. In a sense, he was using his voice as an instrument and not just as something that is done while the instruments are playing. I remember loving Psycho Killer and Take Me to the River as well
So, how has this album shaped what I listen to now? For one, it inspired a kind of subconscious love for jangly clean guitars that a lot of indie bands use these days. The list of these is quite intense, but one that comes to mind from recent times is Girls. It also inspired a hunger for more Talking Heads. When I was a bit older, I hunted down all of their albums and they were one of the first bands I can safely say I was a diehard fan of. Considering how incredibly diverse the Talking Head’s music is, it is no surprise that I started to come at music with a very open mind beginning from my childhood. It also imprinted a high standard as far as live shows go. The production quality and work put into Stop Making Sense was apparent even when I was tiny, so from then on it always surprised me when a band did anything less than what they achieved. That also means that when I do find a band that puts on a show comparable to this, I will go straight out and buy their album. This has happened with a lot of jam bands like Phish or Umphrey’s McGee. The fact that these guys can improvise music of that quality and play for the lengths of time that they do impresses me to no end. I’m sure this album has done more than I can possibly put into words as far as my love of music goes, but those aspects will have to remain tucked away in my subconscious.
Since the point of these entries is to discuss how these albums influenced me at the age I first listened to them, I will refrain from reviewing the album from today’s perspective. Just know that this is an album that I definitely still listen to and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone. If you are already a Talking Heads fan and have never heard Stop Making Sense, what are you waiting for?! This is required listening. The version of Psycho Killer found on this is, in my opinion, even better than the version found on Talking Heads: 77. I hope you enjoyed my trip down Nostalgia Lane, listening to this album still takes me straight back to those formative years where all I had to worry about was if my little brother was messing with my toys. This album truly holds a special place in my heart. Till next time!