English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English: LPCM 2.0(less) Note: Studio mix and Film mix tracks, see review for details.
Like The Velvet Underground in the late 1960s, the critically adored Talking Heads are one of those
bands that belong on a "most influential/least listened to" list. To give an idea of how embroiled
they were in their milieu, their first gig was opening for The Ramones at CBGB in 1975. From art-
punk origins, their sound eventually broadened to encompass elements of funk, new wave, and
worldbeat. In December 1983, at the height of their critical and commercial success, the Talking
Heads employed director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) and cinematographer
Jordan Cronenweth (Blade Runner) to document three
nights of performances at Hollywood's Pantages Theater, which were later edited together to form
Stop Making Sense, widely revered as one of the greatest rock concert films of all time.
Byrne pays his tailor by the yard...
The concert starts with startling simplicity. After a Dr. Strangelove-inspired credit
sequence, courtesy of titlist Pablo Ferro, David Byrne—clad in a grey suit and white sneakers—
comes out on stage carrying a guitar and a boom box. "Hi," he says, "I've got a tape I want to
play." As he hits the play button, a beat from a TR-808 drum machine kicks into a scattershot
rhythm, and Byrne launches into the yelping melody of "Psycho Killer," the band's first song,
written when Byrne was still in art school. During the song's breakdown, the drum machine spits
out bullet-like beats that cause Bryne to theatrically stagger and trip across the bare stage in a
dance halfway between Fred Astaire and a dying soldier. It's a moment that sets the tone for the
show to come—unpredictable, spastic, enraptured.
With each subsequent song, an additional band member joins in while roadies dressed in black roll
new pieces of equipment on stage. Bassist Tina Weymouth puts down low-end roots during the
1950s-inspired strains of "Heaven," Chris Frantz alternates snare hits for a staccato country
backbeat on "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel," and Jerry Harrison rounds out the band's
initial foursome by layering chicken scratch guitar over "Found A Job." By the time we get to
early highlight "Burning Down The House," the original lineup has been supplemented by a who's
who of funk all-stars—including back-up singers Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt, keyboard whiz Bernie
Worrell, fleet-footed guitarist Alex Weir, and percussionist Steve Scales—many of whom were
one-time members of Paliament-Funkadelic. As much as the Talking Heads have been summarily
lumped in with the new wave crowd, their sound goes way beyond dance beats, keyboard riffs,
and angular guitars (though there are plenty of those as well). The music defies easy
categorization, but if I had to give it a name, it would be arty, afro-influenced, new wave post-
punk funk, a pigeon hole big enough for the Talking Heads and no one else.
The music is powerfully danceable, and the evolutionary staging is innovative—even if, in
hindsight, it's the simplest idea ever —but every element of the show seems to orbit around the
nucleus of David Byrne's charismatic, transfixing presence. Like his alter ego in "Pyscho Killer,"
he's a real live wire, a spasmodically jerking bundle of kinetic energy trapped in a nebbish persona
that's a cross between David Lynch and Bill Nye the Science Guy. At times his fervor is almost
Pentecostal—he sends his quaking hands heavenward, jumps with preacherly joy, and flails on
his back, bowled over by the musical spirit. At one point in "Life During Wartime," Byrne gets so
worked up that he actually starts jogging laps around the stage, faster and faster. "Naïve Melody"
finds him dancing romantically with a floor lamp, and "Once In A Lifetime" features Byrne framed
in the harsh shadows of chiaroscuro lighting, smacking himself in the face repeatedly and
shuddering like a surprised epileptic having his first seizure. It's an act, yes, but one that serves
as an effective visual summary of his lyrics, which often deal with the suffocating contradictions
and anxieties of 20th century existence. At the start of "Girlfriend Is Better," Byrne emerges
wearing an enormous, oversized white suit, echoing the "lost my shape trying to act casual"
lyrics from "Crosseyed and Painless," and also acting out T.S. Eliot's idea of modern men as
"stuffed shirts." The image is immediately iconic and thought-provoking, a reminder of why the
Talking Heads remain so eminently influential.
Tracklisting:
1. Psycho Killer
2. Heaven
3. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
4. Found A Job
5. Slippery People
6. Burning Down The House
7. Life During Wartime
8. Making Flippy Floppy
9. Swamp
10. What A Day That Was
11. This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)
12. Once In A Lifetime
13. Genius Of Love
14. Girlfriend Is Better
15. Take Me To The River
16. Crosseyed And Painless
I'll just say this up front—objectively compared to the color and clarity of modern concert films,
Stop Making Sense's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, which has been remastered from a
35mm interpositive, simply can't compete. Shots are frequently soft, black levels have a tendency
to crush shadow detail, colors are a bit dull, and the print itself shows damage with specks, flecks,
and the occasional scratch. But you know what? The 25-year old film still looks great, and the
image jives perfectly with the Talking Heads' art-school aesthetic. What the transfer lacks in detail,
it more than makes up in personality. I think the film would lose some of its charm if it were
too sharp, or too clean. I remember hearing an interview with David Byrne where
he talked about using the peculiarities—the so-called faults—of his voice to his advantage as a
singer, and this transfer seems to take the same tact, presenting the film as is, without any
attempt to mask its sometimes-heavy grain with DNR or digitally clean up the picture. And the film
works all the better for it, feeling appropriately of its time and perfectly capturing the jittery
intensity of a Talking Heads concert. Don't be fooled by the bland screenshots—Stop Making
Sense looks fantastic in motion.
While the picture quality shows its age, the film's two, yes two separate DTS-HD Master
Audio 5.1 mixes burn down the house with their stunning fidelity, warmth, and range. First up is
the Feature Film Mix, a digitally remastered and remixed version of the original theatrical
soundtrack that, according to the leaflet that comes inside the Blu-ray case, allows the listener to
"experience something much like being front-row at the original performances." I'd say that's
accurate, as the track is filled with the claps and cheers of concert ambience in the surround
channels, and the timbre of the music is affected by the acoustics of the Pantages Theater. This
mix definitely has a "live" feeling, creating a large and airy sound stage with ample but never
overpowering reverb. The Studio Mix, then, is a much tighter, soundboard-centric affair. There's
still some ambience, but this mix is cleaner and more vibrant, with boosted vocals and more
definition between instruments. Additionally, if you don't have a surround sound set-up, the disc
also includes an excellent PCM 2.0 stereo mixdown of the Feature Film track. I feel a slight
preference toward the Studio Mix, but really, all of the tracks are superb. Bass response is taut
and defined, keyboards chirp like digital birds, drums are perfectly punchy, and guitars squeal,
scratch, and sing with satisfying clarity. There are a few moments when the audio and video
don't exactly sync up—particularly during "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel"—but I can't
really fault the audio tracks for problems that have just as much to do with editing. These
lossless tracks might finally give Talking Heads fans reason to part with their worn-out DVD copies
of Stop Making Sense.
Commentary
Director Jonathan Demme and all four members of the Talking Heads lend their thoughts to the
film, but this is unfortunately one of those tracks where all the participants were recorded
separately. Still, even if we don't get any interaction between band members, there are plenty of
reasons why this track is essential listening for Talking Heads fans, from Byrne talking about the
origins of "Psycho Killer" and the big white suit, to insights about the staging and the evolution of
the band's sound. I also learned that the "Heaven" referenced in the song of the same name is
actually a disco club in London owned by Sir Richard Branson. Who'duv thunkit?
1999 Press Conference (1080i, 1:05:57)
Just as informative is this press conference, which found the four members of the Talking Heads
reunited for a Q&A at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where Stop Making
Sense was given a 15th anniversary screening. Considering that David Byrne once took legal
action against his former bandmates for touring as The Heads, the four get along remarkably well
here, reminiscing about the good old days, sharing a few laughs, and good naturedly answering
some of the inane questions posed by the gathered journalists. The press conference is presented
in its entirety, and is the only new feature exclusive to this Blu-ray release.
Note that while this is presented in 1080i—the back of the case says 1080p, but you can't always
trust what you read—it's obviously just upscaled SD video footage. The same goes for the
remainder of the video special features.
David Byrne Interviews…David Byrne (1080i, 4:35)
With some clever (for the '80s) video editing and plenty of characteristic weirdness, Byrne acts as
both interviewer and interviewee here, asking himself some pointless but entertaining questions
about Stop Making Sense while donning a veritable fashion parade of ridiculous
guises.
Montage (1080i, 3:08)
I'm not sure if this was a promo or what, but it's basically a trailer for the film, with clips from
several songs and cut-up style editing.
Bonus Songs (1080i)
Includes excised performances of "Cities" (3:43), and "Big Business / I Zimbra" (7:39).
Storyboards (1080p)
This user-controlled gallery contains 32 sketches of David Byrne's original designs for the stage
show, complete with his notes and directions.
Big Suit
Here you can read a bit of text about the origins of Byrne's infamous oversized suit.
Trailer (1080i, 1:50)
Previews (1080i, 5:52)
Includes trailers for Patti Smith: Dream of Life, You're Gonna Miss Me, and
Dig!
Stop Making Sense belongs in the collection of any discerning music lover. One of the
greatest concert films of all time has been given a stunning makeover—particularly in the audio
department—and for fans of the Talking Heads I have no hesitations about giving it my highest
recommendation. If you're new to the band, it might be smart to check out a few clips on YouTube
or elsewhere first, as their music is somewhat of an acquired taste.
In an early announcement to retailers, it has been revealed that Palm Pictures and Umvd/Visual Entertainment will release the Talking Heads concert film 'Stop Making Sense' on Blu-ray on October 13. No information on audio or video specifications or special features ...
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