Forty years of Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense": Same as it ever was

It was the fall of 1983. The concert film “Stop Making Sense”, by the band Taking Heads has recently been released. I wasn't a big fan of the band, but a friend asked me to go with her. I figured why not? It was only ninety minutes. I can handle almost anything for ninety minutes. Well, what an eye-opening ninety minutes it was.

The theatre was packed with Talking Heads fans. From almost the start they were singing along to the music. When you looked around, people were standing and dancing in the aisle. A night that I was ambivalent about turned into one of the most fun evenings I've ever had at a movie.

Even after such a memorable night, Talking Heads didn't become one of my go-to bands. I did listen to more of their music and kept up with their career, but they were on the periphery of my musical choices.

That started to change about a decade ago. David Byrne collaborated with St. Vincent on the “Love the Giant” album, in 2013. I thought it was an interesting combination of talents. The album and their tour supporting the record were well received.

Move ahead to February 2020. David Byrne has had his show “American Utopia” on Broadway to rave reviews. Along with the cast from the show, he’s the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. The performances of “Once in a Lifetime” and “Toe Jam” are stunning. I still think it's the best music ever performed on SNL. It pushed me to revisit “Stop Making Sense.”

I rented a DVD of the film and it reminded me of how special that night was almost four decades ago. However, it wasn’t the same as seeing it on a big screen with a huge crowd. It wasn’t nearly as much fun.

But, now it’s forty years since the release of “Stop Making Sense.” To celebrate the anniversary, the film has been released, with the sound and the picture cleaned up. To make it even better, the four members of the band have been together for the first time in a couple of decades and it seems like they’re having fun with each other. All of this meant it was time to take a third look at “Stop Making Sense.”

The good news is the film and music still hold up. It’s great to watch and listen on a huge screen with a massive sound system. There were multiple times I found myself pounding on the table in front of me along to the beat of the songs. Other times I could be heard singing along to “Burning Down The House” and “Life During Wartime.” Let’s face it, it’s hard not to sing “This ain’t no party. This ain’t no disco. This ain’t no fooling around.” Sadly or not so sadly, no one could hear me because I was one of two people in the theater.

So here’s the deal…“Stop Making Sense” is one the greatest concert films ever made. I thought that in 1983 and still believe it today. If you loved it then, make sure you see it again now. But, go on a Friday or Saturday night when the theater will be packed with people singing and dancing in the aisles. That way it will really be the same as it ever was.