Album of the Week - Vol. 18

Stop Making Sense: Special New Edition TALKING HEADS (1999)
Week: Tuesday 2nd to Monday 8th March
Format: CD
Producer(s): Talking Heads and Gary Goetzman
Track listing:
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 (Naive Melody) *
12. Once In a Lifetime *
13. Genius of Love - The Tom Tom Club
14. Girlfriend is Better *
15. Take Me to the River
16. Crosseyed and Painless
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 74:16

Well, this album has a lot of sentimental value for me. I'm 90% sure it was the first CD I ever bought. Well, it was either this or Billy Joel's Storm Front. It was a heady time. I was 13 going on 14, and living in Albany. My dad had taken the plunge to follow the CD revolution in mid-1989 I think. The first CD the household ever had was Jenny Morris' Shiver. I have a feeling that the next three were Cher's Heart of Stone, The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels and possibly Mystery Girl by Roy Orbison. 

Anyway, getting back to this Talking Heads album. I had been aware of Talking Heads in the eighties. I remember Once In a Lifetime playing over the opening credits of Down and Out In Beverly Hills, and I had thought enough of their 1985 single And She Was to buy the Little Creatures album on cassette. I have vague recollections of the movie Stop Making Sense being released, and I think I remember seeing posters, but I never saw it.

In the summer of 1989/90, I was involved in a local production of an original play called Hansel & Gretel. Very loosely based on the famous Grimm tale, my character Humperdinck had four arms, while my two sisters had none. I forget their names now...but I digress! During some rehearsal breaks, and definitely while setting up for a brief run in Mt Barker, a copy of Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense album played over a boombox. This was the way I heard the songs Psycho Killer and Burning Down the House for the first time. I'd always known the former to be a solo acoustic number. When I finally heard the original 1977 single some years later, I didn't recognise it until it reached the chorus. 

Throughout the run of the play I grew quite fond of the album, so I decided to get my hands on it to remind me of that time. My dad was a member of the Australian Record Club, and I gave him some of my pocket money and asked if he could order me a copy of Stop Making Sense. The first CD I ever bought! I'm pretty sure...'bout 82% sure, I think...

Fast forward to the fairly recent-ish present, and I'm revisiting the album for a reason other than sentimentality. As I'd previously mentioned, I never saw the film, but a happy coincidence led me to the video on YouTube! I had hunted for the DVD or Blu-ray for a few years, but never found one. So, it was a mini-revelation to actually watch the movie this album had come from. I was surprised by some slight differences in the versions on the album to the film, but they were only minor. I also learnt that the 1984 record track listing wasn't in the same order as they appeared in the movie. I knew that there were more songs in the movie though, and after watching (and really enjoying) Stop Making Sense, I decided to find a copy of the 1999 Special New Edition, which included all of them!

The original release only featured nine songs, so the extra tracks add nearly 30min to the running time. The album artwork contained several (semi-rhetorical?) questions:

Why "Stop Making Sense"?

Why a movie? Why tour?

Why do the musicians come out gradually?

What will the band do next?

Where do the odd movements come from?

...and so on. It was the third question there that really puzzled me. The musicians come out gradually? The album kicked off with David Byrne playing Psycho Killer on his own, yeah, so far, that seems right. But the second track was Swamp, which sounded like a full band to me. By the third song, Slippery People, I was calling bullshit to that claim. He he he, yeah, didn't realise the album wasn't in order of appearance in the film! That's a big pet peeve of mine. I hate it when soundtracks don't have the songs in the order they appear. Or fail to have all or most of the tracks featured in the movies. Comprehensive soundtrack albums like Marie Antoinette and Baby Driver get a big thumbs up from me! 

Anyway, back to Stop Making Sense. I think this album (and film) is a wonderful document of Talking Heads at their creative and influential peak. To have seen it now, and know that after David finished Psycho Killer, he is joined by Tina Weymouth on bass to perform Heaven is fantastic. The female vocals are sung offstage by backing singer Lynn Mabry, but yes, its just the two of them. Bizarrely, I'd heard this song before, and I was unaware that it was a Talking Heads song! Simply Red cover it on their Picture Book album, which I own. Their version is quite different, and it was only the lyrics that I recognised really. 

Drummer Chris Frantz is then wheeled out to join the pair for an excellent rendition of Thank You For Finding Me An Angel, the opening track of their second album More Songs About Buildings and Food. Completing the core quartet is guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison who comes out to play on Found a Job, also from their second record. Not heard these versions before seeing the film, and I think they're very good. I wonder why the whole setlist wasn't released on the album the first time around? In addition to the Talking Heads band members, there are performances from Bernie Worrell on keyboards, guitarist Alex Weir, percussionist Steve Scales, and the wonderful Ednah Holt and Lynn Mabry on backing vocals. 

It's worth noting as well for those who haven't seen the film, that the first few numbers are performed while the stage is still being set up. It almost feels like the show has started before the venue is ready. As the musicians come out, more touches are added, until it looks like a rock concert, complete with a black curtain backdrop. 

Most of my favourite tracks are from the original nine song album release, particularly Once in a Lifetime, Slippery People and Girlfriend Is Better, the latter containing the lyric "stop making sense". I really like their live version of This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) and I'd not heard Making Flippy Floppy before, but I dig it! Interestingly, David Byrne leaves the stage to allow Chris & Tina to perform Genius of Love, a minor hit for their side-project band The Tom Tom Club. A nice addition, but an unusual choice, I would have thought. The bulk of the set is from their current release at the time, 1983's Speaking in Tongues. 

But yes, this is a great album made better by its re-release. An album full of old and new memories for me, and will I always think of it with a special fondness.

Still from Stop Making Sense

The Next Day

On David Bowie's 66th birthday, he gave us all a present. He released the video clip to a new single, Where Are We Now?, his first release of original music in nearly ten years. After suffering a heart attack in Germany during his Reality tour in 2004, Bowie disappeared from the public eye. He basically vanished, and save for one or two live appearances or paparazzi snaps, we didn't see the man! I remember seeing a tweet from his account citing Lou Reed's collaboration with Metallica was hugely inspiring for him. Something along the lines of Bowie expressing that he was pretty much content with retired life until Reed 'inspired the hell out of him'. 

Some time after that tweet, he released a new single and video, and the news of a full album to follow in March. This would be his 24th studio album, and his first one since 2003's Reality. Today marks eight years since The Next Day was released, with a bizarre cover that utilised the artwork of "Heroes" and a little bit of redacting. I'm not sure what was behind the usage of the 1977 album. Was it hinting that this record was going to be a continuation of the Berlin trilogy sonic landscape? Or was it a signal to ignore the past recordings and take it as something new? 

To me, this album sounds like a continuation of the fine work he did with the Heathen and Reality releases in the early 2000s. Indeed, most of the musicians who played on those albums and the subsequent Reality

tour are here. Bowie's touring MD and guitarist Gerry Leonard plays on most tracks, as does bassist/vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey. Drummer Stirling Campbell only contributes to two tracks, with former Bowie band alumni Zack Alford picking up the majority of the (drum)sticks. Earl Slick plays guitar on a few tracks, but David Thorn loops the strings for most of the album. Producer Tony Visconti also contributes guitar, bass guitar and recorder(!), and legendary bassist Tony Levin appears on three songs too. Longtime Bowie collaborator Mike Garson is auspiciously absent, with Henry Hey playing piano on a couple of tracks, and Bowie himself handling most of the keyboard work. 

The album starts off with a bang, as the title track not so much starts, but launches. Bowie is asserting his return in no uncertain terms: "Here I am/Not quite dying/My body left to rot in a hollow tree" while the band crunches through a near-perfect three and half minute pop/rock single. The video accompanying this song is also quite odd, featuring Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard.  

Other singles released from the album are all quite strong too. Valentine's Day looks inside the mind of a mass murderer without pity or glorification and final release Love Is Lost is another tight pop/rock track. The second single The Stars (Are Out Tonight) is a big highlight of the record as it examines the obsession some have with celebrities, featuring Tilda Swinton its video. 

Getting back to that first single, Where Are We Now?, I can remember watching it for the first time. It's a lovely song, and the simple, slow introspective feel resonates with me strongly. By the time Bowie gets to the last few lines I start welling up a little: 

"As long as there's sun/As long as there's sun

As long as there's rain/As long as there's rain

As long as there's fire/As long as there's fire

As long as there's me/As long as there's you..."

I can also remember the fervour on social media, Twitter especially, surrounding the new release. There was an excitement surging from the Bowie faithful...it was a Bowie birthday miracle!

After two months of waiting, I went and grabbed a copy of The Next Day as soon as it was released. Having spent as much time with it over the last couple of days as I did back then, I experienced great waves of nostalgia and excitement as I reconnected with the album. The first half of the record is very strong, and all five singles are housed there. Dirty Boys and If You Can See Me are a little weaker in comparison, particularly the former. 

The rest of The Next Day is certainly listenable, but nothing spectacular. Out of the last seven songs, I'd pick I'd Rather Be High and (You Will) Set the World on Fire as my favourites. If nothing else, this was an album many of us didn't expect to get. The return of David Bowie after a ten year lull was something special. Little did we know that he only had three years left on planet Earth.

I give this album 3/5 and I just listened to it again.

NEXT UP: Black Tie White Noise - 5th April

Young Americans

It was thirty six years ago today that Bowie released his ninth studio album; one that well and truly marked the end of his Ziggy Stardust persona. Digging into what would become known as the blue-eyed soul genre, Bowie set up camp in Philadelphia at Sigma Sound Studios after the end of the first half of his Diamond Dogs tour in 1974. Famously utilising the wonderful vocal talents of Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and Luther Vandross, this album also marks the first studio album co-produced by Tony Visconti since 1970's The Man Who Sold The World.

Also in Bowie's band for this record were pianist extraordinaire Mike Garson, guitarist Carlos Alomar (Clark's husband), legendary bassist Willie Weeks, and Andy Newmark on drums. Joining them on the saxophone was David Sanborn, and Bowie himself contributed guitar and keyboards. From these sessions came the fabulous title track and other album highlights including Can You Hear Me? and Right. 

There is a soulful feel to these recordings, as the band strike a balance between early disco and classic R&B. Quite a few songs cut during this time didn't make the final album including a cover of Springsteen's It's Hard To Be A Saint in the City, After Today, Who Can I Be Now?, It's Gonna Be Me and a re-recording of John, I'm Only Dancing, titled John, I'm Only Dancing (Again).  

The backing vocals make for some compelling listening, particularly on Right where there are some rapid fire lines delivered, which apparently were arranged just as Bowie heard them in his head:

"Wishing.."

"Wishing you.."

"..that.."

"Sometimes.."

"Doing it"

"Doing it right

"Til.."

"One time"

"..gets you when you're down.."

"Nobody!"

After the second half of the Diamond Dogs tour concluded, Bowie took the group to the Record Plant studio in New York to cut two new songs: the gently lilting Win and the upbeat Fascination, the latter co-written with Vandross. With the album pretty much complete, Visconti began mixing what he thought was the final product in London. Bowie remained in New York working on other mixes with engineer Harry Maslin. 

Bowie had recently met and befriended John Lennon, who was at the Record Plant working on his Rock 'n' Roll album during this time. The two pair decided to do some recording together at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. Without Visconti, Harry Maslin was called in to co-produce the songs, and he would later go on to produce Station to Station. Also present were guitarist Earl Slick, drummer Dennis Davis (first time on a Bowie record for both), bassist Emir Kassan, percussionist Ralph McDonald and backing singers Jean Fineberg and Jean Millington. Oh, and Carlos Alomar, of course!

This would yield two tracks, a cover of Across the Universe and Fame, which was co-written by Bowie with Lennon and Alomar. Delighted with these recordings, Bowie added them to the Young Americans album, usurping the aforementioned Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me; much to Visconti's alleged dismay. While the Beatles cover is a semi-interesting re-working of the Lennon tune, Fame is arguably the album highlight. With a stabbing guitar groove and a relentlessly plodding bassline, the song has a looseness that tightens up just when it needs to. Indeed, it's difficult to imagine this record without it.

Young Americans, the song and album, haven't been as revered as other entries in Bowie's body of work, but I think the title track is worth the price of admission. When the drums kick off the title track, that piano sweeps in and that hooky sax line begins it's pretty joyful. It would rank as one of my favourite Bowie songs, and definitely one of the biggest highpoints on this record; next to Fame, of course. 

Even though the record only has eight songs on it, the running time still reaches the forty minute mark. Some of those tracks that didn't make the cut could possibly have fit, or the overlong Somebody Up There Like Me could have been significantly shortened. There is an unreleased album, The Gouster, which features a seven-song track listing that includes Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me. There are different takes and mixes of songs that are on Young Americans, with the only the title track remaining the same. Nothing recorded after the Record Plant sessions in New York is included; so, no Fame, Win, Fascination or Across the Universe. The album is available as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) box set. 

While it's not one of my favourite Bowie albums, there is a lot to like about it. I give this 3.5/5 and would listen again.

NEXT UP: The Next Day - 8th March