Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD, later supplemented by a homemade "Special Edition" CD-R, finally replaced with this 2 CD + Blu-Ray set. This 18 track set is a far cry from the 9 track LP I purchased back in 1985.
As described on the band's website:
Stop Making Sense is widely regarded as the best concert film of all time. This 2CD/1Blu-Ray disc edition features the complete show on 2-CDs, additional liner notes written by Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison as well as photos not previously available with the CD, and the audio mixed in beautiful Dolby Atmos surround sound on the Blu-Ray audio disc. A live "best-of," Stop Making Sense starts strong with the band's hit off their debut album "Psycho Killer," and dives into favorites and deep cuts from "Burning Down the House" and "This Must Be The Place" to "Girlfriend Is Better" and "Heaven." The band also performs' the Tom Tom Club's "Genius Of Love."Yes, Stop Making Sense is indeed the best concert film of all time and this album has long been my favorite Talking Heads release. I've heard a lot of versions of this music on many formats and I gotta tell ya: the sound on this set is far superior to any previous version and it's not even close. Kudos to Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren for the mix. This new mix really brings out the contributions of the added musicians Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, and in particular, backing vocalists Lynn Mabry & Ednah Holt. Makes all previous releases (and rereleases) obsolete.
Press of the time:
- Rolling Stone (★★★★): "a solid artistic statement from a band that's starting to have as much as they've given their listeners."
- Stereo Review: "a great live performance"
- Robert Christgau (B+): a soundtrack, albeit for the finest concert film I've ever seen"
- CashBox: "an electrifying LP"
- Billboard: "sustains remarkable polish"
Original album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #41
- Billboard Pop CD: #25
- CashBox: #29
- CashBox CD: #10
- Rolling Stone: #16
Tracks: I don't skip any tracks; my favorites are Found A Job, What A Day That Was, This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody), Once In A Lifetime, and Take Me To The River.
Blu-Ray: As if the 2 "regular" CDs weren't sounding spectacular enough, this set comes with a Blu-Ray disc containing a Dolby Atmos mix. When Atmos mixes starting appearing, I thought it would be a passing fad, much like other legacy music formats such as DualDisc, DVD Audio, CD+G, CD Video, etc., but I'll admit it has hung around longer than I thought it would. When I came across the first Atmos disc in my collection (Abbey Road), I didn't have a proper playback for the Atmos mix. I've since researched what it would cost to get me set up with a quality system and my fixed income quickly shot down that idea. However, I came up with a decent workaround. I discovered my Sony Xbox Series X is compatible with Atmos discs, so I purchased a wireless gaming headset and - Bob's your uncle - I was all set to enjoy the Atmos mix. And lemmetellya the surround sound is fantastic, especially with lights off and eyes closed. I won't go out of my way to buy Atmos discs, but it's nice to be able to listen to the discs I have.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When the movie was restored and rereleased in 4K for the film's 40th anniversary, I drove downtown to take it in at one of the local IMAX theaters. I went to the 11 AM screening, so there were only about 5 or 6 of us in the audience. As such, the typical movie theater distractions (talking, phone use, etc.) weren't there and I could focus on the show. It was glorious. My only regrets are 1) they weren't selling Stop Making Sense merch at the theater, and 2) I didn't stay for a second screening.
And, as I've mentioned before, a movie poster has been hanging out above my CDs for many years.
Previously revisited for the blog:
