Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense

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Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense
Everyone's Getting Involved A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense.jpg
Studio album tribute to Talking Heads by
various artists
ReleasedMay 17, 2024
Length66:12
Label A24 Music
Singles from Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense
  1. "Burning Down the House"
    Released: January 31, 2024
  2. "Making Flippy Floppy"
    Released: February 28, 2024
  3. "Take Me to the River"
    Released: March 28, 2024
  4. "Girlfriend Is Better"
    Released: April 24, 2024

Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense is a tribute album to Talking Heads, their 1984 Jonathan Demme-directed concert film Stop Making Sense , and the live album of the same name. The tribute album, made in celebration of the film and album's 40th anniversary, features covers of the sixteen tracks of Stop Making Sense performed by musicians including Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and Paramore. The album was released by A24 Music on May 17, 2024.

Contents

Background

On March 16, 2023, the independent film company A24 announced that they had obtained worldwide distribution rights for the 4K remaster of the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense , starring Talking Heads and directed by Jonathan Demme. [1] The remaster premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, with the band reuniting for a post-screening Q&A moderated by Spike Lee, on September 11. [2] This was followed by a limited release in IMAX theaters on September 22, and a wide release the following week. [2]

On January 10, 2024, a teaser video was uploaded on both Paramore's and A24's social media. [3] The video depicted Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams receiving a package containing a replica of the big suit Talking Heads frontman David Byrne wore on the album Stop Making Sense 's cover art. [3] [4] The video announced the album and its lineup of 16 artists and bands, including Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Girl in Red, the National, Teezo Touchdown, Kevin Abstract, BadBadNotGood, Toro y Moi, Blondshell, DJ Tunez, Jean Dawson, Chicano Batman, the Linda Lindas, Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, and the Cavemen. [3] [5] The video was directed by AJ Gibboney and Paramore drummer Zac Farro, [3] and ended with a snippet of Paramore's rendition of "Burning Down the House". [5]

In an interview with Rolling Stone , Teezo Touchdown said that while he was largely unfamiliar with Talking Heads, his colleagues showed him the opening scene of Stop Making Sense as inspiration for his own upcoming stage show, an experience he called "a true discovery moment. With what [Byrne] was doing, and the production and the visuals, they had the total package." [6] Chicano Batman singer/bassist Eduardo Arenas said he hadn't been a fan of the band, but watching Stop Making Sense around age 20 "just changed my life. David Byrne is running in circles around the band and still singing, and the whole band is killing it." [6]

Release

On January 31, Paramore released their full rendition of "Burning Down the House" as the album's lead single. [4] [7] Byrne called their version "amazing", and also released his cover of Paramore's 2017 song "Hard Times" which the band had told him was inspired by the Talking Heads. [8] Both cover songs were released as a twelve-inch single for Record Store Day 2024, for which Paramore were ambassadors that year. [8] [9]

The second single, Teezo Touchdown's cover of "Making Flippy Floppy", was released on February 28. [10] [11] Per Uproxx 's Aaron Williams, the choice was fitting as Touchdown's "music refuses categorization or simplification", and the song's "funky bassline and elastic groove translate well in Teezo's hands." [10] On March 6, Miley Cyrus previewed her rendition of "Psycho Killer", a "country twist" on the original with some lyrics changed, at a live event at the Chateau Marmont. [12]

On March 28, Lorde's cover of "Take Me to the River", a Talking Heads cover of a song originally recorded by Al Green, was released as the third single. [13] On April 24, the 40th anniversary of the film's debut at the San Francisco International Film Festival, the album's release date was announced for May 17 by A24 Music. [14] The full tracklist was also released – consisting of the sixteen-song tracklist of Stop Making Sense in order – as was the fourth single, Girl in Red's cover of "Girlfriend Is Better". [14] [5]

Reception

Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Dansende BerenStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Louder Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Paste 4/10 [18]

Associated Press 's Jim Pollock said the album "should please old fans and inspire some new ones", and called it "a varied but remarkably coherent album from a broad array of artists that's a testament to the enduring excellence of Stop Making Sense." [19] Dansende Beren's Jordy Vermote called the album a "fine selection of well-known and lesser-known artists was made, each of whom gave their own twist to a song, or just left perfection as it was. It is interesting to hear songs that have already proven their strength, given contemporary twists. We are happy to accept that not every jacket fits equally well, as the rest looks really good to beautiful." [15]

The Guardian 's Claire Biddles said the album primarily consists of either "karaoke-esque run-through[s]" or reimaginings which "feel wildly disconnected from the source material". [16] She called the Lorde and Linda Lindas songs "spirited and fun" and Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado's contribution "slickly enigmatic", but said those tracks are "mildly diverting at best" from an album which is "just content." [16] Louder 's Emily Swingle praised some tracks, noting the Linda Lindas's as "arguably the finest tribute", but called the overall album "well-produced karaoke" lacking on the originals' "joyous experimentation". [17] Paste 's Matt Mitchell called the album "background music that never gets exciting enough to make you pull out your phone and Shazam it", and said "You won't think twice about this album, and you very well might just forget about it altogether once you start listening to something else." [18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison, except where noted. Recording artists in parentheses.

Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Psycho Killer" (Miley Cyrus)
  • Byrne
  • Frantz
  • Weymouth
3:44
2."Heaven" (The National)
  • Byrne
  • Harrison
4:17
3."Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" (Blondshell)Byrne3:08
4."Found a Job" (The Linda Lindas)Byrne4:12
5."Slippery People" (Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado) 5:40
6."Burning Down the House" (Paramore) 3:38
7."Life During Wartime" (DJ Tunez) 4:24
8."Making Flippy Floppy" (Teezo Touchdown) 5:53
9."Swamp" (Jean Dawson) 3:20
10."What a Day That Was" (The Cavemen)Byrne4:30
11."This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (BadBadNotGood featuring Norah Jones) 4:31
12."Once in a Lifetime" (Kevin Abstract)
2:38
13."Genius of Love" (Toro y Moi featuring Brijean)3:25
14."Girlfriend Is Better" (Girl in Red)Byrne3:05
15."Take Me to the River" (Lorde)4:24
16."Crosseyed and Painless" (Chicano Batman featuring Money Mark)
  • Byrne
  • Frantz
  • Weymouth
  • Harrison
  • Eno
5:23
Total length:66:12

Personnel

"Psycho Killer"

"Heaven"

"Thank You for Sending Me an Angel"

"Found a Job"

"Slippery People"

"Burning Down the House"

"Life During Wartime"

"Making Flippy Floppy"

"Swamp"

"What a Day That Was"

"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"

"Once in a Lifetime"

"Genius of Love"

"Girlfriend Is Better"

"Take Me to the River"

"Crosseyed and Painless"

Related Research Articles

<i>Stop Making Sense</i> 1984 concert film by Jonathan Demme

Stop Making Sense is an independently produced 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over four nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in December 1983, when Talking Heads were touring to promote their 1983 album Speaking in Tongues. Stop Making Sense includes performances of the early Talking Heads single, "Psycho Killer" (1977), through to their most recent hit at the time, "Burning Down the House" (1983). It also includes songs from the solo career of frontman David Byrne and by Tom Tom Club, the side project of drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth.

<i>Speaking in Tongues</i> (Talking Heads album) 1983 studio album by Talking Heads

Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983, by Sire Records. After their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band's commercial breakthrough and produced the band's sole US top-ten hit, "Burning Down the House", which reached No. 9 in the Billboard Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)</span> 1983 single by Talking Heads

"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads. The closing track of their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues, it was released in November 1983 as the second and final studio single from the album; a live version would be released as a single in 1986. The lyrics were written by frontman David Byrne, and the music was written by Byrne and the other members of the band, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genius of Love</span> 1981 single by Tom Tom Club

"Genius of Love" is a 1981 hit song by American new wave band Tom Tom Club from their 1981 eponymous debut studio album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart, and was performed by Talking Heads in the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.

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Stop Making Sense is a live album by American rock band Talking Heads, also serving as the soundtrack to the concert film of the same name. It was released in September 1984 and features nine tracks from the film, albeit with treatment and editing. The album spent over two years on the Billboard 200 chart. It was their first album to be distributed by EMI outside North America.

"Take Me to the River" is a 1974 song written by singer Al Green and guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges. Hit versions were recorded by Syl Johnson, Talking Heads and Delbert McClinton. In 2004, Al Green's original version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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