Weird and catchy and... um... did I say weird already? Those are fitting words for Talking Heads, and the man behind the music, David Byrne. You might remember Byrne from his music videos - he's the sweaty guy in a way too big suit, an unconventional voice, and a strange dancing style that makes you wonder if there's a choreographer out there with a business card saying "Spasms-R-Us". Probably not. Byrne is quite unique, and needs no help in being strange.

You are likely to remember the band from songs like Once In A Lifetime, Take Me To The River or Burning Down The House, which was recently covered by an interesting tag-team of The Cardigans and Tom Jones. Among others you'll find those hit songs on this album.

So what about the title of the review?!, I hear you ask. We came here to read about...er... mammary gland abnormalities! Was it just a cheap trick to get us reading? (Of course it was!) Actually, the strange prophesy is an example of the random bits of wisdom(?) you'll find in the booklet that comes along with the album. I'll give you more tasty morsels as we go along, just to keep you awake in the tedium of a music review...

The Special Edition of Stop Making Sense is an album containing the songs from an 80's performance movie with the same name. So what's so special about the special edition? The "regular" album, released in 1984 only contains nine songs from the movie, whereas the 1999 released special edition has all 19 songs. As you might expect, the nine songs on the original cd are for the most part also the best songs on the Special Edition. For this reason, I'll concentrate on those nine, aspiring for brevity in mentioning the rest.


Psycho Killer (also on the original album)

The expectant roar of the crowd is met with, "Hi, I've got a tape I want to play". The beat comes in, to be followed by a guitar and a synthesised clapping sound... Byrne starts singing a song that's probably etched itself into your subconscious from accidental exposure enough for you to get a sense of familiarity, even if you aren't a fan of the band. Byrne displays his fearless way of using the voice that goes along so well with his spastic movements on the stage. This is a very catchy track, and one of my personal favourites.

The first rewarding brain morsel à la Byrne, as promised: "Table manners are for people who have nothing better to do." Byrne might make an interesting dinner guest...


Heaven...

...is a place, a place where nothing, nothing ever happens… An... interesting ballad. About a bar named Heaven.


Thank You For Sending Me An Angel

One of the tracks not on the original that actually make this special edition worth the cost. A fast galloping drum beat, some great guitar rhythms to go along, and Byrne promising in a high elastic voice "With a little practice, you can walk, you can talk just like me!". Ok... but do we really want to?

Found A Job

Some voice gymnastics with a good but not particularly remarkable background beat. Something that sounds like an electric mandolin in there too.

Here's some more dubious advice from Byrne, from the booklet of course: "People will remember you better if you always wear the same outfit." I don't think I want to try that one...


Slippery People (also on the original album)

One of the songs that's probably in there among those I've heard this somewhere before... corners of your brain. A beat as strong as always, a monotonous but somehow interesting keyboard in the background, interesting percussion, female background singers, and of course Byrne stealing the show. When the music is notable and attention grabbing, you can trust on Byrne to top it with one of his brave, wacky and oddly enchanting vocal assaults. Just gets better towards the end with a bongo drum solo topped off by Byrne being silly. In a very professional manner, of course. Fair warning: This one will insist on the possession of your vocal cords while you are having a shower. Neighbours beware!

And what does Byrne have, in that little booklet, for the weary conscientious reader who's read this far? How about: "The best way to get rid of unwanted flying insects is to have strong body odor.". I can actually testify to that. (having been on an army training camp for a week without a shower... still, for the sake of my fellow people, I tend to normally go for an insect repellent.)


Burning Down The House (also on the original album)

Does this song really need introduction? Is there a reader out there who can't hear the song in their mind right about now? I'll help you few hapless souls along with a snippet of lyrics:

"Watch out!
You might get what you're after...
Oh baby,
Strange but not a stranger,
I'm an ordinary guy!
Burning down the house!..."

The song starts slowly with a beat and some strange synthesiser space-sounds, Byrne tipping the crowd off with an "anybody got a match?" before starting with the catchy classic.

And the booklet... Byrne just keeps on giving: "Passport pictures are what people really look like"
Now there's a scary thought....


Life During Wartime (also on the original album)

A fast beat driven track with it's merits stacked on the lyrics, and there's plenty of them in this almost six minute track.

"Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock,
we blended with the crowd...
...I changed my hairstyle, so many times now,
I don't know what I look like."

We're obviously being spies during wartime...


Making Flippy Floppy

A hectic, catchy song as so many are on the album, with interesting lyrics and a few memorable, strange synth interludes in the middle.


Swamp (also on the original album)

A beat like strange deep synth starts the song off, and continues to act as a "base line" for the song. Also definitely one of those songs that you'll find familiar, at the latest when the onomatopoetic catchy chorus comes in; "Haiii Hai Hai Hai Hai Haiiiiii!". A great song.

Is it another Byrneism you crave? You've got it... : "If you crumple your money into little balls, it will never stick together"


What a day that was (also on the original album)

A song with cryptic lyrics about poverty and riches. A nice beat as tends to be the case with the band, but this one is notable for the female background singers paving the way for Byrne's voice "We'r going boom boom boom! And that's the way we live. And in a great big room, that's the way we live!". Well, what can I say... with an album title like "Stop Making Sense" we can't expect all the lyrics to be obvious, now can we?


This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

Well, it might be a bit naive... but by the standards of typical uninventive mainstream junk that gets airtime on MTV, this is far from poor. A light-hearted song.


Once In A Lifetime (also on the original album)

You'll remember this song. That's for sure... it's an odd one that got a some airtime on MTV a long while ago. It's strange for sure, but its very catchy, the sort of a thing that sticks in your mind and won't let go. Some of the lyrics are spoken (in a way...), some are sung. It's also a song that I doubt anyone else could perform without doing severe damage to what makes it so brilliant. If you can't get the tune into your head, perhaps some of the lyrics will help you along:

"And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself; Well...How did I get here?

Letting the days go by - let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by - water flowing underground..."

Arguably the best performance on the album.


Genius Of Love (Tom Tom Club)

A Tom Tom Club cover. The song is very... different, kind of fluffy cotton candy funk. I don't know how else to describe it. The background singers sing a light hearted girlish tune which is disturbingly familiar - I think Mariah Carey has recycled it in one of her songs, though I don't remember which one...


Girlfriend Is Better (also on the original album)

Better than what? Hmm... how to describe the song without doing some severe recycling of adjectives already used in the review... we won't really get any wiser about the girlfriend though, only that she won't stand for nonsense: As we get older and stop making sense, You won't find her waiting long.

Was that a yawn? I think I'll just shake you awake with another tidbit from the Byrne archives: "Toast is the national dish of Australia". Bet you didn't know that!


Take Me To The River (also on the original album)

A brilliant, exceptionally memorable tune. Byrne really letting go towards the end of the song - great background singers add to this vocal dominated track. A Talking Heads classic, and one of the gems on the album.


Crosseyed And Painless

A sort of a modern (but not modern in the Troot-Tweep! way) jazzy fast-paced intro, melodic singing, and a wild electric guitar solo later on in the song, making this one uncharacteristically instrument dominated piece. A song that made me glad I bought the special edition though I already had the original. The song evolves towards the end into new and unexpected directions, and comes out sounding the "loosest" jamming fun-track of the album. Oh yeah!


Conclusion

An exceptional album, though the non-Talking Heads fan, someone who just wants the hit songs, might actually prefer the original 9 song album - a few tracks here might require a bit of getting used to.

I'll leave you off with the last note from the booklet, this one letting you in on some fascinating inside information on extraterrestrials: "The Space People will contact us when they can make money doing so. The Space People think factories are musical instruments. They sing along with them. Each song lasts from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No music on weekends."

Now get those crumpled bills out of your pocket and head off to the music store...


Recommended: Yes