Reviewed by Bob Banka (The Big Picture) October 31, 1999

Stop Making Sense

STOP MAKING SENSE has been heralded by many critics as the best concert film ever made. I’ve not see all of them so I can’t make such a sweeping claim, but I’ll say this -- it’s the best concert film I’ve ever seen. It’s not just the music that makes it so, it’s the level of energy the band puts out -- perhaps enough to light and heat a small Wisconsin town in February. There’s also much to be said for the skill with which director Jonathan Demme (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, PHILADELPHIA) has captured the band’s performance on film. You don’t have to dig the TALKING HEADS’ music to enjoy this amazing recorded performance. From a technical standpoint, STOP MAKING SENSE is an absolutely flawless film, and one can enjoy and appreciate that no matter what type of music is heard. But, if you DO get into their tunes, well ... that’s just icing on the cake.

STOP MAKING SENSE was released in 1984, right in the middle of the MTV revolution -- a change which made television heroes out of musicians. Throughout the eighties, relatively talentless, one hit wonders could hit the tops of the charts by releasing run-of-the-mill music, as long as they had ‘a pretty good video.’ Some examples would have to include Billy Idol, Men At Work, Flock Of Seagulls, and Duran Duran. When we heard them on the radio, we didn’t just sing along to the music, we flashed images of their videos through our minds. Of course, the TALKING HEADS were right in the mix with their own videos, and these guys came off looking as strange as many of the others -- perhaps even more so.

Many young directors, unable to break into feature films, got a foothold in the business through music television. In an attempt to add extra energy and ‘flash’ to the rather mundane talents they were filming, hyperkinetic camera work and rapid-fire editing were employed when putting together the rock videos. Along with the zany themes employed in these mini productions, this type of filming was often distracting enough to take one’s mind off the fact that the music they were hearing was, to put in simple -- DULL! The bands had handlers that made them look good by packaging them in eye candy videos. However, most of them were not good musicians. That’s why so few of them lasted very long.

Unfortunately, many of the same directors that shot these music videos have made their way to Hollywood and they’re now shooting features films the same way. Like much of the music from the eighties, the films themselves are poor -- having silly scripts and poor acting. But hey! -- they sure ‘look’ good.

As if to say “enough is enough,” along comes STOP MAKING SENSE -- a film that’s non-stop, unadulterated music from start to finish. The cameras don’t go backstage for ‘drama’ they don’t go down into the audience for phony reaction shots of adoring, hysterical fans, and they don’t follow the band back to the hotel for post concert hell-raising. Instead, we remain on stage with the Talking Heads, and watch them do what they do best -- play music. As the exciting, intoxicating music washes over us, there’s no one cut per second editing and no camera calisthenics to distract. Shots last much more than a few seconds. Rather than leaping from band member to band member, as if they were detached and isolated from each other, Demme simply pans across the stage. He shows us several musicians in frame together so we can see how they communicate with quick glances and subtle head nods. We see how they follow frontman, David Byrne’s lead. All the energy in STOP MAKING SENSE comes from the band and their music -- not from the camerawork and not from the happy splicing of an overzealous editor.

David Byrne’s staging, though not quite minimalist, is quite simple -- just three rear projection screens and some extreme angle lighting that casts huge shadows behind the band. And of course there’s Byrne’s now legendary ‘Big Suit.’ But compared to the pyrotechnic staging and wild costumes of other bands of the eighties, this is very tame stuff. The TALKING HEADS didn’t need much more -- Byrne knew it, and almost as importantly, Demme knew it. He stands back and lets the band do the work, and man do these guys work -- especially Byrne, a consummate showman, who’s either running in place, jogging around the stage, dancing, strutting, hopping or spinning for nearly the entire show. Even between songs, he’s seen walking in circles like a caged animal. Following his lead, his band is often just as energetic.

With Jonathan Demme behind the camera, utilizing the storyboards sketched out and annotated by David Byrne himself, we’re in very good hands. I highly recommend Palm Pictures’ new DVD of STOP MAKING SENSE. Pick this one up, pop it in your player and let the Talking Heads’ music wash over and energize you.

IMAGE ****

This is the first DVD produced by Palm Pictures that we’ve ever seen, and it’s quite an impressive effort. Being a concert film, STOP MAKING SENSE is loaded with sequences which allow bright glaring lights to share the screen with deep black. Since the band members and vocalists are primarily dressed in duller colors, a sharp, fairly detailed picture with good contrast level helps them stand out against much darker backgrounds. Palm Pictures’ transfer, though not reference quality, serves up a very good image with color resolution and black levels that do justice to the outstanding cinematography of the late Jordan Cronenweth (BLADE RUNNER, U2: RATTLE AND HUM).

Colors are saturated and very well rendered. Bright reds and blues stand out cleanly against black fields with no smearing or bleeding between fields. Many of the songs, like SWAMP, have their own characteristic lighting -- deep red or blue backgrounds, with spots on the players -- usually Byrne. We noted no bleeding between color fields, only clean edges. There’s no haziness in the image and no ‘ringing’ from digital over-enhancement. On occasion, when the stage lights are up a bit -- for example during PSYCHO KILLER and HEAVEN, images appear slightly softer.

The are numerous medium shots and close-ups during the film and the sharpness and clarity here is often impressive. We rarely see fleshtones since hues are altered by the stage lighting, but when skin color is presented, tones appear natural. The print used by Palm Pictures is fairly clean. One has to look hard to note the rare nick or scar in the picture once the lights go down. We were very pleased with this transfer. High marks.

SOUND *****

There are two Dolby Digital, 5.1 tracks included on the disc. To quote the flyer included with the DVD;

FEATURE FILM MIX 5.1
”The Feature Film 5.1 audio track is a digitally re- mixed and re-mastered version of the original theatrical sound track. Jonathan Porath, noted theatrical mix- engineer, performed this mix at Sony Music Studios in June 1999. Under the supervision of David Byrne, Porath creates a large and vibrant sound stage with stunning concert ambiance. In this mix, the listener will experience something much like being front-row at the original performances. This mix is presented in discrete Dolby "

Digital 5.1.” STUDIO MIX 5.1
”The Studio Mix 5.1 audio track was created in May 1999 by Eric “E.T.” Thorngren, the original mix engineer of the STOP MAKING SENSE album. The mix began at Crush Digital Video, New York City, and was finished at The Plant Recording Studios in San Francisco, CA with E.T. and Talking Head Jerry Harrison. Working with the original multi-track tapes from the theatrical mix, E.T. creates a tight studio-like account of the performance. In this mix, the listener will feel like he is at the mixing board. It is presented in discrete Dolby Digital 5.1.”

The disc also contains a Stereo Mix. Again quoting the included flyer;

STEREO MIX
”The stereo audio track is a 2-channel version of the re-mix and re-mastered Feature Film 5.1 mix by Jonathan Porath. Presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, this audio track will please those without 5.1 surround playback systems and audio enthusiasts alike.”

Of the three mixes on the disc we prefer the Feature Film Mix, 5.1. This track does indeed drop you down in the front row and swallow you up with sound from the stage. Here, the music has a stronger forward soundstage presence, being belted out by the center channel and the mains. There’s significant support from the surround channels, but I believe the idea here was to provide sounds over the shoulders that one would hear in the concert hall -- that is, lower level echoes bouncing off the rear structures of the hall. In addition sounds from the audience come from the surrounds.

The Studio Mix 5.1 has more of Byrne’s vocals in the surround channels and from ‘phantom zones’ between the left main and left rear and between the right main and right rear channels. It’s a matter of taste -- but as I said, I prefer the theatrical mix. Both mixes have a powerful forward presence. Folks fortunate to have full range speakers in all corners, as well as a center channel that can reach down for some lower octave punch will be absolutely blown away by either track. The mix for BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE is absolutely astounding. On many occasions you will note the placement of instruments, often percussion, to the left or right of center. Music from the keys do this as well. David Byrne’s lead vocals are more often than not, centered. Backing vocals are also centered, but can be heard to the left and right as well. The forward stage is seamless -- it’s a large, hemispheric wall of music with a very wide dynamic range. Crank your amps up and you’ll feel every note from Tina Weymouth’s bass in your chest.

The way in which the staging and entrance of musicians has been established allows for the sound to build song by song during the first six tunes. We begin with just Byrne on stage with an acoustic guitar and a boom box performing PSYCHO killer, then Tina Weymouth takes the stage with her bass for HEAVEN. For THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME AN ANGEL, drums are added. For FOUND A JOB, a second guitar is added, and so on. By the time we reach BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE the sound is full, and powerful -- defying the listener to sit or stand still.

Amazingly, and this is one of the best aspects of the mix, we can hear the smaller percussion instruments as well -- laced within the far more powerful tones produced by the bass, drums, and guitars. Cow bells, bongos and other sounds can be heard clearly -- every strike and echo. The same can be said for the backing vocalists lyrics. Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt’s lovely voices are easily heard among the sonic tidal waves provided by tunes like BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE and TAKE ME TO THE RIVER. Beautifully harmonized vocals give chills down the back of the neck. There’s a moment early in the film where Lynn Mabry is still offstage but her voice rises up to weave in with Byrne’s for the chorus of the marvelous HEAVEN.

Listeners are offered three different mixes on Palm Pictures’ new DVD of STOP MAKING SENSE. The two 5.1 tracks, though different, are both powerhouse tracks which drop you down in the middle of some extremely lively surroundstages. Whether your a fan of the TALKING HEADS or not, it’ll make no difference. If you’ve not yet experienced what a well mastered 5.1 mix can do with concert material, this is THE disc to hear. Palm Pictures’ Dolby Digital tracks are well deserving of our highest marks.