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

Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense
Type:studio
Longtype:tribute to Talking Heads
Artist:various artists
Cover:Everyone's Getting Involved A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense.jpg
Alt:A red-and-white recolored photo of a person's torso wearing a suit jacket, with the albums' name overlaid in multiple typefaces and sizes.
Released:May 17, 2024
Length:66:12
Label:A24 Music

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, and debuted at the top of the Billboard Compilation Albums chart in August.

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.

On January 10, 2024, a teaser video was uploaded on both Paramore's and A24's social media. 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 Senses cover art.[3] 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. The video was directed by AJ Gibboney and Paramore drummer Zac Farro,[4] 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." 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.[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.[9]

The second single, Teezo Touchdown's cover of "Making Flippy Floppy", was released on February 28.[10] [11] Per Uproxxs 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." 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. 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]

Reception

Associated Presss 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."[15] Dansende Berens 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."

The Guardians Claire Biddles said the album primarily consists of either "karaoke-esque run-through[s]" or reimaginings which "feel wildly disconnected from the source material". 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." Louders 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". Pastes 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."

Commercial performance

After the album's CD and vinyl release on July 26, it debuted at number one on Billboards Compilation Albums chart dated August 10.[16]

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"

Notes and References

  1. News: Rubin . Rebecca . March 16, 2023 . A24 Releasing Remastered Version of Talking Heads Classic Concert Film Stop Making Sense . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230316132352/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/a24-talking-heads-concert-film-stop-making-sense-1235556326/ . March 16, 2023 . May 5, 2024 . Variety.
  2. News: Vlessing . Etan . August 16, 2023 . Talking Heads Concert Pic Stop Making Sense to Screen at Toronto Film Festival . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824015913/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/talking-heads-concert-film-toronto-1235567986/ . August 24, 2023 . May 5, 2024 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. News: Madarang . Charisma . January 31, 2024 . Paramore Put on the Big Suit for "Burning Down the House" Talking Heads Cover . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240510231023/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/paramore-talking-heads-burning-down-the-house-cover-1234957245/ . May 10, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Rolling Stone.
  4. News: Garcia . Thania . Shafer . Ellise . January 31, 2024 . A24 Sets Stop Making Sense Tribute Album with Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Paramore and More Artists Delivering Talking Heads Covers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505211022/https://variety.com/2024/music/news/stop-making-sense-tribute-album-a24-paramore-talking-heads-1235867596/ . May 5, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Variety.
  5. News: Bloom . Madison . January 31, 2024 . Paramore, the National, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, and More Announced for A24's New Stop Making Sense Tribute Album . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240419195052/https://pitchfork.com/news/paramore-the-national-lorde-miley-cyrus-announced-for-a24-new-stop-making-sense-tribute-album/ . April 19, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Pitchfork.
  6. News: Browne . David . May 10, 2024 . How Lorde, Paramore, Blondshell, and More Are Fueling a Talking Heads Revival . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240517160129/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/talking-heads-tribute-album-stop-making-sense-1235012075/ . May 17, 2024 . May 16, 2024 . Rolling Stone.
  7. News: Redfern . Mark . January 31, 2024 . Paramore Cover "Burning Down the House" From a New Talking Heads Tribute Album . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505185206/https://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/paramore_cover_burning_down_the_house_from_new_talking_heads_tribute_album . May 5, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Under the Radar.
  8. News: Brasil . Sydney . March 5, 2024 . David Byrne Praises Paramore's "Burning Down the House" Cover . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240420010812/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/david-byrne-praises-paramore-s-burning-down-the-house-cover . April 20, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Exclaim!.
  9. News: LaPierre . Megan . February 12, 2024 . Paramore Designated 2024 Record Store Day Ambassadors . May 5, 2024 . Exclaim!.
  10. News: Williams . Aaron . February 28, 2024 . Teezo Touchdown Teamed Up with A24 to Cover a Talking Heads Deep Cut for a Stop Making Sense Re-Release . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505193127/https://uproxx.com/music/teezo-touchdown-making-flippy-floppy-stop-making-sense-a24/ . May 5, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Uproxx.
  11. News: Chelosky . Danielle . February 28, 2024 . Teezo Touchdown – "Making Flippy Floppy" . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505193112/https://www.stereogum.com/2253489/teezo-touchdown-making-flippy-floppy-talking-heads-cover/music/ . May 5, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Stereogum.
  12. News: Chelosky . Danielle . March 7, 2024 . Miley Cyrus Previews Countrified Take on Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240426070506/https://www.stereogum.com/2254848/miley-cyrus-previews-countrified-take-on-talking-heads-psycho-killer/news/ . April 26, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Stereogum.
  13. News: Pilley . Max . 28 March 2024 . Lorde releases "Take Me to the River" for Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240509211447/https://www.nme.com/news/music/lorde-releases-take-me-to-the-river-for-everyones-getting-involved-a-tribute-to-talking-heads-stop-making-sense-3610775 . May 9, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . NME.
  14. News: Chelosky . Danielle . April 24, 2024 . Talking Heads Tribute Album Tracklist Revealed for Today's 40th Anniversary of Stop Making Sense . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240508071318/https://www.stereogum.com/2260759/talking-heads-tribute-album-tracklist-revealed-for-todays-40th-anniversary-of-stop-making-sense/music/ . May 8, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . Stereogum.
  15. News: Pollock . Jim . May 13, 2024 . Music Review: Miley Cyrus, Lorde and more team up for fun Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense tribute . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240516051621/https://apnews.com/article/talking-heads-tribute-album-paramore-miley-cyrus-234305bf3d56b26f228698b109add27f . May 16, 2024 . May 16, 2024 . Associated Press.
  16. News: Caulfield . Keith . August 8, 2024 . Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Tribute Album Makes Chart-Topping Debut . August 9, 2024 . Billboard.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.