When you do "Stop making sense" it's important to do it all in one go rather than individual tunes. The structure is such that it starts completely minimalistic and builds throughout the movie. If you do, say, a song from the middle you lose context and flow.
I feel that way about song reactors that only play the most popular song by an artist. This is why I like your channel and that of JustJP so much, you guys aren't afraid to look things up, to dig deeper into an artist's catalog, to explore the deeper meanings.
Great song and cool decision to follow the track list of the movie via studio album first. I am a bass player and learned this song. It is simple, but harder to play right due to Tina's unusual technique using her thumb on a downstroke on the lower strings. It is really cool to watch on the movie.
There was a bar where I stopped after work and they had this song on the Juke Box. We met at this bar because nothing ever happened there as opposed to everywhere else. I put many a quarter into playing this song.
Glad you will be doing the songs of and then the film Stop Making Sense. As a New Yorker who was out hearing music several times a week from mid teens on, it was inevitable I’d see the Taking Heads very early in in their career. Hooked, I saw them many times, including the tour that became the film SMS (though I think it was filmed in CA). I would say thst the Remain in Light tour was my favorite, with one of my favorite guitarists, Adrian Belew, among the guests that joined in. In terms of the film songs, I so adore their performance of Naive Melody. Definitely among my very favorite Heads songs. I was pretty unhappy when Byrne decided to leave the band (as was the rest of the band!) at the height of their success, though I understand when creativity calls you on a path... Im looking forward, Daniel, to your reaction to the live versions of so many good songs by the very excellent Talking Heads.
Excellent reaction. I've always felt that the song is indirectly about the transience of life. In life we get bored, even of great things. We go to parties and it seems like we're all together, but then it breaks up, people drift away in dribs and drabs. And our love lives also change: love often dwindles, fades and dies. But in the heaven imagined in the song none of that is true. We don't get bored, we don't drift apart, our emotions remain constant. But that only highlights the stark difference between a supposed heaven and the lives we actually lead.
I look at it differently. Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens because entropy and decay are the root of change. Death is what makes life special. Heaven has nothing to offer, because without death there is no change.
I really really really love that you're taking this journey I've been waiting for a while I knew you'd get to it eventually and I'm psyched that we're here
Felt exactly this way after a recent radio station started, called 'Greatest Hits Radio' . Initially it was great, they played so many of my favourite songs. I would turn it on at random points of the day whenever I had a break, but found after a couple of weeks I was hearing a very limited range of songs and kept hearing the same ones repeated even during the same day. I had to keep turning it back off, because they were actually making me sick of hearing some songs that have been my favourites for decades.
Stop Making Sense is a great concert movie of a band at its peak. It’s a great show but their musical brilliance is on their albums so I agree with your approach. Another super amazing concert film is Bjork live at Royal Opera House, that is also by an artist at the peak of their performance abilities. Highly recommended. Your channel is Amazing 🤩
All their albums are distinctive. I remember their first one ‘77 with Psycho Killer arriving as a breath of fresh air it was so small sounding and quirky. The next one was …Buildings and Food which really blew my mind as I declared it the future of Rock, it is still my favorite, full of energy, humor, insight and engaging exciting music. Buildings and Food is the album I had stolen more than any other I must have bought it 3 or 4 times lol. It had the quirky factor dialed up to 11. I remember buying Fear of Music when it came out and I recall feeling a bit disappointed that they had opted for a more down beat reductionist vibe. Fear is still a great album their most psychedelic perhaps, with Life During Wartime being maybe their best song. I played this album to death but the Talking Heads would never hit the highs of Buildings and Food imho. Fear of Music is like the third part of a trilogy of albums, after Fear they would change it up a lot with more musicians and a more complex sound and experimental writing styles, they were huge in the eighties. Great choice and reaction. Thanks
Interesting take Hartlor. I got very engaged with MSABAF too. Going back 77 is cool too. Fear Of Music got a a very warm reception in the UK. I think they truly hit great with Remain In Light, though. I found it difficult initially, but concluded they were the best funk band on the planet.
This album is a masterpiece. Side one especially, and the first song on side two. And the last song. Virtually every song title is just one word: Mind, Cities, Air, Animals, Heaven, Drugs......and it has a real paranoid vibe with a wild sound (courtesy of Brian Eno, one of his most spectacular productions.) HIGHLY recommend doing this album from the beginning, it has a real distinct flow to it.
I'm old enough to have had the opportunity to follow Talking Heads as their music evolved and changed. You can hear their style change dramatically with the addition of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp in the album Remain in Light (which is my personal favorite of their albums). Glad you're exploring this iconic band. Enjoy!
Thrilled! 'Heaven' is one of my favourite TH tunes, if not one of my favourites songs of all time ever. It's surreal, metaphysical, metaphorical (is that a word?) and to me, hopeful. Peace is achievable. Nothingness can sound aspirational sometimes in a world of chaos and sadness. This song plays thru my mind often. When I'm running, cycling, swimming, or shopping for groceries. It never fails to make me happy. I could talk about this song for a long time. Love that you have heard it. This also makes me happy. We are Legion :)
I always felt this was the band's saddest song. It isn't the disappointment that heaven is boring, but that life has gotten so... complex, difficult?.... that the idea of eternal nothing becomes appealing.
You should check out the Talking Heads song' (Nothing But ) Flowers,' since you're interested in lyrics and the ironic, tongue in cheek lyrics of that song confused some people who took it too seriously.
I've seen a lot of videos about reacting to songs but so far I haven't seen anyone reacting to a song called Talisman by the Canadian group The Guess Who. The melody and harmony are quite unusual as are the lyrics. The song is from the American Woman album released in 1970 and I'm sure you will be very surprised by its beauty. ruclips.net/video/tg8aM6tD358/видео.html
David Byrne directed, co-wrote and starred in the 1986 Warner Brothers film titled TRUE STORIES featuring the music of the Talking Heads! This 89 minute film is unlike anything you have ever seen and is a "Must See" movie for all Talking Heads fans. Features John Goodman in his first big screen role in which he actually sings! Don't miss this movie!
Daniel (and alles), there is also the concept of a new earth in the Bible. CS Lewis countered the sterile, clinical view of heaven in The Last Battle with his “further up and farther in.” The good place will be limitless in its potential for exploration.
When you're done with Stop Making Sense, check out the concert movie from David Byrne's recent American Utopia tour. He performs a combination of Talking Heads and solo songs, and it is just phenomenal. Stop Making Sense is a classic.
I love the Picture Book album by Simply Red. I thought " heaven" was their song. Even though I knew Talking Heads at the time, had no idea it was actually their song
Hmmmmmmm, for the first time I heard reminiscent tones to the opening chords of Good Intentions by Toad The Wet Sprocket (the great 90s college rock group ).
Check out Jerry Harrison's interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast from last week. Harrison was in the Modern Lovers (and Talking Heads) who you NEED to learn about also. They reference many ML songs in the pod you could lookup to do reactions to.
I'm looking forward to more talking heads reactions. Personally, I prefer the live versions from "Stop Making Sense" over the majority of their studio counterparts, so I'll be curious to see how you compare them.
I heard him explaining the song. He basically said the song is literal. That is to say, when at the beginning he says "heaven is a bar" he said there was actually a gay bar where he and his friends hung out called "heaven". I would highly recommend not paying any attention to the genius interpretation. There's nothing to interpret. The song is literal. That's what "literal" means.
The song was written to be ironic, but the really ironic thing about it for me is how much less ironic it has become over the years. It's because of what it means for something to "happen" - the older I get, the more it seems that the things that "happen" are all bad things. Not to say there's nothing good in my life - far from it! - but these things don't just "happen", as if out of the blue. There's a level of intent, of action, in the good things that the word "happen" does not convey. Meanwhile, the number of bad things that happen just grows and grows. I think it's tied mostly to aging - for example, I'm losing friends and family members because we're all getting older. And then there's being responsible - I have a house to maintain for example, so when a big storm happens, there's more an element of worry than excitement. Of course there can still be some things that happen outside my control that I celebrate; it's just that these are few and far between in comparison with the ones I must "deal with." And sometimes the very best news is "Nothing happened." Nothing has changed since last time. Nothing new at all, everything has held steady. The test was negative again. (The absence of something bad happening is really not the same thing as something good happening.) Anyway, "a place where nothing, nothing ever happens" sounds pretty wonderful these days.
Check out Matisyahu's material at some point. Would love to get your take on the band's lyrics and groove. I like the style of your reactions. You draw more people into the artists' body of work.
Purchased Talking Heads cassette tape "Fear of Music" because that name intrigued me. Played first song on side A; then flipped it to last song on side B. I was sure cassette or recording had malfunction so returned to the store. Store owner agreed, test played another copy and that tape too sounded distorted. I'd kept *Fear of Music* tape in my car's cassette deck that entire summer.
Love you idea of listening to the songs, and then watching "Stop Making Sense." Truly the best (not most important or exciting) concert film ever. I have no idea why this came to mind, but this song is akin to a lot of the great Ani D'Franco, particularly on songs like "Grey." If you have not yet, check her out.
Great decision to check out the studio versions first - you'll have a much greater appreciation when you finally experience the movie versions, many of which have become the defaults for me, and many others. Can't wait to continue the journey with you! As others have mentioned, you'll need to watch the movie as it was intended, from start to finish for a peak experience.
the song has always worked for me more in the context of actually wanting to be in this particular "Heaven" maybe through addiction or turning off the mind and desire for more.
This is the perfect way to most appreciate the rabbit hole known as Stop Making Sense!
When you do "Stop making sense" it's important to do it all in one go rather than individual tunes. The structure is such that it starts completely minimalistic and builds throughout the movie. If you do, say, a song from the middle you lose context and flow.
I feel that way about song reactors that only play the most popular song by an artist. This is why I like your channel and that of JustJP so much, you guys aren't afraid to look things up, to dig deeper into an artist's catalog, to explore the deeper meanings.
Your plan is a good approach to the Heads. The live version of this strange, beautiful number is even better.
Great song and cool decision to follow the track list of the movie via studio album first. I am a bass player and learned this song. It is simple, but harder to play right due to Tina's unusual technique using her thumb on a downstroke on the lower strings. It is really cool to watch on the movie.
Is it my imagination or is the bass a bit out of tune on this song?
Love the echo of his voice. A fine track!
There was a bar where I stopped after work and they had this song on the Juke Box. We met at this bar because nothing ever happened there as opposed to everywhere else. I put many a quarter into playing this song.
Glad you will be doing the songs of and then the film Stop Making Sense.
As a New Yorker who was out hearing music several times a week from mid teens on, it was inevitable I’d see the Taking Heads very early in in their career. Hooked, I saw them many times, including the tour that became the film SMS (though I think it was filmed in CA). I would say thst the Remain in Light tour was my favorite, with one of my favorite guitarists, Adrian Belew, among the guests that joined in. In terms of the film songs, I so adore their performance of Naive Melody. Definitely among my very favorite Heads songs. I was pretty unhappy when Byrne decided to leave the band (as was the rest of the band!) at the height of their success, though I understand when creativity calls you on a path... Im looking forward, Daniel, to your reaction to the live versions of so many good songs by the very excellent Talking Heads.
I loved them as a four piece
Excellent reaction. I've always felt that the song is indirectly about the transience of life. In life we get bored, even of great things. We go to parties and it seems like we're all together, but then it breaks up, people drift away in dribs and drabs. And our love lives also change: love often dwindles, fades and dies. But in the heaven imagined in the song none of that is true. We don't get bored, we don't drift apart, our emotions remain constant. But that only highlights the stark difference between a supposed heaven and the lives we actually lead.
I look at it differently. Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens because entropy and decay are the root of change. Death is what makes life special. Heaven has nothing to offer, because without death there is no change.
Layla, another Profeta wise beyond her years.
Really enjoying your exploration of Talking Heads and its an interesting approach which I am sure will pay dividends when you finally get to the film
I really really really love that you're taking this journey I've been waiting for a while I knew you'd get to it eventually and I'm psyched that we're here
Felt exactly this way after a recent radio station started, called 'Greatest Hits Radio' . Initially it was great, they played so many of my favourite songs. I would turn it on at random points of the day whenever I had a break, but found after a couple of weeks I was hearing a very limited range of songs and kept hearing the same ones repeated even during the same day. I had to keep turning it back off, because they were actually making me sick of hearing some songs that have been my favourites for decades.
Stop Making Sense is a great concert movie of a band at its peak. It’s a great show but their musical brilliance is on their albums so I agree with your approach. Another super amazing concert film is Bjork live at Royal Opera House, that is also by an artist at the peak of their performance abilities. Highly recommended. Your channel is Amazing 🤩
All their albums are distinctive. I remember their first one ‘77 with Psycho Killer arriving as a breath of fresh air it was so small sounding and quirky. The next one was …Buildings and Food which really blew my mind as I declared it the future of Rock, it is still my favorite, full of energy, humor, insight and engaging exciting music. Buildings and Food is the album I had stolen more than any other I must have bought it 3 or 4 times lol. It had the quirky factor dialed up to 11. I remember buying Fear of Music when it came out and I recall feeling a bit disappointed that they had opted for a more down beat reductionist vibe. Fear is still a great album their most psychedelic perhaps, with Life During Wartime being maybe their best song. I played this album to death but the Talking Heads would never hit the highs of Buildings and Food imho. Fear of Music is like the third part of a trilogy of albums, after Fear they would change it up a lot with more musicians and a more complex sound and experimental writing styles, they were huge in the eighties. Great choice and reaction. Thanks
Interesting take Hartlor. I got very engaged with MSABAF too. Going back 77 is cool too. Fear Of Music got a a very warm reception in the UK.
I think they truly hit great with Remain In Light, though. I found it difficult initially, but concluded they were the best funk band on the planet.
Can't wait til you do 'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) from Speaking In Tongues. My favorite Talking Heads song. Love your channel!
The live version of this is just beautiful. I believe you will love it.
This album is a masterpiece. Side one especially, and the first song on side two. And the last song. Virtually every song title is just one word: Mind, Cities, Air, Animals, Heaven, Drugs......and it has a real paranoid vibe with a wild sound (courtesy of Brian Eno, one of his most spectacular productions.) HIGHLY recommend doing this album from the beginning, it has a real distinct flow to it.
I'm old enough to have had the opportunity to follow Talking Heads as their music evolved and changed. You can hear their style change dramatically with the addition of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp in the album Remain in Light (which is my personal favorite of their albums). Glad you're exploring this iconic band. Enjoy!
I can't wait til you see the movie
Thrilled! 'Heaven' is one of my favourite TH tunes, if not one of my favourites songs of all time ever. It's surreal, metaphysical, metaphorical (is that a word?) and to me, hopeful. Peace is achievable. Nothingness can sound aspirational sometimes in a world of chaos and sadness. This song plays thru my mind often. When I'm running, cycling, swimming, or shopping for groceries. It never fails to make me happy. I could talk about this song for a long time. Love that you have heard it. This also makes me happy. We are Legion :)
I always felt this was the band's saddest song. It isn't the disappointment that heaven is boring, but that life has gotten so... complex, difficult?.... that the idea of eternal nothing becomes appealing.
You should check out the Talking Heads song' (Nothing But ) Flowers,' since you're interested in lyrics and the ironic, tongue in cheek lyrics of that song confused some people who took it too seriously.
I am glad that you are going to soon explore, " Stop Making Sense " It is still the best concert movie I have ever seen !
I searched “John Denver Dixon” and it shows no John Denver! Please do Rocky Mountain High.
I've seen a lot of videos about reacting to songs but so far I haven't seen anyone reacting to a song called Talisman by the Canadian group The Guess Who. The melody and harmony are quite unusual as are the lyrics. The song is from the American Woman album released in 1970 and I'm sure you will be very surprised by its beauty.
ruclips.net/video/tg8aM6tD358/видео.html
David Byrne directed, co-wrote and starred in the 1986 Warner Brothers film titled TRUE STORIES featuring the music of the Talking Heads! This 89 minute film is unlike anything you have ever seen and is a "Must See" movie for all Talking Heads fans. Features John Goodman in his first big screen role in which he actually sings! Don't miss this movie!
Seconded. Weird and brilliant.
Daniel (and alles), there is also the concept of a new earth in the Bible. CS Lewis countered the sterile, clinical view of heaven in The Last Battle with his “further up and farther in.” The good place will be limitless in its potential for exploration.
No reason to explore without the limit of death. Can always do it later. Can always do anything later.
This is one of my absolute favourite songs, not just one of my favourite Talking Heads songs. Peak ennui.
When you're done with Stop Making Sense, check out the concert movie from David Byrne's recent American Utopia tour. He performs a combination of Talking Heads and solo songs, and it is just phenomenal. Stop Making Sense is a classic.
I love the Picture Book album by Simply Red. I thought " heaven" was their song. Even though I knew Talking Heads at the time, had no idea it was actually their song
Hmmmmmmm, for the first time I heard reminiscent tones to the opening chords of Good Intentions by Toad The Wet Sprocket (the great 90s college rock group ).
Check out Jerry Harrison's interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast from last week. Harrison was in the Modern Lovers (and Talking Heads) who you NEED to learn about also. They reference many ML songs in the pod you could lookup to do reactions to.
I'm looking forward to more talking heads reactions. Personally, I prefer the live versions from "Stop Making Sense" over the majority of their studio counterparts, so I'll be curious to see how you compare them.
I heard him explaining the song. He basically said the song is literal. That is to say, when at the beginning he says "heaven is a bar" he said there was actually a gay bar where he and his friends hung out called "heaven". I would highly recommend not paying any attention to the genius interpretation. There's nothing to interpret. The song is literal. That's what "literal" means.
If you ever watch the tv series, The Good Place (which I HIGHLY recommend), it eventually has some real echoes with this song.
I really like the way you are approaching Talking Heads! Can't wait to see your reaction to "Stop Making Sense"!
The song was written to be ironic, but the really ironic thing about it for me is how much less ironic it has become over the years. It's because of what it means for something to "happen" - the older I get, the more it seems that the things that "happen" are all bad things. Not to say there's nothing good in my life - far from it! - but these things don't just "happen", as if out of the blue. There's a level of intent, of action, in the good things that the word "happen" does not convey.
Meanwhile, the number of bad things that happen just grows and grows. I think it's tied mostly to aging - for example, I'm losing friends and family members because we're all getting older. And then there's being responsible - I have a house to maintain for example, so when a big storm happens, there's more an element of worry than excitement. Of course there can still be some things that happen outside my control that I celebrate; it's just that these are few and far between in comparison with the ones I must "deal with."
And sometimes the very best news is "Nothing happened." Nothing has changed since last time. Nothing new at all, everything has held steady. The test was negative again. (The absence of something bad happening is really not the same thing as something good happening.)
Anyway, "a place where nothing, nothing ever happens" sounds pretty wonderful these days.
Comments are a place, a place where nothing, nothing ever happens…
Great album, great song.
Check out Matisyahu's material at some point. Would love to get your take on the band's lyrics and groove. I like the style of your reactions. You draw more people into the artists' body of work.
Purchased Talking Heads cassette tape "Fear of Music" because that name intrigued me. Played first song on side A; then flipped it to last song on side B. I was sure cassette or recording had malfunction so returned to the store. Store owner agreed, test played another copy and that tape too sounded distorted. I'd kept *Fear of Music* tape in my car's cassette deck that entire summer.
Heads: Don’t Worry About The Government, Road To Nowhere
Good one. But please remember to get back to the Velvet Underground sometime….
This is a journey I’m happy to take with you, Daniel. ✌🏼
So happy to see you again! And this is one of my favorite songs! (play it one more time...)
Can't wait till you get to the film, bt take your time. Go for the extended cut of the movie.
That's a great format, enjoying your reactions.
Great idea. I think you’ll really enjoy the film.
Please react to Paramore, Forgiveness
The song is to short.
No you are not stupid Daniel
You're adorable
Love you idea of listening to the songs, and then watching "Stop Making Sense." Truly the best (not most important or exciting) concert film ever.
I have no idea why this came to mind, but this song is akin to a lot of the great Ani D'Franco, particularly on songs like "Grey." If you have not yet, check her out.
Great decision to check out the studio versions first - you'll have a much greater appreciation when you finally experience the movie versions, many of which have become the defaults for me, and many others. Can't wait to continue the journey with you! As others have mentioned, you'll need to watch the movie as it was intended, from start to finish for a peak experience.
the song has always worked for me more in the context of actually wanting to be in this particular "Heaven" maybe through addiction or turning off the mind and desire for more.
👋ㅤ【C͟a͟n͟ ͟y͟o͟u͟ ͟p͟l͟e͟a͟s͟e͟ ͟r͟e͟a͟c͟t͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟“͟T͟h͟e͟ ͟L͟a͟d͟y͟ ͟o͟f͟ ͟H͟e͟a͟v͟e͟n͟”͟ ͟f͟i͟l͟m͟ ͟T͟r͟a͟i͟l͟e͟r͟?】ㅤ
❤️❤️
wow you’ve been reacting to all my favorite artists lately