Bill Burr on Stop Making Sense

Bill Burr reacts to Jonathan Demme's landmark 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense featuring the incomparable Talking Heads.
Source: Monday Morning Podcast
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[@robertmalone9511]

Cool how the director Jonathan Demme really loves to have people stare right into the camera, whether it's David Byrne in a concert film or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.

[@tinderbox218]

I think he did it a little too much, but yeah it definitely was his signature directorial quirk.

[@robertmalone9511]

@@tinderbox218 He even did it in the Columbo episode he directed lol.

[@RichEdwards]

@@robertmalone9511deep cut

[@mustardegg2]

Scary if true.

[@brianwyse5810]

wow he did both of these? cool

[@IveGotToast]

I think my dopamine levels peaked the first time I watch David Byrne dance in an oversized suit

[@stephenwitmer6953]

😂

[@moogie242x]

I remember seeing it in a theater shortly after it opened. After about the fourth song a lady a few rows in front of me said “ oh, it’s a concert!”😂

[@bdickins2190]

Back in the 80s when this first came out, a local theater was doing midnight showings every Saturday night. My girlfriends and I went several weekends in a row because it was so much fun! Just watched it again on YT, took me back 40 years and the fun we had at this film. What a great time and great music, couldn't hold still!

[@Ruprect44]

I was an older guy who went back to college. About 3/4 of the way through the year I moved and had a bunch of my classmates come over to help for the standard dudebro moving fee of a couple pizzas and case of beer. All these guys were around 20 years or so younger than me. When we got to the new place I hooked up the TV and DVD player immediately just to play some working/lifting tunes. Decided the throw on Stop Making Sense. Work eventually stopped and it was like a thunderbolt of revelation hit these kids. "What's this band?!?" "Holy Shit! Why have I never heard this?" "You GOTTA tell me where to find this!" etc etc The course itself was completely worthless, but if these young men got turned on to GOOD music by me, it was tuition well spent.

[@johnmlln9982]

Doing the lords work.

[@zoiks6631]

It’s crazy that he went from lead singer of Talking Heads to winning an Oscar for best actor for Oppenheimer.

[@mrgalactus7264]

One of my favourite movies/concerts/albums of all time. Masterpiece

[@gregmock6808]

I saw that show live when they shot the film...it was amazing..I was blown away

[@alexanderduran7455]

Good for you... must of been so fun to attend that show.

[@xDreadheadx]

Speaking in tongues is one of my all time favorite albums 😎

[@nicholaschupka4150]

Me too. Every track they play from the album on Stop Making Sense is a banger, and then you still have Moon Rocks, I Get Wild, and Pull up the Roots, each as good as all the classics on the album. It is an 11/10 for me.

[@BansheeMilk]

One of the greatest bands ever

[@DiscGoStu]

Best concert movie EVER

[@bridgecross]

That song at the beginning, "Cities" was snipped from all the releases after 1990. I had the version on VHS that had that song. And it's the *greatest moment in the film* and they cut it out. Thank god for KZbin.

[@tomfrascina5846]

I agree! It's mad they cut it

[@petermot645]

Oh boy Bill, Yes you missed a masterpiece in its day !

[@seamusburke639]

I got to see the A24 version this last weekend and it's a pure dopamine hit. It was hard to resist getting up and dancing in the aisles, it was that energetic.

[@FoardenotFord]

Greatest concert film of all time. I remember seeing it for the first time and was blown away.

[@dennisrohm6372]

Saw them a week before the filmed show, at O.C. fair grounds. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

[@davidmouzayek3764]

I am so amazed that two sides of the universe in my head connected. I did NOT expect this I absolutely love Bill and Talking Heads, which is what I grew up with

[@earlybird3668]

It is the best concert movie!

[@jasoncinema]

I’d already seen it on Amazon Prime. And then I went and saw it in IMAX during the A24 4K theatrical re-release last year, and HOLY FUCK!!!! 😍

[@alanstrange2421]

A friend of mine actually saw that tour back int he day and had told me about it probably 20+ years ago. I stumbled on the movie one night and put it on so I could listen to it in the background while I did whatever I was planning to do. Nope. Watched it, fully enrapt start to finish. Man, what a work of art.

[@nooneimportant77]

Nine Inch Nails took a lot of inspiration from this show for one of their tours, I think some of the best footage of it is from a festival in Japan.

[@fmellish71]

First five Talking Heads albums are MONUMENTAL

[@ironmike5812]

Day Bow Bow!!

[@blessedarmadillo8257]

I got off work, smoked a doobie with a friend, then we walked a couple of blocks to a theatre on Wisconsin Ave in DC, sat down and watched this film. When Byrne came out in the Big Suit it was almost more than my senses could take. I'm guessing that will flash before my eyes as I go off to the Big Sleep.

[@tombirner]

I also saw it at Georgetown AMC (organic refreshment before I went in and then liquid refreshment during) and it was one of the most memorable movie experiences of the last few years. I'm 40, serious music geek but never liked Talking Heads despite knowing how great they supposedly are and several music geek friends loving them. Went just for something to do and it was about the best time in the theater I could imagine... saw it again a week after that and almost went a third time! Now that I'm a boring middle-aged guy, the AMC Stubs pass has been huge... haha. Love that spot in G-town down by the water... hope AMC doesn't go bankrupt, their stock is getting destroyed these days.

[@tonydee9850]

The citizen kane of concert movies ❤

[@stringlarson1247]

That was playing in the theater near my house during spring break. I got stoned every night that week and caught the 7pm screening and then went to the pub. I think one night there was one or two people in the theater. That was a good week.

[@steveconn]

Saw with jet lag in Paris hotel room. About the best 80s concert doc (forgot Hi Hi was in Risky Business lol).

[@deanaoxo]

Well Bill, you should have seen them live~!~ I got to, 3 times, Holy Good God.

[@NormalTheBand]

Soooooo Bill Burr has nothing to say about 'Stop Making Sense'

[@christophermanley3602]

My wife and I saw this when it was rereleased, Tuesday 5:30- we had a private screening.

[@draneym2003]

I'm honestly starting to think there's a video of Bill Burr expressing his opinion on every topic in history, just so people can lap it up

[@buckchile614]

" All I see, are little dot, dot, dot, dot, dots..."

[@Luschan]

Whenever I’m reminded of Stop Making Sense I think of Mark Maron’s story about being a teenager and taking a cool alt girl to see it on a date, falling asleep and waking himself back up with a big fart. Then unable to concentrate for the rest of the movie, just totally mortified wondering if she heard it.

[@GrotesqueGardener]

He didnt even say if he liked it or hated it, just hows felt casually about it sometimes. Thanks for the rambling bout nothin Bill. 😂

[@mrkeogh]

Bow-bow.

[@ledoutofshadow8004]

Burr...song with no lyrics: That was all Heh-heh Now let me tell you a story The devil, he has a plan A bag of bones in his pocket Get anything you want No dust and no rocks The whole thing is over All those beauties in solid motion All those beauties, they're gonna swallow you up Let's go Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi One time too many Too far to go Hi, we've come to take you home And when they split those atoms, it's hotter than the sun Blood is a special substance, and they're gonna pray for that man So wake up, young lovers The whole thing is over Watch out! Touch monkeys All that blood gonna swallow you whole Let's go Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi (oh) Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi What's that? Who's drivin'? Where we goin'? Who knows? Hi, we've come to take you home, ooh How many people do you think I am? Pretend I am somebody else You can pretend I'm a millionaire, a millionaire washin' his hands Rattle the bones, dreams that stick out A medical chart on the wall Soft violins, hands touch your throat Everyone wants to explode! Now when your hands get dirty Nobody knows you at all Don't have a window to slip out of Lights on, nobody home Click, click, see ya later Beta beta, no time to rest Pika pika, risky business All that blood'll never cover that mess Let's go! Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi So soft, hard feelings No tricks, let's go Hi, we've come to take you home Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi Hi Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi I love the guy, but damn, he has never heard all of it, or he was high, high high high high high!

[@FreeFree-ur4zq]

I saw SMS at a midnight show, before it was released and everyone was dancing in the first two rows, like a concert. I was amazed at what a clueless nerd Bill was, but I just looked up his age and he's two years younger than me. That explains everything 😜

[@mondoenterprises6710]

SMS a serious anti depressant.

[@Stonecrow25]

Slippery people is killer

[@MahkyVmedia1]

Was the giant suit ever explained?

[@SonofSethoitae]

Apparently it was inspired by a bunch of things; Japanese comedies and kabuki theatre, old cartoons, etc. He said that since people's bodies tend to "get" music before their heads, it was a good image to have a big body and a tiny head.

[@MahkyVmedia1]

@@SonofSethoitae hmm, interesting, now I have to look it up, thanks for answering.

[@degrassi420]

in the promotional footage where david interviews himself in various characters, he says “I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger.”

[@RobertEkard]

🪔

[@timburns5967]

Bill, don't doubt yourself. Axl Rose is the worst. Never liked GnR. Heard a recording w/out vocals and thought this band is pretty good. Axl, however sucks.

[@mustardegg2]

Bill should be ashamed of himself.

[@viperrecords3288]

He’s not

[@Beefnhammer]

Why?

[@mustardegg2]

@@Beefnhammer I can’t remember.

[@Beefnhammer]

@@mustardegg2 Okay cool lmao

[@TheRAGE154]

so bill burr is just miserable? He can’t do comedy he can’t make movies he can’t make his wife happy lol bro is a living joke

[@GenteelCretin]

welp. that was three minutes poorly spent.

[@whitenight82]

isn't burr's wife some annoying liberal?

[@joshjacks2837]

So much fun seeing the re-release in theaters.

[@writeralbertlanier3434]

I haven't seen Stop Making Sense in years. It stands out because it's close to being a cinematic film even for a concert movie. The editing., camera work and especially. Lighting make this a landmark concert film.

[@roller325]

It was re-released in cinemas earlier this year. You should've went!

[@Beefnhammer]

One of the best live performances ever recorded.

[@finlaywelburn]

Incredible movie !

[@alexanderduran7455]

You're dang right Mr. BURR. that is perhaps the best Concert film of the Modern age, Woodstock was a close 2nd. Talking Heads to the unknowing is one of the most under rated skilled band to come out of the CBGBs group. Tina Weymouth is extraordinary Bassist. Her n Chris Franz the drummer carry the beat with a frenzied. Yeah I'm just a fan. Peace out

[@jedwing]

The Last Waltz.

[@alexanderduran7455]

My apologies, truly The Last Waltz was a True Classic. To me though it was an event that I didn't take advantage of. I had a chance to go to the actual Thanksgiving Dinner n Show but I blew it off. "What an idiot.

[@Jllyrol311]

It never occurs to me that Bill Burr would like anything.

[@HerveMendell]

David Byrne will go down in history as the most successful autistic musician ever. Hey, I'm not criticising, it's his super-power!

[@mhaze210]

I saw this in a theater when it was playing and had the theater to myself! Which allowed me to get up and dance. I liked all the songs but the part I recommend watching if you haven't seen it, is their performance for "Life During Wartime". It is so much fun.

[@Topshelf87]

Documentary Now! With Fred Armisten did a great spoof 😂

[@Wetcamerainc]

its top 5 on letterboxd lmao

[@bertroost1675]

Heaven in this film is so great

[@Beefnhammer]

Better than the studio version

[@bertroost1675]

@@Beefnhammer I agree.

[@mshelloonyoutube]

I like the Talking Heads, but I'd be a poser to claim to be a big fan because I've never sat down & listened to their discography. Regardless, to me this is the greatest concert doc ever made, without a doubt.

[@controlfreak1963]

They used to play it at midnight at the Studebaker Theater on Michigan Ave in Chicago back in the 1980's. I probably saw this concert film a dozen times back in the day. I played it for my 35 yo daughter on my 80" screen about a year ago and she was gobsmacked at how good it was. Talking Heads was at it's peak at that time so it was basically the best of the group along with the Tom Tom Club's main hit. The 80's music scene was a huge letdown after the 60's and 70's so I ended up listening to WXRT and college radio and going to bands at the Metro in Chicago's Wrigleyville (hint: Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins played there before they were known).

[@stevepeterson5943]

The only way to watch stop making sense is without Bill Burr ranting over the top of it. Sacrilege.

[@ravecrab]

I went to see the re-release last year with my girlfriend because she's a massive Talking Heads fan. I've never really got into them so I was expecting to be bored for two hours. It was absolutely brilliant. I had to stop myself from applauding the screen at the end of each song.

[@theivory1]

I was lucky, my uncle played it for me when I was in middle school.

[@Studeb]

I like how Burr always admits how crap poodle rock of the 80s that he loved was.

[@edvonblue]

Talking Heads were past their prime by the time they made this movie. Listen to The Name of this Band is Talking Heads to hear them performing live in their peak.

[@jedwing]

I love this but I cannot stand David Byrne. His ego wrecked the band. His solo stuff since was histrionic and too self-consciously quirky. But kudos to Jonathan Demme (RIP) and Bernie Worrel (RIP) and hey, at least he's employing Black people.

[@kimockman1]

Called Swamp. Great lyrics