In 1984, American rock group Talking Heads released its high-energy, well-renowned concert film, "Stop Making Sense." The film made over $12 million at the box office and has an IMDb rating of 8.7/10 and a 100% Tomatometer score from Rotten Tomatoes.
In August 2023, A24 rereleased the film for its 40th anniversary. Along with a rerelease of the original soundtrack, A24 announced a tribute album for the record with various artists covering the songs from the concert film soundtrack.
The tribute record, titled "“Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense," features 16 tracks from the original album covered by 16 artists. Notable mentions include artists like Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, girl in red, The National and The Linda Lindas.
Other covers involve musicians like Teezo Touchdown, Kevin Abstract, BADBADNOTGOOD, Toro y Moi, Blondshell, DJ Tunez, Jean Dawson, Chicano Batman, El Mató a un Policía Motorizado and The Cavemen.
On Jan. 31, A24 released the album's first cover track, "Burning Down the House" by Paramore. Currently, there is no official release date for the album in its entirety.
Nevertheless, Paramore's cover is a promising single. The song features lead singer Hayley Williams' soulful yet growling vocals taking over for Talking Heads' vocalist David Byrne's iconic warbling, breathy tone.
The poppy '80s synths are present, but they have a certain modern flare. They are very reminiscent of Paramore's past works from albums like "After Laughter" and "This Is Why." Along with punchy drum fills and dreamy guitars, the song is an excellent reimagining of the original song.
Many fans, both of the cover artists and Talking Heads, are excited for its inevitable release. The A24 distribution adds another layer of hype as the production company is known for its superb media releases built up by stand-out marketing and promotional material.
Overall, the Talking Heads' tribute record, “Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense," compliments the success of Talking Heads and the band’s momentous concert film, "Stop Making Sense." The original 1984 soundtrack hit No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and spent 119 weeks on the ranking, more than any other Talking Heads title.
Hopefully, this record will call newer, younger fans to explore the band's discography and visit its concert movie. Although the details for future updates are vague, fans are willing to patiently wait for when A24 will deliver.
