In honor of The Talking Heads’ reunion and the 40th anniversary of Jonathan Demme’s seminal concert documentary film, Stop Making Sense, A24 has assembled a powerhouse array of artists to take on the album’s 16 tracks. The album’s inspiration, Stop Making Sense, is a 1984 concert film featuring The Talking Heads’ live performance. The film, directed by Jonathan Demme, was shot for the duration of four nights at the Hollywood Pantages – which was also the location of The Talking Heads’ most recent reunion performance on June 4th, 2024: A Night of ‘Stop Making Sense.’ The band has amassed a fan base of almost every age group, especially given the resurgence of their success through the documentary’s re-release with A24. It was unsurprising to see numerous young and up-and-coming artists collaborating on this tribute album, with some not even born when the documentary was filmed! From Teezo Touchdown to girl in red, Everyone’s Getting Involved takes many different directions in musical genre reflecting the diverse set of artists it enlisted on this project.
Track 1 – Psycho Killer
Energy pours out of Miley’s cover of “Psycho Killer”, which certainly feels like a tribute to The Talking Heads. But ultimately, the sound overpowered her vocals, and frankly, the song felt like it would be better suited to the tracklist of Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP a decade ago. I enjoyed her elaboration in French towards the end of her cover, but, to my disappointment, some of David Byrne’s creative choices, most notably his iconic musical yells, were missing in Miley’s version.
Track 2 – Heaven
Strikingly similar to the original, “Heaven” covered by The National relishes the rhythmic drumming in The Talking Heads’s version, but aims to slow the pace down. The lead vocalist captures you with his vocal yearning, and it’s hard to not notice the vocal accompaniment, especially in the cover’s chorus. The question of life and death, as well as ponderings of the afterlife leave you equally as hollow and nihilistic as in David Byrne’s version. The National painfully executes this message — perhaps the afterlife is truly unfathomable and repetition is the killer of joy. Clearly, the Dessners preserve the original song’s contemplative essence in their cover.
Track 3 – Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
There is something youthful about Blondeshell’s cover of “Thank You for Sending Me an Angel.” Much like “Heaven”, Blondeshell takes a slower pace to The Talking Heads’ original. The lead singer adds a softer touch to the presentation of the song, exploring genres by mixing various indie sounds and grunge undertones. I enjoyed the cover, but it didn’t feel particularly aligned with the infamous spunk that reverberated from Byrne’s sound.
Track 4 & 5 – Found a Job & Slippery People
“Found a Job” covered by The Linda Lindas encapsulates the groove of The Talking Heads: a beat you can jump to, vocals that energize you, and a punk twist to sow it together. The Linda Lindas executed this cover in their own stylistic way without forgetting their predecessors! Similarly, “Slippery People” covered by El Mató a un Policía Motorizado keeps up with the smooth sounds of the original. Still, the Argentine band takes their own creative liberties with their cover unlike any of the other bands in the ensemble. Sung entirely in Spanish, El Mató a un Policía Motorizado’s cover of “Slippery People” is approached with the exuberance necessary.
Track 6 – Burning Down the House
I’m a firm believer that anything Hayley Williams sings is going to sound spectacular. And her cover of “Burning Down the House” is no different. Paramore’s charisma radiates through the track’s rock n’ roll sound, and the song effortlessly balances the unique music of Paramore with a David Byrne twist.
Track 7, 8 & 9 – Life During Wartime, Making Flippy Floppy, & Swamp
Perhaps one of the most genre-bending covers on the album, DJ Tunez’s vocals and sound – while very different from The Talking Heads – mold perfectly to the tune of “Life During Wartime.” Layering afro beats with Byrne’s lyrics is the type of genre exploring that feels appropriate in a tribute album to The Talking Heads, and DJ Tunez’s execution of this is fun and exciting. The fun continues with Teezo Touchdown’s “Making Flippy Floppy.” Teezo has the energy for this cover, and he certainly brings it to the track. But given how closely the cover resembles the original, it didn’t feel like he added anything to compliment his own musical sound to an already-loved classic from Speaking In Tongues. Whereas in the subsequent cover, Jean Dawson’s, “Swamp,” the musical sound is the most remarkable part. The instrumentals on this track are notable, with the violins strumming in an alarming but beautiful way. Jean Dawson revels in Byrne’s lyrics with his original and soothing take.
At this point in the album, I felt the tracks began to spiral in their ability to pay homage to The Talking Heads. Excluding the cover of “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” many of the artists either failed to forge a distinctive sound in their own voice or veered too far in the opposite direction, leaning too heavily into their personal style at the expense of the integrity of the cover.
Track 10 – What a Day That Was
In “What a Day That Was,” The Cavemen captured me with the flute sounds at the beginning, but the vocals that follow are a bit middling. The song picks up with the chorus and the snappy rhythm, but there wasn’t a particular element that made the song memorable to me.
Track 11 – This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
“This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” a classic from David Byrne, matched with BADBADNOTGOOD and Norah Jones’ smooth vocals – what more could I ask for? Truthfully my favorite cover in this ensemble, Norah Jones molds her own personal style into “This Must Be the Place” with the excellence and vocal prowess one would expect from her. The instrumental remains true to the original, so the upbeat drumming and light strumming are perfect for danceability.
Track 12, 13 & 14 – Once in a Lifetime, Genius of Love, & Girlfriend Is Better
Kevin Abstract’s mission was difficult here. To convey his own experimental hip hop sound with Byrne’s fashionably odd and alternative concept in “Once in a Lifetime” was unfortunately untranslatable. His voice sounded choppy and dishonest throughout the track. Enthusiasm rises as the album transitions to “Genius of Love” covered by Toro y Moi & Brijean. The synth sound is a welcoming twist to “Genius of Love.” The track slightly slowed and a bit more electronic, captures the out-of-body experience of the lyric’s loveful theme. And the tender premise continues with “Girlfriend Is Better,” but the execution is slightly lacking. While girl in red sounds good, she lacks the vigor to cover “Girlfriend Is Better.” Not only that, her cover of the song forgets the rhythm and danceability of the original.
Track 15 & 16 – Take Me to the River & Crosseyed and Painless
The last two tracks help the album end on a positive note. “Take Me to the River” blends into Lorde’s vocals and style seamlessly. I enjoyed the production, especially when she sounded “underwater” — a very immersive experience! And “Crosseyed and Painless” covered by Chicano Batman [feat. Money Mark] is equally as enjoyable. Chicano Batman sounds almost identical to The Talking Heads on their cover, with the main difference being the spectacular vocals. The song had a psychedelic rock feel; it was super fun, very pleasurable, and a perfect way to close out the tribute album.
Overall, Everyone’s Getting Involved has many highs and lows, with each singer offering a unique perspective to the iconic tunes of The Talking Heads. I liked some of it; unfortunately not all of it. But I can certainly say that the love and appreciation for The Talking Heads is emulated from this tribute album within every single track. I do wish that many of the artists did not deviate so much from the authenticity of The Talking Heads, given that it’s a tribute album, but I can appreciate the genre-bending and musical plethora that is David Byrne’s legacy.
Listen to the Everyone’s Getting Involved here:
