June 1 1970, 1983 and 2023
I’m a researcher trying to do some “projects” about the greatest concert film of all time, Stop Making Sense.
Every event is in some ways connected to all the events that came before, and all the events that will come after. So what are the boundaries of Stop Making Sense? Where does Stop Making Sense begin?
I look to the researchers that inspire me for guidance.
Mark Lewisohn, author of the most comprehensive reference books and biographies of the Beatles, begins his research a couple of generations before the birth of the individuals that formed the Beatles, tracing their immigrant ancestors’ paths to Liverpool.
In his multi-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson, Robert Caro gets into some environmental/geological shifts that took place over millennia, but for the most part confines his study to seventy or so years of Johnson’s maternal and paternal ancestors.
Mark Malkoff hosts the Carson Podcast and has tried to speak to every person ever connected to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
My research process has not yet delved this far back, but I am taking three cues from these inspirational researchers.
Mark Malkoff emphasizes “the power of asking.” In his view, polite perseverance is the key to discovering knowledge. He asks everyone he can if they’ll talk to him.
Robert Caro’s research philosophy is “turn every page.” Coming out of his journalism background, Caro insists on inspecting every available document, looking to discover any nugget of insight.
Mark Lewisohn, on the fiftieth anniversary anniversary of the Beatles recording their Get Back project, set out to “re-experience” the project. Throughout the month of January 2019 he listened to each day’s recordings from 50 years before.
This summer marks the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads’ Speaking in Tongues Tour. The final shows of which were filmed and became Stop Making Sense. The planning of this tour is as good an origin-point of the Stop Making Sense story as any. I have managed to acquire 40 of the 57 concerts Talking Heads performed on that tour, totalling almost 80 hours.
My plan is to re-experience that tour inasmuch as possible, and share my findings and thoughts, and maybe learn how to build a website in the process.
Today is June 1st 2023. It is 40 years since the Speaking in Tongues album was released. It originally came out on a deluxe edition and regular edition vinyl and an extended cassette. More on all of these versions later.
Today is also my 53rd birthday. More on this later.
Of course, I was 13 years old when Speaking in Tongues came out. I was not cool enough to rush out and get it the day of release. Instead I spent my 13th birthday here.
