Remain In Light

Talking about head. Do you know how long it's been since I last had a blowjob? 34 days. Totally unacceptable. If you know of anyone who wants to sort me out, give me a call on 07797098556

Always remember - that is a woman playing that bass. Girl F@ckin Power!

Kind of makes me see why some people call Talking Heads a "punk" band, though this feels like it has more in debt to reggae and world music. Fast, crazy fun, weird music to dance to. Talking Heads are awesome. Favorite tracks: "Crosseyed and Painless", "The Great Curve", "Once in a Lifetime"

If Sisyphus had this in his headphones there would be no fable to tell. Unrelenting and irreversible forward motion. The Great Curve's hypnotic cyclical rythhm draws you into a state of fevered delerium, with the only hints of sanity appearing in the form of the sporadic lead breaks. Seen and Not Seen follows a narrative that's beautifully relatable yet totally abstract. Listening Wind is deceptively heavy in its story and Overload feels very ominous and Floyd.

In discussions of this album, the primacy of African polyrhythms is often mentioned, but that not quite correct. Strictly speaking, the polyrhythms are African-American because they derive from Afrobeat, which originated as a response to the music of James Brown. Fela Kuti and others took the funk rhythms of James Brown and added the polyrhythms and layering of traditional African music. With Remain in Light, Talking Heads returned the favor, emphasizing layering and interlocking rhythmic patterns even more, and not only rhythms but also sounds. Anticipating hip hop, Eno built up the tunes out of loops cut out from two live jam sessions from the full band. In producer Brian Eno's hands, the complexity of this layering dwarfs anything Fela Kuti ever did. Which brings up another point, which is rarely discussed. Remain in Light is one of the most sonically rich and gorgeous albums ever made--Eno takes his unique and patented electronic processing to new heights. But as much credit as Eno deserves for the success of Remain in Light, it's hardly a one-man show. Tina Weymouth's bass lines are deeply funky, as is Jerry Harrison's chickenscratch guitar. Chris Frantz' drumming seems less distinctive to me, which is perhaps why Eno and David Byrne decided to bring in percussionist Jose Rossy, who later played with Weather Report. And I suspect that the interweaving vocal parts are largely the work of Byrne, enriched by contributions from soul singer Nona Hendryx. Another thing: it's wrong to say that there are no solos on this record--they're just deeply untraditional. Adrian Belew's avant guarde outbursts on guitar are refreshingly non linear, thrilling and absolutely brilliant. And world music pioneer Jon Hassel's processed trumpet solo on Seen and Not Seen gives the track a suitably eerie edge. As if all that weren't enough, Talking Heads even include one track that miraculously manages to weave Afrobeat, pop, and the Velvet Underground into one of the most indelible singles of the 80s, Once In A Lifetime. Remain in Light is damned near flawless.

"Remain in Light" is the fourth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on October 8, 1980. This album is considered to be their magnum opus, and as someone who has never listened to the band, I feel I better strap in! Talking Heads fall under the following genres, per Wikipedia: New wave, post-punk, world beat, funk, dance-rock, and art pop and I am colored with intrigue! Remain in Light opens with "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)," opens with funky bass rifs and a catchy guitar rhythm. There's some crazy David Byrne vocals and a cool guitary solo and that catchy guitar rhythm that never goes away! This is a fun song. The next song on this album is "Crosseyed and Painless," which is catchy and has lyrics about "facts are twisting the truth around" which seems relevant in today's hellscape of disinformation. It's fun! "The Great Curve," is track #3 on this album. It has a really fun surfer-ish guitar with bongo-ish drums. It's groooovy. And it has a dope guitar solo. "Once in a Lifetime" is the next track, and it's a song I've heard many times in pop culture. It's a fun song, it's catchy. I've never actually listened to the song in full, and the lyrics are crazy. The lyrics seem improvised... "there is water at the bottom of the ocean," and so on! "Houses in Motion," is track number 5 and features more funky guitar work and vocal harmonizing. It's very catchy and it has a haunting solo of an instrument I cannot identify! The next song, "Seen and Not Seen," has fun stream-of-conscience lyrics about a perfect face, which really blew my mind as I listened to this song while struggling to draw a face on a drawing I recently started. Anyway, this song has fun claps and a solid beat, and I like it! "Listening Wind" is the penultimate track on "Remain in Light". It has African-inspired percussion and eerie jungle noises. The guitar work sounds like animals! This song is very cool. "The Overload," is the final track on this album, and is it a doozy. Per Wikipedia: "Some have taken the final track on the album, "The Overload," to be Talking Heads' attempt to emulate the sound of British post-punk band Joy Division. It has been widely speculated - but never confirmed - that the song was made despite no band member having heard the music of Joy Division; rather, it may have been based on an idea of what the British quartet might sound like based on descriptions in the music press." I have never listened to Joy Division, so I don't have a frame of reference for this song, but it's spooky and brooding and dank, and I like it! This album is funky and fun and weird, and for that I really love it. I'm glad I finally gave this album a spin. I actually really liked their spooky attempt to be Joy Division. And Once in a Lifetime is simply iconic. Favorite track: Listening Wind Honorable mention: The Overload

Hot take time: The best Talking Heads album is Stop Making Sense. The album and movie especially showcase exactly what makes the band an all-timer (of course, I'm speaking of the latter edition of the album, the one with all 16 songs - apparently the original version of the soundtrack album only had 9 of the songs, which may explain why it's not on the list). And the live versions for the most part have even more appeal than the recorded originals. Crosseyed and Painless, the second song on this album, is more energetic on Stop Making Sense and becomes an absolute banger. This album's centerpiece includes the remarkable "The Great Curve" followed by one of the band's more famous songs, "Once In A Lifetime". The first five songs are close to perfect and really put you right in producer Brian Eno's world. The last three tracks didn't grab me at all on first listen, but improved quite a bit on repeat plays. This is the most complete Talking Heads studio album. An essential 40-minute listen. Spotify gave me the Deluxe Edition, which includes 4 unfinished outtakes to provide further proof the band was at the peak of their powers. And if you've never seen "Stop Making Sense", fix that mistake immediately. It's on the short list of the greatest rock music films.

After spending the previous three years being afraid of everything from the countryside and work to painting and music itself, David Byrne gets a goddamn grip and learns to let the days (and water, whatever that means) pass him by, tapping into a global groove that widens his outlook and softens his responses. If More Songs About Buildings and Food was the first Talking Heads album made with access to fresh air, this one is positively oceanic. Letters of thanks should be mailed to Brian Eno. His whacked-out guitar tunings are rock futurism built and demolished in the same instant. On Houses in Motion, he plays what can only be described as an elephant with its trunk up its arse. Throughout, he counsels Byrne (never a world beating songwriter) to pick his lyrics out of a hat, which elevates the pretty good ones to semi-parodic quite good ones (“Facts don't do what I want them to,” “Can’t stop, I might end up in hospital”), and leads to him stumbling on some genuinely great ones. Once In A Lifetime, obviously, but also the one about a kid who reads too many magazine and tries to change his face by sheer force of will. (Don't try it--doesn't work). While the one about Mojique doesn't hit the bull's eye, it does demonstrate just how far Byrne has stepped outside of himself. All the way into Africa.

One cool song. Style is mostly a repetitive loop. Bad lyrics, poor singing.

Once in a life times is enough

Born Under Punches is astounding, I can see why this is revolutionary

thought I would like it more than I did. Once in a Lifetime is still a great song

Innovative? Yes. Influential? Eh, maybe. Throw it on the heap of albums that are notable, but not necessarily a great listen. Also, it reminds me of that terrible Matt Damon movie about tiny people. Bet track: Seen and Not Seen

meh.

This album is undefeated. I love this album, I love Talking Heads, this is one of my top 15 albums of all time.

I'd heard Once in a Lifetime before, that was definitely a stand out track. Some of the tracks were better than others, a few felt a bit chaotic and didn't do anything for me. This album felt fine, but it was anything special.

Truly bangin’ album. Band in top form, kickstarting the 80s and art rock of the decade.

Rating (1/10): 6-9. DOYM (depends on your mood) Is there already a genre called TranceFunk? Prince without the sex, but that just means dancing can exist without lust; bigger frontiers for physical expression of the mind and soul. I'd forgotten what a great bass player Tina Weymouth is; totally underappreciated. Tom-Tom Club: https://youtu.be/aCWCF19nUhA Adrien Belew (via King Crimson): https://youtu.be/zqhhZRcFlws Remain In Light was on heavy rotation in the restaurant kitchen where I worked; this is great music to cook to. (Eno might find that quite the compliment.)

This was fun! A romp through the unique sound of Talking Heads. A bit experimental so there are some misses, but most of the songs are cool and weird.

Not a lot of surprises here. It's fine but none of it really seems like mine. Feels like being at a party where I don't know anyone but I don't really feel like getting to know anyone either. And the feeling's mutual.

One of my all time favorite albums. The inflexion point where Talking Heads became SO much more than a New York-CBGB band. David Byrne blossomed into (imho) the most creative and visionary songwriter, lyricist, musician and he guided this band onto bigger and better things. but it all started with this LP... so many great tracks -- Crosseyed and Painless (Facts are simple and facts are straight. Facts are lazy and facts are late); Once in a Lifetime (And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house, And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife); Born Under Punches (The hand speaks, the hand of a government man) , Houses In Motion (And as we watch him, Digging his own grave, It is important to know, That was where he's at, He can't afford to stop, That is what he believe He'll keep on digging, For a thousand years.... just an awesomely ecclectic collection of indelible songs. 10 stars

Of course, the first album it generates is my favorite album at the moment.

I have no thoughtful or academic review of this album, but it's so weird and I loved it.

One of the first albums I bought with my own money because my big sister had Talking Heads 77 and I really got into that but it felt silly even to a 10-year-old to buy another copy of a record we already had under our roof. Absolutely adore this album and it completely blew my mind it was profoundly influential for me as a musician. So I was a little surprised not all that long ago as I was really getting into African pop music of the 70s to notice that a lot of the ideas and sounds here are directly lifted from those tunes. I mean directly. I don't mean that as any sort of criticism because every musician is inspired by the sounds around them, and it certainly something Talking Heads have discussed openly. The lyrics are of course sui generis, like all Talking Heads. I particularly love the lyrics to "Seen and Not Seen." As a tween I used to ponder them endlessly and wonder if that's what lay ahead for me. For many years I regarded it as fantasy but now I've reached a point where I see it's more true than not. There's not enough talk in this world about the musicianship of this band. Tina Weymouth on bass particularly stands out as one of the most interesting and, at least to this bassist, influential electric bass players. I heard David Byrne was a total dick to her and constantly wanted to replace her which is really unfortunate and misguided if you consider that her playing and singing on Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" (side project made a little after Remain in Light) might be the most sampled and ripped off bass line in the history of music. I'm kind of at the point where I can't listen to this record anymore I played it so many times so instead what I like to do is go on YouTube and search out this one particular show they played in Rome in 1980 promoting this album. it's about an hour long will absolutely shred your mind. What an incredible band!

The second Talking Heads album I've ever listened to and I like it much, much better.

Nothing to say that hasn’t been said 100x before. I don’t like to give 5 stars unless an album is literally perfect. That’s the case here

Unfortunately, this album is as good as the nerds at /mu/ say it is.

I listened to my first Talking a heads album only a week or so ago and absolutely loved it. Today I’ll be listening to another, and I’m quite understandably optimistic for this one. If it’s anything like the other, then it certainly bodes well. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: Once In A Lifetime Favourites: Once In A Lifetime, Crosseyed and Painless Thankfully, this did not let me down! The music is so very interesting, and I love the slap bass and just how much it adds to the music. I’ll definitely have to learn some of these tracks on my bass because they sound so fun! I also never realised that Once In A Lifetime was Talking Heads. It comes on the radio every now and then and it’s an absolute bop. Definitely give this a listen because it’s great.

So many interesting sounds, rhythms and melodies colliding all over this. Very clever how the first half is relentlessly upbeat, followed by the complete opposite at the end. Most of this is probably obscure to the casual fan apart from "Once In A Lifetime", which amazingly is in the bottom tier of songs here. Excellent stuff

This is without a doubt one of the best albums that have ever been produced simply because of the fact that is walks the tightrope of being danceable and sophisticated at the same time ("Crosseyed and Painless", "Houses in Motion" are the best examples for this). The musicianship is just grand with the inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrobeat to construct polyrhythms as the backbone of the great instrumentation carried by bass, keyboards and guitars (Adrian Belew, here as a guest, delivers one of his best work) and David Byrne's lyrics. This is a masterpiece. I'd give it 6 star if I could!

First things first, my semi-obligatory and tailored review for records that Brian Eno was involved with: Another classic Brian Eno record, once again featuring Talking Heads. Now that that’s out of the way… Actually, never mind, I feel like that’s a really important subject to touch on. Normally I don’t really give a fuck about who produces a record, but I can’t help but feel that over the course of the records he produced for them, Brian Eno molded Talking Heads in the band he wanted them to be - or maybe more accurately, the band he wanted to be in. I mean, he introduces them to Fela Kuti records and next thing you know they’re making a record that is so indebted to Fela Kuti that the Fela Kuti estate should get royalties from it. That’s exhibit A. Exhibit B: The song “King’s Lead Hat” from Eno’s 1977 solo record “Before and After Science”. You might be thinking, “That’s a weird song title,” and you’d be right, it is. It’s also an anagram of the phrase “Talking Heads”. Listen to the song, it was released 3 years before this record. Then listen to what the Talking Heads sounded like in 1977. There is a damn good case to be made that “King’s Lead Hat” was a blueprint for where Eno thought Talking Heads should go. I mean, just listen to the overly processed, glitched-out guitar solo on it and think about Adrian Belew’s solo on “Born Under Punches” and his work throughout Remain in Light. Now, I’m not trying to say that Brian Eno was the mastermind of this band, pulling the strings and forcing them to be the band that they became, but I do think it’s unlikely they make this record, with the influences it has and as well crafted as it is, without him. That might seem like a back handed compliment, but it’s what a good producer should do: get the best out of the artist they’re working with. Brian Eno more than succeed in that on Remain in Light; this is undoubtedly the best Talking Heads record.

A desert island disc, 40 lean minutes of paranoia and downtown trepidation translated to monochord jams. Byrne sounds at wit’s end, and why shouldn’t he be? Reagan is here and the world is ending — might as well dance a little.

Funky and frenetic... wonderful and weird... thick with grooves... dripping with musical influences, but stunningly original. T-Heads made brilliant albums, always, and this was arguably their best. Brian Eno's influence is strongly felt, with shades of his album Before and After Science in particular. But the band is very much still themselves here, just better than they had been before, more layered and complex. It's a partnership that really works. David Byrne's presence crackles as always, with a whirlwind of lyrics that are like reading the manifesto of some prophet or mad genius. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Once in a Lifetime, The Great Curve, Listening Wind, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, The Overload

This is a sonically radical, lyrical maze of an album. Remain in light asks: what does it mean to be given five stars? It required multiples listens but I think I've cracked it. As a government man, I got hooked by the rythyms, bamboozled and then intrigued by the lyrics. A great listen and genre bending piece of art. Want to walk around a big bright city and listen to this over and over.

'Once in a lifetime' is one of the all time greats. Really enjoyed 'Seen and not seen'. A Challenging listen at times, but overall it's somewhat brilliant.

No skips I love the basslines and African elements Crosseyed and Painless/Once in a Lifetime were my favourites I would easily listen to this again

5.0 - Incredible. The first few tracks sound like Fela Kuti through a neon filter with instrumental solos that sound wildly futuristic even by today's standards. "One in a Lifetime" is a masterpiece of songwriting, imagery and sound production. The tone and tempo mellow for the second half, ending with a Joy Division-esque dirge with "The Overload." This is a nuanced, heady, kinetic and bafflingly awesome listen.

This album starts off with a bang with the frenetic African polyrhythms of Born Under Punches. Fela Kuti’s influence is unmistakeable. The chemistry of the band and guests is also magic in a bottle: Eno, Belew, Hendryx and Hassell’s trumpet! The intensity is maintained with the next few songs: Crosseyed, The Great Curve and Once in a lifetime. In particular Adrian Belew’s guitar is astonishing on the Great Curve. The pace slowly gets turned down with each successive song but the incredible quality of the songs is maintained throughout right to the end. Seen and not Seen is the perfect bridge between the more upbeat African polyrhythmic songs to the two sonic masterpieces The Listening Wind and The Overload. Talking Heads put out many really great albums but this is their very best, and that is saying a lot. One of my favourite albums of all time.

And you may ask yourself, what is this beautiful house? It’s this album!

I loved this shit. Such cool African influences — shoutout Fela Kuti… also some Caribbean/ Soca influences? Yessir

It was good! The music really brings you into the song.

This is my favourite of the Talking Heads albums I’ve heard to date. The repetition that would drive me mad on any other record is saved and strengthened by two things: it’s fun and funky as shit, and it’s human. This is not the work of samplers: the loops are played live. The back half of the album drags on a bit. I think The Overload would have worked better as a mid-album palette cleanse rather than a closer and placed next to Listening Wind (a strong track - love the guitar here! - but not the most energetic.) Standouts: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, Once In A Lifetime, Listening Wind 4.25

Once in a Lifetime always thrills me; the rest fusses past. The torrent of words and instruments, full of excitement, do not excite me much of the time. Three TH albums in, I respect them and am usually left tepid. This got a little stickier on the second and third plays, reminding me of the Fall, who have a similar effect on me: impressed by the density of ideas, unconvinced by the structure beneath them.

Great start, but got a little muddled towards the end. So much talent. A little too much at the end.

Once in a lifetime is by far the best song. The rest of the album is a bit weird but fine to listen to I guess

It had some pretty good songs. But there were more songs I wasn’t really a fan of.

Didn't know most of these songs apart from "Once in a lifetime". That track is still the stand out. The rest of the songs didn't really grab me on a first listen. might need to come back for another listen.

I recognize that this album is unique and experimental and has some bangers however it's not really my thing, wouldn't catch me listening to the whole album again

I am bored listening to this album; most songs aren't doing anything particularly interesting, and strike me as repetitive. It's fine background music but not a keeper for me.

Is every TH album a must listen? Sonically, this is an interesting album, but nothing to write home about. Once in a Lifetime does the heavy lifting here.

Not as good I had hoped

liked 3 or 4 songs, super experimental

I honestly couldn't tell you why but Once in a Lifetime is bit of a banger. Other than that it's okay - Not sure I'd buy the album just for the one track

Pretty underwhelming just kinda forget I’m even listening to music typa album... not bad just ehh whatever sure ig.... it’s got some good tunes okay lol

Decent album that, 40 years later, lost its groundbreaking appeal for me

Did not like this album. The sound was very robotic and very noisy. It felt like I was hearing loud noises instead of music.

Idk why but I found myself physically incapable of finishing this album, nothing bad though

Overall if this album is Talking Heads' "magnum opus" then I'm not really impressed. I suppose at the time of release this style of music was more modern, edgy and experimental but listening to it in 2023 I don't find anything in particular that grabs me. It's all just sort of a jumble of sound with some haphazard lyrics thrown in and not mixed well, maybe that's the point, I don't know.

Déjà vu review One song’s a stained glass window in a church where all the other windows are clear or have been blown out. Once in a lifetime is vivid colour and the rest aren’t worth a mention in the visitors book.

Another fucking talking heads album? 2/5.

p461, 1980. 2 stars It's not bad, its just not great either. Too many tracks just meander. Brian Eno on form though. Great guitar work on The Great Curve. Other than Once In A Lifetime, nothing left a lasting impression. Not on the replay list.

This album is anxiety inducing. I hated everything. I can’t believe this was allowed to be released much less hailed to be an incredible album.

Perfect no notes

IMO the best Talking Heads album.

It’s impossible to talk about Remain in Light without talking about rhythm—layered, hypnotic, unrelenting. This isn’t just an album that flirts with Afrobeat; it fully absorbs it, reshaping itself in its image. Talking Heads fully commit, building entire songs out of restless, looping patterns that never stop moving. The opening one-two punch of Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) and Crosseyed and Painless is pure nervous energy, while The Great Curve is a monster—Tina Weymouth’s bass and Chris Frantz’s drums locked together like a machine, with Adrian Belew’s guitar screeching and contorting like it’s trying to escape reality itself. It’s dense, intricate, and completely hypnotic. Brian Eno fingerprints are everywhere. He didn’t just produce this record; he shaped it, layering sounds in a way that pushes Remain in Light beyond post-punk into something closer to a living organism. There’s an argument to be made that this is just as much an Eno album as a Talking Heads one, but if that’s true, it’s one of the best things either of them ever put their names on. Remain in Light never loses that Talking Head weirdness though David Byrne spends the whole record sounding like a man having a crisis, ranting about political paranoia, fragmented identity, and, in Seen and Not Seen, literally monologuing about reshaping his own face through sheer willpower. And then there’s Once in a Lifetime, the most famous track here—somehow fusing pop, anxiety and existential dread into one of the greatest singles of the ‘80s. It’s a song that feels like a nervous breakdown you can dance to. This is one of those albums that was so ahead of its time that entire genres are still catching up. There is still water flowing underground...

Phwoarrrrrr. No notes. One of the GOATs.

Very ecliptic. Good melodies with great drum beats

This really deserves its reputation. Absolute bop throughout with once in a lifetime and crosseyed highlights

Talking Heads' *Remain in Light* (1980) stands as a landmark achievement in modern music, blending avant-garde experimentation with infectious rhythms to create a record that transcends genre. A collaborative triumph between the band and producer Brian Eno, the album redefined post-punk and new wave through its fusion of African polyrhythms, funk grooves, and dystopian lyricism. Over eight tracks, it explores existential anxiety, societal conformity, and political disillusionment through a lens of rhythmic ecstasy and technological innovation. --- ## Musical Innovation and Production *Remain in Light* marked a radical departure from Talking Heads' earlier guitar-driven post-punk. Inspired by Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and Eno’s ambient sensibilities, the band constructed songs through layered jams, looping rhythmic patterns, and overdubbed instrumentation. Tracks like **“Born Under Punches”** and **“The Great Curve”** showcase frenetic polyrhythms anchored by Chris Frantz’s drumming and Tina Weymouth’s hypnotic basslines, while Adrian Belew’s guitar work adds searing, synth-like textures[2][3][5]. Brian Eno’s production techniques were revolutionary. The album was built using tape loops and overdubs, creating dense sonic collages that juxtaposed organic percussion with synthetic elements. This approach is exemplified in **“Once in a Lifetime”**, where Jerry Harrison’s pulsing synths and Belew’s chaotic guitar solos coalesce into a transcendent whole[2][6]. The result is a paradoxical mix of mechanical precision and human spontaneity. --- ## Lyrical Themes and Narrative Voice David Byrne’s lyrics oscillate between paranoid introspection and wry social commentary. **“Once in a Lifetime”** remains iconic for its existential refrain (“And you may ask yourself, *How did I get here?*”), critiquing materialism and autopilot existence[1][6]. Meanwhile, **“Crosseyed and Painless”** dissects information overload with lines like *“Facts are simple and facts are straight / Facts don’t do what I want them to”*, presaging the confusion of the digital age[6]. The album’s backing vocals act as a Greek chorus, offering counterpoint to Byrne’s anxious delivery. In **“The Great Curve”**, Nona Hendryx and Eno’s harmonies soften Byrne’s apocalyptic imagery (“The world moves on a woman’s hips”), creating a dynamic tension between chaos and order[7]. This interplay elevates the lyrics from mere observations to universal meditations. --- ## Themes: Existentialism and Societal Critique The record grapples with themes of **alienation** and **identity loss** in a mechanized world. **“Houses in Motion”** uses staccato horns and disjointed rhythms to mirror its protagonist’s fractured self-perception, while **“Listening Wind”** critiques colonialism through the story of Mojique, a marginalized insurgent[3][6]. Byrne’s characters often oscillate between control and helplessness, reflecting the era’s political disillusionment post-Vietnam and Watergate. The closing track, **“The Overload”**, diverges sharply with its gothic-industrial atmosphere. Inspired by Joy Division, its murky synths and cryptic lyrics (“*A terrible signal / Too weak to even recognize*”) evoke societal collapse, serving as a haunting epilogue to the preceding rhythmic euphoria[2][4]. --- ## Influence and Legacy *Remain in Light* reshaped the trajectory of alternative music. Its rhythmic complexity influenced acts like LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead, while its production techniques became blueprints for electronic and world music fusion. Notably: - **Critical Reception**: Ranked #39 on *Rolling Stone*’s 2020 “500 Greatest Albums” list and praised as “a visionary Afrofunk synthesis” by Robert Christgau[5]. - **Genre Impact**: Pioneered the “Afropop” movement, inspiring Paul Simon’s *Graceland* and Vampire Weekend’s eclectic sound[5][6]. - **Cultural Reach**: “Once in a Lifetime” became a cultural touchstone via its surreal MTV video, cementing Talking Heads’ mainstream appeal[3][5]. --- ### Pros 1. **Innovative Sound**: Seamlessly integrates African rhythms, funk, and avant-garde electronics[2][5]. 2. **Lyrical Depth**: Combines existential philosophy with biting social critique[1][6]. 3. **Production Mastery**: Eno’s layered techniques create a richly textured, immersive experience[2][3]. ### Cons 1. **Accessibility**: The abstract structure and dense arrangements may alienate casual listeners[4]. 2. **Uneven Pacing**: Later tracks like **“The Overload”** and **“Listening Wind”** feel disjointed compared to the album’s energetic first half[2][4]. 3. **Ambiguity**: Byrne’s surreal metaphors occasionally obscure narrative coherence[6][7]. --- ## Conclusion Four decades after its release, *Remain in Light* remains a towering achievement. Its exploration of rhythm as a narrative device, coupled with Byrne’s incisive lyricism, creates a record that is both intellectually rigorous and viscerally thrilling. While its experimental nature poses challenges, the album’s willingness to interrogate modernity’s anxieties ensures its relevance in an increasingly fragmented world. A masterpiece of tension and release, it stands as Talking Heads’ definitive statement—a work where danceability and dissonance coexist in perfect harmony.

I LOVE THE TALKING HEADS!!!!!!!!!! And it makes me so upset that Speaking In Tongues and Stop Making Sense aren't on this list. Especially Stop Making Sense since it is one of the most critically acclaimed live events of all time, and there are plenty of subpar live albums here. Like who really cares about a live Cheap Trick album... Anyways, this album is so much fun. Great grooves, infectious melodies, and great song writing throughout. It is impossible not to sing along to the "I'm still waiting" part of Crosseyed and Painless. And don't get me started about that chorus melody. I know people don't like the 2nd half of this album as much but I love how it ends on a slow and creepy song, idk why but it just ties the album together in a really weird way for me. High 5!!!

Wow! Just the right mixture of weirdness, uniqueness and most importantly: absolute quality. 'Remain In Light' sounds awesome with so many diverse and exciting elements. I didn't expect to like it this much, but this one bangs. A strong 5.

Imagine listening to Born Under Punches or Once in a Lifetime for the first time Favourite Track: Once in a Lifetime Least Fav Track: honestly? There isn’t one

One of a kind

Same as it ever was!

Another very interesting album from Talking Heads.

great record awesome band

I liked it

Even the radio hit that sounds almost out of place cant force a flaw I this absolute masterpiece

Love it! Weird and accessible

This was such a great album. It might be my favorite Talking Heads album although Speaking in Tongues is also amazing. I love the afro beat influence on this record and specifically the influence from Fela Kuti. The rhythms and polyrhythms and experimental nature on this album really grabbed me. I liked the instrumentals. Once in a Lifetime is an all time classic but I also really enjoyed The Great Curve. Once again, I'm realizing that LCD Soundsystem is basically just a continued Talking Heads and I love LCD Soundsystem. The Overload by Talking Heads also made me want to listen to The Overload by Yard Act. Now that I think of it.... Yard Act is also definitely inspired by Talking Heads.

hell yeah this is fucking cool. i just... how the fuck did they manage to make such a cool album? 5/5 (some other things about the talking heads: i was in the costume department of the school play, and the drama teacher asked us to design a set of costume that both looks cool and convinent for the actor to dance in. And i just thought of david bryne's big suit and made a parody of it. although it is just a not-so-oversized suit while still exaggrating the body outline.)

Let's get one thing out of the way for starters. Could someone handling this app just erase the "contributions" of the lunatic who kept on leaving stupid salacious "stories" instead of reviews at some point -- stories such as the one currently topping this section for *Remain In Light", for instance, *this one being particularly dumb, predictable and unfunny*. For real, who "liked" that review? (sigh). You could preserve the one said deranged bloke wrote about Napalm Death's *Scum*, because it's obviously his Sistine Chapel -- very graphic and picturesque, and somehow indirectly pertaining to the actual contents of that other album, in a way, lol. But anything else can be scrapped, honestly. It's so dour and tiring. I'm all for free speech and the likes, but the man isn't even among us anymore, he left after 600 hundred albums or so. So who cares, really? OK, take this as an unfunny joke of my own... I know I'm here to review *albums*, and not to *review other reviews* anyway. The thing is, I'm not sure of what I could say about Talking Heads' magnum opus that hasn't already be written a hundred times before. "Remain In Light* is their own masterpiece, their own Afrobeat-influenced Sistine Chapel, famously pulled off with the pivotal help of genius producer Brian Eno (and also stellar musicians such as Jon Hassel or King Crimson's Andrian Belew). *Once In A Lifetime* must be among my ten favorite songs ever, so it's the obvious centerpiece here -- one I don't think I will ever be tired of listening to, because there are always some new details that bring me back to it. These days, it's the fact that Brian Eno's voice is actually so prominent alongside David Byrne's vocals for its perfect chorus, for instance... With a calling card like that, how can you *not* explore the album? And truth be told, large swaths of the whole LP reach those exact same heights. "Born Under Punches" and "Crosseyed and Painless" are infectious white funk machines with catchy hooks and a relentless groove. "Houses In Motion" or "The Great Curve" are less immediate, but they reward repeated listens. And the album's got another absolutely favorite TH song of mine, "Listening Wind", with its suddenly moving and elegiac atmosphere and its not-so-cryptic critique of American economic colonialism. Even so-called "deeper cuts" such as "Seen And Not Seen" (about the psychotic effects of consumer society) and ominous closer "The Overload" (possibly Joy Division-adjacent, or so I hear from a reviewer) are worth the detour here. I can picture myself going out from a projection of *Blade Runner* in 1981 and listening to those songs on my walkman (did they already exist, then?), my head still in the movie's hellish urban landscapes... Byrne's postmodernist imagination is also on fire for the lyrics (and as some other reviewers pointed out in here, the themes of constant simulacrum, derealization and alienation they suggest are just timeless). And sonic flourishes abound, never so prominent to distract from the overall grooves of the song, and yet still distinctively there to give the flavours needed to take those tracks to a whole other level. That studio-as-an-instrument approach did wonders here (just as it did for Byrne and Eno's collaborative album "My Life In The Bush Of Ghost", another reference point recorded in that same era that sheds light on the way *Remain In Light" was conceptualized and performed in general). Lots of genius brains involved, but lots of heart as well. You don't pull off vocals like that, or insane rhythms sections like this (the Frantz-Weymouth combo), or intricate and out-of-this-world guitar licks like that (Jerry Harrison) without giving out a little sweat. The best of both worlds, and the best album of 1980. 5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 10/10 for more general purposes (5 + 5) Number of albums left to review: around forty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 459 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 271 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 331

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless Once in a Lifetime Houses in Motion

Added to my rotation

One of my favourite albums ever, didn't click on the first listen, then boy did it click after watching "Stop Making Sense" - which made it.... make... sense... Amazing album :)

Thanks ENA

Will never forget listening to born under punches for the first time while I was mean to be revising for my GCSEs. I became a talking heads aficionado soon after. I failed History.

One of my favorites and a very important and influential album for reasons most here would find too boring or weird

one of my all time favorites. killer from front to back

Although this is only my 2nd favourite Talking Heads album (Speaking In Tongues not being included in the book is an appalling decision), it is by far their most unique. There’s really not anything else much like this and the level of creativity on display is incredible. Only David Byrne and Brian Eno could produce something this, over 40 years ago! The run of tracks 1-5 is possibly the best 5 song run I’ve ever heard. The one negative about this album is the next 3 songs, which aren’t quite as good. But it’s still a solid 5/5.

Fantastic album, incredibly eclectic but in the best way. Front-loaded but still consistently good

Amazing album. From "Born Under Punches" to "Houses in Motion" is up there for best song runs on an album. Appreciate the meditative later half- I kind of forgot about those songs and enjoyed the opportunity to re-listen.

Freking amazing. David Byrne is a genius.

Uskomattpman terävää menoa huhhuh

❤️

Full-on 10/10 classic album. The first side is a masterpiece of ethnic-inspired funk, and side two is as good, with a more traditional (?) alt-rock viewpoint. Every music lover should listen to this album , at least once and at high volume.

Me gusta

This is music that paints a movie in your mind. Pure symphonic composition. This band was limitless.

Great

One of the GOATs for sure. One of those albums that is so influential and yet still stands up as simply an incredible record that is inimitable.