Remain In Light

un peu brouillon mais trql

It was okay, experimental pero no algo that I would listen to on the daily. I liked the different melodies in each song tho

3.5/5

Autistic jams

Another artist I’m familiar with but the first album that’s been generated with a woman artist involved! There are plenty of talking heads songs I really like, as a band from the 80s I pretty much like them on principle. But sometimes their songs really over stimulate me lol. Not what I would consider ‘easy listening’. When I realized this album had Once in a Lifetime on it, the most overstimulating of their songs, I strapped in. Lots of beeps and boops. Lots of talk singing, and that classic David Byrne yell-singing. I can describe David Byrne’s vocals as the guy at the bar that’s drunk enough that you’re kind of scared of him. This one had the most tracks of any of the albums so far. And I like a decent amount of them but they kind of blend together. I had to listen a couple times to grasp them individually. That could be a testament to the cohesiveness of the album as a whole, which I can appreciate. By the 3rd or 4th listen I was starting to get into the groove of it. The Overload was the track that took me by surprise, I can sense a little The Doors influence, a little gothy influence. I know a lot of musicians who really like Talking Heads and I can tell why people who are passionate about music like them. They make music that you have to pay close attention to absorb all of it. There wasn’t a track I disliked necessarily just parts of the songs I dislike. But standout tracks for me would probably be The Great Curve and Houses in Motion.

Not for me, but glad I tried it!

Very good album. So many different sounds. A pleasure to sit back, relax and just listen.

Once in a lifetime, this album is fine to listen to. It started off slow, but had a solid finish. Favorite Track: "Once In A Lifetime".

Interesting album, must have sounded crazy in 1980.

First few tracks felt all the same, then we get "Once in a Lifetime," who is iconic, and then there's a lot of stuff that feels very experimental. Not the stuff I like best about them, but it grew on me.

"The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material." Michelangelo The studio once appeared as a site of possibility. Its promise was that a "non-musician" like Eno and an "art punk" like Byrne could, through technology, approximation and montage, approach what someone like Fela Kuti could generate live - not by imitating Afrobeat, but by redistributing agency across machines, rooms and bodies. Remain in Light emerges at the moment when that promise is still operative, but already compromised. The album stages a tension between process and product. Were these songs excavated from collective improvisation, or were they the arbitrary limits imposed once the jam became unmanageable for nerds like Brian and David? The answer is both. What begins as open-ended circulation is rapidly territorialised. Groove is captured, looped, stabilised. What had the potential to remain social becomes fixed as recording. Where Byrne once brought songs to the band, he now extracts or distils songs from them. It is an anti-social act that suits his twitchy subject matter. The comparison with Zombie is instructive. Fela’s grooves are not frameworks to be escaped but environments to be occupied. They remain open to mutation in real time. Repetition produces not stasis but duration - a collective inhabiting of time. Remain in Light, by contrast, offers repetition without inhabitation. The loops do not deepen; they accumulate. More and more material is added. The groove becomes a structure rather than a situation. Byrne’s voice makes this contradiction audible. He cannot dissolve into rhythm because dissolution is precisely what the music - and his persona - withholds. His fidgety presence, the sense of nervous motion without arrival, registers an emerging condition: recorded music becoming aware of its own enclosure. And enclosure implies ownership, which Byrne and Eno quietly claim for themselves. The studio is no longer a space of liberation but a site where freedom is simulated, then parcelled off. In this sense, Remain in Light documents a historical transition. For decades, the studio appeared to offer limitless expansion. Through the 50s, 60s, 70s and into the 80s, it promised new spaces, new temporalities, new freedoms. Now, as the live room contracts into the home studio and the laptop, that promise looks different. The studio no longer expands what music can be so much as multiplies its options. More tools, fewer exits. Contemporary production is quantised, on the grid, digitally perfected in infinite ways. That’s all. Remain in Light doesn’t fail to achieve transcendence; it diagnoses its impossibility under late modernity. Byrne’s later discomfort with the Talking Heads catalogue is already encoded here - the sense of being trapped inside canonical versions of once-fluid processes. But that’s what he had to do, because that’s the purpose of a pop artist. And, of course, he didn’t want to share the process with his bandmates. Groove is all feel, and he wanted to overthink it with Eno. 3 I ought to like Talking Heads more than I do. That they were capable of stretching themselves creatively (or at least being contrary enough) to produce Remain in Light rather than something safer, more predictable and less colourful should be enough to earn the admiration of someone who holds up Kid A, for example, as a favourite record. That the band were able to suppress their egos enough to submit more than ever to the dominant creative oversight of Brian Eno and the substantive musical contribution of guest musicians should be enough. The only problem is I never actually want to listen to this album. I approve without enjoying. I acknowledge the elegance and distinctiveness of the grooves that populate most of this record but I can’t help feeling that there is always stasis. There is little narrative in the song structures, much less in the lyrics - cool mutterings about nothing much. There is approximate repetition without development. Variation is superficial and centred on timbre, where there is variation at all. Once rhythmic momentum is achieved you are simply spun round and round - a funny noise here, Byrne shouting something or other there - to no particular destination. If kids in the park could climb aboard there’d be vomit everywhere. If there is a sense that these tracks constantly escape being defined by the underlying banality of the musical architecture it’s only because the tracks end after 4 or 5 minutes. Am I just describing pop music though, and making Talking Heads accountable for sins that are generally winked at simply because TH had the audacity to do pop music a little differently? Sure, Once in a Lifetime sets up a successful four bar chorus (one in which each bar is almost identical to the last) and then beats you over the head with it, count em, 6 times in just over 4 minutes. But that’s just pop music isn’t it? Only this is ‘better’ because we credit the additional imaginativeness of its being Afrobeat through a New-Wave filter? Right? Probably. Pop music only better. But there is also the possibility that it’s Afrobeat only worse - none of the musical patience of a Fela Kuti track where the groove ebbs and flows in defined episodes over (very) long running times. Little room for any particular musician to express themselves. None of the lyrical purpose either. Byrne’s lyrics, like the music, are really just a carnival of fragments - superficial, no more than a childish bid for your momentary attention as you spin on Brian Eno’s magic roundabout. Anyway I am complaining a lot for something I am about to give a half-decent mark to. Sure nothing on Remain in Light actually moves me. The thrills aren’t that thrilling. The beauty isn’t particularly beautiful. But Remain in Light is distinctively itself; unmistakeable like a good logo. That’s more than half the battle in pop music or any kind of music. So here’s more than half the marks. 3/5

Fine, I feel reinforced in my ambivalence towards the talking heads.

Not my normal style of song, but surprisingly I did enjoy it and wold listen again in the future 👍

Real good and funky. Favourites are: (In order) Fela’s Riff, Once in a Lifetime, Born under punches

Another band that is rightfully famous for their singles.

Great album in general, not exactly my type of music but two songs landed in my playlist 😜

C'était honnêtement pas si mal, je m'attendais à rien et c'est passé tout seul. Par contre vraiment les delux faut arrêter c'est juste chiant, au moins laisser la version original, à la limite les sons remastered ça va mais à chaque fois on a des albums à rallonge par rapport à l'original

pas trop mon style mais reste assez bien

My first time listening to a Talking Heads album all the way through. It was fun and quirky but nothing really beyond that. Would probably give it 3.5/5 if I could but it will end up getting a 3/5 because I didn't think it was that good to warrant a 4.

Weird, but better than the last I listened to. Gets an extra point for Once In A Lifetime, even though I originally thought the chorus was by Crowded House.

I probably preferred both of the other Talking Heads albums from this list. This one was great but I almost got lost in the repetitive, hypnotic grooves of every song and whilst I was completely engrossed in it, most of the tracks didn't have the overall capture that I got from previous releases.

Pretty weird but also pretty cool too

Gah I really want to like Talking Heads but they're just a bit odd for me. Found myself frowning a lot more at this than I smiled so there's your answer

Love the Heads, though there’s inevitably a point on every album where I kind of zone out. The songs turn into repetitive low-key chants and I wonder where the last four tracks went. Don’t misunderstand; they have multiple righteous bangers, they just don’t always cohere into a listenable whole like Stop Making Sense.

Don’t get me wrong this is a good album. I feel like it requires a very specific vibe and dictates the listening experience accordingly and stressed out of my mind trying to get a theater show up was likely not the vibe that Mr Byrne had in mind while putting this one together. I’ll have to give it a second listen when I’ve got nothing going on to give a real score. Instrumentally amazing, lyrically fun and interesting. It starts very same thing again and again and not changing dynamically. Once in a lifetime obviously sticks out as the hit but it’s guilty of the same thing. A lot of these songs just sit in the same dynamic for the whole 6 minute run time. I did listen to the deluxe to be fair, a lot longer and drawn out and like 4 more just the same thing for 6 minute songs. Super interesting, the deluxe has a demo of this must be the place with no lyrics and It really points out how much David Byrne brings to this thing. It’s just A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B forever but His vocals are what make it interesting. Again, the mood for this is super important. I’m at a high 3, realistically will listen again and give it a 4.

i like like the music, will definitely look more into the band

Don’t know how I feel about the Talking Heads still after 2 albums now…

This was a fun listen but not anything to write home about.

I don't like Talikg Heads. Period. Nothing against who does ;)

I can see the artistry behind this project and understand why it has received the acclaim that it has, but I was not in the mood to really hear something like this today. I'm sitting more on a 3.5 for this one, but I'm not in the mood to bump it up to 4.

Not really my fit. I mean, there were some good songs in the album, but overall I wasn't feeling it. Just felt like I needed to push through to get it over with.

Good grooves as always , some songs too repetitive with abrasive noises like b52 style

3 Stars (8/15)

Weird funky little album.

Klassiske låter

Mixed view on this. Most of the album is catchy but dull. Obviously the well known standout track is what sold this album in numbers...

Entrancing work! If David Byrne would be a teenager now, he would be a total memelord. A whole album is a little too much for me though

Some really cool arrangements on this album, blending synth and traditional rock instruments. These guys are great at playing music and production, but the vocal style began to wear thin on me as the tracks went along. I’d definitely be interested to hear if their sound evolves at all on later albums. 3/5

Better than expected, just not a fan. Liked how the second half was a little moodier

Not my thing, really, but still a fun album.

listened to the whole album, one or two famous songs, all in all - 3/5

A weird one for sure. Glad I listened, unlikely that I listen again.

Couple memorable songs but overall a slow listen. Houses In Motion had good funk until the whimpering horns ruined it.

Pretty good. A little long and repetitive. Not as into the unfinished tracks at the end.

some pretty good grooves but a lot of the songs are frantic and make me anxious

quite fun album that i would listen to again. fun sounds coming from this group.

Enjoyable enough, but I'd be fine not hearing this again. Somehow many of the songs seem to start very strong but fade each minute.

The percussion was solid, kept this from falling to 2-star territory

Meh

The Talking Heads have some great moments, but they delve too much into prolonged jammy-weirdness for me to really get into them. Solid ...

Son los de psycho killer!¡ no lo sabía he escuchado muuuuu poco pero lo que he escuchado me ha gustado mucho, les doy un 6,5 sinceramente pero podría haber aumentado si hubiera esuchado más

Saved by the back half, would have been a 2. I like it when they get atmospheric

reminds me a bit of Dace Matthews Band but maybe not? I feel like I know Talking Heads songs but don’t know which. This has definitely been an influence for other bands.

Cool, zaney, funky, progressive and yet not all that cohesive. Maybe that was the intent to be so far forward pushing that it loses melodic value and compositional skills. But, not all that bad. Fela's riff was super melodic and Once in a life time from this album. But the rest felt like non specific nu wave jam filler. And thats okay, I know im critical but some gen xers really built their lives around it.

Knew of this band for Once in a Lifetime and a couple other hits, but can’t say I cared for this album much more than that. It was interesting to read about the Fela Kuti influence as I reviewed an album of his just recently, but as for this one I don’t plan to revisit again.

"Once in a Lifetime", "Cross-eyed and Painless", and "Houses in motion" are some tops. Fun Talking Heads.

I enjoyed some of the new sounds they experimented with but overall I thought the album was just so-so.

I didn’t hate but didn’t love it

Once In a Lifetime is the big radio hit.

They've got a couple of recognisable classics, but I found the rest kinda un-memorable.

Some songs were nice, some others not, thats it for today

I suppose this album is nice. Some songs are good. However, others are bland. I have a mixed opinion on this one. I felt interesting some parts, but I don't like how the album has been developed sometimes. It's not bad, though, but it's not something that I would highlight either.

Once in a Lifetime is such an all time classic it overshadows everything else on the album. On first listen not much else jumped out at me and I found the 80's bass twang and David Byrnes vocals annoying. On repeat listens it did grow on me - but I did not love it - other than Once in a Lifetime.

Not bad

The USA goes for another Great Band. There’s some great stuff. And Byrne is a hero to most but he doesn’t mean shit to me. Rude motherfucker who tries to hide behind undiagnosed autism. You get cold unemotional music saved by a terrific band - Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Chris Franz. Like the UKs Attractions far more deserving of a better songwriter and leader. None the less this is essential listening.

Fängt relativ langweilig an, macht aber ab der Mitte richtig Laune. Das schön im Cabrio hören und dabei Capri Eis lutschen.

Die repetitiven Elemente nutzen sich mit der Zeit etwas ab, aber „Once In A Lifetime“ bleibt ein absoluter Banger und ist das Highlight des Albums.

3.5 stars

It’s fine. I get why it’s important but they have much better albums.

Same as it ever was

I feel really weird about this album because I definitely like and appreciate it, but I have never in my entire life said "I'm going to sit down and listen to Talking Heads." Not sure why. I appreciate it from a distance but it has no staying power in my life. I think theyre missing something small and I don't know what it is.

7.5/10

Overall a great album from a great era. Groovy music although some of the songs I found to be rather monotonous and repetitive. Born under Punches and Once in a Lifetime are highlights.

Love it. Byrne has such a unique style it’s hard to miss. First time sitting down with this record.

6/10

It's OK. Starts off pretty well, Once in a a lifetime is a banger but looses steam towards the end.

I don't get it.

How did this get here?

Love Talking Heads. This album has one of my all time favorite songs on it, Once In A Lifetime. As a whole not a bad album.

This is the Talking Heads at their best. Some really fun and upbeat songs. With that being said I find their style very repetitive and uninteresting. 3/5

O álbum no geral é legal, mas confesso que achei cansativo em algumas passagens. Celest Phoenixcall.

I like their first album the most by a lot Will I listen to again: 75%

More experimental than most Talking Heads that I remember. Good album

Once in a Lifetime is a great tune and the rest didn't really hit for me, but I'd listen again.

Couldn't really get into other songs other than the OIAL

Not really into this one even though it is oft-considered their masterpiece. I just find the afro/world/polyrhythmic influenceds too muted under Eno's 80s production, particularly on the last few songs, to the point of impotence. Freed from Eno:s shackles, I think they would hit their peak on the following Speaking In Tongues - funkier, bouncier, more danceable even. Once In A Lifetime is amazing though, one of the songs of the decade.

Great album, love the vocals

Some interesting stuff but a lot of funk-disco jams. Kind of liked it but it didn't grab me.

It was ok I’d give it a low 3

David Byrne is a one of a kind talent. Incredible rhythms and creativity. There is nobody else who sounds like this. I’m glad I listened to this but don’t see myself revisiting. Great for music appreciation. The last few songs are atmospheric and drag. Prefer much more the first half.

A fun ride with unique signature sounds. I’m a big fan of Once In a Lifetime. It really is the same as it ever was…

Good

Good album, can see how this had such a large impact on music. won’t revisit as a whole

Seen this album on many lists and knew some tracks before listening to the entire lp in one sitting. This record sounds very fresh and modern. It incorporates many influences and genres. I love how they just let their creativity flow and didnt box themselves in into one sound. Fairly easy to listend to and it has once in a lifetime as a banger track on it. I also enjoy ...crosseyed and painless and the great curve. But imo the record falls off quite a bit after a strong first half. Cant go higher than 3stars.

Decent listen

I thought I would like it more than I did. Maybe I just need to listen to it again..

A bit weirder than I remember

Nothing special

Besides incidental listenings of their big hits, "Stop Making Sense" is the only Talking Heads work I've ever engaged with. I've seen it three times and loved it. My first thought when looking at this album was 'hmm, there's only one song from SMS on there'. I'm probably overdue to listen to more. I'm sorry to say that besides "Once In A Lifetime" and "Cross-Eyed and Painless", I didn't love this album that much. I liked it, but most of the songs were a little weird and experimental. I liked the funky bass lines throughout, and especially on "Born Under Punches:. Not bad, but not amazing. 6/10

Co jest nie tak z basistą w pierwszym kawałku? Ogólnie przypomina King Crimson, tylko bardziej stała jakość - średni poziom jest wyżej, ale nic nie przebija tych lepszych utworów KC. A no i Levina trochę brakuje. Momentami czuć że stare, a nawet tak stare nie jest. Nie jest złe, ale dupy nie urywa

what the hell was this? but better

Not my favorite thing ever. It was overall very fine. The album cover is iconic, so Inwas excited for it. I wasn't really disappointed, but it also didn't blow me away. Just fine.

Very good

This is probably their best album, and Once in a Lifetime is definitely their best song. Very weird. 3.5

Good vocals nice vibe very produced tho

Not my favorite Talking Heads. Felt a bit experimental and frenetic at times. It was a well constructed album, just a bit long and lacked some of that pop simplicity they do so well.

Bubbling up with ideas all the way through and its the kind of album that hasn't dated that much 45 years on. The usp of talking heads were always the vocals. Sometimes though they become tiresome. The best songs are those where the vocals are sparse.

A lot of good songs, but too much to take in at once. Got a little repetitive for me after awhile.

Good! Sometimes weird, but listening to a whole Talking Heads album for the first time got me in the groove.

This wasn't really my kind of thing but I didn't dislike it. They kept things interesting throughout the album.

Definitely written for people on drugs. I've known Once in a Lifetime for many years, but the others were all new to me. Mostly felt like filler but for the crazy bass. Moderate enjoyability, almost entirely due to the bass. Probably won't listen to the whole album again.

Only got as far as track 3 - need to revisit

Was expecting a bit more from this honestly. Single is great but the rest tended to just blend in to one a bit.

Very different and out there.

Interesting but a bit chaotic

I gave this a couple of listens because I'm not too fond of talking singing styles and wanted to give it a fair review. It's not my favourite but was good for what it was and Once In A Lifetime is a classic. Rating: 3

Lite för whacky för min smak även om bandet överlag är najs. Andra halvan räddar upp det med lite lugnare o experimentellt sound.

Unikt ljud som jag absolut kan uppskatta, men det svänger inte direkt.

Quite the journey. Really needed to give it a chance. The music was good the lyrics were interpretive? It was fun figuring out what was going on.

This was ok. Unfortunately I've been gearing up to and then traveling to Phoenix so this wasn't at the top of my hit list. But it was ok.

I never warmed to this. Last 3 are nothing to me

I’m not destined to be a Talking Heads fan. Whatever it is, it doesn’t do it for me.

1980. The only album from TH that I own, mainly because of 'Once In A Lifetime' which is a perfect example of an '80s alternative hit, and so evocative of the times when singles ruled. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆

Många Talking Heads plattor har det blivit. Hade varit roligare om de hetat Giving Heads.

Lots going on in this one. Quite liked it and was interested in what was gonna happen most of the time. Bass player poppin off (pun intended).

Ne kontam. Prvih 6 pjesama sve nabacano. Ništa upečatljivo. Izaziva glavobolju. Jedino bas kida, svaka čast za Tinu. Čudni ritmovi i eksperimentalni zvukovi se mogu koristiti na puno bolji način. I onda ide kontrast u zadnje dvije pjesme. Uspavanke praktično. Ali su mi puno bolje legle od ostalih i na kraju digle ocjenu. Još jedan uzaludan hype.

it’s definitely for a specific kind of mood but like fuck yeah. there were a few where i was like um men definitely wrote this which made me iffy. there was also a funny song mischa likes in it so that was funny when it came up. not a staple but i’d listen again very happily.

Rating: 2.6 Remarked that this album could have been recorded on GarageBand, could have had its songs featured on shows like Zoboomafoo or Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. Relatively unchallenging if not a little weird batch of songs and I can’t imagine anyone saying anything more negative than that about this one.

Um disco excessivamente percussivo e funk. Falta aquele apelo pop agradável que se encontra em "Little Creatures", de 1985. Aqui timidamente representado por faixas como "Once in a Lifetime" e "Right Star". Álbum satisfatório apenas, sem empolgar.

Rv/g

No los conocía

Once in a lifetime is the standout, otherwise is good but not mind blowing

Pleasant album to listen to. I got some Afrobeat vibes after the first couple of songs and lo and behold it looks like they took some inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrodisiac album for this project. Fav tracks: The Great Curve & Once in a lifetime 3.5/5

"Same as it ever was, same as it ever was..." Once in a Lifetime is the standout. Didn't really vibe with the rest of the album. 2.5/5. Raising to a 3.

First listen

The 80s called and the answering machine tape played this album.

OK, nulla di eccezionale... Troppo fuori i miei gusti

Not really a TH fan, still good

3.4

Not much in there that I care for, but not terrible. Probably wouldn't listen again. 3/5.

I don't mind the Talking Heads but I just don't care for David Byrne.

This is one of those bands I respect more than I enjoy. I totally appreciate how different they were and the influence they hold, and "Once in a Lifetime" is an undeniable classic, but... their music in general doesn't grab me.

Creative and fun but not blow you away. “Once in a Lifetime” is the standout and you’ll find yourself swaying along to a few others.

I've never really liked David's singing. Either he's having a stroke or he's getting a blowjob. That's the impression I get. But other than that, the sound is pretty cool. They always sound very creative. But it's not something I would listen to every day. Talking Heads is a band that I've never really liked, but 3 stars is fair.

Great album for the time. Easy to understand why this is such an important record. Not really something that I would put on all the time. Not a fan of David Byrne's vocal style.

It's cool, but a full album is a little bit too much Talking Heads.

All very interesting but not enough to catch my interest on this first listen. ***

Pues las instrumentales están muy bien. Son bastante variadas y se mezclan elementos del new hace y del funk. Jorgelo me dijo que le recuerda a Daft punk y es bastante buena comparación. El cantante es mas malo que un gitano con hambre en el patio de primero de la eso y fastidia bastante todo. La producción es correcta, bastante ochentera El disco no aporta mucho, olvidable 5.5/10 -> 3/5

No escuché muchísimo Talking Heads en general, pero me FLIPA el cantante (creo) David Byrne. Tiene una carrera en solitario mega curiosa, con álbumes como Rei Momo de mega experimentación musical. Lo siento el encanta ese álbum y tenía que soltarlo. Pero claro, es una música muy diferente a la de este álbum. Voy a darle un 3 porque me pareció chill pero tampoco mega obra de arte. Creo que tengo que dejar de ratear álbumes mientras estudio porque siento que no les dedico la atención que necesitan

Lo escuché un poco d fondo, debería haberlo escuchado mejor. Creo q este es el típico álbum q me escucharía si conociese algo más d talking Heads (a parte d las míticas) pq me da la impresión d q es algo distinto a lo q suelen hacer. Bueno ns, me sonó bien pero nada me sorprendió demasiado ig

Decent album. Unique for sure.

I’m glad I got the Fela Kuti albums before this so I could hear the inspiration right away. It was cool, but a lot of the songs sounded very similar and didn’t really interest me.

Meh, didn’t leave an impression

Sadly, I do not feel this is Talking Heads magnum opus. It's a good album overall but I don't know if I would include it in the book. I find the rhythms to be overly repetitive and the songs are longer as well. The other three Talking Heads albums have received 4 or 5 stars from me, because they are important and/or good albums. I've never gotten into this album and it's just not a sound I enjoy for this band. Interesting but not an album I return to. I wish I could give this one a 3.5, because the first half or so of the album is very good and it sort of dies off a bit for me after that.

Classic

Standout Songs: Crosseyed and Painless Once in a Lifetime

Once in a Lifetime is nice, but the rest don't speak to me. To be fair the way it speaks to me isn't all that nice, just mildly nostalgic.

It's not bad but nothing really grabs my attention

This album is widely regarded as Talking Heads’ best. It represents a major shift from the nervy post-punk of the early albums, and if I’m completely honest, I prefer that version of Talking Heads. This album combines funky dance rhythms with Brian Eno’s sound experimentation and some tasty guitar licks from Adrian Belew. The songs lack the conciseness of the earlier albums, and the rhythmic centricity and light melodies can make them feel repetitive. All that said, there are some truly terrific songs on here (Once In A Lifetime, Crosseyed and Painless, Listening Wind). But it’s not in my core stylistic wheelhouse. Give me “Fear Of Music” any day.

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩ Will I be listening to this again: Probably not What do I like about it: I already knew the band and heard some songs from other albums, but this one in particular didn't really stuck to me What I dislike about it: It's not bad Higlighted songs: Seen and Not Seen

Ganska bra men många underliga låtar

I liked this one more than the previous TH album. I'll definitely listen again

Talking Heads are not a band I listened to outside of the hits, so was actually a little keen to dig in to this one and see how those sounded. It was ok, Bordering on Avant Guard in some places (The Overload, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen as examples) it was a strange album, interesting as well. Houses in Motion was the gem off this one for me.

decent, nothing special tho

Not a big fan of Talking Heads but this album is not bad. 3 stars or C+.

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.... It's good but I'm surprised I didn't like it more - it's art rock with talk-singing, both things I enjoy. Highlight - "Once in a Lifetime."

one good song, the rest is meeh

Once in a Lifetime gets 2 stars of its own... but the rest of the album collectively deserves just 1.

I never really liked talking heads, and I never really understood why Radiohead, one of my favorite bands liked them so much htey named their band after a reference of theirs. just yesterday I was listening to Radiohead and I realized in comparison to the fusion pop, rock, techno musicians out right now, Radiohead feels a bit pedestrian. I think that is what happened to Talking Heads. It was probably a revelation when they came out, but in retrospect feels a bit clunky and dated. I think this band deserves attention in that it inspired a whole genre of music I specifically am into, but in a pure listening quality, it's just a boring repetitive groove that any black musician of this era did way better.

Pretty goodf

Nice / pleasant. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this voluntarily though. 6.5/10.

funky and whimsical, really catchy tunes but wasn't as impressed as i thought i would be 3.5/5

Not my favorite talking heads album but so good nonetheless. Listening wind rocks and the instrumentals go crazy.

A few good tunes needs a few more to be a great album

Some great songs and overall a really good album, but I found myself losing attention. Possibly not enough variety (and maybe I’m bored of the string of male vocalists) to love it.

Much better than Fear of Music. Even the outtakes at the end were catchy. Feels much more put together

good background stuff.

*immediate impression: this sure is the talking heads, huh! *OK but once in a lifetime is still always, ALWAYS so good *my overall vibe is that while I wouldn't actively listen to this album again I also wouldn't turn it off? I think this style for me is meant for small doses *in a world where there's half stars this is 3.5, but probably it'll be a 3. maybe a 4? probably a 3, though.

If this 1980 album were released today, it would be considered innovative and ahead of its time. When the album hits, it’s excellent. Too much filler in between the hits for it to be 4 stars. Album is largely carried by Once in A Lifetime.

talking heads? more like they need to shut the fuck up

Niet mijn favoriete Talking Heads album, maar alsnog wel een plaatje. Bijzondere vent, die zanger.

A few good songs, but it sort of peters out.

I think I like Brian Eno as a producer better than Brian Eno as an artist, and this album was fine. Not sure why Apple Music says it's justified as one of the best albums of all time, but maybe that takes repeated listenings

Earlier in their career and it has some notable Latin influences. Fun songs and enjoyable record to listen to.

I wasn’t as moved as I would’ve liked to have been

its alright, solid two and a half

alright, has some good songs

Good. Sometimes felt a little repetitive.

wow talk about never judging a book by its cover. i definitely thought this was going to be a rock album. talking heads, i underestimated you. (more than a three star rating but not a 4). maybe 3.6....3.7

it was all right

Interesting album. But alas, Talking Heads are always interesting. It was catchy

Its fine

Wikipedian mukaan tämä oli äänestetty 80-luvun 4. parhaaksi rock-albumiksi. Ehkä minulla on käsitteet hukassa, mutta en tätä rock-albumina osaa nähdä. Ensimmäinen kappale aiheutti jo ärsyyntymistä, onko tämä levy taas pelkkää puhetta, mutta onneksi se siitä muuttui. Monipuolista musiikkia ja soitinten käyttöä, jaksoi hyvin kuunnella, vaikka tämäkään tuskin omaan hyllyyn päätyy.

Tiukkaa tykittelyä mutta myös paljon vaihtelua levyn mittaan. Tykkäsin!

REMAIN IN LIGHT par TALKINGHEADS: bongo bongui, funki, ritmu, punki, rockinho, africanho bongos, esperimental un poquet 😜. -Le chaisson 3 est tres jolie pourquoi des chaison j'ai jolie guitarra solo. -De la même maniere le chaisson sept est tres, qua non trop, tres moola muucho. Boucoupe tranquille et jolie aussie. -Molto ritmo et beacoup guitarre avec ma solitude de chaison nef.

I quite enjoyed listening to this album but I do find Talking Heads to be one of those bands where I would be happy with either a anthology or best of album

a few recognizable songs that hold up 45 years later

Talking Heads is one of those interesting bands for me where I want to like them. They represent a goal of what I want to be like - a cool 35-year-old who listens to Talking Heads.

"Talking Heads" are one of those bands that people get very pretentious about. I'll try and avoid that. This is OK. It isn't my favourite TH album and it isn't the best one that has been suggested from this list. It hasn't aged well. 30 years ago this would have gained a 4 from me. Now, 3/5.

It's good. It's not my thing. I can appreciate the layers and the poly-rhythms. It's really good, it just leaves me a little cold.

I do really like Talking Heads but this just wasn't doing it for me. I thought I'd like it more than I did

Wanted this to be so much more.

Eh

The talking heads have always been average. Not real good but not bad either. I doubt I would purchase their album (back when that was a thing) but I probably wouldn't change the channel if they came on the radio either.

Glad I stopped listening to this in my car and pulled out the big headphones. On the car stereo so much that I couldn’t hear that I could on the headphones. This one is interesting to me. A lot of it has sort of a tinny quality and Byrne sounds like he might have marbles in his mouth. Then when you put on the headphones, you can hear all of the little things that are added to give it its sound. I don’t know that I’ll return to this, but I can’t deny it’s genius.

Fun, 70s style with a hint of 80s

Very different sound - not my favorite but unique and genuine.

Didn't manage to listen to the entirety of the album but I must admit, even if there were parts I enjoyed, there was a kind of constant intensity about it that I didn't appreciate. I think in art I need contrast, and the songs that I did hear didn't speak to me the way I had hoped they might, since a close friend of mine recommended this album. I'll give it another chance, but it's a 3 from me for now.

Had a few good ones, not the best continuous listen

Love Talking Heads but this album is a tad bit too alternative for my tastes. Enjoyed the listen!

I think it's possible this is better than the other Talking Heads albums we've done so far, but because they insist on putting this many of their albums on here I don't even know how to differentiate them.

2.5/5. Not very impressive.

More drugs but at least there’s words

A good album, but there are different versions of these songs I prefer to listen to. In general I tend to gravitate towards live Talking Heads. The albums are a bit stiff and sterile to my ears while the live performances from Stop Making Sense and The Name of This Band are more colorful. I even prefer the Phish version of this record. The album also suffers from being front loaded. Side A has some of the best songs TH ever recorded while the back half is rather forgettable

Naja, etwas anstrengend manche Songs

Haven't listened to much Talking Heads and have never listened to the album before. It was pretty good, I recognised Once In A Lifetime. I'm not against listening again.

I have always had a difficult relationship with the Talking Heads. Right era, right genre, no specific sound or political flaw... But somehow I never really got into them. I figured this album with a fresh listen might change me towards a more (even nostalgic) change of mind. But, alas, not really. I think, as I always have, that they are OK. I think this is OK actually. Nobody loves all music from any time period or genre. I don't even know what it is exactly? But at least my feelings are consistent.

I love the Talking Heads. I’ve never really understood all the fuss around Remain In Light? Why is it widely considered their best? I think it’s one of their worst. You’ve got Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime. Great songs, the latter a classic. Everything else here is mediocre to average.

The back end of this album gets a bit lost up its own arsehole (listening wind and the overload), but still a lot of bangers, with that super iconic choppy talking heads sound you couldn't mistake for anyone else. It's a good album but nowhere near their best.

Way too experimental for me to enjoy it, still sounding interesting

Highs and lows on this album, probably would’ve been higher if it had more consistency/didnt love the slow tracks. Still found myself foot tapping through first 4 tracks

Not sure whether Once In A Lifetime lifts up an average album or makes the rest of the album seem average

6/10

I know the single, liked the album but didn’t love it. All very percussion and rhythm based with repeating riffs as the idea expanded for each song. I still want to persevere with talking heads so I will return for relistens

Good album from a band I hadn’t listened to

It's taken me a long long time to appreciate Talking Heads. This album has good and bad. It's a 3 from me

Interesting and no saves

3.0

good but kinda boring, idk

Wonderful fusion. Can dance, sway, tap the foot and use as daily background music. ONCE IN A LIFETIME is a top 100 song for me (if not top 5).

Thought the vocals mostly brought everything down. Really liked the funky mood though

Better than the first time I listened but still not really wowing me

I think it’s because I wasn’t exposed to them a ton growing up, but Talking Heads is fun but not necessarily something I ~get~ per se. Happy to get more exposure tho

Just good

3.5

3 minus, only because of Once In A Lifetime

If every song was Once in a Lifetime good then it would have been a 4 or 5 but there were so many noises it scrambled my brain for most of the album.

-ok so it was weird, they kinda talked a lot during their songs.... -idk if like this band... -id be open to hearing some of their other music tho -im thinking my fav song was Once in a Lifetime just cuz i knew it so it was familiar and easier to digest

I got 2 older talking heads records before. It has the same problems as the other albums, too repetitive and annoying singing, but some songs are alright. Favorite song: born under punches

Of course this is brilliant. I find their music largely repetitive and annoying but as I listen I am constantly thrown by how innovative it is too.

Didnt get it

It's fine

Punk afro rock, funky and carefree - Once in a Lifetime is a good song - Nice beats and drums - Gets a little repeptitive

Certain Talking Heads songs are just incredible. But on a full album there's a lot of stuff that just isn't for me (it almost feels too spooky for me). So I am a Talking Heads fan without actually liking their albums. I'm a greatest hits simp I guess? Disappointed in myself ultimately.

Only really listened to Talking Heads greatest hits previously. Track 1 - cool guitar work Track 2 - enjoyed Track 3 - bass and drum work very cool Track 4 - great tune, always think about the video of this song as that is how I was originally exposed to the song and the Talking Heads. Very memorable. Track 5 - a lot going on in this tune. did not really resonate with me. Track 6 - different tune. another that I don't really have an opinion on. did not move me. Track 7 - another tune that did not resonate with me Track 8 - very dark feeling tune. could see it being used in a movie to set the tone.

I don’t mind a bit of talking heads every now and then but they don’t blow me away. This one was fun and funky, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to put it on again and listen. Ether way, inoffensive and a fun morning listen!

This is the first album on this journey that Ive been pretty lukewarm toward but Ill listen to it a couple times bc I hate being a Hater

Pretty cool, enjoyed this one.

I preferred their first album. This one doesn't hold as much appeal for me, although it's not bad. I gave their first album four stars, so this one gets three.

3.5 didn't finish but got almost all the way and liked it

Once in a lifetime is great classic. The rest was alright rock, pop mix. Whatever talking heads sound is described as

A very interesting album of very eclectic genres. Though they have their famous single on here. Only a handle of songs are true bangers and the others are quite esoteric.

6/10

didnt like the first talking heads album I heard. i get this one. The groove on this album is far more creative and out there, which makes for a more interesting listening experience. That solo on the first track is really cool i like it a lot. That being said I'm still a bit underwhelmed by the overall project. Its an okay album. I still really don't understand what so great about this band. This is best album I've heard from though for sure

It's ok.... if you like Talking Heads; not my thing.

It’s good

Once in a Lifetime is by far the best song on here. The rest are ok.

I like the style overall and appreciate the variety of tones throughout the album, but I can’t say anything really stuck out as amazing. My favorite song was Once In a Lifetime, which was catchy but not mind-blowing. Overall it’s an enjoyable listen though.

Once in a Lifetime is a hit, but that’s really all that sticks out from this album. Better than a lot of other ones we’ve listened to, but a surprisingly bland debut album from a beloved band.

I absolutely love the song "Once In a Lifetime". It's been in my rotation for some time now, and I was excited to listen to more talking heads. I was hoping this would be an entire album of the same, but I was disappointed. I spent the first half waiting for "Once In a Lifetime" to come on, and I spent the second half wishing I was listing to it again rather than everything else. Maybe it's my bias, but the rest of the album was a bit disappointing for me.

Once in a Lifetime is a banger, rest is kinda mid honestly. Polyrhythms are dope and production is good but otherwise kinda meh.

Unconventional. A new experience.

let me preface this by saying that i’ve never liked talking heads much. i just didnt like the some of the songs at all. much prefer their other albums

***An ok album

Good.

Music as drugs (compliment)

Meget ambient, lidt funk akkorder hvor de holder det same riff/groove hele vejen i gennem men mere atmosfærisk og langsommere tempo. Synes ikke det mega rockede, selvom Once in a Lifetime er en super sang

For me the Talking Heads were a little too leading edge of new wave/progressive music for me. I liked some of their songs, but a lot were incomprehensible or plain weird. That being said, I enjoyed this one. Another one that I have never listened to and recognize only one song that everyone probably recognizes, Once in a Lifetime, which had some popular success and a pretty interesting video at the beginning of the MTV era. There's a lot of riffs or grooves that are just repeated over and over in songs, to nice effect. I had friends who smoked pot and listened to a lot of Pink Floyd, they probably would have liked most of this album for that purpose. Some progressive music can be difficult to listen to, but not the case here. A good album by an influential band.

Поёдет

It's alright, nothing special.

Very fun and easy beats. Lots to dance to. Very Talking Heads, their own unique sound.

its alright

Good, but not as good as I was expecting

mmm...

i thought this was mostly just ok. not bad but not my thing

About average

I’m sure I’ve listened to this before, but it isn’t one I know well. I know I love “born under punches” and, obviously, “once in a lifetime.” I have a distinct memory of once in a lifetime coming on the radio once when my dad was driving me to school and I was like, “WHAT is this?” (I think I had a similar reaction to a Frank Zappa song on another trip to school.) Overall, just okay.

Who knew I'd be so happy to get a 1980 Talking Heads album? But I really liked when that guy was on SNL recently. He's definitely got a unique voice, and there's some funny little noises here too. A little bit of a modern poetry vibe. Highlights: 'Once in a Lifetime' (obvi), 'Seen and not Seen' (like, is this a Ted Chiang short story set to music?) Lowlights: The last 4 songs are "unfinished outtakes" and mostly instrumental. They're less compelling. 'Right Start' is my favorite of the four, probably because it's extremely repetitive.

As a casual fan, this album didn’t change that. It’s a decent listen, if you’re looking for something different. Growing up during the time when MTV was on fire (when they aired actual music videos) I was exposed to Once in a Lifetime. Houses in Motion was a sleeper track for me. 1001 album worthy: Yes - 4/6

3.4 1x catch up 12/27

Experiments with African beats and scattered vocals. Very cohesive sound scape, not single outstanding songs.

这个算是能接受的了，封面有点引荐

I enjoyed this album - includes the classic song Once in a Lifetime. Nothing stood out but it was fun.

This is not my thing, but there are some great tracks on here that aren't as popular as Once in a Lifetime.

5 talking heads out of 10. This was really cool, I didn’t know taking heads was going to be like that. I thought they were a bit goofy and samey but I like the structure of some of their songs, they take a phrase and just keep adding to each and that’s pretty much each song. Some cool electronic music. I bet it was super fun to make.

Weird as fuck, but lots of interesting musical elements. I would have gone two stars, but I fuck hard with "Once in a Lifetime" and quite seriously every time I hear it it gets stuck in my head. 3 stars, weird, absolute vibe, earworm track saved it

Solid. But really only one or two songs I go back to.

Pretty good. I like their style and some of the songs were pretty familiar.

风格有点迷幻？？有时候稍微有点吵了

First time listening, I did not like this album. Second time, connected with it more. I was on the wavelength they were using and, also have listened to a lot more Brian Eno (producer) since I last heard this. Probably primed my brain to accept it.

3.6. Needs another listen

Good in places but they have better

I wanted to like it more than I did. I do like Talking Heads, but other than a couple of songs I already knew nothing else really grabbed me.

3/5

It was okay. I liked the beginning half of the album but then lost interest as the latter half began.

Didn't like it as much as "Fear of Music" but you can say this about Talking Heads, they're unmistakably them. Felt like they were trying to get too much sound on this album though.

Very complex and layered production, the genre blending is crazy. It's mostly controlled chaos and it's a fun listen. The problem I have is the second half of the album, it got some real stinkers that lower my rating drastically. Best song: The Great Curve Worst song: The Overload

A good listen, but I probably won't comeback to it. Fun, weird, artsy.

Not their best.

David Byrne is innovative and able to create well outside the box, but when you swing big sometimes you miss big. There's some big hits and some big whiffs on here.