Remain In Light

Solid with a banger

First time listening to more than 2 or 3 songs by talking heads, was decent enough. A high 3

Classic talking heads but I don’t think it’s their bedt

4/0 didn’t really listen to it

Meh. Not my favorite Talking Heads album.

The odd track was all I really got into from this album but over time, it's grown on me. I'll have to keep coming back to this. More multifaceted than some of their other albums with Fela Kuti's influence coming through on some of the tracks and various efforts at experimentation. Enjoyable.

Good. I wanted to like it more. I really like the Talking Heads, but didn’t love this.

interesting this is kind of weirding me out im ngl nevermind great curve lowk got me grooving this fits well with my mindmapping 7.3/10

Fun and upbeat I dig it and will try out more of their stuff

Yeaaaah idk

Eighties pop

Not a big fan of them, some nice songs but I get irritated by his voice and find their music a bit boring

Some very funky songs. Not my favourite album of theirs though.

# Album Name: Remain In Light # Artist: Talking Heads # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Pretty mid TH album. Shame. Couple of good songs though. # Top Tunes: Crosseyed and painless / Once in a lifetime # Would I listen to it again? Maybe

It's a pretty good TH, but not Speaking in Tongues good.

Didn’t like it as much as the last Talking Heads album

Funky and fun

no es mi estilo de musica, pero tiene algunas canciones que volvería a escuchar

Repetitive, hypnotic, slightly innovative sound, rhythmic

I liked most of it

mam mieszane uczucia, moze by bylo git jakbym posluchala kilka razy, taki specyficzny

This album is like perpetual motion. Everything seems to be moving forward with so much pace. I don’t particularly enjoy it but I don appreciate the orchestration. Really interesting but not for me on like an enjoying the listen itself level.

Talking Heads always been such kind of a band to me when some of the songs I really like and some of the songs are really “wtf” to my ears. And this album leans to the “wtf” side. Especially Once In a Lifetime, oh boy..I just can’t stand that song, it literally annoys to no end.

me gusto bastante, pero solo lo escucharia cuando este en ese mood

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - 4/5 Crosseyed and Painless - 3.5/5 The Great Curve - 4/5 Once in a Lifetime - 4.5/5 Houses in Motion - 3/5 Seen and Not Seen - 3/5 Listening Wind - 2.5/5 The Overload - 3/5 Fela's Riff - 2.5/5 Unison - 3/5 Double Groove - 2/5 Right Start - 3/5

This is almost like the entire 80s sound distilled down to one album. Which is crazy considering it came out at the start of the 80s. These guys clearly had their finger on the pulse.

Old school vibes very long songs

6.5/10

Definitely sounds like the beginning of 80's production, which isn't a bad thing in any way at all. I think it was the staleness of the 80's which lead to it being an "inferior" decade of music. Anyway, it wasn't really my thing. I liked the bassy production and instrumentals. The vocals weren't really doing it for me. It also felt a little bit repetitive at times with the loops. Still an insanely good listen, but maybe a tad overrated. Groovy and the rhythms were addictive. Percussion was also great. Favorite Song: The Great Curve or Crosseyed and Painless (Can't decide!)

Liked: Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime, The Overload

Groovy sound, cool beats and voices and crazy, crazy good basslines. I'm quite strict with my ratings and gave some of my favourite albums only 4 stars. This isn't close to any of my favourite albums, but it's surprisingly good.

Why does it always sound like he's out of breath when he's singing/talking?

Funky and fun 3 - deserves to be on this list

Get it

'Once In a Lifetime' is a standout. The rest of the album is kind of noise to me, maybe not in the right headspace for it today but it feels fairly experimental but most of it doesn't land for me.

I liked all the unfinished outtakes

tqm adrian belew

Solid album, including the iconic Once In A Lifetime. But that’s really the highlight. Everything else is just their good clean classic sound.

cool lyrics

Decent album. Once in a Lifetime is a massive tune!

Some interesting songs, and at least one of their biggest hits. Not an unpleasant listen but not one I’ll rush to listen to again.

Not super into new wave, but they’ve got some okay stuff.

Very unique but I’m not sure if it’s very good. Enjoyed the first half a lot more than the latter half.

I’m a little surprised I didn’t like this more than I did. But still good energy and fun. I think the outtakes were some of the best tracks.

new sound for the times and I can see that it influenced a lot of artists I listen to now but it’s just a little boring

I've had this on vinyl since the 90s because I'm sure I got it for $3 or less (love the 90s) and the album cover is super cool. This might be only the second time I've listened to it, and I'm reminded why. Once In a Lifetime is brilliant, the rest is...interesting.

I’m probably more of a greatest hits kind of fella when it comes to the Talking Heads. But the news decent.

I think Discipline by King Crimson is a lot more interesting than this album. I just feels my braincells dying while I listen to it. I dindnt absolutely hate it its just that its not for me. Once in a lifetime is not that good.

again not my fav kind of music i cant say its good or bad but its a little "too normal" for me im tried of this type of music

This is okay. "Once In A Lifetime" rules. Rest of the album is okay, though.

I don't listen to a lot of 70s/80s psychadelic music, but based on the album art and what I know about the band, this was a very trippy psychedelic album. Easy listening for work from home. I'm not sure if I'd reach for this album again, but it was a nice listen.

Not my type of instrumental. But it isn't bad. I would listen to it eventually.

Första gången man lyssnar på en skiva från Talking Heads. Dansant och funkigt. Skulle nog inte sätta på det när man bara mår men är det live eller om man är på fest så njuter man nog.

"once in a lifetime"? Great. Rest? Too much vibe, not enough... anything else

Pretty good album I have no complaints I like pretty much all of it

Inventive & creative, rhythmically. After awhile Byrne’s presentation becomes predictable— the effortful presentation of tone poetry is boring after awhile. But I still enjoyed it. A high 3.

"Remain in Light" is a deeply layered electronic/funk album characterised by polyrhythms and repetitive phrases. These repetitions create an underlying 'groove', which is built upon by unconventional instruments and vocals. Byrne adopts a stream of consciousness lyrical style; the viewer is not entirely sure what the singers are saying, but that is not the main appeal of the album anyway. Similarly, the songs lack clear structure and chord progressions, and are instead formulated by pedal points and the aforementioned repetitions. Key to this is the much appreciated "Once in a Lifetime", a dizzying mix of call and response and strange lyrics. All in all, it adds up to be an interesting (and certainly influential) listen; but it is tiring to listen to after a while, and requires a certain mood to fully appreciate.

Not my bag, very 80s with the odd track I'd listen to again but ultimately I'd just walk on by...

Not really my thing tbh, love "Once in a lifetime", "Crosseyed and Painless", and "The Overload" was really cool and athmospheric. But other than that I feel a little indifferent to the rest.

Unique isn’t always a good thing

Cool, nice chance to listen to more of Talking Heads. Probably something in here for everyone. Recognized Once in a Lifetime, and Listening Wind from the Peter Gabriel version on So. Overload slows it down, puts you in a trance, Brian Eno influence? Overall cool, 3/5 not blown away by any means.

Yeah, it's alright. Instrumentally it's pretty good. I quite like some of the weirder elements of it. I've not been tuned into the general vibe of Talking Heads across their various albums I've had so far though, and it remains generally the case here.

Stressed me out a little bit. Maybe higher rating after a few listens.

This was a slippery one for me. I've heard it before but had rejected it. On re-listeni g, there were parts that were genuinely thrilling ("The Great Curve" is like my internal monologue when I've had too much coffee and am running errands...in the best way possible) but other parts I was sort of bored (most of the second half, honestly). There's something here that draws me back. I've listened to it twice more since the first obligatory listen, and liked it no more and no less. So it's 3.4, rounding down to 3.

Some good stuff on here but the songs are way too long

das album cover ist halt richtig cool und eigentlich dachte ich, dass talking heads voll gute musik hat. bevor ich das Album angehört habe, kannte ich nur psycho killer von denen. Ich dachte mir aber, dass ich deren Musik lieben würde, weil sie ja von allen gepraised wird und anscheinend "New Wave" ist, find ich aber gar nicht. Das Album wären eig nur 2 Sterne, die letzten zwei Songs retten es aber ein bisschen

Super!

I did not get through it all because of being busy all day and not allowed to listne to music 😭, i've heard a good amount of it before i know its a really good album

🙂

Not really my type of music so I was surprised to like this more than I expected. I don't think I'll revisit the album but I did gain a better appreciation for Talking Heads. 👍Once in a Lifetime

Wanted to be blown away by this one. Once In a Lifetime rules and I did like the Joy Division-esque album closer.

This was quite good. This album has the sound I like when it comes to talking heads.

good bits but very repetitive and a slog

I've always liked Talking Heads but I've never loved them and this holds true for this album.

Funkier than I remember - I really like the bassline. Talking heads are fun to listen to but I feel like this album isn't their best

didn't listen much but love Talking Heads

Kinda a strange and distinct album. It’s exactly how I imagine 1980 to sound. Retro-futuristic-bongo-disco. 3.6/5.0

Whatever… sorry not sorry

Feb 1, 2026: Have not listened to this album yet, but Talking Heads, why are you so cool! Sometimes I don't get your music, but you are clearly.... art school kids.

not my fav talking heads but talking heads all the same

Interesting album, but not entirely for me. In theory it should suit me, with its experimental sound and unusual instrumentations. But somehow it just didn't touch my soul in any miningful way. Honorable mention to "Listening Wind", by far my favourite piece on this record.

Never really listened to Talking Heads before, so it's good to get a sense of what they were about. I like their use of Afrobeat influences, to create something new rather than just stealing. But it's a shame that it all feels a bit detached and doesn't have the groove of Fela Kuti.

Good listen. No idea what this guy is on about. Has that one very famous song “and the days go by”… fun listen

This album is quite experimental and perhaps a little above my head but I enjoyed it in general. Once In A Lifetime is of course, a legendary single but the rest of the album is musically interesting.

really not a fan of the unfinished outtakes but Once in a Lifetime pulls the average up to a 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

artie adora esse albummm gostei de the great curve as músicas são ótimas, parecem trilha sonora daquelas cenas de filme que não tem fala, apenas mostram uma "transição"

Had coole momenten, coole leadgitaar soms

Once in a Lifetime is good - the rest of the album okay.

Really cool listen. Weird, experimental, and groovy. Not my favorite Talking Heads, but an interesting listen. "Once in a Lifetime" is probably my favorite song. It's the biggest hit for a reason.

i like the flowy lightheartedness of it all but i'm glad it's over, too

Stress bongos Tiktikkietakkierikkietikkietakkie

Reminded me a lot of "Elephant Talk" by King Crimson and while the album was good, I don't really feel like listening to it again.

So Mojique is just blowing things up huh?

I bought this record when Once In a Livetime became a hit. Revisiting now, I kind of remember that the rest of the album was not bad for me then, but nothing I would regularly listen to. This changed a bit; I like some TH now and then. Eno's not my favorite producer, but he fits TH quite well.

Lots of interesting stuff going on, but there's a reason Once in a Lifetime is by far the most well known song on the album.

cool y psicodélico

Interesting sonic design Early incorporation of loops and recordings Synth heavy

You can start to feel the age of the writing, and I don't know if it has aged well. Still very rhythmic, a few "classics", overall a good album. I would have to listen to it again to see if it could enter the "essentials" shelf ! :D

There's something about sounding 80s that Talking Heads do right here. I think all the Afro influence has a lot to do with how pleasing and interesting a lot of the songs are. As much as I appreciate the way they worked it, this is not something I would find myself in the mood for. 3.2/5

Why are the Talking Heads albums on this list all abrasive post-punky Talking Heads albums with one good single and not fun poppy Talking Heads albums with lots of good songs on them? Are you trying to hurt me?

- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM

This is a little hard to do in the Winter.

mag iiiich, gut auch für hintergrund noise

Once In a Lifetime aside, I don't like this as much as I'd hoped. I think its the production as I love the sound on the live albums. Appreciate the originality for it's time.

More misses than hits, even if the hits are very good

It's alright. It has the hit Once in a Lifetime, but the rest of the album... I dunno, it didn't really connect with me. A fair few tracks start out good but then become repetitive or go on a bit too long. I might just not be a Talking Heads guy.

Couple of good tracks, but I have a hard time loving the Talking Heads, unfortunately

Loved the first 3 songs, then it got more and more psychedelic I guess which I didn’t enjoy as much

I think I wish that there was more consistently good songs on this album, some good ones but not enough to give a 4

Like the automobile song, that’s about it really

Strong first half. I feel this is the kind of album that needs multiple listens. Fell off in the second half and got a bit repetitive for me.

have seen this album cover around quite a few times but have never really looked into it or actually have put it off a bit. i wasn’t even sure what the genre was or what to expect, so far im pleasantly surprised. the bass cannot go unnoticed esp a woman behind the bass hell yeah. v funky and groovy ! omg so thats Once in a Lifetime and thats talking heads. okay im so sorry but one of my first thoughts was this is king julian singing if he could sing properly and had a creative direction.

Super neat sounds, I’ve always wanted to listen to the talking heads and I’m glad I did

Good but not one I need to rush back to.

Overall a decent listen. A couple popular songs I recognized. It seemed they had a bit of a duality as far as their “sound” goes. Started high BPM, repeated quick guitar riffs, high energy, b52 type chaos. Then switched to a Pink Floyd, immersive slow sound. That said, I liked the back half of the tracks better. Would I listen to the whole album again? Prob not, but I’ve added a couple “new” songs from the back half as a result!

Not bad but not great.

Listening Wind- Needs more texture for the rate of the percussion. Once in a Lifetime- Best songs of the album. Houses in Motion- Good jam. Seen and Not Seen- Nice. Album picks up nicely

The beats and instrumentals are completely new to me. It sounds like a mix of dance and futuristic electronic. I liked this album a lot. Definitely worth a second listen

it was an okay album

This album is probably mostly known because it has the hit song Once In A Lifetime and for good reason; It is by far the best and most unique track. The rest of the album was nice to listen to once but not something I would play more often. I liked Seen And Not Seen the second-most because it felt very different.

Talking Heads is wierd. This album was fairly enjoyable, but some of the tracks are pretty boring - I was listening in the car and I caught myself starting to sing other songs out loud and I had to remind myself I was listening to an album that I must hear before I die.

Apprezzato come compagnia di sottofondo. Le mie preferite: - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - The Overload

This is a kinda OK album but with one absolutely brilliant song on it in Once in a Lifetime. The rest of the album is listenable but mostly not too interesting. Also enjoyed Houses in Motion.

Appreciate David Byrne, sometimes a little out there for me

Would give 3.5. Groundbreaking for its time. Once in a lifetime holds up.

Standouts Once in a Lifetime

too much yapping (except once in a lifetime, what a banger) Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? Yes 2.7

odio que la música me recuerde a alex (lo amo) in fact... para largometrajes, prefiero a king crimson. solo escuché una canción del disco, perdón.

Definitely sounds like the 80s. Obvi an iconic track in Once in a lifetime.

Ok, Its a different album, but not what I was hoping for. More eclectic than necessary. Looking at their trajectory, this album points to more interesting ideas in the future.

Very funky 80s album. The music is great but I often struggle with David as a singer. While this is the best album from him, he is still the thing I dislike on the album.

Subtle tones of punk complement the rock base of the Talking Heads songs on this album. David Byrne’s vocal’s are more musical-talking versus actual singing across most of the album, but it adds to the vibe of the lively songs. I never fell in love with any of the songs, but I appreciate the style and the product the Talking Heads created on this album.

When I was in high school, I was a theater kid. This one weekend, I was in a new play festival at a local university, where I spent 3 days on campus with other high school kids. There was one kid in my group (I definitely don’t remember his name, so let’s call him Noah) who was decidedly the coolest kid on campus. He had a brother who went to the college so he knew all the cool things - where to hang out after rehearsal, how to get into the secret tunnels beneath the dorms and how to interact with actual college students. Anyway, on the second day, Noah showed up wearing a Talking Heads Remain in Light t-shirt. Seeing this shirt on the cool kid was like finding a cheat code revealing how to be cool. I needed to get this album! Now, this being the late 80s, I couldn’t jump on the internet to listen, much less download it, so I had to wait until the weekend was over and I got my parents to drive me to the local Strawberry’s Music and Tapes to pick it up. When I popped the tape into my Walkman, I was completely confused. What was this shit? I didn’t get it. It was weird. It didn’t make sense. I didn’t like it. I guess It turns out Noah actually was cooler than me because he liked this and I honestly didn’t understand it at all. I was lost. I filed the cassette alphabetically in my wooden tape rack and didn’t really ever listen to it again - until today. Now, 40 years on from that weekend, I understand this album much better. It is world music, or at least Talking Heads’ version of world music. Having a much broader musical and cultural knowledge these days, I can recognize the African influences and the circular hocket patterns at work. I read about the inspiration from Fela Kuti and the band’s desire to include roots and reggae patterns. All of this makes everything make much more sense to me sonically. I still don’t like it all that much. But I appreciate it more. It’s a good musical exploration from a good band. I just don’t care for the results of the experiment all that much.

nice.

Love the first track, sounds good in general but I just don't get what makes it so special. Listened to it for like 4 or 5 times now. Wish I'd get it

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+.