Remain In Light

Miriam Makeba Miriam Makeba Brilliant Corners Thelonious Monk

Album Number 1 on my list… I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come because it’s genuinely unlistenable….

This is definitely an interesting one. The opening three songs are definitely drawing from both Afrobeat and funk influences. The songs are a lot of fun and have a lot of energy. Byrne's vocals aren't given the same focus that you hear on most Talking Heads albums and those vocals often swirl into choruses intermixed with Nona Hendryx's multitracked vocals. You can here the intermixture of that funk influence with the fascination with looping tied to minimalism that was occurring in NY at the time. The big hit, Once in a Lifetime is a kind of midpoint in the album and it takes those elements above and combines it with a far more conventional David Byrne vocal take. It's a great single. From there, the album goes in a far more artier direction, far more similar to the Byrne/Eno album made at the same time. The other single, Houses in Motion brings in that same funk element, but in a more stilted fashion, incorporating a more avant garde sound with the horn arrangements from Jon Hassell. From there it gets increasingly abstract, ending with a very grim and droning track, "The Overload" Overall, this is as close to the avant garde as the group gets. You definitely hear some of the same interests in a kind of mutant funk that other post-punk bands were going at the same time. It's also a much different sounding album than you would have thought it was going to be if you had just heard the main single. I like it. Incidentally, Angelique Kidjo made a really fantastic cover version of the album a few years ago and I highly recommend that.

Such an amazing album by one of the greatest bands of all time. The rhythms of Tina and Chris, so heavily funk-influenced, the guitars of David and Jerry, and Jerry's keyboard work, and of course the lyrics from David and Brian Eno. It's one of their best, and it's been decades since I've sat down and listened to the whole album all the way through. Just terrific.

I need someone to play "Houses in Motion" to a couple of huskies.

A fantastic bit of post-punk energy from Talking Heads. Lots of African beats and funked up looped grooves and I love how songs build up and sounds get layered on, especially on Born Under Punches and The Great Curve. The album highlight is the brilliant Once In A Lifetime. The second half of the album doesn't quite hold my attention as much as the first half, but Listening Wind and The Overload use dub effects in interesting ways that would have inspired later music. A solid 4 stars.

I tried listening to the Talking Heads greatest hits album and couldn't really get into it, should've listened to this one instead, this rocks

Love

VERDICT: Peak weird dance music. Often imitated, never equaled. BEFORE: I love the Talking Heads and I could stand to listen to them a bit more often. No complaints here. AFTER: This is a classic. Complex, thrilling, funky, catchy, experimental in a way that never undermines the groove. Every time I listen to it I hear something new and exciting. This is the sound of a band doing exactly what they want with incredible results. I was glad to hit this on the weekend because it means I had time to listen to it twice. You can hear the influence on a lot of the 00's indie bands coming out of New York in the mix of dance, rock, funk and electronic sounds and the structuring of tracks as dance music rather than traditional verse-chorus rock songs. HIGHLIGHTS: This is busy music that wouldn't work without Brian Eno's carefully balanced production which keeps everything crystal clear and in perfect balance. Born Under Punches' glitchy techno-funk sounds decades ahead of its time. Crosseyed and Painless and The Great Curve set the template for LCD Soundsystem's entire career. I particularly love the multi-layered vocals, brass stabs and what I assume is Adrian Belew's avant garde guitar work on The Great Curve. Once in a Lifetime and Houses in Motion are both fixtures of my playlists but somehow never get old. Once In A Lifetime is riotous and Buildings In Motion slinky and sinister. Listening Wind has eerie electronics and fantastic percussion - it almost sounds like 90s downbeat or triphop. LOWLIGHTS: There is a slight energy dip in those final three tracks but not enough to detract from the quality of the music. VERDICT: 5/5. A masterpiece.

Already have a copy of this one a classic

Meh? Once In a Lifetime is good. The rest is ok, nothing really stood out to me, but it is definitely a different sound. David Byrne's voice can be a little moany and annoying at times. (3)

Wow. This one really surprised me :D Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) ★★★★⯪ Crosseyed and Painless ★★★★✩ The Great Curve ★★★★✩ Once in a Lifetime ★★★★✩ Houses in Motion ★★★★✩ Seen and Not Seen ★★★★✩ Listening Wind ★★★★⯪ The Overload ★★★★✩

Just no.

Was expecting more from this album

Once in a Lifetime is of course one of the greatest songs ever. Listening Wind reminds me that this band is straight up weird. Despite how much I love that one track, the album overall is just okay.

A very nervous album. A lot going on, no spaces to take a breath. Might be a bit too long for that feeling. But the breath was found at last on The Overload. Which might be my favorite, alongside Born Under Punches and Once in a Lifetime.

oh yeah this is what i want to hear! funky ass grooves. 9/10

Hammam moet nog zo luisteren maar niet echt mijn smaak denk

To jest jedna z najcudowniejszych płyt wszechczasów i naprawdę, wszystko jest tutaj doskonałe. Konstrukcja płyty jako całości, poszczególne kawałki, budowanie nastroju, ale najmocniejszym punktem niewątpliwie jest Listening Wind. Boże, to nagranie to jest lewitacja dla ciała, ducha, wszystkiego. Kocham Talking Heads, kocham tę plytę, chcę być tą płytą jak dorosnę.

Not the best and not the worst TH album. It’s entertaining. Once in a Lifetime is a fantastic song.

Good album, didn’t think I’d like it but I did

Not my favorite Talking Heads album but even second rate Talking Heads is better than most albums.

Je m'attendais pas à accrocher. Il faut dire que je m'attendais encore à un album de post-punk et j'ai l'impression d'en avoir eu plein, ces temps derniers. En revérifiant, je me rends compte que c'est au moins le deuxième album du groupe que j'écoute dans la liste. Le précédent ne m'avait pas plus marqué que ça. Mais dans tous les cas, celui-ci était vraiment sympa à écouter. Il se passait plein de choses à chaque moment, c'était assez délirant et on a souvent droit à des grosses basses bien en avant, qui font bien plaisir. Mais je n’accroche pas autant que certains autres. Il a un statut culte et est extrêmement bien noté sur Rate Your Music, mais moi, ça ne me parle pas tant que ça. Mais je dois admettre que c'est super bien foutu, à l'époque, ça devait retourner le cerveau. Il faut dire que le groupe n'a pas peur d'expérimenter et de faire des trucs bizarres. J'ai trouvé certains titres un peu trop répétitifs pour leur bien, mais sinon, on sent la passion et l'attention au détail dans chaque composition, tant l'espace sonore est occupé à la perfection. Pas mon truc, mais je comprends qu'il soit dans la liste.

The 4th TH album so far, probably the best. The beats on the first few tracks do the heavy lifting. Once in a lifetime is so good. Gets sort of less interesting by the end of Side 2. 4.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 106/409 (25%) Will I get: Already have

Easily my favorite Talking Heads album. Perfection.

Pretty awesome, David Byrne is an inspiration to every autist

Didn't like, just The Overload track

Almost a 5 star album but for the last 2 tracks

If anything could explain Talking Heads, this is it. A collaboration and tribute to West African musical traditions, they join that with New Wave synth-pop and David Byrne goofy lyrics, sometimes spoken akin to early, early hip hop, and out comes this landmark.

I like the talking heads, but of the three albums from them I know, this is my least favorite.

Yes

Fine (sorry Harness)

It's really good at times, but just way too weird.

Not my favourite of their but still an easy 5

music for music nerds

Better than Coldplay

It’s really nice

Again, if 3,5 was possible, this would be it. Better than average, but not sure I will come back to this.

Not my fav one.

Interessante come ogni cosa dei Talking Heads. Non è il mio sound preferito ma molto figo. La mia preferita forse Once in a Lifetime.

A classic for a reason. My favorite aspect is the perfect rise-and-fall sequencing. One of the best sequenced albums ever. ML399

Really dig this album. Seemed ahead of its time and the tracks have aged well. Funky and intelligent and fun.

I only knew psychokiller by talking heads, so this was a refreshing look at the band

For a long time I didn't really care for the output of Talking Heads, but the music is more and more growing on me. Especially this release is my favourite Talking Heads album and every time I play this record I love it more. Great production by Brian Eno.

simply fantastic

I picked up this CD from a bargain bin knowing it had some hit songs, but didn't expect to enjoy so many other tracks

Grandes como siempre. Me encanta porque te agregan todos los sonidos que quieren sin cansar

Appreciate the creativity and musician ship but it just doesn't gel with me. Once in a Lifetime is an obvious banger though.

Pleasant dance music all around. Almost all tracks sounded like the kind of thing you'd put on a playlist and call it a deep cut. "Once in Lifetime" only real standout track.

Probably their best album musically but not my favourite for songs, if that makes any sense. It's so rich and layered and clever, but it's also among my lesser played Talking Heads albums by some distance. But it's still absolutely brilliant – they're just that good of a band. I was so happy to listen to this today. Some of their coolest, strangest arrangements are on here, and some of their most delicious percussion and bass. The atmosphere's so dense and immersive it makes me feel like I'm underwater. The whole record has an intense, nocturnal, dreamlike mood that verges on menacing, even though it's also addictively danceable. The Overload is some dark, weighty post-punk – I love that coming from them. One of those albums that just embodies immortal cool. I love Talking Heads! I love David Byrne! And you too, Brian Eno! 🫶

Another album I used to have. Bought it on release because I loved the single Once in a Lifetime. So disappointed with the rest that I swapped it for a copy of The Who by Numbers (which I ultimately got rid of as well!). Hearing again now, there were a couple more tracks which went down well but on the whole I still don't like the album that much. I will listen to the other album that everyone else recommends though - Speaking in Tongues - which I've never heard.

Im a bit of a late comer to Talking Heads but have been pretty obsessed the past year or so. This album is fantastic with world music/punk/reggae influences - and in my opinion shows that the band is more than just Byrne (the bass is amazing!). I cannot believe this album is from 1980 as it still sounds so modern and fresh.

There is no better album to drum along with your hands to! Gloriously odd, undeniably funky, with superb Eno production, what’s not to like? The only thing I never understand is why this is the ‘one’ Talking Heads you’re supposed to hear - it’s a great record but I only really ‘got’ them when I heard of Fear of Music and Speaking in Tongues. I guess it’s cos of ‘Once in a Lifetime’, but yeah i dont think this is the gateway drug people think it is.

Нет ощущения, что присутствует переоценка?

Once in a lifetime is of course one of the best songs of all time. The rest of the album stays good, but it is also quite a hefty thing. I should give it more focus than I do.

Hard to fault and impossible not to impulsively dance to. Don’t love the last track “The Overload” but otherwise excellent throughout.

Odd and neurotic, and a delight to listen to. Maybe they were just too new, because they never did it again.

Not my favorite Talking Heads album but it's a masterpiece. Deep and epic in scale and incredibly polyrhythmic. It builds on Fear of Music to an ethereal scale. And Side A may be one of the best sides of music ever pressed to vinyl

"Crosseyed and Painless" and "Once in a Lifetime" are two of the Talking Heads best songs and make this an album worth listening to. "Born Under Punches" and "The Great Curve" are also strong tracks. Unfortunately, the last three songs slow down the momentum significantly. This is a strong 3 that could be a 4.

This was the last thing I needed after the latest Elvis Costello album. I already don't like Talking Heads, and the one song I knew going in - Once In a Lifetime - is of course one of the top 5 worst songs of all time. Right up there with Call Me Al and What A Wonderful World. But perhaps the rest of the album is good. It doesn't start well, the first song acting as a checklist for many things I don't like in music - talky singy, intellectual New York types, white boy Afro/Jamaican beats, fragmented parts, jangling. Guitar solo is very cool. Why the song goes on for another two minutes after this is a mystery. The 2nd song is very funky and the third follows suit but is again at least 2 minutes too long. Both would be far better served if they had a vocalist who could, you know, sing. The 4th track is unrelenting in how dismal it is and must never be spoken of again.

yesss talking heads, songs kind of blended into one but was a vibe the whole way through. Really cool one.

Sound particolari, a volte mi sembra di sentire solo rumori e non musica, non è molto il mio genere, Listening Wind fa viaggiare, Crosseyed and Painless hit.

I enjoyed this album. Discordant and frankly odd, The Talking Heads were rather out there, but this album abused some of the pitfalls of other outings for them. They didn’t get too far into the bizarre, staying as grounded as they ever do. And I love Once In A lifetime (but who doesn’t).

Not too bad, but rather repetitive at times.

This was phenomenal. I can’t believe it took me so long to listen to this.

Side 1: Upbeat and rhythmic Side 2: Slower, atmospheric Best songs: Once In A Lifetime, Seen and Not Seen Didnt grab me as much as other Talking Heads songs/albums

Ditto my previous statements about Talking Heads/David Byrne.

I’ve been loving the Talking Heads since this experiment made me do a deep dive on More Songs About Buildings and Food but I didn’t think this one was as grabby. Still some strange ass lyrics and composition, but in a fun way. Light 3

whole byrnussy in this one.

Nice vibe from this album

Interesting. I was familiar with Once in a Lifetime, which shaped a lot of the way I view David Byrne—spastic and quirky—but it was cool to listen to the Afro rhythms in this album and to hear how they experimented with sounds, lyrics and subject matter.

funky sounds

Very fun rhythms, it's often quite groovy. But just feels so repetitive.

Fine. Songs grew repetitive and mor monotonous as the album went on. Though I did like Once in a Lifetime

I'm only four songs in and I'm already so annoyed. Way too repetitive. This is just so grating on the ears rn I need to listen to something else. Picking it up again, at first it was less offensive, but then fela's riff happened and I'm having a terrible time again.

no se xq siempre espero algo mas de esta banda y siempre me decepciona con un terrible meh. 5/10

Never listened to an entire TH album before and now I know why

Cool

Perfect. No notes

UNREAL. only knew ‘once in a lifetime’ prior to listening, a great time. hell yeah

Great stuff

Mid tier Talking Heads for min del. Men mid tier Talking Heads er fremdeles bedre enn det meste.

Dette er vel den beste platen til TH? Once in a life er den beste låten deres.

Liker det, men det blir fort litt enigmatisk og ubestemmelig (både musikken og tekstene).

Helt ok!

Not my favorite Talking Heads album, but still great stuff. The second half has this chilling dark atmospheric vibe which is interesting but not as enjoyable as the first quirky half with its more famous songs. 8.5/10

Enjoyed

Once in a lifetime gör hela albumet, älskar den!

Det här är bra. I like. Efter några mer utmanande album de senaste dagarna är vi tillbaka med musik som helt enkelt bara är bra. Den är kreativ och unik, men varken svårlyssnad eller överstimulerande. Absolut ska jag medge att den vid första lyssning inte riktigt når upp till det goda ryktet som albumet har, men det är såklart fortfarande ett bra album. Jag är dessutom övertygad om att med fler lyssningar och ett lite vanare öra kan detta nå 9-10/10. För tillfället blir min bedömning dock 8/10.

Absolut klassiker!!!!!!!!! För jävla groovy (vet inte om det är ordet jag vill använda men jag är trött o måste sova nu) en tydlig ljudbild från start till slut o David Byrnes unika o härliga röst är en trygghet i orostider (måndagkväll). Ett album jag besökt för ganska länge sen men jag är GLAD att jag återbesökte. Min favorit på skivan är ”Crosseyed and Painless” som är snabb, rolig o slår rakt ner i mitt blod. Hade jag haft mer tid skulle jag sätta mig o läsa alla texter, men det har jag dessvärre inte tid för denna afton så adjö o godnatt, jag är glad att detta var dagens album. Puss o kram

7/10

Classic banger alert

Banger!!!

Weird, surprising, and enjoyable. PF: Right Start

Classic

Not bad, repetitive, not my style

Honestamente un poco sin más. Es el primer disco que escucho entero de los Talking Heads y se me ha hecho un poco largo. Encima no había ningún hit de los que conozco. Meh.

adhd

I was never a Talking Heads fan, beyond the 2 or 3 radio hits. I don't own their albums. That said, I enjoyed "Remain in Light" immensely, and have kicked myself in the ass for not listening earlier.

esta bastante cool el concepto, me gustaron la mayoría de sus canciones y pienso que es un álbum al cual le voy a dar una oportunidad por las melodías que tiene. crosseyd and painless mi fav

It feels like I like every Talking Heads album a little less than the one before it. It's getting better. Once in a Lifetime is my favorite Talking Heads song, it's just a great song. This album had some ups and downs, but I generally liked it.

It's Talking Heads and they are doing Funky things. There's a very clear evolution you can hear from their earlier works to this one. Not necessarily better or worse but more different. More influence from Funk and World makes it a bit more of a fun listen for me. Can't really find a fault with this one. I guess the final track just kind of goes on for too long. But other than that, pure bliss.

amazing, already knew it, hard to forget, good to re-listen

As usual with early 80s Talking Heads a few bangers (Once in a Life Time) but also very self indulgent at points.

Was fine,, not really my jam

Maybe not my favourite Talking Heads, but an album from these guys is always gonna be a gift horse. It’s cool and I like it.

es para dejar de fondo y bacilar.

I love the Talking Heads, but 4 albums within 6 years all in the Top 1001? I think that's overkill, their sound didn't change much during that time, it's not justified. "Once In A Lifetime" was the Heads song that got me into them as a kid just getting into rock radio and the video on MTV helped a ton! As mentioned, I'm not sure why this album stands out from the others. I like nearly all of it, but with only one hit song with a legacy, it's not as appealing as the others. There's definitely a "weird" factor built into this one with odd sounds, lots of percussion, a bit of preaching but nothing outside their norm. I found a few songs to be waaaay too long. Best lesser-known track for me was "Crosseyed And Painless". Least favorite track was "The Great Curve" followed closely by "Houses In Motion". 3 stars, one amazingly great song and some other better-than-average songs to go with it. It's not T1001 worthy in my book.

What a great start to the week! Despite containing what I believe are two of the greatest TH songs ever, I think this is my second favorite album by them. Full of great grooves and very evident Fela Kuti influences, this is such an experimental and unabashedly weird collection of songs (which, as a lifelong TH fan, I will eat right up). Favorite tracks: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime

Truth is, I'm really just not as into these guys as most people are. I enjoy them, and deeply respect them, but nothing about their LPs really connect with me as a whole. This one however, is probably my favorite of theirs (brave choice, I know). Has my favorite song by them which is a plus. It's a good album. Don't really have much else to say.

Don’t know what i expected but this exceeded it, the first of these albums i’ve listened to that was actually infused with joy and a groove. I’m not sure I will actively listen again but this was a very enjoyable soundtrack to my Sunday

So many staggering musical moments in here but there were a lot of songs I wanted to like more than I did. Maybe I don’t have enough whimsy in my heart?

5/5 Not my personal favorite TH album, but its influence and groove are undeniable. Iconic riffs, songwriting, and band synergy.

The beat goes on. And on. I love Talking Heads but this album gave me anxiety on the first listen. Love it when he says “same as it ever was” because that’s so REAL! The final song was a little spooky and i loved the dark vibes. Probably my favorite song on the album. Definitely not a driving in the car album for sure—it was hard to be a defensive driver while this was playing. Gave me anxiety on the second listen too. I love talking heads but this isnt it for me (except the last song)

That opening AH was so cool and really made me think the rest of the album would be cool, and it kinda was (shoutout Once in a Lifetime) but for the most part, everything that started to feel cool eventually felt repetitive and boring. Maybe I don't do enough drugs.

Revisiting this album after having gone on a Fela Kuti side quest made the re-listen feel like I had galaxy brain. Still love the ad-libs, especially the Hannibal lecter noises and straight up screaming. So iconic!

Is this a safe space for me to say that I was a little meh on this album? (It’s not.) Okay I love Talking Heads, I love David Byrne, I love Brian Eno, of course I love Once in a Lifetime, but fundamentally it’s not music that I have a great time just sitting and listening to. Obviously very daring and innovative and funky and fusion-y and you can bop to it on the dance floor until you collapse. But also sometimes it just gets to be densely repetitive and Byrne is warbling his way through lyrics that don’t mean a darn thing to me and I get tired. Call me a simpleton if you have to. Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: “Once in a Lifetime” (any excuse to play it tbh)

Ethereal, lots of interesting sounds. I liked it more than I was anticipating. Fav: "Once in a lifetime"

I've been wanting to give out less fives but unfortunately boys hollering and layered percussion and synth is exactly my style, this album whips ass. I've been a big fan of once in a lifetime for a while and it was nice to hear the rest of the album hold up. Cereal with milk from the work fridge that is technically supposed to be used for tea and coffee

I’m gonna get the firing squad for this I just know it. I was super excited for a talking heads album as I’ve never really explored their music but road to nowhere is one of my favorite songs of all time. I really wanted to love this but it just wasnt for me. I get it I really do, it’s funky and melodic and weird which is why I thought it would be my shit but idk, most of them just felt like a weird beat on repeat which I think would be fun to listen to at a trampoline park or an aquarium. Once in a lifetime and the great curve were my favorites on here

same as it ever was 🙂‍↕️ i’m trying to be stingier with how much i give out 5 stars but the almighty generator just keeps giving us perfect albums … recently went down a fela kuti/afrobeat rabbit hole so this was fun to revisit with the added context that eno and byrne & co were heavily influenced by fela when working on this record , thank you @joesama for that favorites: the great curve & houses in motion egg and scallion pancake

Talking Head's Remain in Light is kind of funky, sometimes a little weird, and sometimes it's a lot of fun. It's never boring. It's not my favorite Talking Heads album, but it's still really good.

Holy shit that was annoying.

10/10

I was pretty bored throughout

The video of Kermit singing Once in a Lifetime is a generational triumph. I exclude the "unfinished outtakes" from my review because I am biased. Fave track: Once in a Lifetime.

It’s an album that I’ve always been unable to really describe. But for this relisten, I read the album synopsis per Apple Music, and one word really stuck out to me – “polyrhythm”. Without even really understanding what the word means outside of the obvious, this word seems to encapsulate exactly what this album is in just one word. Anyways, it’s a classic, pretty simple really. Talking Heads’ best album. 5/5

Hadn't listened to this for years. I don't know why, it's superb from start to finish.

Always struggled to enjoy Talking Heads - a band I've respected more than anything. I did enjoy revisiting this, though. A point knocked off for all the rubbishy spoken word bands they've inspired recently.

Ohhhhhhh - An absolute snorter of an LP, thanks for sharing RGP. 4 stars of pure love.❤️ ❤️❤️❤️. Tom.

Talking Heads have such an interesting and delightful sound. I am kind of shocked that they had some hits. Not everything was a winner here, but it was a fun listen. Bonus points for being interesting.

It's weird. Overall is a great album but I wouldn't identify one song as my favorite, maybe "Once in a Lifetime".

Super boring. Same sounds over and over again every song nothing wowed me. Frankly I'm disappointed.

It's a groovy album but just not for me :( very repetitive and orange and red that made me uncomfy </3 I liked once in a lifetime most the rest just kinda blended in. I also didnt mind The Great Curve, until it started just sounding the same lol

no thanks

Man, what the hell. (Copied from my other group.)

I don't think it's my favourite TH album, but man it's great. Mid 4s.

Heismusikk

David Byne was always ahead of his time!

Once in a Lifetime on its own could earn this album a 5, but i also like the rest of the songs!

I woke up unusually early in the morning before needing to get ready for work, so I spent the extra time lounging on the couch and listening to this album. Another day, another wonderful Talking Heads album! The list has been kind enough to give us these last three Talking Heads albums in order, so I've enjoyed hearing their sound progress from More Songs About Buildings And Food to Fear of Music to Remain in Light. In comparison to the previous albums, Remain in Light leans even further into electronic sounds with a variety of "bleep boop" sound effects providing a sonic bedrock for the rest of the instrumentation, with even the guitars sometimes being plucked and strummed at a rapid pace to match that of the digital sound effects. It creates a musical atmosphere as if I'm inside a slot machine, but it's all still balanced out with more acoustic instruments. As always, David Byrne's vocals still follow their own unique tempo and spoken rhythm, with some of the vocal mannerisms here sounding even more like Viagra Boys than they already did. While Byrne's vocals are always a highlight, he is also frequently joined by various backing vocal performances which provide even more color to the songs here. And at the center of it all, Once in a Lifetime is an all-time perfect song; it almost feels like the centerpiece of the album, around which every other song orbits. This is not meant to downplay the quality of the rest of the album in any way, but merely to highlight the sheer magnitude of Once in a Lifetime. There is one more Talking Heads album left to encounter on this list, and while I am slightly disappointed Speaking in Tongues is not that final project, I look forward to finally hearing where it all started on their debut album. Highlights: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, Listening Wind, The Overload

Great album, but also not my cup of tea. Some tracks were also very clearly the direct inspiration for a lot of things I do listen to regularly.

not the usual stuff i listen to but it is very easy on the ears you can easily vibe with it as background noise

Great

Listen again

Liked this quite a bit. Good 80s vibes

Surprised at how much I liked this. Once in a lifetime was obviously recognizable. Besides that though, I was blind. Listening on headphones was the right move though. The musicianship behind the percussion on this one was truly something to behold

Of the New Wave staples, the talking heads are lower on the list for me. I do love their groovy bass and rhythms though

A feat of bizarre unique space music, the last two or three tracks might fizzle out rather than achieve any fanfarous conclusion but that's not enough to cancel out the pure intrigue offered by the rest of the album The jives are unstoppable

The first side of this album, holy fuck. Then you add "Once in a Lifetime" and "Houses in Motion" and you have one of the best five song runs on a record ever. Every tune here is a perfectly assembled groove from the core Heads, then you add Adrien Belew doing crazy guitar shit, Nona Hendrix adding vocal textures, etc., etc. Talking Heads at the peak of their powers.

Hard to argue with this one.

Oh hey, Once in a Lifetime, this is pretty great! Oh, that was it. Dang. The rest wasn't bad but that was the clear standout for me.

I've listened to this album a lot of times and I could never figure out why it's rated so highly. One great song, the other stuff is just boring and unmemorable.

It’s been around 20 years since someone told me to listen to this album, and I’m still coming back to it regularly.

was excited to listened to this, but i think i got my hopes a little bit too high. the first half is decently nice, and if they kept the pace throughout it i might think of it more favorably, but there is some misses towards the end.

Man, this album is awesome. You know, I'm not a fan of post-punk new wave (apart from The Cure), but Brian Eno's work really pushes it through. The whole moody post-punk thing works so well on this album because it's so dynamically interesting. Yeah, the A-side is significantly better than the B-side, but the whole thing holds up well.

I really liked how funky this whole album was

sou doente por esse album pqp vão ser inovadores assim no inferno!!

I am fed up of David Byrne. Another pretty rubbish album, his voice is like someone trying to sing while constantly being hit with an electric shock. Once in a lifetime is good, but the rest is pretty crap.

first album of theres' I somewhat enjoyed ay

This album has always been too frenetic and jittery for me, but there is still something genius in the rhythms. The music engages you on several levels simultaneously, which I find exhausting, but it's amazing. Also, Once In a Lifetime is brilliant.

Didnt really know Talking Heads and loved discovering this! Will listen again.

Kinda dancy and bobby and movey and makes me wanna get up. I think much in the same way as Divine Music From a Jail, the songs do sound kinda samey after a while but the overall beats are so bobby.

monumental

another one i've already heard! to be honest i've always found this one a bit overrated, but i still think it's a great album; definitely a lot better than most of the completely forgettable filler that's present on this list. 4/5, pretty carried by once in a lifetime, and definitely deserves to be here!

What a cool album Not what I expected it to sound like at all Once In a Lifetime is such a fun song and I love the experimentations with funk on The Great Curve and Crosseyed and Painless

not bad but kinda repetitive

"And you may find yourself. Living in a shotgun shack." It's all very clever isn't it (no surprise, Eno is here AGAIN). But somehow, misses the part where music should be, I don't know, fun maybe? Exciting. Technically accomplished, introducing the world to different sounds, well written................... but I just cannot justify anything higher than a 3. 3.49 probably, but still 3.

Not my cup of tea. Bowie or Iggy Pop are much more interesting to me. 3/5

I love talking heads

Love the talking heads, love this album.

If it wasn’t for the fading between songs, I wouldn’t know when the album moved to the next song. It’s the same thing over and over again. Constant repetition, same formula, nothing stood out.

OK album, one banger, lots of more exploratory/experimental tracks. Not my favorite Talking Heads album, but worth a listen.

Once in a lifetime is excellent but the rest just passed me by.

Imagine if we got a full album of covers of this done by different muppets. For whatever reason when I was younger and first started listening to the Talking Heads, Remain in Light just didn’t click with me like some of their other stuff did. I gave it a few chances because it seemed to be generally regarded as their best. After years of listening to the Talking Heads in some form pretty nonstop (thanks Allie) I’ve grown to really appreciate and like this whole album. It really is that great

original. catchy.

The album is sooooo good. I love the vibe😍. This album is 4/5 for me

Un álbum muy original tanto lírica como musicalmente. Conceptos muy interesantes.

For me, a little of this band goes a long way. I find that there’s a bit too much of talk-singing in this particular album for my liking. I am having trouble deciding between two and three stars. I don’t hate it, but it’s clearly not my thing. I guess I will land on three stars, but I certainly don’t need to hear it again.

David Byrne is a weirdo and I am here for it. The energy dips a little towards the end but this album is FUNKY. Each song has such a distinct feel and groove that just makes you enjoy the whole ride. Likes: Born Under Punches; Crosseyed and Painless; The Great Curve; Once in a Lifetime; Houses in Motion; Listening Wind

It's a great album, full of groove and charm. Some truly wonderful tracks on here that just fill me with positivity. Crosseyed and Painless is such a jam, and there aren't enough words to describe how good Once in a Lifetime is. The package as a whole probably isn't quite perfect enough for me to rate it 5* though! Favourites: Crosseyed and Painless The Great Curve Once In a Lifetime

This was a great album. I would definitely listen to it during a rainy day in the car.

Wow. What a surprise. I wasn't expecting the music based on the cover. Experimental, rhythmic and dark. The vocals (spoken word?) are distinctive and add to the otherness of the album. It's starts with energy and descends into a contemplative trance state by the end. I found it hard to recall much of the back half - even after two listens. The first four tracks are pure fire though. 3*

quite funky at some points and has a lot of weird instrumentation, i understand its influence on music but, i don't think i would listen to it much, it still has some good songs though. seen and not seen sounds like it's from earthbound

Canciones muy buenas (chance y las agrego a mi playlist): - Born under punches - Crosseyed and painless - Once in a lifetime Las otras son buenas también Calificación: 8/10

Definitely not as good as their debut, but still a great album. Byrne is fucking weird, but in a damn good way. He’s just there, letting the days go by.

wasn't impressed, but it was fun to listen. quite different songs and moods. not bad.

This came out when I was in high school. Just mainstream enough to get commercial radio station coverage. I didn't like Brian Eno as a solo artist but here his touch is not as heavy as it is filtered by the other members of the band. Spotify even has some unfinished outtakes from the album, some of which I found interesting.

Okay, kinda cool

The kind of funky beats I look to the talking heads for

This was an interesting album, but not one I really enjoyed.

So deliciously odd

Great! 5/5

Fun and new and wacky. Really enjoyed it, but not really in a "I want to listen to this again" kind of way. Just, fun first experience. Glad I got to listen.

enough time has passed this is a 10

8/10 Best songs: Born Under Punches, The Great Curve, Houses in Motion Interestingly, I just got my first Talking Heads album 10 days ago. I wasn't a fan (I think I said it wasn't particularly sonically pleasing). This album, however, accomplishes what that album was aiming for with aplomb. There's a distinct experimental vein that runs through every track, with many songs managing to be catchy with great beats. That being said, the album kind of loses its way by the end, falling into either a dull droning repetition or an almost atonal sound that copies what I disliked so much about the other album I heard by them. I think I would have considered giving this 5 stars if not for the final two tracks, but they really do ruin it all for me, unfortunately.

I think it has many interesting rythmns and sounds. Some of the songs kind of reminds me of King Crimson's Three of a perfect pair. But most of the time the different sounds and percussions feel busier on this album. I dont really know how to explain it but the album really has an interesting sound, and the songs are almost funky, which is not exactly what I was expecting

Not all art is good art. Jerry Harrison can't be questioned on his producing skills. Don't you dare say he's not an artist. David Byrne has done it all, acting writing, producing theater, music, books. Tina and Chris and the Tom Tom club.., and look the fact is the Talking Heads are absolutely a legendary band. But when you're nine-year-old tells you to turn it back to good music when this album starts...it's telling.

Horrible album cover. Damn good album. Preferred side 1 where all three songs are bangers. Side 2 began to drift a bit by the end, and are what cost this a perfect score for me

In my opinion utterly brilliant, but I love Talking Heads and this album too. Great band, great album.

Songs are really fun. Great listen.

Surprisingly good. Very instrumental and groovy. Didn't have a chance to listen to the lyrics.

Really enjoyed the African influence that didn't come off like a parody or cheap imitation. Preferred the first 2/3 of the album to the last. Already knew/loved Once in a Lifetime. Happy to have heard The Great Curve and Houses in Motion.

God, men husker ikke så mange sange, så det gjorde ikke det største indtryk på mig. Note: hør igen

Not my favorite Talking Heads but it's pretty solid still. Pretty groovy overall.

Favourites: 1. Born Under Punches 2. Crosseyed and Painless 3. Once in a Lifetime

Great album.

Martes de autismo

Never got this, never will

Not half bad

If Toto was actually in Africa. Great instrumentation, love the voices.

Interesting album with a lot of moving pieces. Bassist fucking slaps. Very repetitive lyrics. Psychedelic. Best song: House in Motion.

Not the biggest Talking Heads fan, a fun listen though!

I did not like this very much. It is way too experimental and wacky for me to enjoy it. I can see the appeal of the album but it's just not suitable for me.

I had a bias against Talking Heads, but this album convinced me. Hypnotic and beautifully layered. 5 out of 5

Pretty sure this will get even better with every listen, but I liked it a lot so far.

C’est bien hein mais j’écouterais pas, c’est du vieux vieux rock mais c’est sympa quand ça passe (y’en a 1 pepite)

Five brilliant tracks, then three weird ones we don’t talk about.

Слишком странно для меня

Amazing from start to finish, even the unfinished songs on the deluxe version are earworms.

This is such a strong album. The instrumental work is so unique in each song and there's so much subtle complexity. I feel like I could listen to it for hours and hear new things each time. While I listen I'm constantly guessing where a minor instrumental flourish or touch will show up. Born Under Punches is a strong opener and every song after takes it into new directions. Listening Wind is hypnotic and heads into The Overload perfectly.

Lost count of how many times I listened to this album. It must feel crazy to create a song like Once in a Lifetime. So locked in. Lots of cool moments throughout the album. Listening Wind was a track that I got lost in.

Repetetive.. meh

The best

1980. Third and final album to be produced by Brian Eno. Blended African polyrhythms and funk with electronics, recording instrumental tracks as a series of looping grooves.

I appreciate it for what it is and the time it was created and it's influence. Most of it is not my cup of tea personally, and after also diving into the deluxe version with unreleased tracks, I prefer those.

meh not for me

ambient, they have other better albums. 4.5

Dude this was groovy as fuck I really enjoyed that. Who doesn’t enjoy a good lil bass riff fr.

Quite a bit better than I remember. Definitely more of a fan of the quirky, overbearing instrumentation this time around but the vocal performance is still a bit lacking.

I didn't realize Once In a Lifetime was by the TalkingHeads. Very catchy song. I am pretty sure I listened to this album twice because my review didn't save. Other than Once In A Lifetime, I remember nothing else despite twice through the album.

I think I need to give it another listen. It might be quite a good album.

I didn't enjoy it so much. I do like "one in a lifetime"

Nope I just can't.

Probably their best

Same as it ever was

The Great Curve and Once in a Lifetime are so peak

Okay

I never heard this before but once in a lifetime was my favorite song when I was little. Still my favorite on this album

I don't feel like I need to elaborate too much on this one. It's regarded as a classic for a reason, courtesy of its thrilling sonic architecture and polyrhythmic genius, although I often see opinions along the lines of the second half being a drop off from the first because of its comparative experimentation and inaccessibility. However, for me, that's when Remain in Light is at its most interesting and volatile.

A few good songs, likely won't listen to the whole album again

Same as it ever was

While album is great, it's sadly not the best version. That belongs to Angélique Kidjo who took the album to a new height by diving into the roots of the music.

An album of fairly cool ideas but ends up being a bit repetitive and not that great to listen to. As a whole it works, but I feel most songs would seem quite weak on their own.

Besides “Once in a Lifetime” this was largely extremely dull and tedious. Extremely forgettable substance-less krautrock-lite

n tem nem o que falar ne

Soooo good

Great album

How do I start a review? Not sure but Remain In Light did lead to a lengthy reflection on cultural appropriation vs. appreciation and this leans more appreciation considering Fela Kuti being cited as a major inspiration from it. I've loved polyrhythms since I learned what they were before this album and it's recording process was even more interesting, extended jamming and what ended up being an album all about feel and rhythm?? Even if you listened while sat still I could bet that you'd find yourself tapping your feet and that's very COOL to me Fav: Born Under Punches (Shocker lol) Listening Winds didn't do it as much for me and that's not saying it's bad at all ok bye

What the fuck was that.

Talking heads great; you may find yourself is an all timer.

Best album ever

I don't hate it but I don't like it either

Yes

2.5 One great song.

Czuję się jakbym wzięła psychotropy i próbowała nagrać album. Nie znajdę tu brzmień które do mnie trafią. Niczym szczególnym nie zachwyca. 2,5/5

I don't really understand any of the lyrics but I liked some because of its beats and instruments- it's giving beachy and like out of this world intros. But most of the songs are giving creepy and culty vibes

Good noise

I'm stiiiiiiiiiiiill waiting for the song to get interesting. I could sorta almost get into some of these songs. But then they'd get obnoxious and undo their hard work for me. They're also too long. I feel like this is where Tool got their inspiration from. What if we do a song that's ok, or even enjoyable. Then just play is 2-3 times in a row without changing anything. That'll really sell.

I'm not a huge Talking Heads fan but I do enjoy David Byrne's work. I like the TH hits, especially "Once in a Lifetime," but the rest doesn't do anything for me. I'm sure this album earned its place on the list for some innovative and influential reason and if I were majoring in Evolution of Pop Music, i guess I'd be fascinated. 3 stars

Man, what the hell

And you may find yourself sick to death of the endlessly looped motifs. And you may find yourself ready to punch David Byrne for his annoying vocals. And you may find yourself wondering how this crap every became marginally popular. And you may find yourself not finishing this album.

An easy 5 for me! My favorite album by one of my favorite bands! I remember being in my dad's truck—I think I had borrowed it—and when I parked in his driveway, "Once In A Lifetime" came on the radio. I found it so bizarre, but so wonderful at the same time. I sat in the truck transfixed by it, desperate to hear what it was. Not long after, I bought a copy of Remain In Light on CD, which I ended up listening to obsessively through my car stereo the summer before my senior year of high school. I've already written about how singular the Talking Heads are—this album just took it all to the next level. Groovy, funny, fresh. "The Great Curve" is a one chord song with so much development that you'd never guess its simple harmonic underpinnings. "The Listening Wind" is a rare narrative from David Byrne, haunting and beautiful. Adrian Belew's guest guitar solos rip through the mix, at once tonally challenging and perfectly suited to the music. This is the Talking Heads at their absolute peak—which is saying a lot for a band that never really had a bad album. If I could give it 6 stars, I would.

Astounding. Funky as heck, Dave Byrne being a crazy genius and just generally fantastic. One of my favourites.

One of my absolute faves - I bet I don’t go more than 8 months without listening to this one in its entirety too often. Such a breakthrough album that changed so much in modern music…

Tough time on this one, I generally like most Talking Heads I've heard before and Once In A Lifetime is an all timer for me. I bounced off this album initially, finding it too repetitive and jam bandy for me. Read up on the style they were going for and listened again, and then again and realized I needed to meet the album on its terms, I still think there are some songs that go too far in the looping/ layering direction but now I really enjoy most all of the songs and think it will be a common place in my rotation and only get better and better each time I go through.

The album starts strong. Track 2 is particularly good. Then a few of the more well known hits. The second half of the album drags a bit for me. Nothing is bad, it’s just a bit repetitive.

7 - starts strong then fades

great one.

SAME AS IT EVER WAS Yeah that was excellent, of the tracks new to me I liked The Great Curve most

Honestly, one of the best albums ever. And Born Under Punches is legitimately may be one of the 50 best songs ever recorded. Just to gush about it a little. It best emphasizes the sheer magic of the collision of funky Afro-American rhythm, glossy, avant-garde futurism, and teeth grinding anxiety. The guitar solo here alone is legitimately more exciting, valuable, and fascinating than a lot of bands' entire discographies. And the rest of the album is *very* nearly as good. From alternate dimension funk of Crosseyed And Painless, to the jittery The Great Curve, the tastefully Hip-Hop inspired Seen And Not Seen, the plodding, yet nimble sadness of Listening, and the unlikely hit in Once In A Lifetime. Once In A Lifetime represents a small period of time in which the demands of the public collided with what Talking Heads were giving. And more hits came, but none of them feel quite like this. Remain In Light is just a masterwork, artsy, weird, exciting, punk-y, funky, and remarkably accessible for being so fucking odd. Not to mention David Byrne's magical, irreplacable, vocal presence, and the absolute, locked in precision of the whole band. Remain In Light is a generational accomplishment.

Cool but repetitive and loong

Pretty good

He vuelto a no prestar la debida atención, pero en este caso me ha causado menos impacto

Its experimental, its funky. Its just not my thing. Not mad to have listened to it but wont be putting it on again. I can see why its important for musical history but i prefer others takes.

Strange, bizarre even. The record does some interesting things, but it often sounds like the artists just noodling on their guitars/synths and singing random notes which range from okay to just bad. It feels very random = good. For instance Houses is very funky and sounds like a great jam session, until the thing that sounds like a long fart comes in. The fart leaves, making the song groovy again, only for it to return again and again. It's like they replaced a great trumpet solo with farts. Why?? Some songs lean more into funky or afrobeat influences and less into random sounds and are much better. The drums and bass do some heavy lifting as they are the ones that keep the songs sounding like songs and they do so very well. But because they have to keep steady they have little room to change it up. The result, songs that do strange things on a surface level, but sound repetitive once you start digging deeper. If they were gonna be strange, they should've leaned into it completely and do some beat switches halfway through or just anything different with their drum and bass. A pioneering band that pushed the envelope and incorporated cool styles into their music, but as an album not pleasant to listen to. I genuinely feel tired after listening to this record. I prefer the drummer and bassists' side project Tom Tom club where they still sound strange, but have more room to make good sounding music. 6/10

Weird, slightly unnerving, but amazing musically. That is how I would describe the talking heads and this album embodies all these things. Not an album you'd put on speakers during a laid-back party, but definitely something I'd listen to again.

Same as it ever was! Same as it ever was!! Say that shit David!! Full of momentum. Once this thing gets going it is all gas no breaks. Held together by Weymouth’s formidable bass playing and Byrne’s truly singular writing and vocal performance. There’s something vaguely goofy about their sound, but they are so tight as a band, such good musicians, and just sincere enough that it adds to what makes them great.

Nothing else here lived up to Once in a Lifetime. I didn't have a bad time with it, but a lot of songs felt like jams and I was missing a good amount of structure to hold on to

Banger album!!

Awful

Uno de los álbumes más conocidos de Talking Heads, sino es que es el más conocido, y la verdad es el que menos me ha gustado. Empieza bien a secas pero la segunda mitad casi no me gustó, esas últimas dos canciones las sufrí.

Not massively my thing but not bad

A killer guitar album but the obvious hit is the legendary one.

In the 'Fear of Light' review I alluded to how it and this one are quintessential records of Talking Heads that deserve inclusion (noting that the Stop Making Sense record is also up there). 8/10 [KEEP]

Перша половина альбому дуже яскрава і має феноменальну Once in a Lifetime. Друга половина на мій смак сильно слабша, хоча й цікава.

Класика

Hard to turn off. Feels like I could listen 20 more times and still hear something new.

Of everything that has been or could be said about *Remain in Light*, I still think the most important thing is that it opens with an Organization Man losing his mind ("Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)"). That thread - of old orders and ways of seeing the world tumbling, unraveling, or perhaps even revealing themselves to have been illusory all along - is the thesis of the album, and the source of anxiety for its various narrators. Over and over again they are confronted with ignorance, unfamiliarity, even incompetence; witness the lament of David Byrne's character on "Crosseyed and Painless" as he notes, with wry sarcasm, that the facts he's memorized won't save him. More famously, on "Once in a Lifetime," the dislocation is more thorough - the experience of waking up to realize that the life you're in may have come to pass without any meaningful agency on your part. And what's the source of this unease? This is where Byrne's fascination with funk and Afrobeat start to really signify, and not entirely without some queasiness. Take "Houses in Motion," with its repurposed Seventies wah-wah to indicate the sound of a White guy walking through what's now the Black part of town. Or the next track, "Seen and Not Seen," which repurposes an early hip-hop beat as the sound of paranoia - don't push Byrne 'cause he's close to the edge. Coming from someone of Byrne's White-and-nerdy persona this is a dangerously revealing album; there is a lot of fear on record here, and I suppose it would be easy to accuse Byrne of Orientalism or even flat-out racism and be done with it. But I think that would be a misreading of him, and not just because I also know he made *American Utopia*, one of the most optimistically multicultural works of the 21st century. It's also, for example, because of "Listening Wind," in which Byrne finds a twisted sort of kinship with an African militant sharing the same sense of alienation. And further, on the portentious, funereal "The Overload," where Byrne explores the void left behind by the loss of basic human empathy. It seems clear to me that what he is really doing here is a form of cultural expurgation: admitting his biases, admitting even his fears, and then working them out in public for the purpose of ultimately overcoming them. That's the real reason all the African rhythms are here: they're the sound of recognizing that the world you grew up in is vanishing and being replaced by something different - and, rather than lashing out in fear and anger about that fact, tentatively learning to view the change as a source of possibility, even optimism. It's why "Once in a Lifetime" can treat the prospect of abandoning your on-rails Organization Man life as something worthy of such ecstasy: the loss of your place in the world is just a step in the direction of finding a new one in a new world. And if we can't agree on anything else then at the very least we can all agree on that great unifier of man - that certain things are just damn sexy ("The Great Curve").

maybe the best A side of all time?? Little fall off after once in a lifetime but such a good album

"Once in a lifetime" is an incredible song. I'm not sure about the rest of this album...

Not for me

This album makes a lot of sense.

Feels bluesy, listened to in gym and was actually quiet energetic.

*****

One of their most famous songs is on here but the album as a whole is whatever

The Talking Heads team up with Brian Eno for a final time and create something wonderful together. Interesting to read that Eno was reluctant to work with the band again and also that drummer, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth considered leaving the band prior to recording. Thankfully they all went forward with it, met in Bahamas and made a masterpiece. 5 Stars

Super fun and awesome

Syncopated rhythms

Ok