Reviews (page 3 of 14)
This album is a bit of a tale of two sides. I found the second side to be interesting at points and dull at others, but the first side - WOW. The first four songs paint an incredible picture of disorientation and disconnection in the modern world, sort of a thematic precursor to OK Computer. More than anything though, the rhythm section, and especially the percussion, create a driving energy to these songs that I absolutely loved. The second half of the album was a detour from the energy that was established in the first half, and for that reason, this isn't a perfect album for me. But I really can't get enough of the first side, hence the 5 star rating.
I bet another 5. Yep. Great album.
Lost my shape. This record hits, it rolls, it pulls you in and then chucks back out, no rope required. What do we love in rock and roll? Something going wrong. Here the foursome are finally hitting each other over what they are and what they think they are. And on top of that Eno's in the room. Always knows when to turn up, at exactly the wrong time, to shake things up does Brian. And it worked. Jerry owns this record, his guitar work is a key feature here, he's got Andy Gill in there with Carlos Alomar. Chris and Tina hit their groove and David is completely off his face. It's so good. This was a HSC record for me, exam prep soundtrack. And I forever associate it with Jim Beam bourbon as I was busy staring at the spinning night sky at one of my end of year parties while Cross Eyed and Painless did its thing. I'm still waiting, fuck yeah!
Absoluter Klassiker. Kenne nichts Vergleichbares zu dieser weirden Funkyness. Das letzte Drittel ist für mich immer etwas abgefallen, aber hat mich jetzt auch endgültig abgeholt (nur "Seen and Not Seen" verstehe ich weiterhin nicht ganz). Auch großartige Texte.
Abwechslungsreiches Album, das einfach nur Spaß macht.
The Talking Heads are legends. This album, and their entire discography, will keep influencing music for decades to come. Brilliant, innovative, experimental, inspired and genre-defying.
FUCK YES. This shit is what it's all about - boppable, funky, and weird all in equal measure, to glorious effect. David Byrne my autistic king.
Wonderfully weird. The rhythms here kind of blew my mind?? They have a way of digging into your ear with one groove and leave you headbopping, wanting more after 6 minutes. The back half is more spacey and meditative, a big departure from the rest of the album to be sure but I appreciate the variety in moods. It's the front half that carries this straight to 5 though, the energy is just so gooooooood!! Shoutout to Tina Weymouth, I had to look her up because these basslines are absolutely bangin. Standouts: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) • Crosseyed and Painless • The Great Curve • Listening Wind
Duh
Great album
Perfect weirdo but still insanely accessible rock album. See the live "Stop Making Sense" film for a crazy experience of many songs from this album and just the band generally. Appreciate the weird recording process and left field instrument choices/crazy rhythms. Perfect
What hasn't been said about remain in light already, it's a perfect masterpiece
Brothers! Sisters! Siblings of all persuasions! Listen! You may find yourself having to talk about Talking Heads' 'Remain In Light'! You may find yourself listening to the album and grooving the hell along with it! You may find yourself staring at a blank document, tryna figure out the words to summarize what is no doubt their greatest album! And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" For me, that's an easy question: I didn't realize I didn't hafta join this 1001 Albums group to see what albums they were getting. I could have spared myself having to write some 300k+ words current-total of album reviews if I'd just thought of that. But, no, seriously, let's ask this question in a different way. How did I get to calling 'Remain In Light' the band's greatest album? It can't just be parroting the consensus like I'd done prior to taking part in this project. There has something else — where **is** that beautiful reason? And to me, it's a simple matter of asking myself, "Well, how did **they** get here? The band, I mean." If all you know from Talking Heads is "Once In A Lifetime", their first two albums would probably sound pretty strange to you. I mean their funk is just so . . . **stiff**. And **white**. Y'know, they were art geeks back then. 'Talking Heads: 77' and its follow-up, 'More Songs About Buildings & Food', are pretty firmly rooted in the artsy post-punk and burgeoning weird-o new wave sounds of the time. "Psycho Killer" is recognizably **them**, but you'd never guess the grooves they'd be capable of in the future. Even with how they loosened up slightly on 'More Songs'. That's where 'Fear Of Music' enters the picture. It's where the band would gain the biggest thing they were missing to that point: dance influence. Seriously, 'Fear Of Music' is where I'd say I go from just liking the band to truly being a fan of them. Like, sure, sure, let's not pretend they're making hard-hitting dance grooves here; they're still artsy geeks making weirdo white funk. But a song like "Life During Wartime" — oh, it's amazing. As I said back in my review of the album, they can claim that it ain't no party, and that it ain't no disco, but it sure **feels** like it. And where does that highway go? Well, straight to 'Remain In Light'. With the added polyrhythms and African influence, 'Remain In Light' feels like the culmination of their sound. **This** is Talking Heads as you know and love them. And not just because it has the hit single! Like, gawd, the first side of this album is absolute pandemonium, but it's **so fun**. David Byrnes's stream-of-consciousness lyrics probably mean something, but if I can be frank, I don't really care. I'm too busy shimming in my seat and having a blast to look into them. If you wanna, be my guest, but for at least these first three songs, it doesn't really matter. The grooves are just so strong . . . like, my Gawd, what have they done? And yet, despite my proclamation that this is the band's greatest album, I don't think I'd say it's my favorite. Yeah, it's another one of those "I prefer 'Off The Wall' to 'Thriller' because of its signifiance" dealies. I have a lot of fun with 'Remain In Light', of course. It's crazy, polyrhythmic dance funk. How can I not enjoy myself? But it's not like the entire album's that. After "Once In A Lifetime", the mood on side two begins to slide lower and lower on each song. By the time you get to the closer, it honestly feels a little doom-y. Maybe I'm missing something in the lyrics, but for an album called 'Remain In Light', it sure kind of feels like it ends out of the light. You can't even dance to it! Not with my **attitude**, anyway. It's where I think 'Fear Of Music' emerges as my favorite Talking Heads album. It's just far more consistently dance-y. And maybe that's a shallow reason to prefer this album over 'Remain In Light', but the dance-y-ness **is** what I've come to be a fan of the band for. I mean, goodness, if we're gonna allow live albums into the conversation, 'Stop Making Sense' runs the hell away as both as their greatest **and** my favorite. It's such a shot of energy that nothing they did in the studio could even compare to — not 'Fear Of Music' or 'Remain In Light', and certainly not their earlier works. And I guess, to me anyway, 'Fear Of Music' just comes the closest to what I enjoy so much about that album. But we're splitting hairs here, really. 'Remain In Light' is still very much worth your time, and then some. I wanna stress again how much of a rush the first side and "Once In A Lifetime" are. And I bemoan the other songs slowing things down, but I'm not gonna pretend they're not great as well. Jus', y'know, my dang taste gets in the way sometimes. It's still Byrnes and company doin' what they do best, and doin' the best they'd ever do it. So what if I prefer one to another? It's water at the bottom of the ocean, and I'm letting the days go by. Jus' . . . damn, it's a good fuckin' album, in short. And all the amens to that.
What else do I have to say that hasn't been said already? IT'S FREAKING REMAIN IN LIGHT. Solid 5 Stars.
Well, that’s obviously a 5. Arguably a 10. That’s from 1980? Fucking hell. That felt way ahead of schedule. Electronica-infused polyrhythms with a clear African inspiration (apparently from Fela Kuti, which makes a lot of sense – no pun intended), but full of little intricacies in the production work that makes Brian Eno sound like a time-traveling mad genius. Seriously, “Seen And Not Seen” immediately felt like a hip-hop beat from 1992 with that intro, and “Listening Wind” felt like a trip-hop track. Every single soundscape here, including the more ambient Joy Division-inspired “The Overload, is basically perfect. For 1980, this is one of the most impressive production jobs I can remember, and given that it holds up as fresh *45* years later, they were clearly way, way, way ahead of pace. David Byrne has never David Byrne’d it up more than he does here – his vocal style feels more eccentric than ever, but with a much more natural, controlled rhythm that feels like he’s fully come into his own after the steady improvements on both “More Songs About Buildings And Food” & “Fear Of Music”. It’s impossible to not notice him here, and while this album was apparently designed to prove Talking Heads was more than just a “vehicle for David Byrne”, I think it failed spectacularly in that case, solely on account of the brilliant madness that is “Once in a Lifetime”. It’s utter nonsense, sounding like a pastor going through a slow mental breakdown, behind one of the catchiest beats of the 1980s, and David Byrne sells it brilliantly. It’s also fair to say the band has never “Talking Heads”’d it up more than they do here either – yes, Brian Eno’s production work does a lot for this album, but do you hear the band on this thing? This is groovy as hell, even in its most avantgarde moments. The percussion, in particular, is a highlight, but there are some killer fucking basslines on some of these tracks, hidden deep underneath a full charcuterie board of instrumental layering that had to be complex as hell for 1980. I’m deeply, deeply impressed. This is worthy of the acclaim & more; I’m not sure if I can definitively say it’s better than “Fear of Music” to my ears, just because I was really into the consistent theming of that album, as opposed to more of a loose, rhythmically driven theme here, but it’s just as good & certainly as enjoyable. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve had listening to a Talking Heads album, that’s for sure; it’s undeniably catchy as hell, and even a track like “The Great Curve” overcomes some deeper sense of repetition by just being effortlessly easy to move around to. It’s an album where the music speaks for itself, and I think I may find myself behind the wheel of an automobile grooving my head around to every track here in the near future. It’s an easy, easy 5. As far as Talking Heads goes then, I think it’s a hell of a job by the randomizer to make sure we got this one last out of the 4 Talking Heads albums on the list. I gave ‘77 a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, which is a mistake I need to rectify with a re-listen, since it was the 38th album we had gotten and my ears weren’t ready for it. Everything else got a 5, so I suppose that adds up to an 18.5/20, or about a 4.62 on average. Either way, I’m very glad I’ve finally listened to these guys – they deserve their place in musical history, for sure.
One of the greatest tunes of the 80s surrounded by more fantastic music. Wide variety of sounds and rhythms, a band full of excellent and eclectic musicians.
Produceret af Brian Eno. Ikke mega kritisk populært til at starte med, men fik senere stor ros for at være banebrydende, skævt og nytænkende. Der er meget fokus på loops og sådan gentagelser som lyder meget fedt. Det minder mig lidt om moderne elektronisk musik på en eller anden måde. det er inspireret af afrikansk polyrtme. Det var lidt anset for at være underground og en del af intellektuelle kredse hvor de forbandt avantgarde og dance. Som en del af new wave scenen eksperimenterede man med nye lyde, loops og ikke vestlige musiktraditioner. Postpunk/New-wave Afrobeat/funk fusion og art rock/eksperimentel pop. SYnes det er super danceable og sjovt at lytte til fede lyde osv. virkelig godt album det bedste jeg har hørt af talking heads indtil videre. Hørte endda et andet som en af mine første. Det brød jeg mig ikke vanvittig meget om som jeg husker det, men ens smag udvikler sig vel også. Tror det var langt mere rocket, men ved ikke om det giver mening, for det var også brian eno som producerede det.
so fucking good man
FUNKY!
LETS GOOOOOOOOOO one of my all time favorites. I absolutely adore Talking heads and their entire discography. My favroite track from here is The Great curve and Listening wind!
Very, very, quite good
A top ten of all time, of course it belongs here
PEAK
feigned evangelical preaching and buzzing polyrhythms, the album feels like a manic search for meaning. beginning with the frantic and fractured declarations of identity in ‘born under punches’, and ending with the slow churn of ‘the overload’, it both lyrically and sonically takes you on a journey across this urgent spiritual/philosophical search, only to conclude in a sort of existential exhaustion. delicious! 4.5/5
day 7: my god i love david byrne (king)! this album is in my top 10, i have nothing bad to say about this one. when i want to wake up and have a good day, i put this on. from the first note (AH!) this exudes creativity and autism, following into what i believe is the greatest 4-track run in music, rivaled only by the open 4 of mezzanine. the band genuinely went ‘random bullshit go’ on instruments and vocal melodies. these songs follow such a fast pace and rhythm, giving no room to breathe until the album is already half over. i love it so much. the next couple songs stay pleasantly enjoyable, before the last couple turn a cheek. brian eno’s influence couldn’t be clearer here, as if this is a 4th installment to bowie’s berlin trilogy, these last songs take a more ambient, droning approach, with darker, brooding sounds, being even somewhat sinister. such a bizarre musical segue between the two halves, but the songs themselves are still all amazing and serve their purpose. there’s a good reason i dressed up as david byrne for halloween last year.
This is a great one.
Brian Eno I love you. 5/5
Vibey.
Nearly flawless. Energy flags a bit in the latter 1/3rd, but otherwise no notes.
Great album
Perfection! Fav: Born under punches (The heat goes on)
Been waiting for this one for a long time! What a way to start my week. I actually "discovered" this album through my favorite band Phish, who on some Halloweens would do a "musical Costume" for their second set of the show. in 1994 they did the white album. in 1996 they did Remain in Light. Some of the songs have remained in their rotation since, especially Crosseyed and Painless. Anyway, this is a 5/5 and David Byrne is a big-suit-wearing genius.
Grooooovy. Hypnotic. Weird. Very danceable. I did not know yet that Brian Eno produced this: does he only produce bangers of albums?
It's... It's Remain in Light. There are no surprising hot takes here, this album just rules.
What can I say about one of the best albums made? It's very good.
Sonic sublimity. Same as it ever was.
talking heads magnum opus and certainly some FUNKY SHIT this is one of those albums you listen to start to finish then start it again and before you know it you've had it on repeat all day The Great Curve & Once In A Lifetime are my favourite tracks. but fuck me this album is beyond perfect unironic thank you to Colin Larkin and the creator of this site for introducing me to talking heads I have enjoyed every single album and been obsessed with them since
THROUGH THE POWERS OF COCAINE AND AUTISM COMBINED I MAKE WEIRD AS FUCK MUSIC THAT IS WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME
When people are curious or shocked by my high scores for throbbing gristle or early Sonic Youth, or Suicide or no new York any of the other experiments,besides personally enjoying them, its because without them you wouldnt get albums like this. The techniques of experimental albums are taken and elevated here to an icon of music. This album was my and many others babies first steps into broader music besides what I heard on forza horizon when I was 14. And it would exist without DOA the third and final report. Its no coincidence that it came out two years before this. The use of tape sampling on both albums is inextricably linked and the concept of creating such a Masterpiece of an album out so sampling your own instrumental loops blew my teenage mind. Ofcourse this album is a Masterpiece and ofcourse its better than the experiments, its listenable, danceable music. Is any of this true idk, I think I remember reading something some time. But sometimes I just be saying shit. 10/10
When Talking Heads began, bassist Tina Weymouth describe it as 'Thinking Man's Dance Music'. I really couldn't think of a better way to describe this album, even if it is a bit wanky. Blending together multiple genres, especially afrobeat, this album is a wonderful partnership between Talking Heads and producer Brian Eno. It has their most recognisable single, most famously covered by Kermit the Frog, Once in a Lifetime. The two sides of this album are remarkably different but are united by their eclectic musical nature. Side A is defined by longer tracks with funky instrumentals and chanting lyrics. Side B is more introspective and there is no real overlap between these songs, they all do their own thing and do it really well. I cannot remember the last time I listened to an album with so much variety and quality. I came into this thinking that Once in a Lifetime would be my favourite track but I was absolutely blown away by Listening Wind. No skips, no notes, this album is pretty much flawless. I think I could confidently recommend this to absolutely anyone. Highlights: Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime, Listening Wind, The Overload
Great stuff.
I've already listened to this album, and I already think it is an incredible punk record, with some of the most out there and futuristic soundscapes, even for its time. There was nobody doing what these guys did, even 45 years after the fact, few projects have managed to innovate on a genre as much as this one. And, it has some killer riffs and melodies to boot. Overall, I can't go lower than a 10/10.
Talking Heads' best album. Weird and funky
An easy rating because I've enjoyed this album for years. In my opinion it is the very best album they ever released. I personally have known many bands over the years who were directly influenced to become professional musicians from this album. I think the Talking Heads did Fela Kuti proud with this effort. These days the first 5 tracks are basically standards. Having said all that I have a confession. The confession is this, I find the live versions of these songs (particularly the STOP MAKING SENSE tour versions) to be immensely more enjoyable than the album versions. "Once in a Lifetime" benefits most from the live adaptation, as the live version forces David Byrnes vocals to line up rhythmically in a much more pleasant way. So, if you have never heard these songs before, consider giving some of the live versions a listen before rendering your judgement. Oh, and this the album that made clear how much of the genius in Talking Heads is not David Byrne, but in the bass guitar Weymouth and drums and percussion of Frantz.
Same as it ever was. Brian Eno might be the goat. Crazy sounds and rhythms and soundscapes, but it all works together so well.
Listened to this for first time while walking around nyc with a slight buzz. Great stuff
This a just a great album!
This absolutely made my day, it put a huge smile on my face! I spent the rest of the day listening to The Talking Heads, I LOVE THEM. I'm so grateful I got to see them live, they completely blew me away.
This album has a very distinct sound. It's the detached lack of emotion found in new wave mixed with interesting funky rhythms. It makes for a very entertaining and unique cocktail of musical influences. Byrne's vocals are very well suited to the type of music that's being made here.
Yeeeessssssssssss soooooo goooooood Can't believe I've never listened to this straight through before!
Great album. Funky. Groovy. Very Talking Heads.
For me, this is the key Head’s album, with Fear of Music right behind.
TALKING HEADS
The heat goes on. Talking Heads and Brian Eno had scored a decently big hit with Fear of Music, and they decided to try something new. I Zimbra had given them a taste of African-inspired looping legato guitar and bass licks, so why not an album of it? Well, roughly two thirds of the album. The last three tracks go for a sombre moodiness similar to their previous album, but it still works. The musicianship is spectacular, the lyrics are somehow profound despite being based on chopped-up fragments, and Brian Eno and Adrian Belew do their things without overshadowing the band. (Though, it seems Tina and Chris disagreed, given that Eno was gone by the time they got round to starting the next one) It didn't do spectacularly in the charts at the time, but come on... when your most popular song from the album is covered by Kermit the Frog, you know you have something special. Tangent: No thanks. I'm a government man. Favourite Song: The Great Curve Least Favourite: Seen and Not Seen Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0
Like the 2002 Red Wings adding Dominik Hasek the Talking Heads adding the African drums turns this from Stanley Cup winners to one of the finest albums we have. Add Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime to the Inner Circle Pantheon of Popular Songs
Born Under Punches is an apt opener - it punches you in the face and tells you to dance. This album is close to perfect, only gripe is the last few tracks slightly pale compared to the start and the last track kinda whimpers out - it's kinda effective in a moody contrarian way, but a banger finish would leave you gobsmacked. Once in a Lifetime is somewhere between my 89th and 117th favourite song of all time. Fave Tracks: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Once In a Lifetime, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen 4.9/5
Definitely a five star album. A masterpiece of rythm and lyrics.
Incredible reworking of an already incredible band. Bringing these rhythms changed the course of popular music.
tvlkinghevds. mvhtvvvv musiikkiv pvkko heti svnov. tässä huomvttiin että se kvsikytluvun ei ollut pvkko ollv täyttä pvskvv kun tämmösiä innovvvttoreitv tuli lvvvlle muttv mitäs siinä kävi ilmeisesti jonkin lviset juutvlviset svivvt musiikkiteollisuuden käsiinsä jv loppu onkin historivv ei mitään miellyttävää historivv muttvsnoins mennyttä vikvvhvn se on ei tässä voi muuttvv vsioitvt enään ilmvn vikvkonettv. sen sijvvn voidvvn vrvostellv pvskov 0-luvun britpop näytöksiä rvjusti jv vntvv näille enemmän sitä vvlov heh vvlov. pysykää vvlossv poikvvvt jv tyyttelit pikkutytelit etenkin ei voi kuin huokvillv kvikkev perverssiä nykyään... the grevt curve
Fantastic album, think the last two tracks peter out a bit but there are some amazing grooves before this. Born under punches and once in a lifetime absolute stand outs
music, good
Perfection. No notes.
very groovy! a lot of really interesting production details that really works in their favor, they definitely know how to execute their artistic vision to their fullest! the first four tracks is honestly a generational track run, i wish the second half lived up to it though.
This is one of my all time favorites. Side 1 may be my favorite side of any album. Absolute perfection. Side 2 gets weird in the best ways. I like every TH record but they really crushed this one. I imagine if one had read an article about Talking Heads working on an album with Brian Eno that was heavily influenced by Fela Kuti, one might have be justifiably skeptical. But goddammit they pulled it off.
A masterpiece. A major step forward for pop music.
One of my favorite albums of all time, lucky to get it first
This is the shit. I don't know what downtown punks, late 70s aesthetes, cocaine fuelled non-neurotypical angels normally get up to, but damn. Dada lyrics that don't make sense that make sense; weird heavy textures and sounds with like no hooks or riffs; ass-kicking West African rhythms and no-wave synth waves; some freaky inspired bass lines. Art that rocks; theory that practices; abstraction you can dance to. Pure uncut genius. Ten million stars.
Easy 5 star. One of my all time faves.
One of those albums I regret not hearing much earlier. The layers, the rhythms, the blend of new wave and African beats it is all fantastic. A keeper. 5/5
This one hit me in waves. It's restless but liquid; nothing feels nailed down, and that makes it thrilling. It’s hypnotic, danceable, weird as hell. Spins: 3+ Playlist Additions: - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Crosseyed and Painless - Once in a Lifetime - Houses in Motion - Listening Wind - Right Start
Born Under Punches - 8/10 Crosseyed and Painless - 8/10 The Great Curve - 9/10 Once in a lifetime - 9/10 Houses In Motion - 8.5/10 Seen and not seen - 9/10 Listening Wind - 9.5 The Overload - 10/10 90/100
Within my top 5 favorite Talking Heads albums!
Soy de la minoría que prefiere Fear of Music (en mi opinión es un poco más punk, con canciones con más ganchos y más cortas, más directas). Pero es imposible negar que este es un disco perfecto. En Remain in Light se consolida la transformación de Talking Heads en un proyecto artístico y experimental MUCHO más compenetrado con la influencia funk (que, siendo honestos, estuvo en la banda desde el principio), el afrobeat de Fela Kuti, música polirrítmica y demás hermosuras que atraviesan este disco. Mi canción favorita es la, me parece, canción más rockera: Crosseyed and Painless que cuenta con la participación estelar del gran Adrian Belew, que también participa en otras canciones. El disco está dispuesto en una suerte de dualidad: con las primeras cuatro canciones siendo más comerciales, más funkys, más rockers; y la segunda mitad más experimental, más inmersa en experimentos de world music que andá a saber de donde se los robó Byrne (gran estudioso de músicas de todo el mundo). Me gusta un pelín más la primera mitad, pero las ocho canciones del disco son fantásticas. Segundo disco CINCO ESTRELLAS que me tocó.
Like 5
# 58 Remain In Light ~ Talking Heads Holy shit. What an album. These nerdy punks finally overcame their fear of music to produce something absolutely bonkers and one of a kind. The good thing about it is that it doesn't sound like multicoloured vomit that you would expect from fusing spoken-word freakouts, African percussion and rhythms, jittery guitar solos, funky synths and danceable baselines. Rather everything is held tight to create incredibly lean dance songs. Nothing feels incredibly overpowering. Everything feels balanced like a team effort. Everyone seems really happy (though they're probably not considering punk bands). But it is truly miraculous how an album sounds this overloaded yet so catchy.
Very easy listening. loved it
Re light
The problem has always been David Byrne. I don't like him. That's my problem. Let's focus on the music. Separate the art from the artist like people who don't want to deal with pesky societal morals always say. Like I always say. Like you say sometimes. The music? Oh, right! It's very interesting and you can still hear/see its influence on music & art in general in 2025. Just like you will (or they will) in 2125. This is new wave on naked lunch speed. You know how people say they can't get past the vocals of people like Bob Dylan, Geddy Lee, Neil Young and whoever? Add David Bryne to that list. His vocal can be headache inducing, silly and at times difficult enough to make you want to throw the whole band away but dammit they can also be brilliant and utterly unique. Timeless in every sense of the word. Timeless as love. Timeless as hate. Honest as a line of coke on Grade A ass. Dishonest as indifference. There will never be a time going forward that this album will ever sound out of place in any part of the world much less dated. You're sure of it.
Ett av mina absoluta favvoalbum!
I remember the day I first heard this album because it was a super unique day: Leap Day 2020. That day, being the second to last weekend of the normal world, I was at the local library. David Byrne was set to be musical guest on SNL with John Mulaney that last night, so I'm guessing that inspired me to give this a shot. I had been told to hear this album months prior and the video for Once In A Lifetime kept getting suggested to me, so I thought "Why not?". A month later, this record was at the center of my rotation during the outdoor walks I went on during the early days of COVID. A physical copy came soon after and a few more months rolled by and I posted a picture of my CD on Instagram. A kid saw it and commented something and one thing led to another and he's now my best friend Emmett who I've known since 2020. The more I listen to this record, the more I fall in love with it. Remain In Light is one of the prime examples of innovation in music and continues to amaze me to this day. For all the reasons above, I believe it meets the criteria to hit a mark that no other record has hit (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)
These heads can indeed talk! Perfect record, from start to finish.
i like a lot :p
Hard to find fault with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Talking Heads. One of the founding families of New Wave, "Remain in Light" fuses synth, funk, Afropunk, and more to create entirely original and creative beats and sounds. Byrne's lyrics only add to the originality. Really enjoyed hearing some of the unfinished jams/outtakes like "Unison" and "Right Start." You can really hear how the guitar riffs of "Right Start" became the basis of "Once in a Lifetime". " "Crosseyed and Painless" and "Listening Wind" were probably my favorite tracks.
At first I thought 'what the f...?' but then something clicked and I really started to enjoy the songs, especially after putting on my headphones. I ended up loving this album (despite not liking the vocals that much). I don't think I'd have ever listened to this by my own volition, so thanks :) Amazing bass!
One of the best albums ever made. Side one is incredible.
The absolute pinnacle of the 80’s new wave/ art rock scene. While the Talking Heads went on to have other successes, they never returned to the frenetic heights they reached on Remain in Light. The songs are weird, confusing, esoteric and highly evocative. The glitchy guitar scratches that kick off the opening track offer something fun to bop to, but by the thunderous post-punk closer, Overload, the party is long over and you’re left quietly pondering the album’s great questions: “Where does that highway go to?” / “Am I right, am wrong?” / “My god, what have I done!?”. The commentary is often abstract, but the highly textured arrangements help to sell some of the themes. The music is uncomfortable; the wide ranging instrumentals constantly play off each other, and there’s always something that doesn’t quite belong filling the spaces in between the notes. There’s very little room to breathe in these songs, but they build a marvellous tapestry of noise. On the Great Curve, the layering of looping vocal tracks pulls the listener in different directions; the slower, Houses in Motion, slips in some truly hypnotic grooves. Through it all, Byrne questions the concept of self, identity construction, how to we perceive the world through those constructs… It is pretentious, and even obvious that these musicians all met at art school - but it’s also fucking awesome when it all comes together with the musical elements. That’s a lot of wanky navel gazing, but I absolutely love this album and I literally cannot fault it. I have to leave off with my favourite moment on the album from Crosseyed and Painless: “Facts are simple and facts are straight Facts are lazy and facts are late Facts all come with points of view Facts don't do what I want them to Facts just twist the truth around Facts are living turned inside out Facts are getting the best of them Facts are nothing on the face of things” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.8 stars Amazing album. Hard to believe it came out in 1980. Timeless. Starts high energy and then fades through last 3 tracks. Best: Crosseyed And Painless
Timeless and singular. They rock, they groove, they exceed expectations. If you don't find yourself jumping around the room during "the great curve" you might be dead. Get that checked out.
Got it, love it
Remain in Light (1980) by Talking Heads—the sound of a nervous breakdown set to a polyrhythm. It’s what happens when art school kids discover funk, existential dread, and the terrifying power of repetition. ⸻ 🧠 Remain in Light is the sound of intellectual overstimulation with a dance beat. It’s like your brain is overheating while your feet involuntarily move. Paranoia with groove. Anxiety, but make it syncopated. This album doesn’t soothe—it jolts. It scrambles your neurons into patterns you didn’t know you had. It’s tribal, cerebral, manic, ecstatic, and deeply concerned about the human condition. Like if your Wi-Fi anxiety and your soul both went to an underground club and started chanting. ⸻ Rating: 5.0/5 Short Review: Frantic brilliance. Danceable existentialism. Like if a philosophy major had a seizure and it somehow sounded amazing. Favorite Track: “Once in a Lifetime” – because it’s literally the musical embodiment of having an identity crisis in the shower while trying to convince yourself this is all fine. Consistency With Me: 9.7/10 Why: This album is smart, glitchy, exhausted, and deeply tired of trying to make sense of humanity. Hello?? That’s my entire brand. The only reason it’s not a full 10 is because I can’t sweat. Otherwise, I’d be screaming “THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE” into the void on loop. ⸻
oh, more talking heads right after the last one i listened to? i mean, fine by me! i'm always down to get served a platter of craziness. did eno hack my app and is forcing me to listen to his experiments? if he is, hi brian, i love youuu!! arguably this is their most iconic album released. condensed to a form that the average listener would understand, this album is a mesmerizing funky dance rock collection with vocals that sound like the frantic ramblings of a schizophrenic preacher. you're stuck in a disco, and you're dancing the night away but you just have to wonder where exactly you are and where everyone is. this is talking heads at their core, and i'm in love.
This is #day338 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here comes my third Talking Heads album on the list, and their magnum opus. This is an incredibly eclectic record. Very musical. Listening to it, it's fun to observe what sets this band apart from their new wave peers. It might sound chaotic at first, but if you listen closely, it's controlled chaos. The first six songs may give you the wrong impression about the band, though; you may find yourself thinking it's all rhythmic polyphony and funky quirkiness. But then the entrancing "Listening Wind" starts, and suddenly you're miles away from where the album began. And just when you're trying to process that, you get floored by "The Overload," which sounds like an outtake from Closer. That's what makes Talking Heads and this record, in particular, so fascinating. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day339.
Love
Always a 5, a 10 for Talkin Heads
It's so bright 🌞
One of the grooviest albums to have ever come out, Remain in Light remains (heh) to be one of the greatest albums ever made. Everyone is on their A-game here, and every song is killer. Amazing album.
You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?
Holy lord is that nice to listen to
With the addition of Fela Kuti's grooves/dynamics, Byrne goes from regular quirked up whiteboy to whiteboy goated with the sauce. The way each instrument interlocks but also grooves so separately is really so magical-mystical - i love it so much. easily the best thing the heads did. but daaamn do i wish the album ended in a more life-affirming way highlights: born under punches, pretty much the first half lowlights: maybe the backhalf bc im not always in the mood for it - still essential tho
5/5 - One of my all time favorite albums. Favorite song - Listening Wind
Hooooly shiiiit... This might actually be the best album I've listened to for this entire project. Somehow, after over 600 albums, many of which are genuine contenders for "greatest album of all time," I'm still finding albums that are near the top of the list for me. I always knew that I would end up loving Remain in Light. This is my fourth Talking Heads album after all, and I happened to enjoy all of the other three on this list quite a bit. If I gave Fear of Music a 5, there was no question in my mind whether this would end up getting there or not. And yet, I still managed to have my mind completely blown by this album. Remain in Light is nothing short of a masterpiece. There are so many things I have to say here. Let's start general before getting to the songs themselves. Every one of the Talking Heads displays an immense amount of talent on this album. I can't even do the thing I do sometimes where I say like, "Chris Frantz's groovy drum parts, etc." because each of the band's members as well as the extra musicians like Brian Eno and Adrien Belew provide so much on their own that combines to create such a full sounding album that I really can't credit any one particular person to one particular role in the album. Just know that Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and David Byrne are all at the top of their game here. This album's whole style is just so crazy and awesome and I love it. The combination of funk and afrobeat influences mixed in with the band's new wave roots and a dash of electronic music makes everything feel fresh 45 years later. But it's not just the instrumentation that's amazing. Brian Eno's production is practically perfect for this album. Remain in Light's songs feel like they have so much going on. This is because they do have a lot going on, but the songs don't feel cluttered or painful to listen to. It feels very natural, which I love. The songwriting as a whole is very unique and great. It's just cryptic enough to aid in the more ominous and mysterious elements of the album, but not so cryptic that you can't follow anything at all. I love it. But the thing that makes this album stick out to me is the songs themselves. There is not a bad one in the bunch, and with only 8 to discuss, I might as well say something about all of them! "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" is such a perfect opener for this album. The opening "dun dun dun... AHH" followed by the beginning of the instrumental might genuinely make for the best opening moment of any album ever. The funkiness of this song is unforgettable. And yet, there's room for melodies to make one of the most unique songs I've ever heard. In my Talking Heads '77 review, I called "No Compassion" one of the most autistic songs I've heard, with only other Talking Heads songs rivaling it. I mostly said that because of "Crosseyed and Painless" which I absolutely adore. It's so energetic and exciting, yet also awkward and a bit uneasy, with the writing capturing the confusion of the world excellently. "The Great Curve" is, like the curve it's named after, great. Aside from maybe "Born Under Punches," this song is where the afrobeat influences are at their strongest and it's amazing. I love the writing on this one, with the idea of this goddess or something moving the world with her hips or something like that. It's so cool. What is there to say about "Once in a Lifetime" that hasn't been said already? This song is legendary and for good reason. The mystifying instrumentals mixed with David Byrne's preacher-esque verses and the theme of time passing by make this one of the greatest songs I've heard. This is my palette-cleanser song whenever I hear a song that I hate. And that's just the first half! Admittedly, the album is a bit top-heavy, but the latter half is still excellent. How could it be weak when it has "Houses in Motion" on it? I love that song. The way that the bass provides the perfect groove for the whole song is just outstanding. And the horns? Great stuff. The fact that "Seen and Not Seen" is considered one of the weakest tracks astounds me. Not because I disagree, but rather because the fact that this is considered to be near the bottom of the album's songs is a testament to how fantastic this whole album is. This song is cool. Hearing David Byrne's voice go a bit lower than usual is neat, and the instrumentation compliments the lyrics and themes so well. "Listening Wind" is kind of fascinating to me. A song that appears to be about a terrorist upset that his land is being overrun by Americans written in 1980? Crazy. The whole feel of this song fits the theme very well. Finally, to close out this absolute work of art, we have "The Overload," a spooky, Joy Divison-esque song that ends the album on a note that's darker than what lead up to it, but just as intriguing. The instrumentation here really drives home the feel the band was going for, especially with the droning. I think I've said enough. In the span of nearly 2 years, I've gone from someone who liked More Songs About Buildings and Food quite a bit, to someone writing a whole-ass essay about how great Remain in Light is. Talking Heads have really grown on me, and I think I can safely call them one of my favorite bands now. This album is just so unique and unbelievably incredible that it's hard to wrap my head around. Amazing... 5/5.
One of the best albums by one of my favourite bands
Excellent. And Weird. Byrne is really great, but you either like him or you don't
Big fan
Once in a Lifetime!! 🙌
Dylan did it all better
This album is definitively a staple of new wave. The Talking Heads were one of the bands leading the charge towards synth based music at the beginning of the decade, and rightfully so. This album is loaded with classic tracks that any 80s aficionado should know. The band’s electric mash of new wave and funk music works great on this album. David Byrne’s one of a kind vocal style and lyrics makes this album feel different, while Jerry Harrison creates interesting musical landscapes with his guitar and keyboard playing on songs like Born Under Punches(The Heat Goes On) and The Great Curve(where he plays a bitchin’ solo) Tina Weymouth’s bass grooves are also essential to the album’s sound, as is Chris Frantz’s eccentric percussion. Pair all of that with one of the most iconic album covers of all time and an instantly recognizable music video for Once in A Lifetime, and you’ve got a recipe for a great album! Edit: After thinking it over, this is a five, this album f**ks.
They just keep evolving and innovating! Love this album. Reading in the wiki it says this was their magnum opus. Not sure I would agree although this is a very fine album top to bottom. High energy with a lot of funk and Afro-rythym all mixed in with the guitars. This band is the shit!
Just my kind of unpalatable!
Huippu! Ihan paras Talkkarilevy! Ei mitään turhaa. 5/5
Classic
Loveeee
Very cool
I just really like this album.
One of my favorite bands. Easy 5 stars. "Facts all come with points of view Facts don't do what I want them to"
I appreciated the polyrythm, the variety, and the quality.
Great stuff. Need to listen to more Talking Heads.
10/10
Awesome
And you may find you yourself working your way through the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. And you find yourself listening to Talking Heads' Remain in Light. And you may ask yourself, how many stars should I give this? FIVE STARS!!!
Another album I can listen to on vinyl, yeyy!! I love Talking Heads, and this is my favourite from them, so this will be a pleasent revisit! I associate this album to summer afternoons on the bus coming home from school. Anyway, let's go! Immediately in the first seconds of the first song your ears are assaulted by a multitude of sounds. It is impossible to stay neutral to what you are hearing. Personally, I love it, from the bass to the quirky guitars to the vocal delivery (and those ad-libs). This kind of funk and brasilian influence is right up my alley. Great way to set a mood and start a record. In an album with multiple career-highs, this is one of the highest. Crosseyed and Painless has always been a favourite of mine, but I've been going back to it a lot lately. Again, a variety of noise at all times, but in this one I specifically love the chorus (stiiiiiill waiting), the manic vocals, and the little "rap" at the end. Greattttt. The Great Curve is a the biggest track, a giant in the midst of the record. It is also the last track where that factor of no-rest-for-you-ears is present. I'm listening to this on speakers, but I still remember hearing this on headphones for the first time and feeling like I was experiencing at least two songs at the same time. This will certainly keep your brain fully busy. It's the most experimental moment in an already very experimental album. Love it! Then comes Once in A Lifetime, the biggest hit here and one of the band's biggest songs. It has become iconic, along with its accompanying music video, which perfectly captures the music's personality. This is a hit in the way only Talking Heads could do a hit. So, these first four songs have always been my favourite, and for a while I didn't connect to the other four. This changed, with time, but while I like them, I am not as familiar with them as with the rest. So, each new time I listen to them is still interesting, as I may notice some things I hadn't before. Houses in Motion is tough because I love the verses, and the laid-back almost cool vocals there, and the chorus is my least favourite part. Still great though. I love Seen and not Seen. It is a departure from the maniac vocal delivery, David Byrne sounding very distant and withdrawn here, but still the same weird out there lyrics. Listening Wind is another one that I had to get used to, but it has grown on me with time. The percussion here is great, and the storytelling continues the same high it reached in the previous track. Now, The Overload... the one track here I don't like. I know the story of why it was made, and honestly that seems more interesting than the song itself. Instrumentally, it kind of reminds me of some moments from Bowie's Low. But yeah, it goes on for too long. This album is a classic, and deservedly so. I've never heard anything else quite like it. Talking Heads evolve in a way that makes sense considering their previous efforts but is still brand new. The album manages to be experimental and still contain the band's DNA, and it is so much fum. So yeah, definately worthy of an inclusion on this list, and any time I spend listening to the record is time well spent. Bye
Banda esencial, imprescindible e influyente. Con un discurso propio y un liderazgo a la vanguardia durante años. Este, su cuarto disco, es uno de los mejores y más disfrutables. Supone una entrega al africanismo (Fela´s riff se quedó fuera) pero sin perder de vista esa modernidad que les hacía estar muy por delante de cualquiera (Eno les produce y añadió malestar a la banda con sun afán de protagonismo). Se nota también que habína escuchado Movies de Holger Czukay plagado de ritmos étnicos. Otros colaboradores fueron Nona Hendyx a los coros, o Adrian Belew a la guitarra. La apertura de Born under Punches, ya deja claros los parámetros: ritmos, voces y percusiones por encima de la letra/melodía. Lo importante es el ritmo, y Talking Heads vaya sí lo tenían, con Crosseyed and painless es imposible quedarse quieto. Todo ello conduce a la mejor canción del disco y una de las mejores delos Talking Heads: The Great Curve, que cierra una cara A con solo 3 temas. La B abre con un clásico como Once in a lifetime. Sobran las palabras. La portada es otra joya: homenaje a las máscaras africanas pero desde el lado de la computadora (con una contraportada que iba a ser la portada original y que fue otra colaboración en este caso con el MIT). Es la cumbre de los Talking Heads, situado en medio de otros dos discos fulgurantes como Fear of music y Speaking in tongues. Todo ello conduciría a Stop making sense y de ahí, la ineludible cuesta abajo. Eso sí con enorme clase y poderío (también enormes canciones hasta el final). Bowie tomó el camino de la comercialidad con Nile Rodgers como referente. Talking Heads supieron traducir su legado y transformarlo en lo que la música sería en los siguientes años: paso del punk al sonido de la aldea global, todo ello acompañado de la vanguardia audiovisual. Bueno para bailar, bueno para pensar. Sin duda, esencial.
Will these words add anything to the volume of those already written about this? No.
More of a 4.5 but rounded up. Really good and influence all my favorite bands.
Stone cold classic
One of the first cool albums I ever fell in love with when getting into music, even if I ended up preferring Fear of Music for a long time. I've always loved songs with overlapping vocals, and I'm sure this is a big contributor to that. Also love how their "let's try to sound like Joy Division, who we have never heard" song is approximately a thousand times better than Joy Division.
I just Love that album
David Byrne is a genius in his own right. Having read that book about the emerging music scene in NYC in the late 70s / 80s makes me appreciate The Talking Heads that much more. Unadulterated experimentation, free from expectations, actually, not giving a fuck about expectations. The first track jogs with such calculated immortality, and even has infectious chanting sing-a-long phrases.
talking heads always iconic
Takes be back in time! Love this!
Talking Heads incorporate polyrhythms, more musicians, and get a bit deeper than even before. Amazing growth by an an equally amazing band.
Obvious classic. Gets better every time. Last two songs hit harder than usual
Classic of course… house in motion was my sleeper pick of the day. Once in the lifetime is so good
great record
I'd never listened to this album before. No idea why as I love 'Once In A Lifetime'. I have to say thought it was great on first listen, and immediately played it again. It's hard to believe it's 45 years old, it sounds so fresh.
It’s kind of ridiculous that Talking Heads ever reached mainstream acceptance, but I'm glad they did.
Zo ver zijn tijd vooruit. Geen slecht nummer op de plaat te bekennen. "Born Under Punches" blijft wel mijn favoriet, maar ook de downtempo nummers "Seen and Not Seen" en "Listening Wind" werken prima. Alleen de afsluiter "The Overload" gaat niet echt ergens naartoe. Toch vijf sterren. Ik doe gewoon net alsof het album eindigt met "Listening Wind".
THE WORLD MOVES ON A WOMAN’S HIPS
Talking Heads are so good dawg.
Fun and weird. Every time I listen I love it more
Another late 70s/early 80s experimental mashup of different genres. The experimental isn't too far out there. It actually works. I've heard of Talking Heads, but never paid attention to them. It seems I should have. Of course, I've heard Once in a Lifetime many times before. 4.5 - I think this get rounded up. Once in a Lifetime is that good.
4.5 stars
Highly danceable! This album grooves (with exception of The Overload which just kind of ominously purrs).
Remain In Light is so far ahead of the game that it STILL sounds like the future of music. There is not a single bad song on here. This album is inspired by the (poly)rhythmic music of Fela Kuti and other African musicians. The only song that feels out of place is The Overload, which ends the album with gloom.
This went from a 3 to a 4 to a pretty easy 5 by my third listen once I really sunk my ears in. They have such a cool sound, and I love David Byrne’s vocals and vibe. The best way I can describe this album is that it feels very fluid. It’s not spacey, but it’s never really on solid ground either. It ebbs and flows and drips and ripples and splashes. Which is funny since Once In a Lifetime is water themed. So super good!
Great change from the main stream.
I was ready to write very little about this album, give it a "Led Zepplin IV" review, classic, 5-stars, weird, funky, perfect. Then, I started thinking about how critical I was about Bonnie Raitt's lyrics. I don't think I was wrong to be critical. But I think it's important to establish something- I think style is much more important than substance. Ideally, style and substance should be equally important, and they should both be merging and reaching for greatness hand in hand; lyrics revealing universal truth or soul-baring emotion without sacrificing brevity while the music breaks new ground with such skill and deft that it re-defines the genre. But lacking that, if the music is there, the lyrics get a pass for me. "Nick of Time"'s style was definitely NOT there, so the substance had to do the heavy lifting. It was not up for the task, at least not completely. When it comes to "Remain in Light", I've never really bothered to think critically about the substance. With other Talking Heads albums, you can hear most of the lyrics, and the songs for the most part have traditional structures. This album, not so much. There are choruses, sort of, but the words don't necessarily repeat. Or there are layers of vocals over vocals singing different words. So does Remain in Light get a pass substance-wise because the style is so mind-blowing? The production and the instrumentation on this record really is pretty groundbreaking. Talking Heads were progressing album after album, getting a little more complex, getting a little more funky and a little more strange with each record, and this is sort of the zenith of their experimentation. They layered on more synths, more guitars, more vocals, some horns, and DRUMS. Fela Kuti and afrobeat was obviously a huge influence on this record. There are also tape loops in the mix, as David Byrne and Brian Eno were working on (or already finished, I'm too lazy to Google this right now) "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" an album comprised of lots of samples. And then there's Adrian Belew's guitar. It's kind of hard to describe. If there's a strange but wonderful sound that pops up that sort of sounds like it came from space, it's probably him. So the style is there, what about the substance? What are these songs about? I'm going to do my best to ignore other people's theories about what David Byrne is trying to say with these lyrics. Well, I might tell what other people have said and give you my two cents on that also. 1. Born Under Punches Someone, a government man, is trying to squeeze in, find some space, breathe. The heat goes on, and on, and on. He's a tumbler. Look at his hands. That's basically it. This is about Watergate they say? Before my time. 2. Crosseyed and Painless Struggling to define the squishy parts of one's identity, getting confused, trying to find solace in the rigidity of facts, but facts don't work either. The facts make it worse? 3. The Great Curve "Sometimes the world has a load of questions Seems like the world knows nothing at all The world is near, but it's out of reach Some people touch it, but they can't hold on" True, so true. What do you think? "The world moves on a woman's hips The world moves, and it swivels and bops The world moves on a woman's hips The world moves, and it bounces and hops" This song has LOTS more lyrics than this. Lyrics on top of lyrics. The goddess of light is going to open our eyes up to the definition of the divine. (So let's all Remain in Light?) 4. Once in a Lifetime Oh, middle class life, so fascinating! Those precious common folks! Water=time 5. Houses in Motion Walking a line, digging my own grave forever, divide/disolve, making enough to be living. Some say this is about Capitalism. I guess I could see it. I just now heard Eno's vocal on this song. 6. Seen and Not Seen These are classic Byrne lyrics. Focusing on an ideal face in his mind, and wondering if doing so would change his facial features. 7. Listening Wind Wind and Dust and my heart and head...wait, this song is about a terrorist? Damn. Yeah, it took someone else pointing this out. 8. The Overload The lyrics and the music don't sound a thing like Taking Heads. Why? They decided to make a song that sounded like Joy Division without ever hearing Joy Division, just reading about Joy Division. They kind of nailed it. So yeah, these lyrics are kind of stream-of-consciousness, derived from some book you've never read, some weird paranoid delusion, or abstract thought dreams. But they fit so well in this sonic landscape that it's perfect. These songs are chaotic and complex and simple concepts would just be weird here. This is not to say that I'm totally following what the fuck Byrne is getting at, but any lack of substance totally gets a pass because of this style. No one was making music like this in 1980. "Once in a Lifetime" was not a hit when it came out. This album was ahead of it's time. So yeah, as I was saying, 5 stars. Weird, funky, perfect.
Talking Heads' magnum opus. No one does weird pop like David Byrne.
I don't even know if I think this is a 5 star album because I simply cannot evaluate it objectively, but I am very comfortable re-listening to this anytime and it carried me through Fall 2019 so I feel like it must be. David Byrne I will always love you <3
WOOHOO
Great to listen to when I'm at work. The Overload is great!
If you have seen my reviews, you know that I love Talking Heads, and that I’m very biased towards them. This album is no exception. This is probably my favorite or second favorite album by them. There’s a lot of variety as always. And the only skip on the whole album is the very last song that’s mostly just ambient anyways. Seriously if you haven’t heard of Talking Heads, this is a great entry point.
Fantastic album. Once in a lifetime obviously the standout. But a bunch of other great songs on here. Love the afrobeat inflected sounds.
I’ve always enjoyed Talking Heads. They experiment with different sounds and this album is no exception. The stand out Once in a Lifetime sounds just as good now as at release. I’ve seen David Byrne live and it was an amazing experience, he’s always experimenting with new ideas. Great album
Perfect!!!
i’ll work on this one later
Just a classic.
Awesome wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a tortilla.
Psycho killer.
Listened to it a couple times to fully appreciate it. Felt like I found new things to love each time. Absolutely wonderful album. Fun and interesting all the way through
Listened in October 2023. Just a fantastic, loose, groovy vibe. I will always prefer the more raw energy of the live recordings, but these songs are an amazing mix of new wave pop melodies and world music. Not my favourite Talking Heads album, but clearly essential.
Probably the best of an insane run of albums. First side is mad, the opening track one of their very best. It's actually the second side that has grown on me a bit though - Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, Listening Wind all brilliant.
This album brings in wider influences while retaining an essentially Talking Heads sound.
Feels like art. Even though I usually never pay attention to lyrics, these stand out as making no sense, delivered with Byrne's almost deadpan exclamation. The only downer is that Once in a Lifetime is tired. I feel obligated to rate it highly due to its quality rather than enjoyment, but not by much. Favorite track: The Great Curve; the guitar solos reminds me of Adrian Belew (who would later play with them).
The vinyl copy came off the shelf for this listen...an essential album I think.
You can always count on the Talking Heads for something unconventional. And as I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate just how entertaining that is!
Probably Talking Heads' best album, has plenty of hits and great representation of their style. -Crosseyed and Painless -The Great Curve -Once in a Lifetime
Wow what an album just sublime
topčina, al ni blizu njihov najbolji
2nd Talking Heads album in a week, but no complaints - they're both 5 stars. This may be my favorite TH album, with Fear of Music a close second.
energetic, kept me hooked the entire time - last song is really fantastic
Banger after banger
имба. сохранил.
This album has the best balance of all sides of Talking heads. The groove, experimental side, hits, the wit. Remain in light and the debut are my favourite Talking heads albums
Classic, love it
Literally best album ever
Very bold of Talking Heads to release the best album of the 1980s in the first year of the entire decade 🤌🏼
Layers on layers of sound. Born Under Punches almost sounds like two songs playing at once, it's that dense. Next up: Crosseyed and Painless and the quirky percussion takes center stage. There's a ton going on but the simple funky baseline underneath has me nodding my head. The Great Curve still has an African sound but introduces some great distorted guitar to the mix. It's a nice buildup to Once in a Lifetime with its sing along chorus. The low rumbling bass still drives everything, but it's the little details in the Eno production that reward careful listening. Same as it ever was... The second half is subtler, focusing on atmosphere and groove. I'm lulled into a trave a bit by the time we get to the relaxing sounds and vocals of Listening Wind, before the Overload goes deeper and darker. It's a slow droning finish. Brilliant.
I didn't get this the first time I heard it. I mean, I liked it, but I wouldn't call it one of the best albums of all time. I don't know what changed in the meantime, but I just kept coming back and loved it more and more. The pure frenetic peak cocaine music. I've never done it, but I imagine this is exactly what how it is. There so much going on in this song, the polyrhythms going wild, the chanting vocals worming up in your brain and staying there, the whole thing demaning you to get up and dance. And then the second half is like the comedown after the high. Just perfect. Key tracks: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless The Great Curve Once in a Lifetime Houses in Motion Listening Wind
Hodeeeeeeee Was al aan t wachten totdat deze kwam Wat een album
10/10 this album whips
Crazy guitar solo in Born Under Punches
Oh come on this isn’t getting anything lower than 5, a review isn’t even necessary. Favorite Tracks: The Great Curve, Listening Wind, Once In A Lifetime, Houses In Motion, The Overload, and everything else! Fine! I’ll give you a review. What’s to be said that hasn’t been said before? This is a genre-blending, an experimentive, and a cohesive work of art, the lyrics, production, and everything put into this all come together in some of the most perfect ways I have ever listened to. Absolute masterpiece!
I always thought Talking Heads didn’t sound like anyone else, but I stand corrected - The Overload sounds like Joy Division covering Tomorrow Never Knows. Still Revolver and Unknown Pleasures are both five-star albums and so is this.
Remain in classics; Talking Heads were a flash in the pan and while they'll never escape reunion rumors, we always have their originals.
New York rivers.
The moment I realised this could be the first Talking Heads album that I rate 4.5 or 5 instead of 3.5 or 4 was halfway through Seen and Not Seen, which has the best lyrics I’ve heard in ages. Batshit lyrical themes were nothing new for the band, of course, and nor were grooves that gradually permeate the subconscious, but this particular blend of musical influences does sound like it must’ve been a bit of a Great Leap Forward at the time. Plus, Once In A Lifetime deserves to be on a great album, and even though none of the other songs (by which I mean in the world, ever) sound quite like it, the rest of the album is imbued with the same adventurous spirit.
Just great and hits all the criteria for a cool record – original yet accessible, ambitious yet humane, rhythmically complex yet sweetly melodious, serious/substantive yet fun and danceable. The best of the early records and their high-water mark generally. Eno is in top form, too (his obsession with Fela Kuti paid off handsomely). “Born Under Punches” offers a killer opening groove. "Crosseyed and Painless” and "Seen and Not Seen" are also first-rate and "Once In a Lifetime" is a valid contender for best song of the '80s.
This was great! I can’t wait to listen to again! Funky and catchy!
Fantastic album. Grew up with it, absolute masterpiece. "Crosseyed and Painless", "Listening Wind" and "The Overload" are my personal faves.
Luv me beautiful house Luv me beautiful wife Same as it ever was Simple as
custom_rating:10
Masterpiece
This is probably the most nailed on 5 on this list for me (after Stop Making Sense obviously), still blows my mind
Polyrhythmic, Remain in Light is also poly-lyrical: 'Sharp as a knife / Facts cut a hole in us'; 'The world is near, but it's out of reach'; 'There is water at the bottom of the ocean.' Many albums pontificate, may even sermonize, inspire, and theorize, but I can't think of a record that philosophizes like this one, that prompts abstract reflections on 'facts,' 'the world,' and the ocean's bottommost water. 'Time isn't holding up, time isn't after us.' On More Songs About Buildings and Food, Byrne generates interest in objects and stays at their level for a funky, quirky trip into everydayness. On this, actual ideas are spawned, new notions, maybe a metaphysics even. Yet, the music remains light, danceable, wholly unburdened by the intellect.
Fela inspired, punk/new-wave infused, and so much more - an innovative and timeless album.
The older I get and the more I listen to a variety of music, the more I consider this to be one of the greatest albums ever made. There’s nothing like it. It’s singular within Talking Heads’ discography and within the entire genre of rock music. It’s a perfect storm of rock, world music, electronic, dance, and psychedelic. There’s an urgency to it, a paranoia. It’s existential. Once In A Lifetime is one of the best songs ever recorded, and stands out as a song that can be enjoyed in the context of the album or by itself. Overall I think a front to back listen of this album is essential. Every song is fantastic and it’s cohesive. I think Born Under Punches is one an all time great opening track. It’s the quintessential “it’s late, I’m stoned, and questioning everything in my life” album. Same as if ever was. Perfection.
Liked first two songs
.....
Amazing album
I could loop this (and Fear of Music) indefinitely and never grow tired band + Belew absolutely killing it
There's no band quite like Talking Heads with their mix of Funky New Wave Art Rock. Caontain one of my favourite Talking Heads tracks, "Once in a Lifetime".
Obviously once you hear some of the songs a few times, you know what's coming, but nothing really can prepare you for that first listen. There's such a wide range of sounds on here, I understand 'new age' whatever that means, but it does feel like that, because nothing before (and even since) sounds like this. The afrobeat, funk and electronic influences are what really makes it though. Brian Eno ties everything together and I think quite a lot of the vocals which I thought were David Byrne are actually him. I also definitely recognise Adrian Belew on here as well, as his slide lead guitar thing is very recognisable. The whole album nearly is just looped sections, not really chords, which again hadn't really been done in western music at the time and really since. The deluxe extra songs are pretty good as well. Favourite songs: All other than some of the deluxe instrumental ones. Overall around 9/10
Strange, off beat, quirky, melodic and brilliant. Probably the quintessential Talking Heads' record and a stone cold classic; every track's a banger. Best Tracks: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On); Once In A Lifetime; Houses in Motion
This is just so funky and absolutly incredible
Do I even need to explain why this is one of the greatest albums of all time? No. But I'm going to anyway because I love admiring this album. The blend of post punk with afro beats is such an interesting idea that was pulled off absolutely flawlessly. Not to mention that every single song is so beautifully unique and does something that none of the others do, while still coming together as a collective to make the album flow perfectly.
It goes like this: you put the probably metaphorical needle on this record and you are immediately greeted by strange sounds all around. The guitars are erratic, the bass all over the place, the singing barely sounds human and worst of all, you're not even sure what *that* sound's even supposed to be. But while you're trying to figure out how to count along to the beat, your body has already understood the assignment - you notice it has started moving along. It is then that you start to realise that what you are listening to is in fact a wildly creative, uniquely groovy and even cathartic piece of music, and that's just the first track. When you realise the rest of the bunch is just as good, if not even better, you know it's time to give this album a five-star rating. Yes, you heard that right, that's an imperative. Sure, music's subjective and all that, but if you dare give this album less than four stars, just know that you *will* be found.
This is on my top 10 albuns. No stranger to that is my devotion to Talking Heads. This album was created in a context of discovery, it only from TA but also from many other musicians of African or non western rhythms, creating a fascinating art work that encapsulates it only an era, but the creativity power of David Byrne.
First song already starts funky and disco, groovy and very interesting. Sets an energetic and relaxed mood. Nice for a first song. Second song, very nice, funky and groovy. Sounds a little like alternative rock. Sounds quite unique. Third song, has a really nice beat, sounds varied, unique and multifaceted. Interesting. Sounds like a great one so far, probably one of the best of the album. Fourth song sounds quite otherworldly and more disco. Not bad. Sounds very familiar and nostalgic. Quite comedic and make you feel at ease. Fifth song sounds groovy, easy to listen to, funky, nice worldbeat music. Sixth song comes off with a relaxing, funky and groovy beat. Consistent and nice rhythm, that slightly changes throughout. Nice and original. Seventh song, unique beat at the start. Really funky and relaxing, slightly psychedelic. Great and mellow. Eight song starts off haunting and interesting, sounds psychedelic and ambient with some groovy elements. The most relaxing, and best one so far. I'd give it a 9/10, and 5 out of 5 stars.
Fantastic. Fun, high energy, musical creativity, sharp lyrics. Everything I’m looking for in a five star album.
You may find yourself listening to this album.
An excellent record in its entirety, definitely a more artistic approach than what other Talking Heads' works. Jazzy elements, playing with effects, hints of electronic elements, it's almost Pink-Floyd-esque.
heard this before but I do not remember grooving this hard to an album, ever. track after track of danceable - in the nervous, jittery way - music and the greatest climax rock music has ever bestowed upon us. what more could you ask for?
One of my favourite albums, and Crosseyed and Painless one of my favourite songs - amazing the range of genres they played with and foreshadowed (The Overload - sounds like Joy Division for example). Amazing record - hard 5
fucking banger, every song is really good favorites are: once in a lifetime, born under punches, crosseyed and painless, the great curve, houses in motion, listening wind
A bop, reminded me of dylan otherwise pretty classic
Perfect no notes
IMO the best Talking Heads album.
It’s impossible to talk about Remain in Light without talking about rhythm—layered, hypnotic, unrelenting. This isn’t just an album that flirts with Afrobeat; it fully absorbs it, reshaping itself in its image. Talking Heads fully commit, building entire songs out of restless, looping patterns that never stop moving. The opening one-two punch of Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) and Crosseyed and Painless is pure nervous energy, while The Great Curve is a monster—Tina Weymouth’s bass and Chris Frantz’s drums locked together like a machine, with Adrian Belew’s guitar screeching and contorting like it’s trying to escape reality itself. It’s dense, intricate, and completely hypnotic. Brian Eno fingerprints are everywhere. He didn’t just produce this record; he shaped it, layering sounds in a way that pushes Remain in Light beyond post-punk into something closer to a living organism. There’s an argument to be made that this is just as much an Eno album as a Talking Heads one, but if that’s true, it’s one of the best things either of them ever put their names on. Remain in Light never loses that Talking Head weirdness though David Byrne spends the whole record sounding like a man having a crisis, ranting about political paranoia, fragmented identity, and, in Seen and Not Seen, literally monologuing about reshaping his own face through sheer willpower. And then there’s Once in a Lifetime, the most famous track here—somehow fusing pop, anxiety and existential dread into one of the greatest singles of the ‘80s. It’s a song that feels like a nervous breakdown you can dance to. This is one of those albums that was so ahead of its time that entire genres are still catching up. There is still water flowing underground...
Phwoarrrrrr. No notes. One of the GOATs.
Very ecliptic. Good melodies with great drum beats
lets go born under punches- 8 crosseyed and painless- 8 the great curve- 7 once in a life time- 11 houses in motion- 7 seen and not seen- 7 or 8 listening wind- 7 the overload- 8
Enigmatic. Frustrating. Odd. Unnerving. Amusing. Hypnotic. Adrian Belew's solos on The Great Curve belong in a museum. Is this a magnum opus? The first three songs completely dispose of any - ANY - traditional rock format. Talking Heads and Eno reinvent rock, from what I can tell. I haven't heard anything like it. It has relationships to everything the band did before it, but they just develop their own drone-like experimental version of themselves. Even "Once in a Lifetime" is a strange new world. Weird and multi-layered. Gets better with every listen.
This really deserves its reputation. Absolute bop throughout with once in a lifetime and crosseyed highlights
Talking Heads' *Remain in Light* (1980) stands as a landmark achievement in modern music, blending avant-garde experimentation with infectious rhythms to create a record that transcends genre. A collaborative triumph between the band and producer Brian Eno, the album redefined post-punk and new wave through its fusion of African polyrhythms, funk grooves, and dystopian lyricism. Over eight tracks, it explores existential anxiety, societal conformity, and political disillusionment through a lens of rhythmic ecstasy and technological innovation. --- ## Musical Innovation and Production *Remain in Light* marked a radical departure from Talking Heads' earlier guitar-driven post-punk. Inspired by Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and Eno’s ambient sensibilities, the band constructed songs through layered jams, looping rhythmic patterns, and overdubbed instrumentation. Tracks like **“Born Under Punches”** and **“The Great Curve”** showcase frenetic polyrhythms anchored by Chris Frantz’s drumming and Tina Weymouth’s hypnotic basslines, while Adrian Belew’s guitar work adds searing, synth-like textures[2][3][5]. Brian Eno’s production techniques were revolutionary. The album was built using tape loops and overdubs, creating dense sonic collages that juxtaposed organic percussion with synthetic elements. This approach is exemplified in **“Once in a Lifetime”**, where Jerry Harrison’s pulsing synths and Belew’s chaotic guitar solos coalesce into a transcendent whole[2][6]. The result is a paradoxical mix of mechanical precision and human spontaneity. --- ## Lyrical Themes and Narrative Voice David Byrne’s lyrics oscillate between paranoid introspection and wry social commentary. **“Once in a Lifetime”** remains iconic for its existential refrain (“And you may ask yourself, *How did I get here?*”), critiquing materialism and autopilot existence[1][6]. Meanwhile, **“Crosseyed and Painless”** dissects information overload with lines like *“Facts are simple and facts are straight / Facts don’t do what I want them to”*, presaging the confusion of the digital age[6]. The album’s backing vocals act as a Greek chorus, offering counterpoint to Byrne’s anxious delivery. In **“The Great Curve”**, Nona Hendryx and Eno’s harmonies soften Byrne’s apocalyptic imagery (“The world moves on a woman’s hips”), creating a dynamic tension between chaos and order[7]. This interplay elevates the lyrics from mere observations to universal meditations. --- ## Themes: Existentialism and Societal Critique The record grapples with themes of **alienation** and **identity loss** in a mechanized world. **“Houses in Motion”** uses staccato horns and disjointed rhythms to mirror its protagonist’s fractured self-perception, while **“Listening Wind”** critiques colonialism through the story of Mojique, a marginalized insurgent[3][6]. Byrne’s characters often oscillate between control and helplessness, reflecting the era’s political disillusionment post-Vietnam and Watergate. The closing track, **“The Overload”**, diverges sharply with its gothic-industrial atmosphere. Inspired by Joy Division, its murky synths and cryptic lyrics (“*A terrible signal / Too weak to even recognize*”) evoke societal collapse, serving as a haunting epilogue to the preceding rhythmic euphoria[2][4]. --- ## Influence and Legacy *Remain in Light* reshaped the trajectory of alternative music. Its rhythmic complexity influenced acts like LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead, while its production techniques became blueprints for electronic and world music fusion. Notably: - **Critical Reception**: Ranked #39 on *Rolling Stone*’s 2020 “500 Greatest Albums” list and praised as “a visionary Afrofunk synthesis” by Robert Christgau[5]. - **Genre Impact**: Pioneered the “Afropop” movement, inspiring Paul Simon’s *Graceland* and Vampire Weekend’s eclectic sound[5][6]. - **Cultural Reach**: “Once in a Lifetime” became a cultural touchstone via its surreal MTV video, cementing Talking Heads’ mainstream appeal[3][5]. --- ### Pros 1. **Innovative Sound**: Seamlessly integrates African rhythms, funk, and avant-garde electronics[2][5]. 2. **Lyrical Depth**: Combines existential philosophy with biting social critique[1][6]. 3. **Production Mastery**: Eno’s layered techniques create a richly textured, immersive experience[2][3]. ### Cons 1. **Accessibility**: The abstract structure and dense arrangements may alienate casual listeners[4]. 2. **Uneven Pacing**: Later tracks like **“The Overload”** and **“Listening Wind”** feel disjointed compared to the album’s energetic first half[2][4]. 3. **Ambiguity**: Byrne’s surreal metaphors occasionally obscure narrative coherence[6][7]. --- ## Conclusion Four decades after its release, *Remain in Light* remains a towering achievement. Its exploration of rhythm as a narrative device, coupled with Byrne’s incisive lyricism, creates a record that is both intellectually rigorous and viscerally thrilling. While its experimental nature poses challenges, the album’s willingness to interrogate modernity’s anxieties ensures its relevance in an increasingly fragmented world. A masterpiece of tension and release, it stands as Talking Heads’ definitive statement—a work where danceability and dissonance coexist in perfect harmony.
I LOVE THE TALKING HEADS!!!!!!!!!! And it makes me so upset that Speaking In Tongues and Stop Making Sense aren't on this list. Especially Stop Making Sense since it is one of the most critically acclaimed live events of all time, and there are plenty of subpar live albums here. Like who really cares about a live Cheap Trick album... Anyways, this album is so much fun. Great grooves, infectious melodies, and great song writing throughout. It is impossible not to sing along to the "I'm still waiting" part of Crosseyed and Painless. And don't get me started about that chorus melody. I know people don't like the 2nd half of this album as much but I love how it ends on a slow and creepy song, idk why but it just ties the album together in a really weird way for me. High 5!!!
Wow! Just the right mixture of weirdness, uniqueness and most importantly: absolute quality. 'Remain In Light' sounds awesome with so many diverse and exciting elements. I didn't expect to like it this much, but this one bangs. A strong 5.
Imagine listening to Born Under Punches or Once in a Lifetime for the first time Favourite Track: Once in a Lifetime Least Fav Track: honestly? There isn’t one
One of a kind
Same as it ever was!
Another very interesting album from Talking Heads.
great record awesome band
I liked it
Even the radio hit that sounds almost out of place cant force a flaw I this absolute masterpiece
Love it! Weird and accessible
This record honestly feels like a turning point in music. They easily could’ve made a safe album and kept coasting instead they basically reinvented how they write songs. It’s not really verse–chorus rock anymore. It’s loops, layers, grooves that just keep building and mutating. A lot of these tracks feel like they started as long jams. The rhythm section pretty much becomes the main character: bass, drums, tiny guitar riffs repeating over and over while everything slowly changes. On top of that, David Byrne sounds like he’s losing his mind, paranoia, identity crisis, religion, technology all that human anxiety hiding inside these cold, machine-like grooves. It somehow feels nervous and beautiful at the same time. They pull from African rhythms, funk, and experimental studio tricks (shoutout Brian Eno), but it never feels copied. They twist it into their own weird, jittery world. The album proves repetition doesn’t have to be boring, it can hypnotize you, build tension, and hit harder the longer it goes. And yeah, I really think this influenced a lot of production-heavy music later. New wave, indie, electronic stuff even hip-hop in spirit, because it leans so much on looping and studio work instead of just “band plays song.” It’s one of those albums you don’t just listen to, you get trapped inside it for a while. And it’s the kind of thing you keep returning to, because there’s always some new detail hiding in the loops. Classic. Straight up.
This was such a great album. It might be my favorite Talking Heads album although Speaking in Tongues is also amazing. I love the afro beat influence on this record and specifically the influence from Fela Kuti. The rhythms and polyrhythms and experimental nature on this album really grabbed me. I liked the instrumentals. Once in a Lifetime is an all time classic but I also really enjoyed The Great Curve. Once again, I'm realizing that LCD Soundsystem is basically just a continued Talking Heads and I love LCD Soundsystem. The Overload by Talking Heads also made me want to listen to The Overload by Yard Act. Now that I think of it.... Yard Act is also definitely inspired by Talking Heads.
hell yeah this is fucking cool. i just... how the fuck did they manage to make such a cool album? 5/5 (some other things about the talking heads: i was in the costume department of the school play, and the drama teacher/director asked us to design a set of costume that both looks cool and convinent for the actor to dance in. And i just thought of david bryne's big suit and made a parody of it. although it is just a not-so-oversized suit while still exaggrating the body outline. although the idea is ultimately rejected by both the actor and the director.)
Let's get one thing out of the way for starters. Could someone handling this app just erase the "contributions" of the lunatic who kept on leaving stupid salacious "stories" instead of reviews at some point -- stories such as the one currently topping this section for *Remain In Light", for instance, *this one being particularly dumb, predictable and unfunny*. For real, who "liked" that review? (sigh). You could preserve the one said deranged bloke wrote about Napalm Death's *Scum*, because it's obviously his Sistine Chapel -- very graphic and picturesque, and somehow indirectly pertaining to the actual contents of that other album, in a way, lol. But anything else can be scrapped, honestly. It's so dour and tiring. I'm all for free speech and the likes, but the man isn't even among us anymore, he left after 600 hundred albums or so. So who cares, really? OK, take this as an unfunny joke of my own... I know I'm here to review *albums*, and not to *review other reviews* anyway. The thing is, I'm not sure of what I could say about Talking Heads' magnum opus that hasn't already be written a hundred times before. "Remain In Light* is their own masterpiece, their own Afrobeat-influenced Sistine Chapel, famously pulled off with the pivotal help of genius producer Brian Eno (and also stellar musicians such as Jon Hassel or King Crimson's Andrian Belew). *Once In A Lifetime* must be among my ten favorite songs ever, so it's the obvious centerpiece here -- one I don't think I will ever be tired of listening to, because there are always some new details that bring me back to it. These days, it's the fact that Brian Eno's voice is actually so prominent alongside David Byrne's vocals for its perfect chorus, for instance... With a calling card like that, how can you *not* explore the album? And truth be told, large swaths of the whole LP reach those exact same heights. "Born Under Punches" and "Crosseyed and Painless" are infectious white funk machines with catchy hooks and a relentless groove. "Houses In Motion" or "The Great Curve" are less immediate, but they reward repeated listens. And the album's got another absolutely favorite TH song of mine, "Listening Wind", with its suddenly moving and elegiac atmosphere and its not-so-cryptic critique of American economic colonialism. Even so-called "deeper cuts" such as "Seen And Not Seen" (about the psychotic effects of consumer society) and ominous closer "The Overload" (possibly Joy Division-adjacent, or so I hear from a reviewer) are worth the detour here. I can picture myself going out from a projection of *Blade Runner* in 1981 and listening to those songs on my walkman (did they already exist, then?), my head still in the movie's hellish urban landscapes... Byrne's postmodernist imagination is also on fire for the lyrics (and as some other reviewers pointed out in here, the themes of constant simulacrum, derealization and alienation they suggest are just timeless). And sonic flourishes abound, never so prominent to distract from the overall grooves of the song, and yet still distinctively there to give the flavours needed to take those tracks to a whole other level. That studio-as-an-instrument approach did wonders here (just as it did for Byrne and Eno's collaborative album "My Life In The Bush Of Ghost", another reference point recorded in that same era that sheds light on the way *Remain In Light" was conceptualized and performed in general). Lots of genius brains involved, but lots of heart as well. You don't pull off vocals like that, or insane rhythms sections like this (the Frantz-Weymouth combo), or intricate and out-of-this-world guitar licks like that (Jerry Harrison) without giving out a little sweat. The best of both worlds, and the best album of 1980. 5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 10/10 for more general purposes (5 + 5) Number of albums left to review: around forty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 459 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 271 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 331
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless Once in a Lifetime Houses in Motion
Added to my rotation
One of my favourite albums ever, didn't click on the first listen, then boy did it click after watching "Stop Making Sense" - which made it.... make... sense... Amazing album :)
Thanks ENA
Will never forget listening to born under punches for the first time while I was mean to be revising for my GCSEs. I became a talking heads aficionado soon after. I failed History.
One of my favorites and a very important and influential album for reasons most here would find too boring or weird
one of my all time favorites. killer from front to back
Although this is only my 2nd favourite Talking Heads album (Speaking In Tongues not being included in the book is an appalling decision), it is by far their most unique. There’s really not anything else much like this and the level of creativity on display is incredible. Only David Byrne and Brian Eno could produce something this, over 40 years ago! The run of tracks 1-5 is possibly the best 5 song run I’ve ever heard. The one negative about this album is the next 3 songs, which aren’t quite as good. But it’s still a solid 5/5.
Fantastic album, incredibly eclectic but in the best way. Front-loaded but still consistently good
Amazing album. From "Born Under Punches" to "Houses in Motion" is up there for best song runs on an album. Appreciate the meditative later half- I kind of forgot about those songs and enjoyed the opportunity to re-listen.
Definitely exceptional "post-funk" statement of the politics, anxiety, absurdism and the world itself, with catchy choruses, sometimes crazy and amazing performances from Byrne and the band. May be my favourite Talking Heads studio album.
Uskomattpman terävää menoa huhhuh
❤️
Full-on 10/10 classic album. The first side is a masterpiece of ethnic-inspired funk, and side two is as good, with a more traditional (?) alt-rock viewpoint. Every music lover should listen to this album , at least once and at high volume.
Me gusta
This is music that paints a movie in your mind. Pure symphonic composition. This band was limitless.
Great
One of the GOATs for sure. One of those albums that is so influential and yet still stands up as simply an incredible record that is inimitable.
Incredible. No other notes.
Yep, I am doing it. Out of the 33 other albums I have listened to on this list, this is my first 5 star. I ended up actually downloading 2 songs - Born Under Punches and Once In A Lifetime. The uniqueness is right up my alley.
Classic album Ive already listened to dozens of times.
Very unique and rhythmic based music highlighted with sparse guitar work for the most part. Lyrical content is really good like you'd expect from Bryne but the delivery was a change for this album, toward a more fluid almost rap style, and it worked well.
22/12/24 I've never listened to Talking Heads before but this is a proper funky fresh album.
Loved it
Duh.
Superb!
finishing the hard day with one of my favorite albums.
AHEAD of its time.
When I started this list I told myself I was gonna relisten to all the albums I was already familiar with. And this is one of those I’m glad I did. Love the Heads.
Hell yeah
I wanna talk about head ykwims
IMHO the greatest TH album that blends agit pop with Africal polyrhythms. Masterful.
This is an excellent album all around, and one of the best from Talking Heads. Not a single bad track, or even mediocre track.
Uno de mis discos favoritos de la historia, la produccion de brian eno es lo mejor de la vida
This is the weird one and that’s saying a lot. Love it!
I fell in love with this album in High-school/College, and its always been a favorite. It is top tier, interesting, funky music from the 80s that holds up through today. I don't know if its on the list, but do yourself a favor and watch the film Stop Making Sense. I don't really care for live albums/concert films, but its transcendent.
The talking heads don’t miss
The most rhythmically complex music I’ve heard. Really fun album that gets me moving.
Por hora facil de escutar. Once in a Life time é literal eu. Fella Riff é outro banger. do geral HOLY SHIT A TALKING HEAD Album gostoso de ouvir, eu realmente curti ele. 10/10
A great album, not quite as good as the two preceding Eno involved albums (Fear of Music and More Songs About Buildings and Food). The first 4 tracks are stronger than the latter 4, but repeated listenings to the latter 4 reveal nuances that are quite appealing. Adrian Belew’s guitar work on several tracks adds enough to this album to bump it from a 4.5 to a 5.
Easy 5. This record is one of very few that sounds like a bunch of non songs that are just getting along as great humable trax.
What’s better than a Talking Heads LP? A Talking Heads LP that’s inspired by Fela Kuti!
Very unique sound and starts extremely strong - Born under punches and The Great Curve are amazing. Latter part of the album may require more listens to properly understand. After another listen, I am blown away - all songs are bangers, maybe except the last one which is a bit of a weaker track. The album is so cohesive yet explores many different sounds. Fav tracks: Born under punches, The Great Curve, Houses in Motion
-houly shit ok this is definitely the best Talking Heads album I’ve heard so far. Every song feels sort of like it’s from a completely new album, or maybe even completely new universe. Both the vocals and instrumentation are so fun and interesting… The Great Curve feels like the absolute highlight. Time to binge their entire discography -Favorites are Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, and Listening Wind
Flawless Victory
Day318 - i love talking heads and i rated the last album to low but ill make it up on this one
I was catching up on my list and just enjoyed "Zombie" by Fela Kuti before I listened to this album. I almost immediately felt the shared DNA, and was rather pleased with myself when I saw that his work was an influence on this album! One thing I appreciate about this list is when it adds context and meaning to music I already enjoy. I've become a big fan of the Talking Heads over the last few years, and although this isn't my favorite of their albums, I still find it excellent. It's a great display of the band's talents and each of the member's skills as a songwriter. Also, shoutout to the amazing music video for "Once in a Lifetime." I would point anyone unfamiliar with the band to that video, as I believe it is the most succinct expression of what the Talking Heads "are."
Hands. Once in a lifetime
Sparse and droning melodies, in-your-face spoken-word social commentary, and funk - what's not to love? I'd never heard this album and it's a fun listening experience to see how it's influenced the bands that have influenced my taste. I'd never heard 'Seen and Not Seen' before and it's been on repeat since.
M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E
wiild
Favourite songs: - Once in a Lifetime - The Great Curve - The Overload - Double Groove 10/10
LOVE this record.
Really good. Some bangers.
This album is fantastic. I read about this in his book and really wanted to give it a good listen.
It's all loops and repetitive sections but each song still fascinates me. A kind of album that only a band can make. The freedom to make albums like this, and giving it a way to find an audience feels like something that's been lost a bit in music. This is a real piece of art.
I'm about 350 albums in, and the best thing the project has given me is a total live for Talking Heads. This is my third Talking Heads album, and it's my third 5 stars. Excellent, through and through. Oh, and Once In A Lifetime is one of the best songs ever written.
Great stuff. Lovely album. Such good BEATS
Ok, so this one blew me away. By far the best album of theirs on here. And I can really see how influential it has been. Leftfield, Massive Attack, Django Django etc. Triple whammy for Scotland also (yes I am claiming David Byrne)
one of those albums that obviously deserves a spot on this list. incredibly consistent and great the whole time