Remain In Light

Favourite tracks: the great divide; once in a lifetime; crosseyed and painless; born under punches

YEAH!!!!

Remain in Light is both a feat and feature of postmodern vertigo, and David Byrne is all of us losing our shape trying to act natural. The Talking Heads, in collaboration with Brian Eno burst from the post-punk confines of New York City's CBGB club into an uncertain yet thrilling soundscape where the old maps are useless and the boundaries of genre are permeable. "The world is near, but it's out of reach." The spaces and places that used to ground us are unmoored, and we may ask ourselves, "How did I get here?" What's the soundtrack to the collapse of overarching frames of reference? It is something like this: frenetic, driving and looping polyrhythms, afrobeats and electronic droid speak, and the specter of Byrne's rootlessness. This album sees the maturation of the band's art rock into global ambitions. Our musical horizons burst open, and we found no firm place to stand, but plenty of room to dance. "My God, what have I done?"

YES great day! Such an amazing album, and I felt like I was discovering it anew today. I had My Life in the Bush of Ghosts not so long ago, which Eno and Byrne recorded prior to recording Remain In Light. I've loved Talking Heads for some time now, but I'm really gaining appreciation for Eno as well through this project, and you can really hear how close together the albums were recorded. I've also had two albums by Fela Kuti, whose music hugely influenced this album. The timing of this album generating after those others has really allowed me to treasure Remain In Light even more. Also, Angélique Kidjo has an absolutely brilliant track by track tribute album that came out in 2018. It's an homage that celebrates the African musical styles which make up the backbone of the original tracks. I can't recommend it enough if you love both this album and African music in general.

An excellent album containing a variety of Afro-rhythms which the band combines in a highly effective way with Byrne's lyrics.

Just a few days ago, I got Talking Heads ‘77 as my album of the day. While I didn’t dislike the album, the difference in quality between Psycho Killer and the rest of the album was pretty clear. Remain In Light, however, does not suffer the same issue. Each song is as bizarre and interesting as the last. Usually I’m more privy to paying attention to the sound of an album over its lyrical content, but the lyrics here are really interesting. I’m sure someone with a more attentive mind and less sleep deprivation could discern the greater theme of the album. “Listening Wind” was particularly intriguing. Cool album. Odd in the best way.

Such a classic and my favourite talking heads album. Polyrhythmic and influenced by fela. The lyrics are insightful (‘lost my shape trying to act casual’). I could go on but I’m going back to listen again.

Okay, so this is one of those 'put everything down and listen to me' albums. And I want to listen more and more. It draws you in and plays tricks with your mind. It sounds like a bit of madness: when you get all these good ideas and put them together and realise you have the answer to everything. And nothing. Two sides of the same coin. And an amazing (heart) beat running through it all. I shall listen to this more and more. I like to be immersed in music ... be it soft, be it loud, or be it just something that makes you feel removed ... yet very present. Same as it ever was. I can't really take any stars away from something like this.

Top notch. Really unique sound, so many layers and intriguing sounds going on. I love the fast, frantic pace of the first half of the album. It’s almost like house and dance music, pulls you into a trance.

I love Talking Heads ❤️

Timeless, relentlessly weird but in all of the good ways. I knew this one before starting the tour, but running into so many failed ' experimental' albums shows why Talking Heads are Talking Heads. Once in a Lifetime is still the most pop-like of the album, but the way the all songs come together to form a relentless march forward of uniqueness is amazing.

Immaculate vibes. I knew of many of the more popular Talking Heads songs already, but there is a number on this album I can see joining my playlist.

The only thing that would make this album better is more Eno!

A perfect album.

One of my favorite Talking Heads albums.

Great album. I love the funky, experimental jive of this record. I am a fan of Eno's work and I can definitely hear his influences here. The musicianship is top-notch. This is one of my favorites!

Brilliant album!

Their best after fear of music

The beginning of a decade brings along great promise and frenetic potential that buzzes in the air. In the case of Talking Heads, not only did that ring true but it brought forth perhaps the greatest forty minutes of the decade in Remain in Light. The perfect distillation of all they've learned in the last three years and all they've absorbed, Remain in Light jitters, skewers, jives, mellows and ultimately permeates in the body of the listener in what is an unforgettable listening experience. Talking Heads had crafted, with their greatest album, a body of work that would serve as a bridge to many musical styles that was alluded to but never fully explored until then. And it was a bridge that served its purpose in garnering mainstream infiltration for the band with the masses, for afterwards it would only make sense to stop making sense and it can all be pinpointed here.

LOVE

Incredible album, not only Talking Heads magnum opus, but maybe the best production work that Eno has done to date. The sample based songs, the infectious grooves it’s all so good. Plus, Once in a Lifetime! Too 10, maybe Top 5 for me. Endlessly replayable, playful and weird while still being listenable. A band at the height of their power coupled with a production wizard.

Hermoso!

houses move and houses speak

Amazing mix of genres, moods and styles! It’s odd but not overwhelmingly strange and a lot of fun! All in a tight 40-minute package! Highlights: “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)”, “Once in a Lifetime”, “Listening Wind” & “The Overload”. 5 stars.

I like the music very much.

Talking Heads is the greatest band of all time. I could write a lot about this album but it speaks completely for itself

This is my third Talking Heads album from this list and seems I've not been ready to commit and just been handing out 4s. This album is like a 4.5 for me so I'll finally commit and give it a 5. Faves: Once in a Lifetime is just epic, Listening Wind, and Right Start are also faves.

Oh yeah, Talking Heads firing on all cylinders - magic! Fave tracks - "Once in a Lifetime" is obviously a cultural juggernaut and absolutely deserves all praise heaped upon it. I love the opening three track run leading up to it, "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" -> "Crosseyed and Painless" -> "The Great Curve" - they kinda carve out their own world and set up the rest of the album...

Heard this album many times love this band

Love this. I just stuck it on repeat and let it go for hours.

Good

Intrinsic wildness Dance worthy blend of genres homage to Fela

luv

My absolute favorite Talking Heads album 10 ★★★★★

Really cool blend of funk, afrobeat, electronic music, sampling, punk, and new wave. Super groundbreaking and ahead of it's time. 5 stars

Byrne, Eno, Belew, Weymouth... an absolute powerhouse

This album blew my mind when it first came out--I was in high school and the complexity of the rhythms and the nod to more experimental music like that of Philip Glass and Brian Eno rocked my world, though now, thanks to this project, I realize I missed all the African beat adoption. I've probably listened to this more than any other Talking Heads albums and it might be one of my top 10 albums of all time, though "The Overload" is downer. Still sounds great after nearly 50 years!

Great album. The Great Curve is 6/5.

Love Talking Heads. Love this album. One of my favs. 5/5

One of my favorites. This is required listening

The best!!!

Brilliant.

Excellent album. Talking Heads put together an incredibly interesting pop/new wave album that somehow sounds like everything else and nothing else. It's artsy as expected but also accessible and familiar. *****

Absolutely awesome album. I'd give it a 6/5 if I could.

This is a great album, and I think is clearly the best Talking Heads album. It's consistently exciting and rhythmically interesting for 40 minutes. It's great to listen to. It's fun and feels distinctly Talking Heads. That being said, I find the vocals always sound like a carnival barker and it's just kind of silly to me. It feels like an act, not in a phony way, more like in a drama. He's hamming it up and I appreciate that. I tend to like more vulnerable music, and this doesn't feel particularly vulnerable. Once in a lifetime is unique and it feels almost like a radio opera or a twilight zone episode. It's just cool. This feels groundbreaking and exciting and influential. Hard to say whether I should give it a 5 because I think it's that good or give it a 4 because it's not the type of thing I usually listen to. I'll give it a listen in the right set and setting and I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more.

A scant year after the release of Fear of music and a full tour the Talking Heads put this together. I like this even more than the previous entry. Crosseyed and Painless starts us off strong with the almost chaotic drum kit, The Overload is why we have Type O Negative, and Once in a Lifetime is a banger The only miss is the first track. I just can't find the groove. Talking Heads is so far my "big find" of this journey.

❤️ no misses

when the belew solos hit,,,they hit so hard so incredibly good, jumped with joy when this was revealed as my next album

Liked more than previous listens. Great buildups, clearly talented band. More groovy than most rock

first time i gave this record a listen i was terrified how appalingly involving ad catchy it was. Some of the songs gave me ind of chills but in a good way of course. Thew i went in all that deep lyrics, not that easy to get them right from first attempt but they do have a lot of sense. technically wise this album is significantly better than other records by this group. definetely worth a listen.

Best album ever

Seriously just some of the most fun music to listen to, every single song here is meticulously crafted into the very most funky, dancey and impressive New Wave music to ever be released. This isn't even my favorite album from Talking Heads but somehow manages to be one of the greatest albums ever created, that shows the insane level of creativity and musical talent shown by every single member. A must listen for anyone into any kind of music just because of how much of today's music has been inspired by it. One of the greatest of all time.

ja leuuuk

A legendary album, and it deserves that title. The way it melds Afrobeat and funk influences with art rock and post-punk music is masterful. Byrne is a visionary, and his lyrics are simultaneously thought-provoking and occasionally funny. The rest of the Heads are great in their own right; Jerry Harrison might be my favorite. I'll be honest in saying that it took many years for the back half of this album to grow on me, but grow it certainly has. I can probably mine more from those songs these days, due to not having played them out the way the hits have been. But even though this album might have a stronger A-side, I cannot fathom granting it less than a full 5 stars.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO SO MUCH Favs: born under pressure, cross eyed and painless, once in a lifetime , houses in motion

David Byrne is delightfully quirky. His music is always bold and brash and I love it.

Sehr gutes Album. Talking Heads kann man immer noch gut hören

5/5 This classic album is often deservedly listed among the greatest ever made. The rich, catchy instrumentals slap over and over again, with brilliant percussion. The production is out-of-this-world good to achieve a unique recognisable sound, over which David Byrne alternately whispers, preaches, screeches and serenades to us with manic energy. The African influence, incorporating complex polyrhythms, just takes these songs to the stratosphere. By the time the dark and intense The Overload kicks in, I feel enriched. I don't know if 40 minutes of music have ever sounded so good before, or if they will again. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) 5/5 (FAV) Crosseyed and Painless 5/5 The Great Curve 5/5 Once in a Lifetime 5/5 Houses in Motion 5/5 (LEAST FAV) Seen and Not Seen 5/5 Listening Wind 5/5 The Overload 5/5

Great! lol

This album is consistently amazing. Every track brings the same, rich feeling of the last in a totally new way. Obviously Once in a Lifetime is great, but compared to the rest of the tracks, it’s a wonder how THIS was the one to hit it big. In addition, the mixing of genres and overall feelings is a true marvel. The lyrics are weird yet relatable. The melodies are modern yet classic. This record is a true joy to listen to for any occasion.

Talking Heads' very best album. An easy classic. Artsy-fartsy, but still (mostly) danceable.

funkay

These guys might be onto something

Also in the vinyl collection. Cool to come back to the studio versions since I mostly listen to their live albums to get pumped up to.

Awesome classic album

Top 25 album of all time, it's perfect. Not one bad track.

One of the best albums of the 80s, and ever made. It’s an amazing album. I’d highly recommend it. Very cool!

מושלם

Sensational

What a blast!

4.5/5

After years of forced rejection, finally giving this a listen and doing the research shows how amazing this album is (sorry mom). The references of polyrhythms and early hip-hop combined with Eno's ambient guidance with anxiousness and tension in the band really generated something special that would effect music forever. 4.5/5

All-time classic

fans of this album dont get invited to parties (not like they needed them in the first place)

this album was my favorite for a long time and is currently my second favorite. it is seriously incredible to me that this album exists, its so drastically different from anything else ive ever heard. byrne is one of the most interesting musicians ive ever seen and its unfortunate he was never able to make anything else like this. having eno produce this record was huge imo as hes my favorite producer. i often see people criticize the tracks that come after once in a lifetime for being boring which i find absolutely absurd. i believe this album represents a downfall going from the chaotic energy in the start down to the depressing collapse seen in the overload. i view it in a similar way as i do bowie's low (also produced by eno) where the art rock first side and the ambient second side are great by themselves but together create something much greater. also, this album has some of my favorite lyrics ever. to be frank half the time i have no clue what hes talking about but thats whats so cool about it. i can tell hes saying something important but its so cryptic it gives a similar charm to bob dylan's most complex writings. i love repetition in my music and this is the album i credit for creating my love for it. when i first heard this record it felt like a repetitive slob but once i was able to pay attention to the minute details changing throughout the songs you can see what makes this so distinct. this is done in a similar way to aphex twin's debut but imo this album is much more dense than that one could ever be. i would like to note at the end of these ramblings that no one is going to read that i find once in a lifetime to be the worst song here (still great ofc). i see a lot of people dismiss the album outside of that track but i want to highlight how much more there is to try to understand here. try to get lost into the slow grooves following that track and try to follow what the lyrics are attempting to say. otherwise you are missing out on an incredible experience. 10/10

I'm a tumbler. I'm a government man.

I had only ever heard Once in a Lifetime and who hasn't heard that? But the rest of this album is just if not more amazing than that song. I never realized I would enjoy every song by the Talking Heads and I'm not sure why I have never listened to their entire catalog. I do think sometimes David Byrne's voice and flow can get repetitive. But as evidenced by this album, the other members actually put in a lot of work to keep the music moving in interesting directions. And in reading about this album that seemed to be the case. They were fed up with Byrne running the show and wanted to have more of a full collaborative feeling. I believe they achieved that here. The manual looping of sounds, the African influence, and the foresight that rap was going to hit it big so they should embrace the style to some extent make this album amazing.

Loved this. Hadn’t heard the full album before.

Already listened.

So this album is amazing but you knew that already 👍

LOVED THIS

Brian Eno MVP

Where is that large automobile??

You'll be tapping your feet as the dread sinks in.

Classic

One long groove

One of the best rock albums ever.

I mean .... this is just a work of art. I love it, I listened to it to confirm it gets a 5. I've been singing The Great Curve since and I'm happy about it.

my mom used to play this album all the time when i was growing up and i am supremely fond of it

I've have grown to love this band exponentially over the years. A former coworker recommend Stop Making Sense about 20 years ago, and I've been intrigued ever since. I saw Stop Making Sense on the big screen last year & it made me weep. This band is multi-talented, funky, and weird - pretty spot on for a group that formed in art school. Crosseyed and Painless is my favorite on this album & Tina Weymouth is a phenomenal bass player. Girlfriend is a bad ass. Let's not forget all that percussion & David Byrne's oddball vocal stylings. 4.5 stars.

This is definitely my favorite Talking Heads album. The production is stellar (no surprise), and it’s just pretentious enough to make me happy without overdoing it.

In truth, I would give this like, a 9.3/10, because I think Seen and Not Seen is a little weak in comparison to everything before and after it, but in the absence of that level of granularity, what am I gonna do, not give it 5 stars? Yeah right.

8 distillations of a band firing on all creative cylinders that result in some of the most freaked-out, funky nonsense you've ever heard. And yet, it's perfect.

how were they so good?

yum

New wave, post-punk. There's a lot that can be said about this album. And I don't have the energy to say it, and I certainly don't have the vocabulary. I love this album, that's what I know. It's weird, it's funny, it kind of makes me anxious. It's over before you know it, I really value albums that can pull you in that well. I have not listened to this album enough but the few times that I have always leave a lasting impression on me. And my god is Once in a Lifetime catchy. Will revisit, no doubt. 5/5

Great, classic album

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. Of their 3 albums I've heard on this list so far, this is the best.

First existential crisis on the list. Four or five? The back half does kinda fade out, but the songs on the first half are something else. Amazing that they managed to blueprint this with big Fela Kuti, and come up with this, which really only gives away the african influence to my ears on the great curve. Great call and response. There might actually be real polyrhythms on this (usually just music journalist's take on more than one percussionist), though I don't have enough of an ear to tell. Belew solos! Not my beautiful wife! The world moves on a womans hips/The world moves and it swivels and bops!

I mean it’s incredible. It merges a kind of African sound with the new wave of the early 80s and with eno’s electronic sound and it comes together so well and sounds so fucking cool. Houses in motion, once in a lifetime, listening wind and born under punches are all highlights for me

These heads sure can talk I really love this album, the talking heads were one of the first bands I properly listened to and this album is great although I slightly prefer speaking In toungues

Such a strange, interesting album. I never knew what the next track was going to bring. Great lyricism, creepy and funky tones. There's really not much like it.

Iconic and revolutionary. There's no one like David Byrne.

Utterly brilliant. I first heard this properly in about 1990, and I've never got tired of it. As others have said, the sense of drive is incredible. So many interesting cross-rhythms and melodies in the instruments and vocals. It shouldn't be possible to create fascinating songs around a single chord, but TH manage the brilliance of Crosseyed and Painless, then immediately eclipse themselves with The Great Curve: just two of the "one chord" songs on the album. I didn't know until today that Brian Eno was involved, oops, but the production is certainly masterful. I agree with David Byrne, who apparently said it was "joyous and ecstatic and yet it's serious." It's genre-less, fabulous and even better, makes me want to dance, at least until the (still wonderful) darkness of the final track. 11 out of 10.

Loved it. Nothing can beat Fear Of Music, for me, but it’s still a definite 5 stars. Genius.

Zo funky, lekker weird, bijna geen matige nummers. Gewoon echt lekker!

Maybe the coolest band.

10/10. 100%. One of, if not the best album of all time. Talking Heads created something so timeless that it will be adored for decades to come. Even decades later this album still sounds fresh and new. The lyrical genius at play here, leaves room for discussion in terms of meaning of the songs, such as on "Seen And Not Seen". And "Once in a Lifetime" is definitely one of my all time favourite songs.

Creative genius. 6/5

Party on the A-side, brooding on B, every single song brings it

A truly gem

This one hasn’t been far from the turntable since the day it was released. Never tired of it.

Kept me awake while driving late at night so that’s pretty good.

Sad funky futuristic retro beats. Class.

I mean, how can this be anything but a 5? I love everything about this album.

Great riffs and sound

Worth it alone for ‘Once In A Lifetime’, one of the greatest songs ever written, full of layers and subtext, and the soundtrack to my midlife crisis. Elsewhere, ‘Born Under Punches’ is a nervous, edgy, anxious opener, ‘Cross Eyed And Painless’ is full of paranoia and doubt, ‘Listening Wind’ is the story of a foreign terrorist who carries out a bombing of American colonialists, ‘Seen And Not Seen’ is about insecurity and identity, ‘Houses In Motion’ is about capitalism and corruption, and ‘The Great Curve’…well I’m not quite sure what that one is about. Regardless, ‘Remain In Light’ is a beautiful, complex record that manages to fuse art rock, post-punk, New Wave and Afrobeat dance rhythms into something thought provoking, otherworldly and wonderfully transcendent. Talking Heads made a lot of good albums, but this one was their best.

Love the Talking Heads. Love David Byrne. No notes.

Some great songs on here. Houses in Motion is terrific but Listening Wind really stood out this time. We are so lucky to have Talking Heads

I mean it's a classic what more can I say

I only ever had a greatest hits for the Talking Heads, so I don't know what a full album experience will be like. Honestly I was intimated and wasn't sure when and where to start. But very excited for this. This rules, plain and simple.

Awesome sound

Ohhhh yes please, gimme more! I love Talking Heads, I don’t necessarily know why as it’s not massively aligned with the rest of my music, but I just do! Just makes me feel happy to imagine David Byrne doing his funny little dances. Simpsons: Byrne has guest starred and him and the band mentioned quite a few times!

Epic, influenced so many bands.

Still an extremely listenable album, rhythmically and the distinctive vocals of David Byrne are simply a novelty. .. all I want is to breath.

Amazing album

Such a creative album. If Stop Making Sense is the best concert film I’ve ever seen this album contributes a lot to that. 4.5/5

an incredible album. Really nothing else needs said. A never skip

I really enjoy the Talking Heads. Sometimes they can be a little much for me, but overall I really enjoy their music, and this album is no exception. "Born Under Punches," "Crosseyed and Painless," and "Once in a Lifetime" are the best songs on here, but they're all pretty good. This is between a 4 and 5 for me, but I've been listening to "Born Under Punches" on repeat all day, so it's getting a 5.

Love this album so much. Really intricate, but poppy new wave.

Love, love, love this band so much. Such a unique sound that blends so many different genres into a beautiful, interesting whole. That's basically the recipe for my perfect album. Favorite track: Once in a Lifetime

I'm glad that I listened to both of the Talking Heads albums on the same day. Earlier, I listened to Talking Heads: 77, and one of my main critiques was that the vocals just needed to be tightened up. They listened, obviously, and three years later they came out with this. The vocals are tighter, and they even harmonized and added some background vocals. Everything I said about the other one still applies here. Great album. Great band. Same as it ever was.

One of their best albums. their work with Eno is a shining start

Only recognized one song. The rest was really great.

Probably the best album on this list so far. One of the most influential bands ever and this is their crowning piece. Simply majestic. 5/5

A rare repeat artist. Only had a few of those so far (Metallica, A Tribe Called Quest). This is my favorite Talking Heads studio album. Has been for a while now. The use of syncopation, the influence of African rhythms and styles, the at times enigmatic, at times incredibly insightful lyrics, and the intangible mood and attitude of this album just grab me in a way no other Talking Heads album has. I’m a little biased, I think. “Speaking in Tongues” has what I consider inferior versions of songs that were in “Stop Making Sense,” so I just find it hard to listen to. “Fear of Music” (the first album I reviewed in this project), falls flat for me for most of the album and comes off as overly pretentious (not that “Remain in Light” isn’t, at times, pretentious). “Talking Heads 77” is my second favorite but it just comes with so much naivety and has a very specific sound of a band early in its lifespan that it can’t be my favorite. Anything after “Little Creatures” is just a band in decline. No, this is the best one if you ask me. This was a thrill to listen to again with a purpose. I was reminded of why I loved songs like “Born Under Punches,” “Houses in Motion,” and “The Great Curve.” Deeper cuts like “Listening Wind” earned a little more favor this time around. Overall I love this album and it’s almost cheating to hand it to me because it was an automatic five stars before I even started the first track. My one complaint about my listening experience is that the Dolby Atmos mix on Apple Music was…bad. Certain elements I felt were key to certain songs we mixed far too low and some songs almost sounded new, and not in a good way. But that’s not the album’s fault. Five stars. Standout tracks: Born Under Punches, The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime, Houses in Motion

Talking heads are great & this album just reinforces it. Combining sounds from a wide array of genres to make their own unique sound.

Loooooooved it

Listen to this!!

Amazing album. Pushed the boundaries of music in directions that defied typical labels. I immediately went back and listened to the entire album again.

One reason i had never listened to talking heads before was i had no idea where to start but this album was great. No skips

This is a high 4 for me that gets pushed into the 5 territory on the virtue of its lyrics. The continued feeling of paranoia and frenzy and undeserved self-confidence and cyclicality and !!! It's all very good. We love you Talking Heads.

Absolute classic, one of the true must-hear of this collection. Everybody knows the track watching the days go by, yet it is all of the other tracks, like Crosseyed and Painless, Born Under Punches, and Houses in Motion for which is album really stand out. The Overload is the one track that doesn’t fit, and I don’t even begrudge that - just puts a backdrop for the funky light of the rest of the tracks.

I enjoyed this one thoroughly. I only knew Once In A Lifetime coming in but it’s full of great songs

Pure kinetic perfection that appropriates all the most exciting energies of its era to create something unheard and strangely alien. Relentless grooves, complex poly-rhythms, hyperactive guitars that are at once post-punk and disco, new-wave sythns, funk bass, Krautrock trance, lush gospel harmonies, intriguing imagistic lyrics and off the wall charismatic vocal delivery. Nervous, ferenetic and anxious and yet totally self-assured in vision and delivery. I've listened to this thousands of times and hope to listen thousands more, one of the best albums ever recorded.

10/10, one of the all-time favourites

Another classic.

One of my favorites from one of my favorites. I have not gotten tired of it.

Amazing

Their best album. Funky songs like Born Under Punches (Take a look at these hands!), of course Once In a Lifetime, and as the last song the frightening the Overload. David Byrne sings in his best maniac-like way and the African rhythms and production by the genius Brian Eno finished it off. Well deserved that they are again very hip and hot with the re-release of the Stop making Sense concert film. Do hope we also the Speaking in Tongues album in the 1001 list.

I don't even have to turn this album on to know that it gets FIVE STARS from me. One of the most listened to albums in my life. This was part of the beginning of the spiritual awakening that listening to music gave me.

This album had lots of funk and 70 influence. I enjoyed it a good amount

Always a 5, every track is perfect. TH was one of the best.

Wow. Excellent album all the way through. I had no idea.

take a look at these hands

Indisputably my favorite Talking Heads album. Every song is just full of energy and VIBES. You'd be hard pressed to find anything like this before or after their time. It's just so unique and quirky. 20/10. Cannot recommend enough. Standout Tracks: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime, LIstening Wind

Inattendu mais vraiment bon

Weird and fun!

I thought it was solid and contrasted each song well

Great opening 5 tracks, how many albums can repeat that!

I love hearing the influences from this album on other albums!

My all-time favorite. Seriously, play this at my funeral. 5 stars. No skips.

Indispensable.

Particularly enjoyed listening wind. Enjoyed this start to finish.

RAHHHH I LOVE THE TALKING HEADS WHAT THE FUCK IS A SMALL SUIT JACKET🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Ok I like where this list is going. I have heard this album plenty of times before. Highlights: energy of first three tracks... When Born Under Punches turns into The Heat Goes on and every repeat of the lyrics David Byrne is in the background coming up with unique nonverbal ways to enhance the track... "She is moving by remote control"... "Facts just twist the truth around"... "Same as it ever was"... Side 2 never really did it for me.

Mehrstimmig, klingt immer irgendwie richtig voll.

5 stars because “once in a lifetime” is on here and that song bangs. david bryne is an icon

This album rules. The songs are busy, chaotic, repetitive, and driving. Houses in motion is a groove. Definitely feel like this album pushed the envelope and paved the way for a lot of post punk artists out there. Anyway, I’m just here so I wont get fined

I loved this, super chaotic and fun. Added most of the songs to my library.

A masterpiece.

hatte ich ganz vergessen, das bessere bei beiden grossartigen th alben

So Good 👍 years ahead

Talking Head's 1980 Brian Eno-produced record stands as one of the funkiest displays of post-punk attitudes and ethos. Digitally spliced with tight licks of guitar, bass, and horn enterlaced through each track, this album remains one of the most mind-bending listens of the 80s. The unrelenting punch of the polyrhythmic, afro-inspired percussion and the slap bass hits are woven throughout the first track as Byrne rambles about his mortality under a controlling government. "Fire cannot hurt a man". I love the group vocals that close this track off, alongside the cacophonous nature of its guitar solo. There's a moment in the song "The Great Curve" right after the strung-out and noisy guitar solo where the drums, bass, and horns form an insatiable groove that I consider to be one of those "How does music get this good" moments. "Once in a Lifetime" has Byrne's best ramblings. It feels like a burst of panic runs through him as he comes to terms with all his regrets, as well as with what's to come. A great psychedelic synth loop arpeggiates throughout this track with one of the catchiest choruses in their entire catalog. I love the downward and dark spiral this album takes, both sonically and thematically. "Seen and Not Seen" is subtle instrumentally and Byrne talks about his desire to morph his face into an ideally attractive magazine-ready image. "Listening Wind" leans towards the New Wave sounds of this album; dark and gothic laced with lyrics about a rebel's journey for liberation. "The Overload" is the darkest and most ambient track, allegedly based on a Joy Division sound. All the tracks on this record are so distinct and enjoyable. The album starts fast, punchy, and visceral and slowly spirals down into something gloomy, gothic, and dark, all the while remaining one of the cleanest and futuristic-sounding albums of all time. 10/10

Great album!

Awesome album. Love pretty much everything about it. Combines so many aspects of rock and metal into a perfect blend. I liked the change of pace into changes and leguna even though it can seem to come out of left field. It was the brief respite before continuing on. I'll definitely keep this one in rotation. I think it's a 4.75 rounded up to 5

i was verrrry excited to see this one today. an absolute classic by one of my favorite bands.

Appreciate this album very much, all the lyrics and tune.

Unrelenting energy - expect nothing less

Thoughts before listening: This is a 5-star album, and one of my personal favorites. I was first introduced to this through Phish's cover, but the Talking Heads soon became a band that I loved all on their own. Review: Yeah this is great. Such a unique sound for the Talking Heads at the time, and I have always loved the tempo of this album. Especially with the first 5 songs, they are playing funky, world music inspired songs but at the tempo of the punk scene they came out of. I have always appreciated the Talking Heads' place as a bridge between the late 70s CBGBs punk scene and the more party aspects of 80s new wave. Those first five songs are the star here: "Born Under Punches", "Crosseyed and Painless", "The Great Curve", "Once in a Lifetime", and "Houses in Motion". These are the whole album to me and some of the best songs of their era. I am less of a fan of the final three spacey, moody songs that follow, but the quality of the top of the album still makes this an easy 5-star for me.

THERE IS WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN

After bouts of writer's block and internal tension, Talking Heads came back to record their magnum opus. Producer Brian Eno continued the work started with Bowie to combine elements of work music with post punk. But 'Remain In Light' is a lot funkier than anything on 'Lodger'. This album is another benchmark for a band who reinvented so much during their time.

…needs more cowbell. Once in a lifetime… I mean you can’t beat it

4.7 One of my favourite albums ever, especially side 1. Fave songs: Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Once in a lifetime

Dat dit komt de dag nadat ik naar de film ben gegaan, kan niet anders dan 5 sterren

Beste tot nu toe. Innovatief, dansbaar, gevoelig, alles. Weet nog niet goed genoeg hoe ik albums moet omschrijven maar dit is de shit.

One of my favorite things about Talking Heads is that every one of their albums, though distinct in its own way, makes sense within the band’s oeuvre. This album does not sound like ‘77 or Speaking in Tongues. But it still sounds like Talking Heads. Thank god for this band.

great album.

A fresh and rhythmic joy ride. Sensational.

- Really funky guitar riffs and bass lines - Great vocals - Catchy guitar rhythm - Possibly dance music? - Very groovy - Sounds similar to world music - Experimental enough to sound different, but not too much as to where it is difficult to listen to - Abstract lyricism - Even in the longer tracks, they do not feel like they drag on - Enticing groove with the bass lines - Feeling of constant motion, never given a chance to slow down - Oddly psychedelic at points - Songs fly by, you are completely absorbed into the listening experience - Lyrics can be very introspective at times - Loads of replay value, as a whole or as tracks individually, as the tracks are just so fun to listen to, having an undeniable allure to them - This is definitely the best album I have listened to so far, as its instruments, vocals, lyricism and overall emotions are extremely strong. This album gets a lot of praise in online music circles, and rightly so. It encorporates aspects from world music, funk, and new wave, and overall creates a hypnotising listening experience, one which does not feel a chore to listen to, rather an unconscious listening experience, where you lose yourself in-between tracks, and soon the album has ended. Then you replay it.

Klasik

I really like Talking Heads. I wasn’t initially as impressed. But then The Overlord comes in and I’m impressed. This is definitely a 4.5

You got your Eno in my Talking Heads! You got your Talking Heads in my Eno! This the third and final collaboration between the two, and of the three, probably the more Eno-y, which might be why I like it best (all of them are great.) A phenomenal kaleidoscope of sounds swirling to a polyrhythmic heartbeat, with songs that simultaneously celebrate and eulogize the inevitability of the earth turning. Maybe it’s not perfect, but that makes it better.

So wildly weird.

Already a fan

A great record. So much energy and happiness in one record is awesome!

A blast!

Vaya maravilla que son los Talking Heads siempre. Solo conocía la más famosa del disco, pero es muy entretenido de principio a fin. Unos grandes.

(First full listen of Remain In Light) Bam! Right out the gate with one of the funkiest grooves I've heard in a minute from Born Under Punches, and the digital synth midway through too... Really solid opening track. The electronic blips among the congas and staccato guitar in Crosseyed and Painless are really neat. Love the guitar fills and solo in The Great Curve. Oh I definitely recognize Once In A Lifetime. I've heard it before for sure. It's a good one. The groove and beat of Houses in Motion are top notch and the horns are a nice touch. Seen and Not Seen was a standout track for me. Everything from the ominous background keys, beat, poppy bass groove and cryptic lyrics. Really loved Listening Wind as well. Possibly my favorite track on the album, but it is very hard to decide. Probably a tie between this one and Born Under Punches (which I know sounds wild because they are very different songs but that just speaks to the range of this album and how it excels in a variety of styles). The echoey harmonies and blippy synth beeps of Listening Wind work really well against the dark lyrics and rhythm. Wow, just when I thought it couldn't get darker, The Overload takes us deeper to close side two out. Yet another solid track on a masterpiece of an album. Overall I love the use of experimental polyrhythms, dark/mystical imagery and Afrofunk fusion. 10/10 album

Just amazing!

Omg already listened to this and really liked it, I'll copy over my notes: Liked it a lot! Super cool and want to listen again, I see how awesome it is but I didnt LOVE it the way I loved Abbey Road. I guess it’s a little less commercial? Upon first listen I’d give it a 4/5 but I’m going to listen again. Ok Crosseyed and Painless is a highlight, this song is sick. One in a Lifetime hell yea.

First time ever listening to this album. Familiar with the hit single, Once in a Lifetime - though it is my least favourite among their hits. Definitely felt a Tom Tom Club vibe in the music, as that band started up close in time to this recording. Not an album I’d necessarily seek out to put on and listen to. But I’d be very happy to have this on in the background of a get-together with friends, sharing some drinks and discussing culture and politics. It has a distinct intellectual vibe to it. It feels very much the product of the NYC new wave, art pop scene in the late 70’s to early 80’s. This is what was being listened to in hipster apartments in Greenwich Village and the LES when the atmosphere outside was too unpredictable. This sounds of the future, standing at the door, about to knock and come in and start the party. I came away feeling that the music on this album supercedes the lyrics. Almost like it became important despite David Byrne’s lyrics. Maybe I’m too far away in time to appreciate them, but I’d listen to this as an instrumental. I’d give this a 4.75 but will give five stars as I don’t want to split hairs.

I’m not always a fan of punk so I was prepared for a bad album - but I was pleasantly surprised! This sounded very experimental which I always enjoy. There wasn’t a single bad track on this album.

This album slaps. It’s catchy, complex, full of paranoid energy, all the good things. ‘Born Under Punches’ has great rhythm and the chorus just HITS, especially when it comes in during the outro. ‘Crosseyed And Painless’ is sharp and David Byrne has a great performance. ‘The Great Curve’ just stays in motion for the whole 6 and a half minute runtime. ‘Once In A Lifetime’ is a classic. This praise goes on practically throughout the album. Easy 5.

All-time Pantheon album

Whoa...mind blown. Totally thrown by his album. I knew I would like it but not as much as I did. Byrne is on another level here. So full of everything...funk, soul, rock, Electronica, tribal, island groove...ah! Starts out with an engine house like a locomotive pounding down the rails and slows down to a groovy ooze (grooze). Good beats, eery Byrne over top, souls sistahs backing it up, and some riffs chopping the madness. Gatdamn! Albums like this tell me we need to give more awkward white boys instruments. Seeing "Stop Making Sense" dance party at the Frida recently has some influence on this review; even so, a must listen for all. (If you enjoyed as much as I did, listen to the deluxe with outakes)

Yep. This is a masterpiece.

10/10

My love towards Talking Heads came with their first live album collection and I quickly expanded my listening-in to the regular studio records. In my opinion their best album during their formative early years, before they went massively mainstream with "Road to Nowhere" and "Stop making sense".

Schade, dass ich das Album erst heute entdeckt habe. Toller Groove.

Love it!! It’s my first time listening to a full Talking Heads album and it really makes for a good time.

Fun, fun, fun creative and engaging. Nice selection

One of my all time favorites for my 50th album! Feels special, man. "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" is a disorientingly funky opener- this is a song that I can comfortably say changed my life and the way I listen to music. There are so many layers of sound and rhythm driving this one, I've been a fan of Talking Heads for most of my life and I still feel like I focus on new rhythm loops each time I get into this song. And that's what this album is all about- rhythms on rhythms inspired by Afrobeat and filtered through Talking Heads anxious post punk sensibility and Brian Eno's atmospheric production prowess. For a different spin check out Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo's song for song remake album released in 2018 - it also slaps!

another one of my favorite albums

One of my favourites, Born Under Punches blew my mind the first time I heard it and still does

Probably just a perfect album. To sum it all up in one single word, that word would simply be INFECTIOUS. The album just makes you want to get up and move around and flail your arms and legs and head in all different directions, it's fantastic! 10/10

- One of the funkiest and grooviest albums I've ever listened to. Initial thoughts: how tf can people create music like this?

Classic from first to last track

Great listen; "The Overload" had Joy Division undertones. Dry guitars, great rhythm construction.

I love this album. So much I bought an OG pressing this weekend. But the hilarious thing is—all these years I thought David Bowie sang Once In a Lifetime. 😳😄

Good music!

Nostalgia!

Goat album

The funky Heads, exploring African rhythm and bringing it to white America. Containing one of the best Heads songs, "Once In A Lifetime" with its infectious bass line. Excellent.

5/5

This is what the kids call goated. What can be said about this classic that hasn’t already been said…. Ooga booga poopy pee pee? Anyways, love this album what a fuckin wicked time logan showed it to me back in grade ten, I’ve always had a crush on the talking head in the bottom left square of the album cover. Highlight tracks are Seen and not seen, cross eyed and painless, listening wind, born under punches and of course once in a lifetime. This album sounds so fucking cool idk what they did on the vocals but I can’t get enough of the vhs/HD sway they sound if that makes any sense!

I listen to so much solo Byrne stuff or greatest hits/live albums by Talking Heads that it's been a while since I listened to a studio album all the way through. Makes me want to revisit their discography chronologically.

Love me some Talking Heads.

A masterpiece and amongst my favorite albums of all time. Richly textured polyrhythms with interesting vocals and lyrics. The only song I don’t love is final track the Overload. All the other tracks are sensational

Awesome album

This album is arguably the best from Talking Heads. It's not my favorite of theirs, but it's nearly perfect. Very stoked to get this today.

La première fois que j’ai écouté cet album là, j’étais pas certain de savoir ce que j’écoutais. Là, quand je l’écoute, j’ai envie de me claquer les couilles

This may be my favorite album by them. Always ahead of their time. love every song.

meget muligt det er mit yndlingsalbum vi har haft indtil videre. wall to wall bangers

Bedste plade fra 80erne!

This album has amazing songs, my favorite has to be Once in a Lifetime

And you may ask yourself...how can you rate this anything else?

The goat

I usually listen to album two times in a row and most of the time I know what my rating will be. This time however, I've been listening to this for five hours straight and still finding something new, which keep me thinking about it. Last time I had identical case with Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Judging by the pretty average score (3,46 today) I think that many listeners share the similar: they didn't listen long enough to this record. Because ladies and gentleman, this... this is one of the best albums ever created.

I have always remembered this album as a vehicle for David Byrne's creativity, but it has been a long time since I've listened to it. I has hit was a sudden feeling of recognition but also I think I forgot how influential African music (like funk and afrobeat) had on this album. I mentioned it in Graceland by Paul Simon, how much of this is influences and how much is cultural appropriation? But I have to admit I enjoyed the experimental nature of this album, maybe because I like this band or maybe because it was being experimental in all types of musical styles. What I've always liked about this album, is that it feels like it's almost entirely stream-of-consciousness, making it hard to predict what is going to happen next. I know David Byrne's did struggle with writers block and the band just went with this approach and resulted in such a great album. Standouts: Crosseyed and Painless, Once In a Lifetime, Houses In Motion, Listening Wind

Love this one.

Stone cold classic

Excellent album.

Oh yeah

One of the best albums by one of the best bands of all time, unofficial 6 star

this album is one of my favorites. just the right amount of weird and interesting without sacrificing quality. once in a lifetime is one of my favorite songs ever, and the entire front half of this album is banger after banger. favorites: born under punches (the heat goes on), cross-eyed and painless, the great curve, once in a lifetime

I forgot how good this album is. I first listened to it when I was about 19, and it was almost too weird. A few years later I could appreciate it more. Now I'm just shaking my head at my younger self for not loving it immediately.

2nd Talking Heads album on day 4??? I must have done something right in a past life. Poetry smashed over smooth funky beats, top tier

Very cool album

A classic in my life, one of the all time greats for me. A breathtaking collections of creative, energetic, and rhythmically complex songs: life pulses vibrantly through the whole album. My favorite of the many greatTalking Heads albums, and an album I put on when I don’t know what to listen to. Highly danceable, texturally multilayered, and honestly downright fun in parts, this album also contains some stunning turns of phrases and moments of real lyrical beautiful sing with real feelings and depth of emotion. Though overplayed, Once in a Lifetime is still a stunner of a pop track. If only the album had This Must Be the Place. Nonetheless, this is a stunning achievement and a monumental testament to the creativity and ingenuity of modern western music.

I enter a familiar room, filled with familiar shapes. We nod at each other (how's the week been? woah, really? not too bad not too bad) and step back, admire each other's colours and edges (quite the sparkle round there). We jiggle, we jangle, iridescent slicks streak the midground, bubbling at the fringes, we finkle, we fankle, following the piper past furred bamboo shooting heavenwards, stroking bleeps and bloops, having a great time. Same as it ever was.

Short and sweet. I love Speaking in Tongues so I'm glad I got to play this album out. Funky and fun. Once In A Lifetime is an anthem.

David Byrne might be weird as heck, but you can never say he's boring. This album takes some unexpected turns but it's a fun ride.

Somehow I’ve never listened to this album… or any Talking Heads all the way through. LFG 1. Very funky bass line and eclectic guitar work. Feeling this. Drums good too. Whoa wtf is this weird electric stuff happening in the middle. This song is madness 🤘🏾 2. Man another banger. The layers on this instrumental is crazy. There’s so much going on and the vocal melody is fire 3. You can really hear the African influence on this track. Another banger somehow. 3/3 LFG. Great drums and the lyrics are awesome. The background vocals are sick too 4. The song everyone knows. It’s an anthem. But honestly the other three tracks I’ve heard were more interesting. But that’s probably because I’ve heard this song a million times. It’s still a banger tho 5. A funky number. The layers my god. Sooo good 6. Ok another weird cut but I’m vibing. The tracks are really riding into each other so well. This album is incredible so far. No skips 7. This song is vibes. I love this record. 8. Another banger. 9. No misses. What a creepy brooding closer. This album is a certified classic. 10/10

Absolutely seminal album from one of my favourite bands of all time. Cannot imagine how fresh this must have sounded in 1980, especially a year after Fear of Music.

This album overall is just a nice album to just sit and kind of just listen, I like how longer most of the songs are. So overall I will definitely be listening to this again!

favorite!

Fantastic. Starts perfect through first 3 tracks. Slows down little by the end, but all great.

Great album. Love the talking heads.

It is just so unbelievable great. 5/5 Frequently listen to

Amazing!

Brill

Not that it matters, but I want everyone that rated this less than a 4 or 5 to know that i'm judging you and your taste very harshly.

I’ve already waxed lyrical about how great Talking Heads are, so I’ll keep Remain in Light review short and eloquent: It’s fucking class.

Loved it, best talking heads album we've had. I knew once in a lifetime but everything else was new to me, not sure I've heard anything quite like it before. The repetitive loops and odd percussion reminded my of some 00s dance indie like the rapture, maybe LCD soundsytem on occasion. Really unique though, definitely occupies its own space. Already listened twice but definitely going back.

My experience of Talking Heads as a young person was filtered through my POP's copy of Sand in the Vaseline. That box is in its essence a greatest hits+ collection. But listening to Talking Heads albums is wholly different than listening to a greatest hits collection or even one of their excellent live (The Name of this Band is Talking Heads) or popular concert records (Stop Making Sense). Collections and live records deliver all peak and no real significant valley. More often then not, they erase the quality of experience that was present in a given album and color into the collection something more commercial and appealing as the experience. Remain In Light continues some of the Fear of Music menace and paranoia but with a broader palette. It's one of my favorite Talking Heads records to pick up and listen to as a whole. I picked up a copy on vinyl though today I'm streaming it and thinking I know I should mention the rhythms in this review, but instead I'll offer that what we should be thinking about and talking about when listening to this record is INTENSITIES. Complex interplay of drum and percussion rhythm underneath layered vocals sliding, doing call and response, stabbing guitars, solos and other instrumentation flown in hot and high in the mix, bass punctuating is one kind of intensity the record offers, but it's not the only one. We also get music that's both claustrophobic and atmospheric leaving space to experience a different kind of intensity altogether. I'm not talking about dynamics purely, even though that is part of it, but about presence and pulse paired with dynamics — how much sonic matter matters in a moment, in other words music, and for me that's what makes the album title so apt, and this run on sentence so long, REMAIN IN LIGHT, as in, I to the E keep in intensity.

Masterpiece. Rhythm section is phenomenal and the grooves are unique with a variety of interesting instruments and other sounds. David brings the weird lyrics to tie it all together.

Just a great album

An innovative, unique and exciting album - I like the mix of new wave, world, funk which result in a really strange but danceable and fun record. It's one of my favourite albums from the era for sure.

Propulsive, slightly nervous, indebted to a dozen different genres. Perhaps their greatest album.

SO FUN!!!!!!!

A radical departure from the original art house style new wave of the Talking Heads. Remain in Light generated one of their early mainstream hits and MTV staples Once in a Lifetime. The use of Roots, African, and Latin rhythms had been used sparingly (hinted at really) on Fear of Music in 1979, especially on Life During Wartime. That album, for the most part, just carried through their classic era styles. Remain in Light was a dramatic departure and not all Talking Heads fans were thrilled at the time. Remain in Light is, all in all, a transitional album. Their new direction wasn't fully realized until Speaking in Tongues in 1983, which propelled them into mainstream stardom.

"Remain in Light" is the fourth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads. It was primarily recorded, at the least the music, in the Bahamas with Brian Eno as the producer, his last with the band. The ideal was to record an album with mutual cooperation not just as David Byrne's backing band. And, the goal was to blend rock and African genres and they experimented with African polyrhythmns, funk and recorded instrumental tracks in loops - pre computer and sampling era. Maybe the most genres I've ever seen listed for an album: new wave, post punk, world beat, dance-rock, art pop, art rock, avant-funk, funk, afrofunk and pyschedelic funk. The album received universal acclaim, commercially reached #19-US and #21-UK and in 2017, the Library of Congress put into the National Recording Registry for its artistic significance. The first side is the rhythmic side. "Ahhh" and we're off with "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)." Multiple rhythms. The scratchy, funky guitar. The synth and noise sounds. Byrne preaching, rapping, shouting. The pace picks up on "Crosseyed and Painless." That bass. The urgency and nervousness. Old school rap and based on Kurt Blow's "The Breaks" People were trying to read way too much into the lyrics and Byrne no, take it literally: people operating half-awake and on auto pilot. Let's speed it up even more and add horns in "Houses in Motion." The female backing vocals overlay and criss-cross Byrne's. Adrian Belew adds a crazily-weird guitar solo. An album deeper cut highlight. "The world moves on a woman's hip." Yep! The second introspective side opens with their single "Once in a Lifetime." Swirling keys and the bell percussions. A preachers' diatribe. We're moving water! I love the bass and synth funkiness and jazzy feel of "Houses in Motion." I have no idea what Byrne is singing, whispering and screaming about but I don't care. He's answering his own questions. The album closer "The Overload" starts eerily and ominous. Creepy guitar and Byrne's voice. Well, we are in prime goth and new wave time frame. They could have made this an entire album side. This is just an excellent album, always one of my favorite. It still sounds fantastic and original. That being said, I still like their previous two albums "More Songs About Buildings and Food" and "Fear of Music" just as good if not better. A great album run for them. Mandatory listening.

Always 5 stars.

I can't imagine hearing this album when it initially came out and hearing Adrian Belew's guitar for the first time. That solo in "The Great Curve", holy crap! My brother in-law told me once he has lived his entire musical life with Adrian Belew as his guide: from Zappa to Bowie to Talking Heads to King Crimson. I feel that's pretty accurate for me as well. Adrian Belew is probably one of (if not my top) favorite guitarist. He is just... amazing. There's no other way to put it. The first half oh the album: every song is just a 1-2-3-4 punch. They're all great. The second half has some lesser known tunes, but all four of them still have deep resonance. They're a little "artier," but I love them as well. It's probably my favorite Talking Heads album, it's just stellar.

I already loved this album, I have an LP of this album and It sounds sooo good! Love the dance vibe rock and weird sounds. One of my favourite albums of all time 5.0

We are on some burners here! Three 5's in a row making me feel like a bitch to music. Also another Eno gem. Growing up my parents told me David Byrne was weird... now I realize they were correct but who gives af. Born Under Punches is awesome. So funky. Love the percussions in Crosseyed and Painless. Every song is so good. Same as it ever was.... Listening Wind is haunting in the best way possible. I feel like the Overload would scare Allie. I on the other hand love it even though it might be my least fav on the album. Also I just listened to these unfinished outtake songs and they're incredible. Worthy of a listen. This album is a classic. BRB going to watch Stop Making Sense.

Talking Heads are in my top five of all time. Also high up on my list of bands that have the highest average rating over their entire output. Is this their best? I am not sure. This is the mature "funk" band version of Talking Heads. It is sometimes hard to fathom that they went from a quirky three piece art-punk band to this is five years or so, but listening to the albums in order it all makes sense. The irony is the most popular song on this disc repeats the refrain "same as it ever was". A classic and essential.

Such a fun and interesting album, Once in a Lifetime of course is the standout track and uplifts the whole

This has been on my "to-listen" pile for years. My only regret is not listening to it sooner. Day 1's album was More Songs About Buildings And Food; this sounds like a massive refinement of that sound. Excellent stuff!

One of my favourite albums of all time David Byrne’s almost nonsensical lyrics greatly complement the wacky and wonderful instrumentation Hugely influential for bringing African elements to rock music Favourite tracks: All of them!

Tremendo disco loco. Interconectado como si fuera un solo tema. High level.

Excellent album! Feels very ahead of it’s time. Love the vocals and the instrumentation.

Loved this band as a kid - my Dad had a copy of 1984's "Stop Makin' Sense - Live" that I played on repeat, so already a bit biased.

Always my favourite

Same as it ever was

Weird and great

10000

wooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

If this album didn't exist, I would never be able to conceive it. 8.5/10 Fave track: Once in a Lifetime

While Fear of Music felt like a manic yet well-choreographed dance, Remain in Light is like a complete breakdown on the dance floor, both in the funky way caused by its anxiety-ridden grooves that'll get you dancing with the same ants in your pants that seem to plague David Byrne, but also in the complete and utter dread that can come with the existential. This album will have you start with an A-side full of new wave bangers to spin, twirl, and whirl to, but in the back of your mind you always feel something more sinister is at play. I mean, Once in a Lifetime may be one of their biggest hits, but it isn't really the goofy yet loveable piece of 80s goodness it is often described as, at least not fully. However, it is the A-side's tip-toeing around the grimmer subjects that give it the playful undertones to allow the listener to continue their awkward, solo cavorting in peace. It is full of rich production choices courtesy of Brian Eno, and every single musician here is at top form. Every single drum rhythm, every bass riff, and even the guitar solos, are all songs within themselves that any other album would present as the highest form of art the band can muster. Not Talking Heads, though, instead often being intricately put into the mix not to be buried, but rather discovered with each re-listen. The synth arrangements are perhaps the biggest underdog here, as while they are a mainstay in both new wave and post-punk, they often feel cast aside for the proclamation of the greatness that is the drum work, but the keyboard and synthesizer work makes a lot of these feel completely in-tune with not only their current contemporaries, but also ensure this album has all bases covered for decades still to come. Nowhere is this digital backbone more apparent than the B-side. The B-side instantly feels like something is trying to claw into the listeners thoughts, and therefore, their doubts. Sure, the danceable grooves of the first half are still present on Houses in Motion, but the slowed tempo and introduction of brass feels unwelcome in the best of ways. Something is changing, you can feel it, but not knowing what that feeling truly is gnaws at you. You keep dancing, but each following track forces you to look inside, outside, all around you, and by the end of it all, you stop dancing, and sit there and just take it all in. it's an overload of emotions, and you break down. Yet, the musicianship does not suffer, with the calmer, arcane, ritualism of it all hypnotizing you into a state of disbelief. The Eno-esque synths pull at your heartstrings, and do so with such a delicacy that you interact with the songs differently every time. Whether that be fear, loneliness, loathing, the B-side's emotional malleability is what makes it just as great as the openers. You may struggle to jump around and jam to it all, but you can still interact with it just as creatively, and an album being able to display this understanding of what makes music as a medium so enthralling this easily deserves nothing less than everyone's upmost respect, attention, and praise.

Pretty bloody good innit. An essential record.

Their music scratches an itch in my brain <3333

First half is a joy Listening to “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”, thanks to this generator, helped contextualize what Byrne/Eno were working towards at this time (The Overload is probably the closest to that project) April 16, 2023

It's pretty dang good.

Really cool record. 2nd favorite by Talking Heads.

9.5/10

Remain in Light.

Where do you start? Unreal that this came out in 1980. Everything about it is unique: the groove, the out of space sounds, the out-there lyrics. starts off with a groovy space beat, moves through the bangers of Once in a Lifetime and Houses in Motion, then ends up in with a feeling of walking through an eerie African jungle. The number of layers on each track is mad as well. Not really an album that can be listened to whilst multitasking. But everything about this is eccentric as hell, still sounding fresh 40 years later. For that I say FIVE ESTRELLAS PLEASE BARTENDER

Bravo