Remain In Light

Classic with all the trimmings

Great fun.

4.0

Same as it ever was - great album start to finish

excellent

This is fantastic, in the weird way only Talking Heads can do it

Side One is great Side Two less so

Pretty good album. Kinda wild they made this in 1980. Feels like it could be a modern day indie alt album. Feels very similar to lcd sound system. Their beats and instrumentals are very unique and I read it has some African influence which makes sense. Not your typical sounding band and because of that this is special. 7.7/10

Excellent 80s new wave/post punk tracks. Still holds up now and doesn't get too bloated or into itself along the way

7/10. Once in a Lifetime is great, but the rest of the album is thoroughly middle of the road.

Once in a Lifetime is a great centerpiece but the album has the strange feeling of slowing down over its duration. 8/10

Though I thought I would prefer the band's earlier stripped down sound, Remain In Light is a turning point for the band musically. The additional musicians and a wider range of sound gives the band a full sound that shows how the band has grown both creatively and production-wise. Not my favourite Talking Heads record, but perhaps the most interesting.

This album gets 5 stars for Once In A Lifetime alone. The video also is completely a vibe I aspire to. The rest of this album is pretty good. Born Under Punches has real ‘just discovered my computers’ soundboard’ energy

A great crossover album of funky Afro-beat dance, post punk pop and Joy Division-style alternative rock. Very accomplished and enjoyable.

This is a fine album...the census best Talking Heads album but I don't agree with that opinion. I prefer both Fear of Music and Mire Songs About Buildings and Food. But Remain in Light is still great...excellent poly-rhythms, cool songs and production and still sounds unique even today. 4 🌟

Guter "Indie-Funk". Verursacht unkontrolliertes Fußwippen.

Chevere

This was an odd Talking Heads album.

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HANDS!!

Bowen's on fire and he's shagging Dani Dyer

Good album, enjoyed the lyrics singing and music

3.5/5. I was expecting more, but it was good. I like how unique this sounds.

yooo vibeke

8/10

Frenetic and quirky, but still very catchy and likable. I love Talking Heads, but surprised this album was selected. Once in a Lifetime is amazing and never gets old.

Este disco me impresionó más de lo que me gustó. Por un lado sí es muy innovador para la época y es muy variado en sonidos pero tampoco es un disco que me provoque volver a escucharlo o volverme fan de la banda. Por otro lado, es impresionante escuchar algo que es influencia de varios géneros musicales y de muchas bandas reconocidas que vieron sus orígines en la primera mitad de la década de los 80s. 3.5 estrellas que suben a 4 porque sí, creo que todo el mundo debería escuchar este disco alguna vez en su vida. Songs: The Overload, Once in a Lifetime

Dudé un rato entre 3 o 4 estrellas, porque por un lado son excelentes músicos: innovadores, arreglos elaborados, ejecuciones complejas, etc. y lo demuestran en cada canción; por otro lado, el Synth Pop no es mi estilo musical y me cansan rápido (incluso con lo elaborado que es) el estilo de sonido que usan. Por supuesto, la rola que se lleva el disco es Once In A Life Time, que incluso sorprende que sea de 1980, pues suena como algo mucho más actual. Pero también hay otras (como Seen and Not Seen) en las que en vez de cantar solo hablan y no me gusta.

Isn’t David clever! Lots of groove, fantastic guitar work and a stone cold classic song (universe level) too. I’m never sure if I like Talking Heads as much as I should, but not to worry: the album enjoys itself whether I’m sticking with it or not. Very good.

Les Talking Heads ont tout misé sur le rythme et ont eu raison. Le guitariste joue en effet le même accord de Sol majeur pendant les quarante minutes du projet avec une dextérité sans précédent. Sol, sol, sol, jusqu'à l'épuisement. On le soupçonne parfois de nous préparer un Mi ou même un Ré, mais rien n'y fait, le prochain accord sera bel et bien un Sol. Pour notre plus grand bonheur.

Aujourd'hui je suis assis à côté de mon manager au bureau, il m'est donc absolument impossible de rédiger des reviews de qualité. En effet, à tout moment ce dernier peut pivoter sa tête sur le côté, et ainsi me réprimander pour le 3/5 accordé aux Pink Floyd il y a de cela quelques jours. A très vite je l'espère dans des conditions plus propices.

This is the first full Talking Heads album I've listened to, though I'm familiar with David Byrne, and some of their radio hits. It's unique, it's experimental, it's very 80s, and very frantic.

This has Jake written all over it. Imagine putting a 6-9 month old baby in front of the screen and putting on the music video for "Once in a Lifetime"... what would that child become? I do not know... hahah.

Enter synth and syncopation

TIL all my favorite artists are just Talking Heads cover bands

Always enjoy listening to a band/album like this that is experimental and unique while being listenable at the same time. Some songs are iffier than others but that's what happens when you take risks. Overall pretty great stuff.

Loved this for the longest time Love the Fela nod on this album

Great Band and a good album! Probably one of the best "Art House" band ever, love their early stuff and their later stuff. Tina Weymouth was the thinking Mans Bass player of choice and was the the stuff of teenage fantasy for me. In my opinion "Stop Making Sense" which I think came out a couple of years after this is a) the best Live Music Film of all time and b) Classic tunes for the post punk era. I think my favourite here has got to be Once In A Lifetime! The Overload is reminiscent of Curtis Era Joy Division/New Order to me so who was influencing whom?

I remember seeing a Talking Heads video on VH1 way back when I was but a wee teenager. I thought it sucked donkey balls and the video was weird too. Now, I have to admit my taste in music (and music videos) has matured quite a bit, and quite like this, and weird is good. This is an absolute banger!

I am a fan of the Talking Heads. This is the second recomendation for this band on this list, and I've heard a few other full albums from the band as well. I don't think I liked this album as much as the previous recommendation (More Songs About Buildings And Food), but I liked the album. "Once In a Lifetime" is one of my all-time favorite tracks from the band, and "Crosseyed and Painless" is another track that I would come back to. The remaining tracks felt new to me. "Born Under Punches" seemed like it had a strong connection to the live performances that followed this time... with a large supporting band and lots of interaction between the main members and the supporting band. I think because I am a fan of the Talking Heads in general, this album gets a slight boost to round up to 4 stars.

well, like all good art, this makes me think. and by the end of this album, i'm thinking about music's long tradition of borrowing rhythms and flavors from other traditions, and it makes me wonder...in our current heightened state of cultural sensitivity, what would happen if a skinny white dude tried to bring traditional african beats and tone into his music. what if he worked with the spiritual heirs of fela kuti, would that be better? and if it was ok today...how far ahead do we have to look to see that tradition of borrowing as some kind of uncool appropriation? because this album - and in fairness, like, all of rock, benefits greatly from the legacy of africa and africa's often-unwilling footprint on The West...where we count europe - or at least england - as being somehow meaningfully west of africa. anyway, i like to think this album could be made today - especially by someone with david byrne's cultural gravitas. but what if it was some unknown nyc art-rocker? if it's not problematic now, does that borrowing become a problem in the future? i really hope not, because art in general needs that cross-pollination, or it withers. i hope we can get this figured out.

I love David Byrne and the Talking Heads. I don't think I ever heard the whole album but it is consistent and funky and edgy. I think I would want to hear it again some time. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but I keep it in my list of music I like.

You can absolutely feel which songs were written by Byrne and which were born out of the jams by Frantz & Weymouth. Byrne has an absurdist take on pop where the others took a turn toward afro-centric. Born under punches should've been a single. Once in a lifetime is fantastic, of course. Houses in motion isn't bad, but it's not "greatest hits" great. Most of the rest of it is good, but not anything outstanding.

Such a melting pot of influences. Madness!

Surprisingly I had only heard one of these songs before (Once in a Lifetime of course). This seems like the prototypical Talking Heads album with the African influenced beats and seemingly stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Good stuff. 4 stars.

Weird, folksy, and fun.

It's such a shame that Remain in Light is not a 6 track EP with Born Under Punches, Crosseyed, The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime, Houses in Motion, and Seen and Not Seen. If it was, I think it would honestly be a contender for the best of all time. The extremely catchy funky African rhythms, the amazing delivery from Byrne and the dashes of electronic sounds that are well ahead of their time, create mysteriously terrific and engaging music pieces. It's such a shame that the effects on Listening Wind sound mediocre, and that the Overload sounds like it was ripped straight from Joy Division. Just shy of a 5/5.

I really like this album. Probably my favourite from Talking Heads. Lots of cool polyrhythms, with wonderful songs built around single chords and instrumental loops (though played live rather than sampled). A real mesh of styles, and Brian Eno's production excellent as ever. Amazing bass playing from Tina Weymouth. Guitars sound great. Love the percussion. Excellent use of effects, drones, noise throughout. A very interesting approach to writing and recording, and it really paid off.

Once in a Lifetime saves this album from mediocrity

Generally I've only been familiar with Once in a lifetime, which is the only obvious single on this album. The more percussive/world music elements of this works really well i think.

Meteen herkenbaar, na de eerste seconden van het eerste nummer. Talking Heads hebben echt een unieke sound. Ik hou er enorm van. Zit echt heel goed in elkaar.

Raketen Start! „Born Under Punches“ gehört leider erst seit kurzem zu meinen absoluten Lieblings-Songs. Das erste Drittel läuft danach in etwa nach der Facon ‚Her mit den Juwelen’ weiter. Ist nach „Once in a Lifetime“ Flughöhe erreicht, kehrt eine Ruhe ein beim Schweben durch dunklen Raum. Diese mittleren Tracks sind fast einem anderen Album eines anderen Künstlers zuzuweisen. Mit „Fela‘s Riff“ beginnt der Wiedereintritt in die Atmosphäre. Man setzt auf auf rotem afrikanischen Staub, stampft Kraut, repetitiv jedoch weniger hibbelig wie zu Beginn. Wäre die eklatante Suche nach Leerstellen weniger akribisch geführt worden, bekäme diese große Enterprise mehr als „nur“ lückenhafte 3.5

Auch hier mal wieder: vielen Dank an die Liste, ich hatte mir diese Hymne an Polyrhytmik, superschlauen/superernsthaften Artschoolquatsch und Eno-Skillz (inkl Anwerben von Adrian Below und so) nämlich vorher nie ganz angehört. 4.4!

For its time, this album kind of re-defines what "rock music" really meant. Or rather stretched the definition of rock music. I didn't (choose to) understand this as a kid but it's worth the trip -> a weird cold yet somehow joyful experimental collection of loops, non-western-rhythms, and layered vocals. All put together well enough to create actual songs that supersede the experimentation - which for me is always the correct order. "Once In A Lifetime" is the one most people might know but overall this album is chock full of creativity and punctuated with excellent musicianship - in particular I love that guitar solo on "The Great Curve" [courtesy of Adrian Belew]. Remain In Light is not exactly your 80s backyard party album :D but rather a soundtrack for your indoor gathering while the VCR is playing "Weird Science" in the background. Even though this may not fit snugly within any of my favourite subgenres this is a really unique sound and is interesting from start to finish. Even at 40+ (!) years old it somehow sounds fresh. 8/10 4 stars

Classic manic talking heads dance magic

Remain in Light: These songs have such a manic energy. It's all so tight but they get loose with the leads and such all throughout. I already really like this album but I used to absolutely hate the Talking Heads specifically because of Once in a Lifetime. I even saw the singer David Byrne in concert and still didn't like them. I eventually listened to their other stuff and it clicked. Really just pushing this crazy dance rhythms all throughout but by the last song, it's really slow and driving. 8/10

I went into this feeling a bit sceptical having seen the rest of the group rate it pretty badly; as it turned out, very much my jam. Ended up thoroughly enjoying this album, the transition from energetic to somewhat lethargic while remaining organised chaos was great. Will definitely listen to more Talking Heads in the future, and probably give the album another listen reasonably soon. Not "perfect" enough for 5/5, but a solid 4 for sure.

😱🎶

Some really cool jams in there. Good album. Off to a great start

Really like at least one song on this

The Talking Heads brand of eclectic, new-wave alternative funk is not the easiest to digest right off the bat but there is an undeniably unique and catchy sound they've landed on by this point. Eno's always fascinating production coupled with Byrne's signature style create an album that is certainly challenging at first but always as fun as it is challenging. It has an ability to make you dance while feeling quite perplexed, not many albums do that, and even few do it so damn well.

Was excited when I remembered the track used in Mindhunter. Lot of the music on this sounds like it’s building to the hits.

interesting, cruisy and glorious

Muy buen álbum, la cantidad de efectos y los riffs de cada canción me han gustado mucho, realmente es un trabajo muy bien elaborado, hay un monton de detallitos en cada canción que la vuelven explosiva y muy buena.

No matter how many times I hear this album, I always find something new. Sure, it doesn't have many "hits", but there is nuance and experimentation abound. It is also admitedly hard for me to divorce this album from Byrnes autobiography. I tried though and can't think of anything that takes this below 4 stars.

Great, weird, repetitive, funky.

It was good. Sounded like college rock, but different.

I thought it was going to be another bland 80s rock record but I'm very happy to be proven wrong. This is a very well written album, definitely will give another listen, not much more I can say about it atm

Great, great album. An absolute classic.

3.5/5 listened to talking heads radio all dayyy

Is there already a genre called TranceFunk? Prince without the sex, but that just means dancing can exist without lust; bigger frontiers for physical expression of the mind and soul. I'd forgotten what a great bass player Tina Weymouth is; totally underappreciated. Remain In Light was on heavy rotation in restaurant kitchen where I worked; this is great music to cook to. (Eno might find that quite the compliment.)

Awesome album. Good to listen to “Once in a Lifetime” again.

Totally dig the music and lyrics, vocals are kinda weird. But I guess that's the Talking Head for you. Might be interesting to have an all instrumental version of this album. Got better in later songs. Really enjoyed the unfinished outtakes in the remastered version.

Great Album

Pierwszy album z listy i zdziwienie, bo jednak go znam, nowa fala pelna geba, 4 album w dyskografii gadajacych glow, oraz chyba ich najbardziej eksperymentalny projekt, polaczenie rocka, popu oraz elektroniki, mogloby sie wydawac, ze takie polaczenie musi oznaczac mialki album, ktory bedzie jak najbardziej przystepny dla sluchacza, a jest wrecz przeciwnie, lirycznie niektore kawalki tworza mocno psychodeliczny klimat, z chorkami, unikalnymi wokalami pana byrna, ktore na niektorych trakach maja forme lirycznej recytacji, tworzac mini ballady, bo czas kawalkow jest raczej dosc standardowy i tylko jeden kawalek ma ponad 6 minut, ale radiowa popularnosc odniosl tylko kawalek once in lifetime, reszta jest prawdopodobnie zbyt eksperymentalna do grania w eterze, tak z nowosci pierwszy dzisiaj sluchalem deluxa z 4 niedokonczonymi trackami, ktore poza unision sa calkowicie intrumentalne, skads znam utwor right start, ale nie jestem w stanie powiedziec skad, pewnie jakis sampel zapadl mi w pamiec.

A classic really

A true classic from very early 80s. Every listening comes with new discoverings.

Genuinamente me puso de buenas este álbum y, bueno, tras no estar seguro de saber cómo llamarle a lo que escuchaba, descubrí que se supone que esto es new wave... A los Talking Heads les he escuchado una que otra canción, pero creo que nunca había escuchado un disco completo. Qué bonito pasar por éste, sin duda hay sonidos muy frescos, como una reformulación del rock (?). "The Great Curve" y "Once in a Lifetime" son las que más me gustaron del lanzamiento original. De la versión extendida con sus canciones "inacabadas", "Fela's Riff" y "Right Start" son las que más disfruté, especialmente la que hace alusión a Fela Kuti, qué buen ritmo. Casi no puse atención a las letras, porque sólo me dejé llevar por el ambiente, animado, al parecer y porque fui feliz escuchando este disco. 9/10

My brain thinks this is 5 stars. It influenced so many artists over the past 40+ years. I love the grooves but my heart would only give this 3 stars so I settled with 4

These guys prove you don’t have to he weird to be experimental and try new things! Great album!

Ahead of its time. Love how creative it is.

Bängeri 80-talets rock

while I've listened to this band's songs quite a few times in my lifetime (mostly their hits) but i was quite pleased with this album! the synth/funk/pop/rock was very eclectic, and definitely had my head moving the entire album. Weirdly, and probably just me, but sometimes the lyrics felt like Paul Simon wrote them, but thankfully didn't compose the music, lol

I've listened to this album before but it had been a while, and I expected to like it more than I did. There something opaque about the Talking Heads, like you can tell there's a joke there but it's also serious, and what exactly is the joke? I continue to find myself impressed by the technical abilities of the band that sometimes get overshadowed by the strangeness and by David Byrne's singing style. For that reason I especially appreciated the instrumental "unfinished outtakes."

This album feels like a dreary mixture of 70s synth cop music mixed with talking heads weirdness. Once in a lifetime is probably their best known track but it feels so different to the rest of the album. Still enjoyed hearing it but not my favourite album of theirs

siccc

Pretty good didn't listen to the whole thing but do like talking heads

This feels like the most 80s of all records.

It’s great. If a little too weird and experimental in places.

At first I wasn't a huge fan, but after a while I started to dig it. Interesting rhythmic elements throughout all songs. "Once In A Lifetime" is a happy-sounding song with actually depressing lyrics which is always a fun combo. A lot of random little electronic/swelling guitars are pretty nice, still this is all pretty modern sounding. 1980, wow.

C'est pas mal. Pas de musiques vraiment mémorables mais un bon ensemble.

Very danceable

Cat Stevens' voice reminds me a lot of Eddie Vedder's. It's a measured tone to the songs, but holds a lot of meaning and emotion in the words

born under punches

Love the band

Proof that something good came out of the 80s

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cool but repetitive and loong

Pretty good

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

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

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

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

Not massively my thing but not bad

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

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

Ok

Solid output. Love how even the non-singles tracks are always good. Great album closer as well.

The music is interesting, but not terribly engaging. Their style is unique, but it felt mostly like background music for me. It was fine, but not anything I need to listen to more than once. 3/5

Once in a Lifetime

It’s a bop but kinda forgettable, sounded like a precursor to Radiohead. Upbeat, feel good. Songs sounded cohesive. Leah - 7/7 Leprechauns - Favourite - Crosseyed and painless Austin - 4.5/7 Leprechauns- Favourite - Listening Wind

There's something hectic and nervous in their music that keeps me from really enjoying this.

Once in a Lifetime really is that: an absolute all-timer. The rest here can't match it though it's certainly a tight wee set. Moody

Very unique style which I'm not very fond of. Psycho Killer is great (not even in this one lol) but afaik that's it.

While "Once In A Lifetime" is an absolute classic, nothing else on this album comes even close to it. That said, the alchemy of the Talking Heads and Brian Eno's production does mean that this is a good album, it's just not as good as much of the other works by Talking Heads or David Byrne

Seems harsh to give an album that contains "Once in a Lifetime" only three stars. Not TH's strongest, for me, though.

Not really my jam. Lots of creativity and layers, but it's all a bit 80's experimental for my liking. Some stand out songs, and detail being added all over the place. Definitely worth revisits in comparison to other albums I've heard.

it was unique and different from what i usually hear, didn't finish it yet but it's good fs , liked one song outta it a bit more so yeah

Buen álbum buen rock.

Fun and wonky with some hits. Not phenomenal

Overall Rating - 3.06/5 (6.13/10). Overall, a good 80s New Wave album.

Enjoyed Crosseyed and Painless and Fela's Riff on the Deluxe version. It’s got Once in a Lifetime on it, but apart from that it got a bit samey, and some weird bits didn't really work

Das Live Album ist besser.

Born under punches - 2/5 Crosseyed and painless - 3/5 The great curve - 4/5 Once in a lifetime - 5/5 Houses in motion - 3/5 Seen and not seen - 2/5 Listening wind - 4/5 The overload - 1/5 Fela's riff - 4/5 Unison - 5/5 Double groove - 3/5 Right start - 4/5

My father has a Talking Heads vinyl. It's in the dragon's den. Having now listened to Remain in Light, I understand why it never made it out. The African polyrhythm influence is genuinely interesting — and unlike some albums that try this, it's actually integrated rather than bolted on. "Once in a Lifetime" is strange and compelling. But the overall vibe is anxious, detached, deliberately weird in a way that kept me at arm's length. I can hear what they were doing. I just couldn't quite get inside it. 2.5/5 — filed under 3. Interesting enough to respect, not quite enough to return to.

not my cup of tea but still good. good to ride a car prolly

Achei um pouco repetitivo, mas não é desagradável

Alright… this is something that younger me would have totally jammed out to and probably did. This sets the tone for the 80’s in the best way. Current me wouldn’t listen to this entire album except for Once in a Lifetime… that track is still such a banger.

Hmm. I don't know how to feel about this one. I feel like I should like it more than I do. It feels unique, innovative, and super interesting, but it didn’t connect with me very much emotionally. 6/10 Pretty Good

I know their top 5 or 6 hits, and only one of them on this album. Disappointed if I'm honest, was hoping for something that just never came. Skipped through most of the tracks. Shame.

overall: 7/10! groovy funky vibes and idrk what else to add

Välillä nopeaa fkattavaa musiikkia. Toisaalta taas kone ja syntetisaattori. Tarttuvia biisejä.

Yeah I liked it. Good vibes. Little bit too funky for me

Not one of their greatest.

pretty solid album, not much to say, enjoyed.

Funky, weird, vaguely proggy?

Same as it ever was

ive only heard a handful of talking heads songs (the popular ones) so i was really not expecting this album to sound like That - kind of reminds me of the manhunter soundtrack - had already heard once in a lifetime and was expecting the rest of the album to sound like it but i was wrong - seen and not seen kind of freaks me out + sounds like a stripped down version of this is your life - i like how eerie listening wind is - the overload sounds like a slowed down interpol song interesting album, starts off super funky and slowly starts to become more sinister towards the end. cant believe this is the same band that made psycho killer

Wenz: Nothing really stands out to me in this album though 😅 Shermz: same. But I do like the groovy tunes tho

It was an ok album i guess. Cool sound but not that special or different…

Favorite songs: Crosseyed and Painless, Once In a Lifetime, Listening Wind

Interesting and unique in a very special way

Well for my 800th album and 5th electronica album in a row. Remain In Light is certainly an album that i have quite a bit to say about. The only song from this album that i was familiar with before listening was Once In A Lifetime especially because i have seen that song used in quite a lot of YouTube Poops and i enjoy that song for it's quirky nature. I also thought the other songs here were interesting in their own ways and coupled with the good production, made it a pretty enjoyable listening experience. My only issue is that nearly every song felt like it was at least a minute too long which made them fairly repetitive. It is still an enjoyable album, just one i would have liked more if it weren't so repetitive. Best Song: Once In A Lifetime Worst Song: The Great Curve

Demasiado experimental y pesado para mi

cant be arsed to do ts again

OK

This album is a good example of why I don't like to look at the top songs before I listen to them. I liked the Great Curve the most and then found out that Once in a Lifetime is basically the most popular TH song of all time, which I definitely didn't enjoy as much

I'm not sufficient enough to love this album

Não consigo achar esse tão bom quanto o speaking in tongues.

You can hear the genre-melding and you can hear why it's a critical darling. While I enjoyed the same parts as most critics did, it is to a lesser extent- personally I find the album a bit too avant-garde. Nevertheless the musicality here is excellent from everyone involved, and you can hear the influences on later works. Not for me, but I can absolutely see how some might regard this higher than me.

Chill, forgetable.

Once in a Lifetime

нормально

Har jeg set frem til! Jeg vidste dog ikke at Peter A.G. var kreativ direktør for Talking Heads inden han lavede GNAGS :i Kommer nok aldrig til at sætte det på igen, men "Once in a Lifetime" og generelt Anders Winther Kaufmann's kærlighed til albummet, giver jeg det lige præcis 3 stjerner.

En lidt underlig én. Det er både godt og kedeligt på samme tid. Kræver nok lidt mere fordybelse end blot en enkelt gennemlytning.

3.5!!! Once in a lifetime carries…. Rest of album is decent, but not quite a 4

Fun and funky! Lots of beeps and boops, but a bit gloomy. Don’t love David Byrnes’ voice but I got over it.

Interesting, Suprisingly nice to listen to (I am not a fan of David Byrne's voice). Openly inspired by Fela Kuti, it's seemavant garde for its time. I'll porbably listen another time.

FAVS (top 3): crosseyed and painless, the great curve, once in a lifetime mençoes honrosas: listening wind tipo é ouvivel mas nada marcante -_- daria menos se fosse insuportavel de ouvir nota final: 3/5

mega silly okładka podoba mi się born under punches - odrazu chce się zrobić awkward taniec i nie brać niczego na poważnie. crosseyed...OMG WCHODZĄ CHÓRKI. trochę vibe the savage ressurrection fox is sick???? the great curve - trochę wchodzi w brazylijską muzykę XDDD skipnęłam końcowo... once in a lifetime - znałam i kocham!!! house in motion - kojarzy mi się z tańczeniem w mieszkaniu ze znajomymi ale to może po prostu moje myśli i marzenie zawsze

Very, very strange and dark.

Solid with a banger

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

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

4/0 didn’t really listen to it

Meh. Not my favorite Talking Heads album.

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

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

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

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

Yeaaaah idk

Eighties pop

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

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

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

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

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

Funky and fun

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

Repetitive, hypnotic, slightly innovative sound, rhythmic

I liked most of it

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old school vibes very long songs

6.5/10

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

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

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

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

Funky and fun 3 - deserves to be on this list

Get it

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

I liked all the unfinished outtakes

tqm adrian belew

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

cool lyrics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unique isn’t always a good thing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Super!

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

🙂

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

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

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

good bits but very repetitive and a slog

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

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

didn't listen much but love Talking Heads

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

Whatever… sorry not sorry

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

not my fav talking heads but talking heads all the same

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

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

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

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

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

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

Had coole momenten, coole leadgitaar soms

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

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

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

Stress bongos Tiktikkietakkierikkietikkietakkie

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

So Mojique is just blowing things up huh?

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

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

cool y psicodélico

Interesting sonic design Early incorporation of loops and recordings Synth heavy

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

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

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

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

This is a little hard to do in the Winter.

mag iiiich, gut auch für hintergrund noise

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like the automobile song, that’s about it really

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

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

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

Good but not one I need to rush back to.

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

Not bad but not great.

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

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

it was an okay album

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

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

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

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

Appreciate David Byrne, sometimes a little out there for me

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

Standouts Once in a Lifetime

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

nice.

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