Tom Tom Club

"Genius of Love" is bonkers in the best way. The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.

It's all a bit weird and silly and shit.

One I have on vinyl. A very strong piece of evidence that Weymouth and Frantz were the genius of the Talking Heads, rather than David Byrne (the truth is it's all of them). Just 8 tracks of funk/reggae/hip-hop inflected weirdness. Joy. If you listen to Genius of Love and don't want to bop, you may be medically dead

is this the kind of album that hipsters listen to when they congregate?

I don't see the appeal of this album. It feels more like a novelty record than actual music at times and many of the songs go on way longer than felt necessary. On the plus side, now I know where the sample in Fantasy came from!

With their band on top of their game, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz decided that sitting on their hands while their elastic, observant and forever curious frontman went out and explored new territories wasn't going to work for them and, in the process, set about standing out from the pack in more ways than one. For this debut album from the Tom Tom Club, with its hand-drawn aesthetic and endless nods to emerging hip-hop culture and post-disco reverie, evokes a interminable summer vibe where it is blissful to be young with no worries in the world and little need to be skeptical and suspicious about things. In Tom Tom Club's world, it's just them and scores more would come, on and on... there are more of them, more than anyone would realize.

I think "infectious" is the best word to describe this album. Just some great grooves. I've always thought that Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were criminally overlooked and underrated as the key to the Talking Heads' sound. It's like people thought Talking Heads was all David Byrne and the rest were just session musicians. Anyway, this is a great album and showcase for Chris and Tina, with help from Adrian Belew and others. 4 stars.

After listening i can only get hard while listening to the long version of Genius of Love. 2/5

Musically talented, but is proof they needed a frontman and vocalist with the zaniness of David Byrne to really pull it all together. Still enjoyable though.

Better than at least two of the Talking Heads records on this list.

I could hear the music that this album went on to influence. In its infancy, hip hop has something to pay homage to here with the style and daring Visio. From Tom Tom Club. Not perfect, but visionary.

Quirky sound and odd lyrics that result in some strange fun.

I love literally anything even tangentially related to Talking Heads, so I am all about this shit. Can I join the club???

Proof that Talking Heads was more than David Byrne. The OTHER members keep pushing limits in what is an instrument to song composition.

This is wild. First track is like "wtf is going on, it's catchy though... this is like new wave Kraftwerk". Then I saw it was Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth from The Talking Heads and it all made sense. Ohhh shit Genius of Love, I've heard this. The synth and random chirps are so good. This is like a different take on "Once In a Lifetime" by Talking Heads. I will say overall some of the songs overstay their welcome a bit and I wish a few stopped 2 mins earlier, but overall a grand showcase of what others besides David Byrne add to Talking Heads. I'm in heaven With the maven of funk mutationa

Þetta er hressileg plata, skemmtilegur early 80s hljóðheimur og ein dansgólfsbomba.

Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The beats are undeniable. This also has some "cool factor", if I put this on with company, i'd seem cool and obscure. All in all, a good time.

Finally! I've been waiting for this album on the list. I used to think that Genius of Love and Wordy Rappinghood were two of the most ingenious songs of the 80s! Brilliant unique sound and I have wanted to hear the rest of the album. Standouts: Genius of Love, Wordy Rappinghood Others: L'éléphant Rating: 3.5

This was a lot more fun and creative than expected. Genius of Love is still one of the best songs ever recorded. But the rest is a real trip. Seriously unserious. Sweetly romantic, without ever being schmaltzy.

The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.

Twenty one years ago we went on a road trip through the Deep South. Each of us made a mixtape and the songs I remember most from that trip were “Crime in the City” (Neil Young, Howard’s choice, the song that made me realise I like NY), “The Mercy Seat” (Johnny Cash covering Cave, Simon’s choice), “Love Spreads” (the Stone Roses, my choice as I thought it would be funny to bring a Manc version of Southern Rock), and “Genius of Love” (Dinah’s choice, maybe my favourite). I bought this album when I got back and was disappointed. The first two tracks are great, the rest underwhelmed me. I’m pleased to discover today that the rest is better than I remember: throwaway, but happy. This isn’t a great album, but it’s lovelier than many better ones here.

I read somewhere that this album and the associated singles sold more copies/made more money than all of the Talking Heads work combined! It's been fun over the years hearing "Genius Of Love" re-worked repeatedly to give some substance to the current chart flavor-of-the-month. There's a 10+ minute dub version out there with ear-splittingly loud bass, a phenomenal soundtrack for a late night drive down a dark desert road.

Good performances by the aforementioned great rhythm section of Talking Heads. This album reveals they would have most likely been stuck in their TH77 days if the songwriting had been more democratic. As a frontman and penman for their material, Chris and Tina needed David Byrne to take the next leap. I enjoyed this though.

The type of music you'd be tortured with at Butlins No thanks 2 ⭐️

Aside from genius of love this is a pretty weird album that seems like a cross between kids songs and Halloween themed music. It’s unique and experimental but overall it’s a bit weird for me. I can see the talking heads pieces but the main guy is what made them great. This couple helped make them different. 5.2/10

Unlistenable. Hated every second of it

Too squeaky and lame.

I really love all the funk and punk components and influences they incorporate into their projects, both as Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads. I was just always destined to like anything this collection of musicians would put out.

Easy 5 star

quite possibly the ultimate early 80s party album from the minds of talking heads. creative and wacky funk rock music. with its lighthearted tone, call-and-response kitschy vocals and some seriously trippy instrumentals, tom tom club stands by themselves in the sea of other rock bands... it’s like the album equivalent of the artsy kid at the party who ends up DJing and somehow everyone loves it.

Still very catchy and was very ground breaking at the time

Unfair that Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz could just go out and do this as a side project. Insanely danceable.

genius of love is the song every artist wish they made

This album just brings happiness and joy. I'm o-o-o-over it. It's so o-o-o-over me.

Loved it. 4.5

Why is this kind of the coolest thing I’ve ever heard? It’s brimming with earnestness and enthusiasm. It’s delightfully, unapologetically weird. Good stuff.

Whenever I come across a band I've never heard of from this list, it makes me uneasy. I'm anxious and excited to see what the music has in store for me. I always try to err on the side of being prepared to dislike it. From track 1, this album had my attention. By the end of the first song, I was asking myself who was in this band. Lo and behold, it's a fucking Talking Heads side project. What a delightful little surprise. Absolute banger of an album and 39 minutes is perfect.

найс, понравилось, прикольное типо-диско. альбом сохранил. очень напомнило LCD Soundsystem. подойдет для вечеринок)

How had I never listened to this album before now? It's going in my regular rotation immediately.

AMAZING

Absolutely cracking. Start to finish, it's simple, yet complex. Lovely.

I weirdly like this a lot.

This is a big yes from me

Whoa never heard this end to end - only a few songs here and there but this one is a gem. Loved every second of it - dance-y, clever, tongue-in-cheek and fun while sounding original. Tops.

When the bass player and drummer husband-wife duo get to prove their value.

Cool, most songs could not be played but what I heard was good

God bless Tina and Chris!

cool weirdo shit

I remember this when it came out and it confused me. Since then I've heard David and Talking and Eno but this was just these two on a sabbatical. Seriously inventive and fun to listen to.

Plenty of talent to Talking Heads outside of David Byrne.

Great fun funky sounds. Bit silly but so catchy

Ooh yeah, I absolutely love Tina Weymouth and this wacky off shoot of the Talking Heads. Genius of Love is one of my fun go-to songs, and you gotta love how zany, funky, and lighthearted this is. I consider this album a treat.

Old fave

This feels like an early 90s version of Superorganism which is right up my alley. Such a delightfully joyful bop along album. Faves? All of them

Well damn, this was a surprise! The only Tom Tom Club track I was aware of going in was "Genius of Love", and then it wasn't the whole song - it was the sample from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "It's Nasty" and it's partial use in an episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"! 😆 Based on that, I was kinda expecting some throwaway novelty record that would almost instantly become annoying to listen to. This actually slaps, though - like a far less obnoxious Public Image Ltd in places. New wave / post-punk / disco / world music all thrown together, but it sounds like its own thing. "Wordy Rappinghood" on paper should be radioactive cringe but in practice it really works! I guess because they're riffing on early hip-hop rather than trying to actually do hip-hop? Will definitely be checking out their other albums. Fave tracks - "Wordy Rappinghood", "Genius of Love", "As Above, So Below", and probably my absolute fave goes to "On,On,On,On..." - the optimism of that song healed my soul, a little

Maybe the easiest 5 I've given. Fun, funky and weird and as good as any Talking Heads album.

Great album. I'd heard lots of these songs before but never listened through. It definitely sounds like Talking Heads, but weird in sort of a different way. You can hear more of this upbeat fun kind of style in their next couple albums, so I wonder if that was Chris and Tina getting a bit more creative freedom without Eno around?

Yeah, this album is still as great as it was in the 80s: two big hit singles and lots of other strong pop songs (such as On on on on, Booming & zooming). Of course, this is no Talking Heads (even though some songs like As Above So Below sound like typical TH songs) but I much prefer it over, say, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Before MTV there was HBO Video Jukebox, and "Genius of Love" with its fun animated video played a lot between movies back then. I only knew the song from that context for a long time. I loved hearing the whole album today! It's fun and cool and I wish I'd listened to it long ago.

I'd been greatly looking forward to this, as I'm a Talking Heads convert and was aware of this side project from Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. I loved it and will definitely be keeping this on my phone. I liked all of the songs but this album deserves 5 stars for "Wordy Rappinghood" alone.

Loved this when it came out many years ago…It was fresh and revolutionary then. It remains fresh and revolutionary today.

5 stars. So good.

I could listen to this on repeat. I was familiar with Genius of Love but none of the other songs.

Like hip-hop dropped acid! So many original sounds in this album

Perfect. Listened @ FTD, perfect.

The excitement I felt when this popped up… Funky, fun, experimental and so influential. I’ll always love anything Chris, Tina, David or Jerry touch, so this is an easy perfect score in my book.

Caught Tom Tom Club at Glastonbury a few years ago and they were one of the most energetic and enthusiastic bands I saw, despite also being one of the oldest. This album transfers that feeling well; it's like you've been invited into their home and they're all giving you a big hug.

The opening bars of "Genius of Love" has to be one of the most sampled riffs ever, 20+ times by well-known bands – and the lyrics pay tribute to many of the great funk bands of the prior decades. “WordyRappinghood” is a nice bookend to Blondie’s “Rapture”, which came out a year earlier. Those were the only two songs I could name from this album, which I owned, as did my co-judge. But listening to it 40 years later, I like most of the supporting tracks as well. The production would have been quite fresh in 1981: L Elephant sounds like a Talking Heads rhythm track, especially with the addition of Adrian Belew’s guitar. They mix up the mood nicely, with dark funk like “Booming and Zooming” and Go-Go’s worthy anthems like “On On On”. The lyrics are clever, disguised by the Weymouth sisters' vocals. A catchy, well-rounded album.

This is so fun! "Wordy Rappinghood" is just a blast. I recognize "Genius of Love" a little bit, but this is just a fun little album! I like how easy it is to, like, jam to it and it is just good vibes. While a lot ended up on my Ridiculous Music playlist, that is as a positive. Sometimes it's fun to get a little funky and silly and this album really embodies that!

What a joy!

Between a 4-5 for me (would've been a 5 if the second half was just as fun as the first). Really really enjoyed it!

Joyful, cheerful, energetic.

Really enjoyed this... Great synths

Genius

Instantly in a good mood.

Fun and wild

Glad to finally hear this album after knowing about the Tom Tom Club for a long time - big fan of Talking Heads and of the Genius of Love segment in Stop Making Sense. Liked Under the Boardwalk and Lorelei. Some of the other songs a bit more prosaic. Don't know that I'd listen to the whole album again, but good and enjoyable listen.

I think a major reason that this album is only remembered for one or two songs is because its not Talking Heads, in fact its quite different, but I think the charm here is on par with Talking Heads, even if it is presented completely differently. Obviously the hit Genius of Love is catchy and a sampling machine, but most of the other tracks are also extremely catchy, such as Wordy Rappinghood asking "what if Blondie's rap was a whole song?" and Lorelei giving this sad edge to a still quite dance-y track, it has enough variety even in its short run time to be a really good time at points. I think the middle run on the album can tend to run too long, but the tracks at the start and finish are far too good to pass up, and Booming and Zooming is almost terrifying to me for some reason, with a eclectic yet catchy riff with dialogue just audible enough to give off a tense edge, I think its a fantastic closer. Were the album to replace some of its lesser tracks with even better runs from the time, such as Under the Boardwalk, then I could see this being a really great album from an admittedly bygone era. Unfortunately, it seems to just be remembered for the one track, and that's a shame in my eyes, because there's some great stuff here under the surface level.

This was weird, silly and fun. I need more of this in my life.

4 stars

great album, I had already listened to it. I listened it while working in the bakery.

Really bonkers album but I really enjoyed it, just something sonically and lyrically appealed to me, was almost tempted to give 5 stars but I don’t think it’s quite up to that standard but still definitely worthy of 4

Kind of corny but pretty fun. Even the songs that I didn't like at first grew on me by the end. Could easily remove half the songs though. Just below 4 stars but I'm rounding up

Agradable escucha. Podria haber sido mejor, si no se excedieran en la longitud de casi todos los temas...

Neat album. This sounds like something that could have been a nerdy electronic indie album made today.

I had no idea these were two thirds of Talking Heads, but it's clear they had a lot of fun. This was the heyday of the synthesizer and twisted effects. The catchy beats grounds it throughout.

Quirky and funky, like autistic prince

Love the grooves, not too crazy about the vocals/rapping at times. Still, pretty enjoyable album. It’s also insane how often Genius Of Love has been sampled.

Really good album, to be honest was not expecting much from it. Genius of Love is bloody brilliant.

Better than I expected

Fav: Under The Boardwalk Least Fav: Tom Tom Theme Shows that it wasn’t just David Byrne who made Talking Heads work

a lot of fun, great album

Pretty clear that this was spun off from Talking Heads, and also pretty clear that it's a different singer. I love this album, and I think it's obvious how much this influenced other artists and genres, but I have a hard time shaking the feeling that something is missing.

Funky in more ways than one

If I were a member of Talking Heads, I too would use my off time to record albums in The Bahamas.

I like it

This is just catchy, mindless fun! I usually like a little more lyrical content, but I really enjoyed this.

Pretty good actually , more like a 3.8 buts let round up hey

One of the most sampled songs is Tom Tom Clubs Genius of Love. Fun album for people who like a solid groove but don’t take themselves too seriously.

The 80s are inherently dumb and playful. I never liked that about this decade, but I admit that it works for me when it goes all in on the weirdness. This album does exactly that. "Wordy Rappinghood" is a masterpiece.