Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Wonderful! Especially because the tracks I already knew (e.g. Genius of Love) were deep in. At first I thought, "this sounds vaguely familiar." And then, "oh, yeah, they made that!"
27/04/2025 It was alright. Nothing to write home about.
Fairly peculiar vibe but fun and well preformed 3.5*
A little goofy, but a solid and fun diversion for Talking Heads fans.
Niet veel geluisterd, stukje dat ik er van heb gehoord klonk wel leuk.
Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it. It was fun for its time, but now’s not that time.
Sometimes I find myself just saying “James Brown, James Brown!” This is a fun album. Of course I knew Genius Of Love, but the other songs were good I liked the usage of other styles to influence this. Probably not something I would return to super often. Favorites were Wordy Rappinghood, Genius Of Love, and As Above, So Below.
This has some good moments.
Day461 - everyone knows genius of love cause it’s great but i can’t say that for the rest
Well, there's no debate about Genius Of Love, and the rest of the album is of the same cut, albeit not as catchy. You can feel the fun they had making this record, and it shows.
It was alright, didn’t finish it but don’t think I missed out on much
How many side projects are there on this list? I don't know. All I know now is that it's at least one. Wait, does Gorillaz count as a side project? If so, then it's at least two. Anyways, here's Tom Tom Club. This, of course, is the side project of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz who, aside from being married to each other, were also the bassist and drummer respectively for one of my favorite bands that I discovered from this album project, Talking Heads. I love Talking Heads, so my expectations were somewhat high for Tom Tom Club. Were those expectations met? Well, I don't think this album holds a candle to any of the Talking Heads albums I've heard, but it's definitely not bad either. This album's pretty solid. I like it. The sound is neat. It's a nice blend of funk and new wave, not too dissimilar to some of the late 70s/early 80s Talking Heads songs. The instrumentation is pretty good too. I've always really liked Tina Weymouth's basslines. They're not the craziest things out there, but they always provide a strong and fun backbone for the song at hand. Speaking of songs, this album sure does have them. I don't think every song hits as great as I want it to, but there is at least one standout track on here. That, of course, is "Genius of Love." Most people know this song as "that one song that's been sampled a lot." I know it as the song they played in Stop Making Sense to allow David Byrne to switch into his big suit. I'll always appreciate the song for that. I'll also appreciate it for being a great song. The singing isn't my favorite, but it works. Overall, for being a side project, Tom Tom Club has some cool things going on. I wouldn't say I loved this album, but I like it for what it is. Solid 3/5.
3.5/5. I liked this. It was different and enjoyable.
Weird and fun but not likely to listen too again
i usually dislike this kind of electronic-y stuff but this is good
This self-titled debut from the Tom Tom Club, a side project of Talking Heads members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, showcases a unique blend of sounds. Musically, it represents a funky and adventurous meeting place of new wave alternative and the burgeoning hip hop scene in New York during the early 1980s. Lyrically, the album draws parallels to the artistic style of Andy Warhol, brimming with references to pop culture and their various musical influences. The highlight tracks, "Genius of Love" and "Wordy Rappinghood," remain lively and energetic, while the remainder of the album may feel somewhat dated yet continues to be enjoyable. Overall, this just a fun listen.
Fun!
No dudo que deben tener un gran número de fans, pero está música electrónica no alcanzo a disfrutarla como quisiera
Favorite Track: Wordy Rappinghood
It was okay
Pretty fun funky new-wave to start, but got to be a little much after a while.. I was curious why this was a 2-part collection only to read that it was a rerelease with both the debut and 2nd album. Overall decent and I may have rated higher if the link directed to just the debut in question and I didn’t burn out. 3.25/5
David Byrne was right
This was an interesting listen. Weird but not in an off putting way. I had no idea Genius of Love was where the beat for Mariah Carey's Fantasy originated. That track was probably my favourite, but I'm not keen hear this album again any time soon
Good vibes album. nothing sticks out though
They funny voices they do on every song get a little tiring, but the funk is strong
Maybe more like a 3.5
An interesting and new sound for me
Fun album that was clearly very influential
I was surprised by how many songs I recognized from this album. The songs were fun and upbeat and I wouldn't be mad if I heard a song from this album come up on a playlist.
Oh, this is where that IASIP song comes from! The first track is great. Under the Boardwalk is refreshing after the aerial warfare. It's a cute vibe.
On, On, On, On… is a cool song. The lyrics seem like the strong point. I’m not able to place myself in the time where the sounds of this album are anything except silly. Some of the lyrics indicate that is intentional.
Eikös just jollain toisellakin levyllä ollut Big Dick Energy orkkis sample? Tällä taas, mikä on sit se oikee orkkis. Wiki sanoo funk, mutta on tää musta enemmän jotain new wavea. Parhaat: Genious Of Love, Lorelai, Under The Boardwalk
Net als Duck Rock laatst nog meer gekkigheid uit de jaren tachtig. Beetje reggae, beetje rock, beetje vaagheid. Maar veel indruk maakt het niet deze keer.
Ik had eerst de wiki gelezen en gezien dat dit een sideproject was van leden van the Talking Heads. En dan hoor ik het eerste nummer en denk "hey, dat ken ik". Maar ik had de muziek eerder geplaatst in de hoek van de Sugarhill Gang of de Rocksteady Crew. Al staan er op de rest van het album ook wel meer new wave achtige nummers, van die wazige Blondie nummers ofzo. Ik vraag me wel sterk af, of dit net zo'n succes was geweest als ze niet van Talking Heads afkomstig waren, maar als ze van een bandje uit een sociaal lager geklasseerd (bij voorkeur gekleurd) deel van Amerika waren gekomen. Iets snobistisch en cultureel toegeeigend voelt dit wel aan. Aan de andere kant is het ook wel weer enigszins vrolijk. Al mogen ze de gilletjes en het gekrijs a la Siouxsie of B-52s achterwege laten. Al met al krijgen ze 3 sterretjes van me, krap aan. En dan ben ik vrij mild doordat die wordy rappinghood 4 sterren waard is, de rest amper 3 en ik eigenlijk strafpunten hoor te geven voor het snobisme.
Not bad, eclectic and with some nice vibes ! Genius of love for Mariah's Fantasy inspiration ! Will definitely revisit 3.5
Low 3
I loved the first track and most of this album...some of it is kinda weird..but that's ok! Just under a 4 for me.
Classic New Wave. A bit goofy at times, but Genius of Love is really really good. 3/5
3.5/5. No David Byrne, no thanks.
Nice to learn that Genius of Love was sampled for a few more recent songs.
3/5
weird and quirky. basically just sounded like a female version of the talking heads for most of the songs. twas ok.
Talking Heads jam without the greatness of David Byrne. But it’s still pretty good though
7/10 Favorite Tracks: Genius of Love, Boardwalk Least Favorite: Booming and Zooming
The first two songs (Wordy Rappinghood / Genius Of Love) are great, but the rest of the album is a bit rocky. The beat on Lorelei is catchy yet infuriating. Might go back to this album on a whim.
Fun and different than what I usually listen to.
Some daft soft dance?
I've had this one before. I like the grooves but songs go on for a bit too long. It feels a little bit joyless at times, I enjoy them much more live! 3
female voices are always nice. Good unobtrusive background music for working, with a nice sound, but nothing really stood out.
A fun album that features great rhythmic drive and some witty lyrics but not very much else. I do enjoy the rendition of Under the Boardwalk that closes the album. 3 stars
++: Genius of Love, L'éléphant +: Wordy Rappinghood, Tom Tom Theme, Lorelei, On, On, On, On..., Under the Boardwalk +-: As Above, So Below, Booming And Zooming 7,0/10
nagyon fura hangulat és goofy de valamiért közben kinda megfogott lmao. nem tudom azt mondani, hogy mindennapos hallgatás de közben tök groovy.
It grows on you
I know the deluxe is actually 2 albums but I don't really have the heart to listen to the other one. Plus I think I get the picture. I like some of the synths and stuff but overall this feels like talking heads but worse. Its really repetitive, and quite a lot of the choruses are boring. Favourite songs: L elephant, Lorelei, on on on on..., under the boardwalk. Overall around 5/10
I didn't go into this with expectations of how it might sound like Talking Heads but it does feels like a bit of a cheap copy. Obviously Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth played their part in forming the sound of Talking Heads but without David Byrne, it feels kind of second rate. Other than Genius of Love, the first half is quite weak. Wordy Rappinghood is pretty bad, very dated and kind of cringe 80s funk/hip hop thing. The second half is a bit better though Tina Weymouth isn't anything special as a vocalist. She's not particularly bad or anything but it feels like she's trying to replicate the awkward charisma of David Byrne and it doesn't really work for me. I much prefer when she just sings plainly like on Genius of Love Also I've heard Genius of Love somewhere before, like a game or film or something, but I can't figure it out for the life of me Highlights: Genius of Love, On On On On...
Genius of Love is the most danceable song ever written The rest is fine but not on that level
3 - It's creative for sure, but found a lot of it quite repetitive
Opens with two instantly recognisable tracks, and the rest is quite nice and summery fun too. Could happily listen to this on a yacht.
Really enjoyed wordy rappinghood. The rest was ok - didn't really leave much of an impression.
Experimental. New Wave. Playful. Reminds of Talking Heads. Side project of TH. Funk. Really not my thing, very repetitive.
I think this album is not that bad. I like the beat . Old but good album i would recommend to SOME people. 7/10
For real for real, the first track sounds like some weird shit on a kid’s album. Ooooh okay Tom Tom, you got me with the Mariah jam. This is fun music, but I wouldn’t listen to it on a regular basis.
Fun and cheerful, which I always enjoy. However, except for Genius of Love, the songs all feel a little contained. We never quite acheive the unrestrained joy that, say, the B-52's can bring to the table. Perfectly pleasant, interesting enough to be on this list, but not truly great.
Enjoyed thuro!
All based on repetitive synth-based grooves. A bit silly, but not unpleasant. Don't ever want or need to hear it again.
Talking Heads with female vocals and a more dub influence.
A weird and silly album, that has a quirky appeal that doesn't sound like the Talking Heads. Glad to hear, Tina and Chris from the Heads branching off to create their own music that is fun overall, strange and fascinating. The record starts off strong (it's hard not to like that wordy rap song), but it eventually begins to feel like filler and it's unique sound becomes bland and less interesting. I can't help think about another big name group, over ten years later fronted by another egotistical male singer/guitarist, with a female bass player that assembles a spin-off band with her sister(s) and releases music almost as good (or better) than their previous band. Well, the Tom Tom Club comes close, but not quite.
A decent early Valley Girl style album that reminds me of Target for some reason.
2.5
An exuberant global funk explosion, just gleefully letting loose, pure fun. We're going to have a synthesizer party tonight! Favorites: wordy rappinghood, l elephant, Lorelei
That was a good sound and fun. Not sure I’ve ever heard these before.
Cool.
This was kind of an absurd new wave album. It's fine, but not my favorite music. You can obviously tell it was made during the 80s. Best Songs: Genius of Love, On... Worst Songs: Under the Boardwalk
Genijalna pjesma (genius of love) i prosječan ostatak
Interesting. Didn’t make me want to go back to it. But an interesting listen nonetheless.
Feels like Kraftwerk meets Talking Heads which makes sense because of who the band is. I enjoy the electronic music with funky guitar playing over the top of it. I like the silly lyrics too. To me it's just kind of an easy going fun record.
Starts strong and the beats are cool, but it becomes more silly by the minute
Way too long at 2hrs 17m. Recognised and liked some of the tracks, didn't know the name of the band before. Disc One was quite nice, but not so bothered about the start of disc 2 and decided to call it quits there.
Sometimes grooves, sometimes more than a bit silly, at times challenging, but always engaging in some way.
fun, natural fun!
Mostly good, with some songs I knew that I didn't know I knew. A few of the later songs run a little long. 3.5
Proyecto paralelo de los Talking Heads, Tina Weymouth y Chris Frantz, en este su disco de debut mostraron una gran habilidad para componer e interpretar funk dance, alejándose del rock artístico e intelectual de la banda. Es un disco divertido, sin pretensiones que, sin embargo, obtuvo gran éxito con temas como "Genius of Love" y "Wordy Rappinghood" que influyeron bastante en otros músicos durante dos décas.
3.5 Not as good as Talking Heads but still pretty great!!!
There are shades of Talking Heads here because 2/3 make this. Hit or miss for me
p482. 1981. 3 stars. Average early 80s disco/dance/rap. Well done of its kind, and excellent production, but not essential listening.
A really neat side project for some Talking Heads members, but asides the big hit of the album, it kind of feels a little bland in my eyes. 3.5 bumped down to 3.
Oh I know Genius of Love. This album has some interesting instrumental and background work going on pretty much the entire time. Feels fairly unique but it's in a genre I don't listen to a lot so I may be missing what influenced it and who it influenced. Worth a listen. Wouldn't run to turn it off but wouldn't go out of my way to put it on.
So much New Wave! I like the album art. I find the opening track grating. Genius of Love is obviously a great instrumental, but the vocals don't do anything to elevate it. Mariah Carey definitely improved it. Influential album for sure. I listened to Santogold a lot back in 2008 which has a very similar vibe. She went on to work with David Byrne in 2010. On a second listen it grew on me a little more, but not something I would recommend to anyone.
This is three stars. Listenable, but forgettable.
This is the album that popped up to coincide with my 900th rating. Somehow that is appropriate. This album adventure started because I was desperate to find something to fill the time on my hour-plus commute. I remain delighted to listen to the mix of old favorites, stuff that's not my cup of tea, and things I have not listened to before. The time frame for this album and me is right around post-college, when disco had not quite faded. I like the callback, and the uncomplicated rhythm of the music. No earthshaking lyrics but some times you just got to jam.
very good iconic
Who needs David? Not Tina & Chris. Good album for a side piece. “Genius of Love” is Genius, love.
The beginning of the album has big dick energy, but unfortunately, it fizzles out as the album progresses.
Parts sounded like a school project but grew on me
It's that one band that made that one song you thought was somebody else's.
2.5/5
Delightfully strange, yet overall enjoyable. It gets a 3 rating just for the track "Genius of Love." Not sure if I would put this on again, but there's always a slim possibility.
Fine although a bit odd at times.
Ikkje så minneverdig, men bedre enn forventa
Honestly amazing album. Very experimental and quite different from talking heads. Genius of love,wordy rapping good,under the boardwalk is pretty nice
This was an interesting listen. I found Wordy Rappinghood really cringe - it was like listening to a children's program. Then to Genius of Love, which was my favorite track. So a mixed bag, but overall something different.
Not bad. Not as good as Talking Heads but that's a difficult act to follow. I do understand why Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz wanted to do this and there is some decent stuff on here. Overall, it's listenable but it lacks the tension and nervous energy that makes Talking Heads special.
3.75
I love the innocence of the early TTC. There was a quite a scene of NYC post-punk does rap - and surprisingly rather well. The bass here is thunderous. Under the Boardwalk has a nice sugar candy feel to it. We need a return to clever pop.
Tom Tom Club is the debut studio album by Tom Tom Club, originally released in 1981. This album is strange, man. But it's also groovy. It seamlessly mixes the funk grooves from the disco era into the more experimental edge of post punk/new wave. Genius of Love is obviously the big hit here. It would go on to be sampled in multiple rap songs. To echo a sentiment that another user shared, it's easy to tell when David Byrne is involved in a new wave album. His sound is so signature, and I just end up wanting to listen to Talking Heads. This is good, but just missing that something that Talking Heads was able to deliver.
Trilha sonora para um passeio com swing bem divertido.
Not a fan of Talking Heads, do I was ready not to like this, but I was wrong. I vaguely remember Wordy Rappinghood from my youth, and something about the kooky 80s vibe spoke to me. It totally didn't speak to anyone else in my house, who all asked for it to stop, but it's not their review. Anyway, I'd listen again. Three crayon stars.
Can't decide if I like this. It's kinda new-wave, but also kinda avant-funk.
Morokkolaista lasten lauluskelu biisin pätkää heti alkuun... Vahvaa crossreferencinf ja liitoksia aikaan ja paikkaan..
Yeah, not bad. 2.75
Lots of fun!
Hey sometimes ya gotta noodle around and come up with Genius of Love and and d your kids through college
Ok. Good beats for '81.
3/5. I do enjoy the funk and style brought from Talking Heads, with a different vocalist creating a new experience. Unfortunately, it's hard to bring a new sound when David Byrne makes the Talking Heads so much from different New Wave bands. To be fair, this is not bad, definitely a higher quality than other bands from that genre but kind of just makes me want to listen to Talking Heads. They are great musicians in their own right but it is just missing that extra kick. I would have more enjoyment if I heard this before the Talking Heads. Best Song: Genius of Love, Under the Boardwalk, Wordy Rappinghood
It all sounds the same
Je trouvais ça vraiment bizarre comme son, mais tout s'est expliqué quand j'ai appris que c'est un projet démarré par des membres de Talking Heads. Je suis content de l'avoir découvert, c'était assez unique, mais je n'ai pas tellement aimé non plus. Respectable, mais sans plus. 6.5/10
I really like Talking Heads, but this was not very good. Kind of a shame because Rhythm section of Talking Heads + Adrian Belew on guitar sounds amazing on paper
I enjoyed some of this album, but it didn’t really land for me overall. 3.5 stars
Fun and upbeat! I particularly love the first track and the “under the boardwalk” cover. Their association with the talking heads is apparent and boy do they miss Byrne. Great grooves though and fun bass lines.
big talking heads fan here first time i heard this album rhythm section is good but the album kinda sounded the same cept for a few known songs and ran together
Not at all what I was expecting from this band when the wiki labeled them as funk. Started off ultra weird but catchy with the Wordy song. Tom Tom Theme definitely sounded very familiar. That was an extremely whacky album. Had some things that I really liked with some of the fresh beats. And some things i didn't like with some of the endless repetition. Booming and Zooming to end it with the ominous spacecraft dialogue or whatever was pretty cool. Overall a fun album that lands it as a high 3.
Not good, not bad.
Not available in Mexico
This is obviously a classic record with some very well known tracks--one might even argue they are overplayed. I never got super in to Tom Tom Club but this is good enough and I get why it's here. Doesn't really do it for me the way you'd think it would.
Love the concept but a bit repetitive
I think it's a solid effort. Very artsy, with some nice melodies and funky tunes. Nothing spectacular though.
Des percussions ludiques, des trouvailles, des mélodies décomplexées, un penchant pour la répétition, une petite transe funky
Interesting. Lots of samples and covers in here.
Funk lentillo. Ni fu ni fa.
It's weird & fun like the Talking Heads rhythm section. Hard to take the overly-white "rapping" seriously but then I don't think we're supposed to.
Ground breaking and so influential but I confess I only found Genius of Love to be an earwig that I wanted to revisit. Upvoting a star for this album’s insistent influence on hip-hop.
A bit of fun, some experimental style. Sampled references
Quirky but a bit too self indulgent at times. Like Sly and Robbie for white people.
What a weird ass album.
Alku vakuutti ja jossain kohtaa ihmettelin oliko jäänyt repeat päälle, mutta levyhän on pitkä kuin Jeesuksen selibaatti. Voi juma! Tykkäsin levyn boogiesta ja biiteistä, mutta pituutta aivan liikaa yksittäisistä biiseistä koko levyn kestoon. Viihdyin kuitenkin mukana.
This Talking Heads-adjacent group has a similar vibe, so of course it’s pretty solid. Tom Tom Club are slightly poppier while still retaining the weirdness that makes Talking Heads great. Many of these songs are incredibly groovy and easy to dance to, it’s no surprise that “Genius of Love” has been prominently sampled in pop, hip hop, and R&B songs in the decades since its release. The cover of “Under the Boardwalk” is phenomenal, they really reinvented it into their own dancey bop. I’m not a big fan of “Wordy Rappington”, their other big single from the album, but it’s a good opening song because of how weird it is with its spoken/rapped sections, typewriter sounds, and a verse in French (which is way better than David Byrne’s French). The rest of the album that follows just gets more and more fun.
They are an American band but have a song in French called L'Elephant? Some pretty decent songs, but only one that has any staying power.
That was fun! I enjoyed listening to the crazy art pop music that is the early 80s. Definitely not Talking Heads but still fun.
Очень свежий бизнес-звук. С одной стороны я в офисе где работают принтеры их ходят бизнес-леди на каблуках но с другой стороны это арам зам зам звук приятный, вокал странный
I love Talking Heads, but I’ve never listened to this album before. I really like “Genius of Love” though, so I’m really excited to jump into this one. “Wordy Rappinghood” was certainly not what I expected when I jumped into this album, but I loved the typewriter sounds, the drum beats, and the funky synthesizers. Tina Weymouth’s rapping is fantastic, and this song is really weird but incredibly catchy. The segue from the opening track into “Genius of Love” is absolutely brilliant. The leap from one catchy song to one of the catchiest beats in all of music history was perfectly executed. Both of these first two songs are incredibly catchy, funky, and groovy, but they both manage to pull of those feats in completely different ways. I love the guitar and airy vocals on “Genius of Love.” The tinny drumming that kicks in later on the song is perfect as well. From there, the album keeps its overall reggae and African influenced sound, but it dives into some really different territory musically that really didn’t land with me. The vocals and lyrics from this point forward in the album weren’t my favorite, and the beats and rhythms just weren’t as fun and catchy as earlier in the album. However, I did really like “On, On, On, On..” The vocals on the chorus were fantastic, and the I liked the more guitar-forward sound. “Booming and Zooming,” while interesting in its theme of the thin line between danger and excitement, was probably my least favorite song on the album. I really wanted to love this album, and while I can appreciate its experimentation and the legacy of “Genius of Love,” this wasn’t really my cup of tea.
I liked it a lot at first but then found it tiring and repetitive as it went on.
i so badly wanted to love this album - i generally like talking heads and, of course, i am very familiar with 'genius of love' (which i adore) and so i was hoping for more of the same. unfortunately a lot of this album did not resonate with me. it still has a lot of the same quirkiness of 'genius of love' but really not to the same level of quality for me. i found myself a bit underwhelmed and disappointed. that being said, 'wordy rappinghood' is a fun romp but outside of that, i didn't really feel a whole lot here.
Quirky funk, nice tunes
Täähän oli ihan hauska ja aika bängereitä osa biiseistä. Vähän jää nelosesta silti. 3,5/5
This album is parts fun and those that you would find in a Back to the Future history display about 80s music. It sounds dated, but kind of amazingly so at times. Wordy Rappingwood, Genius Of Love, and the Under The Boardwalk cover make me want to listen to this again. The rest of the album…well not so much.
Meh - big G
Wacky, quirky, fun, unserious, and at times catchy. I enjoyed listening to it once, but I don't think I'll ever go back to this album again; it becomes a bit repetitive when listened to as a whole. I really love this kind of funky, bass-driven sound, though. Highlights: Genius of love (iconic song!), On, on, on, on... and Wordy Rappinghood.
its quite basic asides from genius of love nothing really stood out 2.6/5
Much prefer Talking Heads. Not bad, just a little dated.
When the Talking Heads lost themselves on a tropical dancefloor
Whack whack whackity whack is how I would describe this weird ass album. Somehow they've managed to make something that feels all over the place very catchy. It's excellent for background vibes, not sure I'd want to be sitting with just this though. Fav tracks: - Genius of Love - On, On, On, On....
Mental, basically. Very hard to judge this, because it so finely walks the line between absolute genius and terribly irritating, often in the same song. Three things stand out: the female vocals are from a different era to the music entirely, they should be wearing a daisy chain headband and singing about Aquarius; unexpectedly hearing the song that the gang dance to at the end of an episode of Always Sunny In Philadelphia made me LOL immediately; the cover of Under The Boardwalk is magnificent. But these are all confusing things. Ultimately, I've come down somewhere in the middle.
Interesting and slightly weird 80’s vibe
I really liked this. Definitely going to listen to more tom Tom club.
Definitely getting female talking heads vibes.. really enjoyable, also notice the song that Mariah Carey sampled lol
Las dos últimas canciones lo salvan de un 2. Funk sesentero de los 80.
I knew a couple of the songs and like those enough. The rest of the album was unremarkable. 2.5 rounded up to 3.
this album was not made by TOM
Fun stuff. Genius of Love has that great hook. I wish there was a way to mark which albums I owned at one time. Less cerebral than the David Byrne stuff. Some of the songs flow into one another. 'As Above, So Below' may have been a template for a later Madonna song. Some tunes have been sampled endlessly. 3* owned
Who needs to think when your feet just go?
3/5 Best Track: Lorelei - Remix
Blind album and artist. Some catchy songs but not above a lot of other dance albums.
I don't really love the breathy woman's chorus bits, or when things are overly repetitive (Lorelei hits both with one word...). I'm usually good with the funky groove and instrumentals here, but the vocals are not quite for me in most cases. The nonsense is definitely intentional, but... eh. I agree with the commenter who said every track is about two minutes too long. Did the world really need a longer version of Genius of Love? I don't really see myself listening to this again, but I don't hate it. I can even see pieces of it in future music. I actively skipped Booming and Zooming after the first couple times through.
It's fine -- a bit too electronic for my tastes, but fine. No real need to listen to it again.
High three
Always liked this album but in truth it does sound a little dated now.
Enjoyable. Bit long but genius of love is a great song
A talking head spin-off it's the basis of tons of modern day samples. I get the influence for sure, but it doesn't really hold up.
I guess I need to preface that I am a huge Talking Heads fan but I have never listened to this album before. I knew Genius of Love from Stop Making Sense and I liked that song so I was excited to check out the rest of the album. However, this album is pretty rough and a lot of songs feel unfinished. The instrumentals are good for the most part, but the lyrics and singing don't feel like a finished project. It is almost charming how juvenile a lot of it sounds, but I expected more from band members that just wrote Remain In Light. Genius of Love is still a great and funky song that I will continue to come back to, but I doubt I will ever check out this album again. I am surprised that this album was even included on the list when Speaking In Tongues (my favorite Talking Heads album) didn't make the cut. 2.5 (a very generous 3)
Pros: there are some very fun, groovy moments on here. The rythym section brought it! Cons: too fucking weird. And not in a fun interesting way, in like a corny and annoying way. I know this probably hit different in the early 80s, but now it kinda just reminds me of “lolrandom” humor. Also drags in the second half - too long and samey. 2.5 rounded up to 3.
Las dos últimas canciones lo salvan de un 2. Funk sesentero de los 80.
Pretty good record with one very famous stand-out. I never knew the history behind Genius of Love but it definitely sounds like a Talking Heads inspired song - as does the rest of the album. I also recall hearing Under the Boardwalk...as a cover or something? I'm not sure.
James Browwwwwwnnnn
A few songs I liked, a few were meh Quirky
Not bad, but it seems like a disco album for people who don't want to get up.
A strange album. On one hand Tina’s bass playing is unbelievable, but on the other hand, the lyrics are sporadic and almost childish. Still a fun album. 3.5/5 Might listen again
Recognized Genius of Love from the X-Ecutioners. Really enjoy their versions, but this wasn't bad.
This was a nice surprise. I knew nothing about them, but it was nicely off-kilter. Unlike Paul, I quite enjoyed the ‘rapping’ on the opener and Genius of Love. The weird delivery and subject matter fits the music. It sounds like The Waitresses backed by Grandmaster Flash. Tom Tom Theme I could take or leave, but L Elephant is some of the catchiest art rock I’ve heard. The quality and interest remains consistent after that. Booming and Zooming ends on another high. I found yesterday’s hard going, but this flew by. It’s a shade under a four, and with repeated listens could well up its grade.
Heard of them but hadn’t listened so TIL they’re an off shoot of Talking Heads and the origin of the mega sample in Genius of Love. So that was neat
Worldly and Genius are infectious hits. But the whole rest of the album failed to impress - other tracks have always felt like filler.
Just alright. I enjoyed the first track, but everything else was just slightly less good. Funny, this is the second time a cover of Under the Boardwalk is in my top 3. 7/10 Top 3: 1. Wordy Rappinghood 2. Under the Boardwalk 3. On, On, On, On…
Definitely an album for its time (the early 80's). There are a couple of tracks here that have been sampled heavily and for good reason - they've got some incredibly catchy motifs! Genius of Love has been sampled and interpolated extensively, so you'll probably recognize that one pretty quickly. You can also hear how new wave and hip hop were on a collision course at this time. The "rapping" is subpar as far as lyrical prowess is concerned, but it stands as a moment in time, alongside Blondie and Run DMC + Aerosmith, when the artistry of hip hop began to bleed over and influence other genres more heavily.
Fun!
Really fun. Some songs i recognized i didnt know where from here. Will definitely be listening again.
It's nice to know that Talking Heads was made up of freaks, entirely, and not just David Byrne. I appreciate the experiments happening on this record, but starting out with a rap song is something that certainly hasn't aged super well. It's fun, loose, and way out there, but doesn't really do much more for me than being just a curiosity. Favorite track: "Genius of Love"
Het begint leuk, maar zakt daarna heel snel in. Na de eerste drie nummers heb je dit album wat mij betreft wel gehoord. En ik weet nu waar het SD Worx deuntje vandaan komt!
Begon echt wel nice, maar het wordt op een gegeven moment wel eenheidsworst, maar dat is wss omdat het twee uur langs is.
It was pretty fun, but there were definitely some moments I didn't enjoy as much.
I despise David Byrne, there's something I find annoying about him, almost creepy in a way. Which is great, as he's not on this album, just his rhythm section, who put together this rather quirky and funky offering. I didn't hate it and the first few tracks were great, but it did get a bit stale by the end, and it didn't seem as ground-breaking as I thought it was going to be. Smells like 3 stars to me.
aight
Good
Surprisingly listenable. Pretty interesting, and recognizable songs. 3.0.
I was almost swayed towards a 4 purely on the strength of that loop from Genius of Love, but no, the rest of this album is a bit too weird and meandering for me.
Wanted to like this but was nonplussed
A few good songs as most albums, more a sound than truly good songs.
Solid
Jaunty
A lot of fun to be had here but I ended up finding the relentless twee of it all to be a bit tiring. On another day it might be just what I want but this listen had me waiting for it to end at times. Two and a half. Fave track: Genius of Love
Talking Heads' little cousins form a band after absorbing all the songs of 1970's Sesame Street.
Ehh I don't really find the Talking Heads all that interesting and this is just parts of them. Fine I guess. Influential for the beats.
Når det er bedst lyder det som Talking Heads. Genius of Love er en kæmpe banger! Føler mig dog sikker i at kalde Gabriel Byrne Geniet i det band
Kæft 80erne var mærkelige. Gik til det her med meget lave forventninger, men havde faktisk en great time
It's on here because it deserves to be. It's more than just Genius Of Love and the Under The Boardwalk cover. Did it lead to other offshoots we wish never happened? I'm looking at you, Arcadia and Power Station. And don't even get me started on The Honeydrippers.
Surprisingly fun
man the first two tracks are classics but I can't bring myself to rate this any higher
This was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect, but the fun 80s vibes flowed through this album. The first track reminded me of De La Soul, which was cool. It did get a little repetitive though.
"Genius Of Love" is the song that has that sample you head a million times before, from Grandmaster Flash to Mariah Carey to Paramore, for that alone this is a solid 3 star album.
Musicality: 4 - some decent tunes and catchy parts Production & Sound: 4 - clean, layered Artistic Expression: 4 - good blend of styles Performance: 3 - decent playing Engagement & Enjoyment: 3 - enjoyed the catchy parts Overall it's an album that blends a lot of different things together and has some fun with how it's presented
A pure fever dream. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it's fun.
Just like any 80s track I like the sound. However i'm not sure what the hell is going on. Real funky might have another listen at a later date. Also recognised thr 0ne song as it must have been sampled by some other artist
Quite liked it all Wordy Rappington was lots of fun Genius of Love I think I know from Always Sunny? That’s pretty great too. Generally liked it all and would like to listen to it more but don’t know if I will.
Upea nimi bändillä, levyn pituus 2h+ vähän let down jo ennen kuuntelun aloittamista. Tunnin pituus on albumille tässä projektissa optimipituus, koska sen jaksaa kuunnella helposti päivässä. Eikun napit korville ja lenkille. Noin puolet levystä kuunneltuna: en osaa yhtään lokeroida mihin musiikkityyliin tämä menee? Jotain pre-rap-psycho-mixtape kokeilua. Osa biiseistä jää soimaan päähän. Spotifyssa taisi olla joku deluxe versio, jossa samoista biiseistä useampia versioita. Kokonaisuutena ihan ok, ei korvakarkkia, ei piinaa.
So loved this album. Great fun!
Comparing them to talking heads is an insult to talking heads
Fun new-wavey tunes.
This is what a shy guy with autism would put on a party in the 80's. I'm a shy girl with autism in the 2020's and I resonate with this one. (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)
Reminds me of Xmas Rapping by Waitresses, but could also be that time of year. Bit corny in how it acted but still enjoyed it.
Interesting & fun. Liked the Under the Boardwalk cover.
Great!
Disco. Funk
Quirky!
Kind of cool and felt very ahead of its time sonically. But it was very repetitive.
Ah oui je m'en souviens (non)
bizarre mais suffisamment concis
Las dos últimas canciones lo salvan de un 2. Funk sesentero de los 80.
I would give this a high 3 as much as I love them and would love to see them live I don't feel a need to go back and listen to some of the tracks a second time.
As a fan of Talking Heads and (to a lesser extent) Byrne's solo career I've heard about this band a great deal but never actually listened to them. Genius of Love is the only song I recognized. An obvious kinship to Talking Heads and doesn't benefit from the comparison in my opinion - it's just a lot lighter weight. Still enjoyed it well enough.
Not my cup of tea
Call it a guilty pleasure but you can’t deny it’s a lot of fun.
First impression was not good but comming back to it later (after a few beers, I must confess) I did find some really fun parts!
Nice experimental beat album of the 80s. More about repetition than hooks (though there are a few).
This was a fun one. I always perk up when I hear songs that were sampled to create stuff that's on the radio now. Genius of Love becomes Big Dick Energy 40 years later. Love it.
good stuff
A kooky album. Once I found out it was a side project of members of the Talking Heads, it all made sense. The album kinda grows on you..
You know what Tom? Tom Tom Club by Tom Tom Club is a truckload of Toms Tom.
One minute in I was about to turn this off. Then I got a bit hooked and then I read that this is a Talking Heads offshoot and then I heard some rather cool and kooky music and I overall enjoyed it.
Ilmentää punkin jälkeistä taipumusta tarttuvuuteen hinnalla millä hyvänsä: joskus uhraamalla melodian, joskus hyväksymällä mielettömän toiston. Hittiytynyt Genius of Love ei iskenyt, kun taas teoriassa helvetin ärsyttävä Wordy Rappinghood ei ärsyttänyt yhtään, vaan kuulosti hyvältä - jopa inspiroivalta.
Some of these songs seem to be referenced or notorious, but the synthesizers are too much 80s to me
Considering who made this and when and why of course this is what it sounds like. Some bops
Cool to see what can be done without David Byrne
This is a weird one. 3/5
well, that was music! i knew tom tom club's "genius of love," so i kind of suspected what this album would contain. tom tom club's self-titled is, in a word, unusual. for a talking heads' side project, this album contained more funk than i associate with talking heads. the amount of new wave, even for a side project, checks out for two members of the talking heads. i suppose a side project allowed weymouth and frantz to experiment more, and weymouth's airy vocals got a chance to shine. her voice paired well with this funk/new wave sound!
This was a wild ride, unlike anything else I've heard on this project, or anywhere else for that matter. Everything on here is quite bizarre, and yet in a very listenable way. No two tracks were alike...there's just so much uniqueness here. This is yet another album where it seems newer than it really is; it sounds much more recent than 1981. I suppose this only serves to paint a picture of the evolution of funk into new wave, and how new wave likely came to be. What an odd but surprisingly enjoyable slice of music this is!
Nice talking heads side project, enjoyed this worthy of this list.
Weird but fun
Legalzinho o som
Interesting, but pretty good music from members of the Talking Heads.
Actually well recorded, simple beats and decent vocals. 3/5
Def kinda weird
закос под Европу) спать приятно
Love the pop feel. A good album! 3/5
Nice witty music, but it fails to carry me away into remote places
Dennis Reynolds loves him some Genius of Love, and I love me some Mariah Carey singing sweet sweet Fantasy baby to this beat!
Funk lentillo. Ni fu ni fa.
Las dos últimas canciones lo salvan de un 2. Funk sesentero de los 80.
I can only dream of the kind of drugs they were on while producing this. I have to hand it to them though, because they really made it work.
Ok but why on earth did I know 4 of these songs already?? Like well enough to sing along for the most part. Literally never heard of the Tom Tom Club until today. I think I’ve been brainwashed. Bonus points for bringing back memories I didn’t know I had I guess.
C+ Wordy Rappinghood 3 Genius of Love 3 Tom Tom Theme* 3 L' elephant 2 As Above, So Below 3 Lorelei 2 On, On, On, On... 4 Booming and Zooming 3 80's. 80's. 80's. Ah, what a decade.
Has some interesting sounds and melodies. Genius of Love is great. Other songs fall more into the background for me.
What you gonna do when you get out of jail? I'm gonna have some fun What do you consider fun? Fun, natural fun I like this album. BUT its not great - its really only got two good tracks. In general, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth's contributions to The Talking Heads are more memorable/relevant. 3/5
Think that I've listened to all of Tom Tom Club once before just because I like the Talking Heads, and I wanted to hear more from Tina Weymouth. Tina is great. This album sounds like the musicians are having fun. It's not that every single track has a playful sound, but the album as a whole feels like the musicians are exploring the sounds that they can combine. Each track has a feeling of a fresh expirement to see what they can do together. "Genius of Love" should probably be listened to because of the track itself, and secondly because of how it's been sampled. "Booming and Zooming" was my least favorite track, and I'll blame that track as the reason I would say that I probably won't do a full re-listen on my own. It was good to hear this album again.
What a fun track. And then the fun is over and the rest of the album has to happen.
Encore une idiotie francophone générée par ce camion-citerne de connerie qu'est Robert. Tom-Tom se présente en effet devant les platines et sera bientôt rejoint par Nana avec qui il se prendra le choux. Les deux personnages nous offreront alors une énième scène gaguesque dont j'ai toujours autant de mal à comprendre le succès.
- overall 6/10 decent record pretty unqiue pretty trippy and has some solid moments occasionally but not really my type of music -also the fact this is a talking heads side project is cool, easily prefer talking heads stuff tho
Genius of love is a pretty decent song, the rest of the album is a little less decent. Overall, that balance out to…. Decent! Cool electronic blend with the reggae sound.
I was excited for this album and was hoping to like it a bit more. The highs were pretty high, but some songs were just boring. Still, I'm glad I finally listened to it, given how iconic it is. I'm content with my time with it, and it's defintely worth a listen for the good stuff on here. My favourite songs were Genius of Love, Lorelei, and Wordy Rappinghood.
C'est bien, juste un peu weird par endroit. Le francais fait monter la note un peu mais tout de meme c'est assez generique.. 3.25
Tina Weymouth is awesome, she doesn't nearly get enough credit for the sound of the Talking Heads as she should. I've listen to this album multiple times and I want to love it so badly, but I just don't. It's good and times very good but I think it falls short of the potential this band had, you have Adrain Belew on guitar and you would't even know it.
Mostly groovy fun with great bass and keys. I just wish this didn’t end on such a cheesy note with that terrible Under the Boardwalk cover.
Lots of sonic hijinks here and a bona fide disco classic in 'Genius of Love'. 'Wordy Rappinghood' suffers from the disadvantage of sucking hard, but there's enough to redeem elsewhere. 'L Elephant' is a hoot. The musicianship throughout is stellar. Adrian Belew is one of the most fun guitar players around.
For whatever reason I was expecting an 80s band with a dude who has a Rick Astley voice of some kind or another, and that's not at all what this is and that made me happy. I liked it. The first half and the second. "Booming and Zooming" was fun and then it turned into some weird air traffic control or CB radio call and somehow I liked it even more. I'm not going 4 stars in case I wake up in the morning with a hangover and rethink my choice, but this is solid 3 for me.
It was alright, I liked some songs more than others.
Very 80's their version of under the broadwalk was a bit of fun
Fun and relaxing. Good to know who sang Genius of Love. Word rap reminded me of Blondie.
I would like to forget I ever listened to Wordy Rappinghood. The song, genius of love gets all the points. I’m not sure why I was surprised that this album came out in 1981, but I was. L’Elephant was fun.
I didn't know there was Talking Heads spinoff band! And it sounds even more prescient of 2000s indie-pop than TH, what with its heavily electronic inclinations. Fun music and amusing vocals/lyrics? Tick. Repetitive and irritating? Eh, almost. But it stayed on the right side of those things for me. I'd rather focus on the energy and creativity on show.
Funky. Has a few great moments, and a few weaker ones.
Alright so it
Shame the momentum of the cracking opening tracks wasn't sustained, but fun nonetheless
Pretty good. I got into this more when I knew it was a Talking Heads spin off. Nice guitars and catchy tunes. Wordy Rappinghood reminds me of the kind of things that teachers do in a school assembly which seem like a good idea at the time.
I can see why it's on the list, backstory is interesting enough. Songs are good enough, and good album length. Didn't excite me, but didn't annoy me either, 50/50 with me.
Fun, a lot of light hearted, familiar sounding songs that don’t take themselves too seriously
It was a decent album. I would categorize it as electronic funk. I was familiar with Genius of Love because of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
Genius of Love is a great song. The rest is alright and nothing mind-blowing. It's nice background music.
Album 85 of 1001 Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Tracks : Wordy Rappinghood & Genius of Love I had this back in the day and always found it to be a fun listen. That Talking Heads feel is certainly present. One to go back to. I had forgotten all about it.
Disco con ritmos repetitivos, no muy intensos, algunas canciones con más vocal que otras. Algo tiene de música disco. Se escucharía bien en cualquier circunstancia
HL: “Genius of Love” (s tier), “L’elephant”, “On, On, On, On…” Dumb fun album, kind of in-one-ear-out-the-other sometimes but I’ll have to remember this when I need a pick-me-up June 25, 2023
Good
Nice bit of funk but nothing too unique about it, fav track: under the broadwalk
I reaalllyyyy didn't enjoy the A side, even with the ever-sampleable Genius of Love. But the B side had me straight boppin, so I guess it balances out?
Kind of good funky stuff. Nothing really shined for me though.
Dit werd op een gegeven moment echt vervelend, terwijl ik het eerst wel verfrissend vond.
Pretty nice new wave funky record, really danceable and quite enjoyable.
Wordy Rappinghood and Genius of Love are two of the greatest dance tracks of the 80’s. Genius of Love is probably one of the best song of the 80s period. It still sounds amazing today. Tom Tom Theme just fills in some time before L’Elephant. Which is another great dance track. As above, So Below is decent. Lorelei is catchy with a good beat. On On On On… has a fun beat. Under The Boardwalk….not a fan of this one…l very over covered song. Above average album. 3.5/5
If you add a David Byrne to this fabulous rhythm section, you would get a decentTalking Heads album ... almost. Genius of love is a funky, quirky, world music dance masterpiece, Wordy Rappinghood and the man with the four way hips are also quite good. This album shows just how good Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were. The album fades a bit near the end, but overall it's a great artifact from this era.
Genius of Love & Lorelei slay, everything else is more hit or mess, but album stays fun throughout. 3.5/5
Fun music but wore on me a bit by the end
Enjoyable but the 2 big brilliant hits come 1-2 then you are left with quite a lot of ramblings which are not very satisfying. Interesting though.
Catchy, funk, new wave, reggae-vibes, elguitar
Simultaneously the best & worst thing I've ever listened to.