Fear Of Music

Almost irritating in its brilliance.

I love Talking Heads. I can't fully articulate why, but they just appeal to me on a deep level.

I’ll admit that I haven’t listened to a lot of Talking Heads outside of Remain in Light, so I’m happy to see this on here! Great album, such a unique sound, still!

Great album. Maybe my favorite by them. I know Remain in Light is the usual favorite but I like this better.

Incredible stuff. Put this on during a walk and it turned from a trip around the block into a 4 mile odyssey through downtown Lexington. I even got to see a man frantically attempting to dig through concrete with a kitchen utensil while I listened to Heaven. It was an experience out of some Lynchian nightmare.

Great Vibes, cool songs, not every song on the album is that consistant tbf

Album 353. Fear Of Music (https://open.spotify.com/album/5dVZpNJraoqCo3BssinMoo?si=xec0l36fQO-4ix6_3mAr3Q) — Talking Heads (1979) I love the name "David" and David Byrne is no exception. (I'm sorry for not finishing your book😭) Byrne's music is bizarre and strange af. I mean, all Davids are fucking psychos, or I need a better explanation Talking Heads is an irritating, strange acid trip that mesmerizes me. It's what I need once in a while 4/5 Liked: — Cities — Life During Wartime — Memories Can't Wait — Air — Heaven — Animals — Drugs

Very strange, interesting, fun, Talking Heads doing what they do best.

Amazing!

While the first six Talking Heads albums are all above average, they are ultimately inconsistent, making the inclusion of four albums in this list a stretch. Fear of Music boasts an excellent A-side but drops off on the B-side. Remain in Light has a weaker B-side as well, but the studio production warrants extra recognition. David Byrne’s subsequent solo discography offers no essential albums, which has likely inflated the praise of the core Talking Heads catalog by comparison.

oooh scary

The guy at the record store probably loves this shit. Boring. Meandering. Lots of phrases forced to fit the “music.” Like they wrote in two different rooms. Clear verse chorus and 4/4 structure and only 44 minutes but just wandering at the same 3 out of 10 effort. Never once does anything feel like a complete idea. Overrated.

Aaaawful

Tina Weymouth bass - I like

irgendwie e band woni jedesmol freud han hends nomel es album uf de liste die sind afoch guet. i zimbra ha i no keis wort verstande aber de groove isch sauguet. mind kenni? lustigi chords und d gitarre isch so speziell gspielt? wechsel uf dur macht so viel. krasse song. paper sehr cooli riffs de text funny? rip up the paper. life during wartime au sooo coool fuuuuck. memories cant wait isch viel rockiger als ichs mir vo ihne gwohnt bin aber sie chönds recht. animals isch fucking cool. sie sind funny. drugs isch mit abstand de dunkelsti track uf dem album und ich find au de schwächst. ich bi so nöch amne füfi emfall.

uhhh ich han ja chli e ambivalenti meinig zude talking heads aber freu mi sehr! es isch bis jz sehr talking heads, für min gschmack nachli wenig dynamik vong tempo her life during wartime hani scho gspeicheret aber s lied hetmer grad nüt gseit? air isch echli spooOoOOoOoOoky gfalltmer aber sehr, het chli öppis ominöses heaven kenni glaub?? zumindest de text chunntmer bekannt vor hahahah electric guitar isch so dumm aber macht easy spass drugs isch iwie au sehr cool?? oke jz geg de schluss sinds nomal chli komischer worde und s hetmer echt na gfalle, uf jede fall sind die einzelne lieder für mich meh ussgstoche als am ahfang trotzdem isch es halt musig, wo mich jz nöd megaaa mitrisst. guete drey

Not My Thing

outside of a select few songs, the talking heads are kind of a one-note tone and aernt really interesting to listen to ramble on for an entire album

Weird? I don’t know what these guys were on when making this album.

I've only got into the Talking Heads within the last few years but this is an album that I enjoy. Insane to think of it as 47 years old as really it has aged so very well. Maybe partially due to the number of modern artists that will point to the Talking Heads as an influence. It's quite a diverse offering that signals a change in direction - the afrobeat sounds of Remain In Light are signposted here, whilst their older sound is still prevalent. Nonetheless, interesting stuff if not their best. 3.5

Cool album

Very Talking Heads Ish. Have some good songs had some songs that seemed very repetitive.

Another slightly underwhelming US rock album. A couple of okay songs but really didn't grab my attention this morning

Great as all Talking Heads, also was surprised that Memories can't wait is on the album as I just knew the Living Color version of it. Not as great as their other albums though...

Some bangers, not my favorite talking heads album but it’s cool

not as good as remain in light or speaking in tongues in my opinion but thats a hard bridge to cross

It’s better than I remember! Can’t stop smiling

almost a masterpiece (foreshadowing)

The tracks are pretty repetitive, but the substance itself is good for the most part so I don't mind too much. David Byrnes lyrics certainly keep me engaged, with his wacky societal descriptions engaging my ears throughout the whole record. His jarring melodies unfortunately aren't my favorite, making the return value very low. While all the instrument's parts are not very interesting, the bass playing is great. The second half of this album isn't the best, and I was very bored and confused by the end. I just don't really have any strong attraction to try to understand the Talking Heads; they might just not be for me.

Heard before; 4; Lots of layers and textures. Blend of more traditional songs and songs that jam on one or two chords with a danceable rhythm underneath. But even the more traditional songs are filled with synths and other quirky sounds. Not quite as catchy at first listen as with other Talking Heads albums, but there’s a lot to come back to on subsequent listens. Many of the tracks also have an uneasy/nervous feeling, especially because of the airy effects. Favorite Track: Life During Wartime

--re-listen-- original score: 4 new score: 3.5 i feel like i might not have been in the mood for this one today and that's why the score dropped a bit. i might re-listen to this again later and i'll probably put it back up at a 4 hopefully we'll see. a very manic funky album from the Talking Heads, with production from Brian Eno. my favorite song is the Cities one. "find a city!!! find myself a city to live in!!!"

Okay

Solid Talking Heads album, maybe not at their absolute peak but still dropping some of their most iconic tracks. Was nice revisiting this one!

annoying

10/10…. Such a cool album start to finish… Cities

Svårt att bestämma mig för vad jag tycker om denna. Musiken är rätt skön, men sångprestationen har mer att önska. Ok helt enkelt, men inte mer.

Talking Heads are really the masters of fusing quirkiness and anxiety with dance-y music and a shockingly punk-like attitude! David Byrne really went all-out on this album, and it's definitely my favourite of their albums so far. From track 1-9 it was completely flawless, with heights like 'Cities' and 'Heaven', but even the 2-3 final tracks were great, they weren't even comparable to the - near-perfect - rest of the album, but 'Animals' in particular was great. New Wave is very hit-and-miss, but Talking Heads make it so unique and sarcastic that it feels like they have their own style that no one else can even touch!

Friday, 9 October, 2026 Great album. It might move up to an all time album after a few more listens. I had of course heard the hits from this record for years, and they are great, but it doesn’t quite hit the heights of Remain in Light, which is an all time record.

Talking Heads are great. This is a very strong album. Other Talking Heads albums are even better, hence score of 4.

The name of this band is Talking Heads. The name of this album is Fear Of Music.

It's hard to describe and it's not the best Talking Heads album (since that would have to be either Remain In Light or Speaking in Tongues), but can I fucking listen to the shit out of this album.

First time through, didn't get my attention while I was working. Second time through, it was a lot more fun and engaging. There's some good weirdness and straight ahead good edgy new wave tunes. Not sure I like it as much as Remain in Light, but this list experiment is making a Talking Heads fan out of me. 4/5

i didnt hate this one but i still struggle to understand whats so special about this band

It might be praised for it's musical style but to me it sounds repetive and boring. That lyrical style is horrendous to my ears. Won't listen again. 2 stars only because I can see there's some musicality here.

התחיל מעניין ואז התעייפתי

It was fine. Nothing much to say other than that.

Marvelous. This ain't no party. This ain't no disco. This ain't no fooling around.

Interesting so far; groovy They kinda sound like The Doors? It’s kinda falling off & overall it’s not good but at the same time I’m kinda digging it

I didn't dislike it at all, just a bit bland

Not bad, but still not my cup of tea overall. I listened to most of it passively, but I don't think I would actively listen.

Has my favorite TH song, Heaven. Also has Byrne singing “peanut butter” on Life During Wartime. A favorite of mine.

Unique, unapologetically silly, background licks steals the show. Favorite track - I Zimbara

Album #216: Talking Heads – Fear of Music ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It’s been some week: three five-star albums and a one-star. All rarities for me! This is an album I used to know quite well but don’t remember being this good. It’s a halfway house between More Songs About Buildings and Food and Remain in Light. This one is a Goldilocks album to me in comparison to those two. This is just right. It’s not as weird as More Songs About Buildings and Food, and it’s not as groovy as Remain in Light, but it’s a mix of the two with a really gritty, harder edge to it. It’s slightly more guitar-focused, and the guitars are quite heavy when they come in, such as the ending of Mind. It’s this edgy mix of Mick Ronson-era Bowie and Berlin-era Bowie guitar, the latter probably helped by the production of Brian Eno. That grittiness is there in David Byrne’s lyrics too. I almost think of this as a concept album because it seems to be about this guy who’s been partying hard, taking lots of drugs, and then dealing with the fallout of it. It’s an album of extreme paranoia. He’s terrified of everything. He’s terrified of his own skin, even the air around him. He can’t write. He can’t think. He doesn’t know where to live. And then it’s broken up in the middle by Heaven, this idyllic place that’s basically just a bar where he’s able to have fun and forget all the world’s troubles, where nothing ever happens. In between all this, you’ve got these really jagged, paranoid tunes that are so danceable. There are a few outliers. Life During Wartime is much more thematic and topical, but lyrically it’s just a fantastic tune. Very dark, totally juxtaposed with this amazing beat that’s so catchy. That song sticks in your head forever. Then there’s I Zimbra at the start, which I actually think is the major outlier of the whole album. Thematically, in my mind, it doesn’t fit, but it’s a fantastic song and feels like a precursor to Remain in Light, with those African-style rhythms. There are some downright creepy moments too, like the chanting at the end of Animals. And speaking of the vocals, David Byrne is the star of the show here, despite the band being excellent as always. He’s really invoking a bit of Captain Beefheart, I think. I know he was a big fan of Beefheart, and he doesn’t have that deep blues drawl, but he’s yelping and screeching on some of these songs. He’s losing it. He’s playing this character of a guy who’s breaking apart at the seams. And it’s just so well done. It’s so convincing. Not a lot of light on this one. I just prefer that with Talking Heads. I prefer this darker side to them. They went on to make happier, more lively music with Speaking in Tongues, and they also went on to make darker music, like the dirges at the end of Remain in Light. I’ll throw my hands up here with a pretty controversial opinion: I’m not actually the biggest fan of Remain in Light for the most part. But this right here is my favourite Talking Heads album. They must have been one of the best bands in the world when they made this.

Listen, you know if you like this band or not. You don't need me to tell you shit.

A bit frantic sounding in the best way. 3.8/5.

They're living off nuts and berries 🗣🗣‼️‼️ Fave track: Life During Wartime

It's another solid Talking Heads experience. Of the 4 albums included so far, it sits at 2 or 3. I don't think we needed 4 Talking Heads albums in the list. 3.5/5

Not as good as I had hoped

Not for me. Not for most people. Honestly, not made for people. Probably made for some weird aliens or as illuminati code.

I always enjoy the first half of their albums and then tired of it by the end. The last song on this album was particularly boring too. An easily rounded up 3

Interesting. And not in the good way. Did they name this "Fear of Music" because they feared creating music? 1.5 stars, rounding up.

só drugs é skip o resto é hit

David Bryne has a way of weaving uber catchy hooks with absurd. 'Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh, PA?'

Fine but didn’t do enough for me

While I don't necessarily 'get' The Talking Heads, it's an enjoyable listen

Talking Heads have really grown on me due to this challenge. Still don't really buy into the lore or lyrics but I love the weaponization of the groove and afrobeats.

This album never really hit for me the way others around it did.

I came late to Talking Heads after listening to Stop Making Sense not long ago. However, listening to Fear of Music apart from I Zimbra and Memories Can't Wait, very average. I love Heaven and Life During Wartime on Stop Making Sense but on here they sound underwhelming in comparison

Definitivno sm ta album že poslušala (I fucking love Talking Heads), sam se na pogled ne spomnim teh komadov - torej, ne zapomnim se velikokrat naslovov komadov, ki so mi všeč (ja, včasih jih težko najdem zarad tega, moram se spomnit jih polajkat v Tidalu, da so nek shranjeni). Ne vem zakaj jih večkrat ne poslušam, ker it's always a great time. Vsi so kinda bangers - se mi pa zdi brezveze izpostavljat, kateri so mi bli najljubši, ker so mi skor vsi bli tok všeč (bom sam "Life During Wartime" - tega sm verjetno največkrat poslušala s tega albuma. Pa "Heaven" k dejansko nardi justice svojemu imenu.)

Très bon album, Ressemble à du super tramp et du tragically hips, crazy bass lines, la fin est un peu décevante

4.25/5

Crazy rhythms abound on what is seen by many as their best album

2/5

Legal

Track 2 states they need something to change their mind and so do I. This project has me pointing out a hell of a lot of what I am not a fan of. Yeah, they have always been a Triple M radio staple and with a sound that is recognisably them (talking heads), arty pop is just not my scene. I was surprised to see this album came out in 1979 and whilst I knew they undeniably were popular in the 80’s didn’t realise how early they started. Would I buy this album if I saw it in the $5 bargain bin - No, hmm I was really hoping to find more albums I love to add to my collection. Lucky there are 100’s of albums to go!

Talking Heads is just fun.

Fleeting memorable moments

FAVOURITE: Cities LEAST FAVOURITE: Paper

wow quite literally amazing…the funkiness and groove throughout the whole album is impeccable. But don’t let the funk fool you theres some darker moments too, with ‘drugs’ and ‘cant memories wait’ - equally as gorgeous with this heavier atmosphere and punchier delivery. One thing I really loved was the lyricism, theres a certain playfulness in David Byrne’s delivery that almost masks the aggressive and dark undertones of the lyrics…it’s so genius AND fun. Standouts for me have to be ‘cities’ ‘minds’ ‘cmw’ and ‘heaven’

앨범 커버는 느낌 있었지만 전체적으로 평범한 느낌의 앨범이었다. The album cover had a certain vibe, but overall, the album felt ordinary.

4.5 if I could! I loved this album. Probably better Talking Heads albums out there, but I really had fun listening to this and its humor. I just in general keep forgetting how good the Talking Heads are. Also, MORE ENO! Gosh that guy is EVERYWHERE! I love it.

🗿🔊

There's like 4 talking heads albums on here, and this one really had nothing special on it. Did this album really need to be included? I certainly don't think so.

Danceable and annoying music. As always, David Byrne's vocals are terrible and overshadow the interesting basslines, synths, and other cool things the instruments are doing. The Talking Heads merely apply the same formula as the B-52s: pair decent music with obnoxious and weird vocals.

fine

Favorite by one of my favorite bands.

Good early album. You can really hear the Talking Heads style developing into what it would become.

Not a favorite of mine

GREAT SONGS: Drugs, Life During Wartime, I Zimbra, Memories Can't Wait, Animals

I find the Talking Heads inherently lame. This hasn’t changed that opinion.

To bolo dobré, taký ten nervný štýl, oni boli jedni z prvých, koho som takto počul hrať. Nie je to na každý deň, hlavne nie na počúvanie s mojou rodinou...

Extremely mid

Really like the rhythm. Quite strange vocals but they fit the nervous sound.

I had known many of these tracks from Stop Making Sense (which is actually my favorite TH record) but I hadn’t listened to this in its entirety until now. It’s fantastic.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 Sometimes, I feel like all this list does for me is confirm my biases: gives me either albums I’ve had on my list because I already know I’m going to like them, or shows me albums I haven’t heard of and, after listening, know why I haven’t heard of them. I’ve had a fair few at this point that I did enjoy, but these typically haven’t stayed in the rotation all that long for me. One of the few exceptions to that was Remain in Light, which was essentially my first exposure to Talking Heads outside of the classics. While I still like that one best, Fear of Music is now a close second, which is weird because my star rating is .5 higher than what I gave Remain in Light. That’s because I’ve been so lazy that I didn’t rate Fear of Music until I’d already listened to it three times, and I’m so glad I did. I always hate to admit this, but this one took me three listens to get, and that’s not a chance I afford most albums, which makes me worry I’m missing out on stuff I arbitrarily skip over. In my defense, I knew I liked this one, but it all just sort of blended together the first two times I listened—a whole lotta angular, obtuse rhythms and David Byrne kind of strain-babbling “HUBABABABA! HUBABABABA! UAH! UAH!”—delightfully inimitable, obviously, but mostly diffuse across eleven interchangeable songs. I liked “I Zimbra,” “Cities,” and I guess “Heaven,” but none of the rest felt like they had distinguishable character, though it bothered me for quite some time that I couldn’t articulate why. Actually, maybe it was the botheredness that made me keep coming back to this album, and it’s a good thing I did, because something magically clicked on the third listen—not only did I start to recognize every melody, but they all felt identifiable and distinguishable as characters. All of the ones I felt samey on suddenly transformered (like the robot, clicking and whirring) into really enjoyable grooves. This didn’t even bring down the highs, either—“Heaven” suddenly became this soaring, soaked-in-pathos song like Bowie’s “Heroes.” What was I thinking?? Where has Talking Heads been all my life? 1: Bad | 2: Below Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

A few high highs, a lot of mid mids

My tolerance for Byrne's shout-singing yawps is lowering with every new Talking Heads album we get but I did like this one more than the last.

Good, not great. Heaven is a banger though and you’ll hear a lot of great covers, but Byrnes’ vocals add to it.

3.5 for me I think. I think when I listen to Talking Heads I am wanting more of their pop friendly jams. I liked a lot of the songs I didn't know. Drugs was weird in the best way. Just not what I was hoping for

Love love love his voice Very interesting and chill album but there weren't any standouts for me