Fear Of Music

Not my thing but I enjoyed it

Struggling to get through each song.

This is the first great TH album. In particular, this stands out for its versatility and quirkiness, while remaining a great piece of art. "Remain in light" is better, tho, but many bands wish they released an album like this. (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)

Fangede ikke efter de første par sange

Enjoyed this one more than the other Heads album from the list so far. Complicated sounds but never takes itself too seriously. I could appreciate the music without feeling I needed to be a musician to get into the rhythms.

Fun times

Druuugggzzzz

This album makes me scared

https://youtu.be/zLk6bUvS6Ic?si=M_uO2c8Ata2fpNoW

Very high energy. Creative. Loved Memories Can’t Wait. May have been a 4 for me on a chiller day.

Best song - Life During Wartime

Life during wartime and cities are great songs!

Very Talking Heads sounding but didn’t impress me as much as Remain in Light (2.5/5)

Da e bedre enn dei seinare albumene, men like fortsatt ikkje Talking Heads

Kunst Electro Pop?

Great

I Zimbra - 8/10 Mind - 8/10 Paper - 8/10 Cities - 8/10 Life During Wartime - 8/10 Memories Can’t Wait - 8/10 Air - 8/10 Heaven - 9/10 Animals - 8/10 Electric Guitar - 8/10 Drugs - 8/10 TOTAL - 89/110

I used to absolutely hate the talking heads because I couldn't stop picturing David Byrne in my head doing his stupid dances. The dances are still stupid, but the music is great.

unhinged, atmospheric, funny. a guy and a band that are unabashedly themselves. favs of the bunch: i zimbra, mind, animals

Chanteur bancal

journee grise

Great album.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: No, not for me Favourite song: didn’t have one

Will take time to get into this. Feels more like a groove and a feel than identifiable great songs at first listen.

Didn't grab me.

Great to listen to some old favourites whilst working, like 'Heaven'. 😊

That album highlight "Life during wartime" is still very relevant today shows how smart the observation is through the full length of this album over 40 years later. This is a fascinating, funny and entertaining loaded with anger, panic, confusion, petty annoyances, paranoia, fear all packed up into something that could be chaos but ends up being a fantastic packet of uniqueness to be treasured. A true masterpiece.

A really enjoyable listen, full of nervous energy and catchy tunes.

An album you must listen to 1000 times before you die.

Incredible listen. Love all the different styles the Talking Heads put into each track

Good sound but too much of the same on every song

Most of the songs sounded like the instrumental track was recorded at one time, then the vocals were recorded in a completely separate room with no idea what the BPM/measures would be. So the vocals felt like they were just placed on top of a beat that didn't match, and the two don't align right. Some of the vocals felt completely off time. It wouldn't be that bad if the vocals were at least decent to make up for it, but they absolutely were not, and were mostly just hilariously awful. Overall this just sounded like decent rock instrumentals with a drunk singer slurring and falling behind when trying to sing to the beat, and was constantly trying to play catch up.

Good, mellow, not something I feel the need to return to over and over.

I hate it, white ppl make some weird ass music. overly upbeat

Not for me

Other than a few hits, I haven't listened to a lot of TH, but this album showed me that this was a mistake. Love the lyrics, Byrne's voice, style and the unique-sounding music.

Funk? Myyyyyyynd, Hold on to that Papuh,

Felt like a concept album with some real good songs.

Great from start to finish. Real early 80s vibe

4/5

Well, that's a specific music. I like David Byrne, but this album is tough)

This is another album that I was very worried about coming into listening to because I was recommended "More Songs About Buildings And Food" and disliked it. While this album was a clear step up in both songwriting and instrumentation it kept some of the core values that I disliked about More Songs. It still has those intentionally awkward sounding vocals I hate and some awkward instrumentation. The best way I can describe it is "More Songs About Buildings And Food" was sort of the Big Bang Theory of albums. They intentionally are doing awkward things because they think it is funny but when you look at it on the outside it is just sort of obnoxious. "Fear Of Music" is more akin to The Office. A much more grown up and sophisticated (at times) version of "More Songs About Buildings And Food" with more consistently entertaining songs and better sounding vocals for the most part. "Heaven", "I Zimbra", "Cities" and "Drugs" are great songs in general not just great new wave songs which is a much lower bar. "Heaven" in particular is sort of what I think a band like this could be but instead they choose style over substance. I am all for experimentation but I am not going to praise something just because it is experimental. For instance, "Paper" and "Drugs" are examples of experimentation that I think work really well and both are enjoyable and interesting to listen to whereas "Animals" and "Air" fail immensely in their experimentation. Songs like "Animals", "Mind" and "Air" are somewhat annoying songs that I would love to never have to hear again. Overall much improvement but the bad songs on this are pretty unlistenable and even in the good songs many of them keep the obnoxious vocals. 7.5/10

Solid Byrne boogie

I’m not a fan of Talking Heads. For my media technology course the lecturer used ‘once in a lifetime’ to show different audio effects. I listened to that song about 100 times in 3 hours that day. I’ve never cared for their production, or guitar tone. It’s all too angular and scratchy and this album has a lot of it. I like David Byrne generally and the bass is funky in all these songs. Cities is the best song on it. Franz Ferdinand Loved this album. I didn’t.

My knowledge of talking heads doesn't stretch much further than the MTV rotations of the early to mid 80's. They have been a band that I enjoy here and there but never seek them out. I was curious when this album came up and was excited to listen. I am on the second to last song and I did enjoy the listen, nothing is going on my playlist but I don't regret the experience.

Very much a late 70s/early 80s album in terms of sound. Not bad, but not the most exciting thing I've ever listened to. 6.5/10.

Definitely eclectic, but also tells a good story. Musically similar but also dissimilar to their other work. Experimental, even for them.

Wild blend of industrial goth disco pop. A previously unturned rock in my Talking Heads listening, one I’m glad I got to know.

This will be an easy review as this is one of my favorite albums of all time. Classic Talking Heads-I Zimbra, Cities, Life During Wartime, Heaven-just love this album. And this band.

Heaven

It had some good tracks that I enjoyed

Not sure if it's the best talking heads album

Big fan of Talking heads. This is a great album to start off with.

Good album but not sure if it’s one to hear before dying

Love the talking heads

High 3

Kind of like an album of B sides. Nothing really spectacular, but also nothing absolutely terrible.

Listened to this one for the first time like 2 days ago lol.

I owned it once .. loved it then and it’s still good 3.7

Better than their first album imo, more psychedelic. I really enjoyed this album to listen to.

Love

Felt very chaotic and a little jazz like. Sometimes just felt like noise rather than music. Have a feeling with repeated listening I might understand and enjoy it more though.

So good, nearly as good as Remain in Light

Can't say I know much of Talking Heads or their work but I know they're pretty revered. After this one I can certainly see why. I think this is one of the few albums here that masterfully walks the tightrope between weird and catchy. It's unhinged, it's anxiety-inducing, but it's danceable! Few albums manage to nail that balance. Some really cool new wave. Favourite: Life During Wartime

Very experimental and bright. It's unique and different in its sound and it makes me feel like I'm in a dream. However, it doesn't seem very memorable. I love how the Talking Heads can make music that is odd in the right way. That's something a lot of bands can't do.

1001 talking heads albums to listen to before you die

No es tan ochentero, es algo que Bowie podria haber escrito

The album was alright. It was the beginning of that 80s sound. I have had several Talking Heads albums and dthis is on par with the other ones.

It's not terrible, but it's not for me.

Love this album!

Great album.

4/5

It's good. Wished I liked the Talking Heads more than I do.

mildly interesting to me but I liked some parts

3.9 Bops all around, a nice album to have in the background. Fave songs: I Zimbra, Life during Wartime, heaven

Très coooool d'album, comme du disco-rock avant le new-wave. Si vous aimez ça allez voir leur Remain in Light, c'est genre ça mais plus meilleurs. EDIT D’ÉMILE DU FUTUR: FEAR OF MUSIC C’EST LE BEST ALBUM OK, REMAIN IN LIGHT N’AURAIT PAS EU LIEU SANS CE BANGER D’ALBUM

I absolutely ADORE Talking Heads and new wave as an overall, so I'm very happy this was my first album to listen to! It's very enjoyable although Speaking in Tongues is definitely higher rated in my mind when it comes to Talking Heads albums.

Interesting album, defenetly out of my comfort zone.

arte

okay album, enjoyed it overall.

Eh not my style.

I dunno, it’s hard for me to listen to Talking Heads and not hear almost a novelty band like the b52s. I know they’re not, but David Byrne’s voice is just so crazy that it’s hard for me to get past that to connect with the music. This didn’t do much for me.

it's good but not my fave

Paper

Beaucoup trop répétitif, le chanteur ne sait pas chanter, insupportable, je ne peux même pas le finir tant il me fait souffrir 3. Rythme entraînant au départ mais vite répétitif + le chant est catastrophique 4. J'en peux déjà plus, c'est la troisième chanson que j'écoute, faites le taire 7. Un peu spooky mais ce mec ne sait pas chanter

ei kuunneltu koko albumia putkeen... viisunrypälettä silloin tällöin keskellä päivää. huom. haittaa objektiivisuuteen, yleensä positiivisempaa vaikutelmaa näin. paha tapa. britannia post punk new waveahan tämä on joten melkeinpä ylärima rajattu kolmoseen tässä vaiheessa... ei viehätä tämmöinen liikaa. silti, ihan kiva. ylärima alas, bk on paras..... It's funny to listen back and realize what was considered 'good' music back then. Repetitive, off-key, monotonous vocals; Clangy but cheesy guitar riffs. To be fair, it's still better than the over-produced, auto-tuned garbage that we are forced to listen to today. i think this guy just hates music life during wartime

Ok, peters out at the end

At first glance I didn’t recognize any songs. Never knew the song was called Life During Wartime.

As with most Talking Heads records, Fear of Music takes a few listens to get accustomed to. But when it finally clicks and you let yourself flow along with the impeccable groove set by the entire group, you'll never want to leave. While other bands where making rock operas and fast guitar-driven music in the late 90s, David Byrne was really out there pushing boundaries for what could be considered popular music. Thank god that Brian Eno and the rest of the band could tolerate working with him. 'I Zimbra' is an incredibly energetic starter, with 'Cities', 'Life During Wartime' and especially 'Heaven' fully living up to it.

There’s just no going wrong with Talking Heads. It’s amazing that a band can sound this odd and excluding while still feeling like a safe harbor for everyone willing to groove along.

If i liked this genre i would have enjoyed the album for sure.

Not a huge fan

Good album. Definitely worth a relisten.

Bland album, no groove, nothing that made me even tap my feet, not one stand out track. Will give it a 1/5 only for their attempt to be creative.

I only knew one Talking Heads song before listening and I like that one. I hoped I may like this album but I didn't. Didn't keep any of my attention

I’ve listened to this album 4 times. I black out every time because I have no idea where i stand. It’s not great but not bad. It’s not fast or too slow. It’s not boring but not very musically interesting either.

This one just didn’t click for me. Might have been groundbreaking when it came out but to me was just repetitive and rambling. I think I just don’t like Brian Eno

Loved

Da e bedre enn dei seinare albumene, men like fortsatt ikkje Talking Heads

have listened to a few tracks from this before, namely "i zimbra" which i'm a fan of. rest of the album holds up to the same standard too which is good to hear, other highlights included "mind", "life during wartime", and "heaven".

Not my favorite talking heads album, but a good listen. The singing is a bit more enthusiastic but a bit less melodic than other albums.

Second album by Talking Heads on this list, after a very entertaining "Remain In Light". As a predecessor to that record, "Fear Of Music" put a lot of hopes in my heart. Opening song would push this hope even further, but the rest of the album turned out to be average and not noteworthy at all. Talking Heads style was very prominent, but ultimately it wasn't yet cohesive enough to create a great composition. Bit of a disappointment, its not the greatest album in their discography.

Kind of forgettable album not my thing, got annoying listening to it towards the end despite some alright songs in the first half of the album.

No outright hits on this one, but overall a good album. Flew by as I was listening to it and didn't skip any. Nice start to the week.

I know what it means to have a fear of music. For example, I'm afraid to listen to more music from Talking Heads because I thought the first album was so bad. But hey, this one is more akin to the second we heard, and actually a bit more enjoyable, so maybe these guys aren't so bad after all. I'd love for them to claw their way up to a five-star album from me, but that would take quite a bit. For now, I think this album's pretty good. Some cool stuff going on for sure, and David Byrne's voice didn't bug me at all. What was I afraid of again? Favorite tracks: Paper, Life During Wartime, Electric Guitar. Album art: A little green stamp of the band and album name over that classic black metal pattern, the kind of thing an 8 year old would want on every surface in a garage. It looks a lot tougher than these guys or their music. 3.5/5

kinda mid tbh

Well, I'm going to be grading this one on sort of an unusual curve. This is the 4th Talking Heads album that I've gotten on this list, and it's my least favorite. It's honestly astounding how fast the first four Talking Heads albums came out, and how different they all are. I like the style of Remain in Light more than this album. It's not bad at all, and a lot of the little things that make this band good are here, it just doesn't hold up the way their other albums do for me. But, just because it leaves me feeling a bit flat doesn't mean that it's not a good album, it just doesn't meet the ridiculously high expectations that the Talking Heads set with their other albums 4/5

It was OK. Not great, not bad - just OK.

Catchy, strange, and angular. Not for fans of straightforward pop music. A good use of repetition to keep listeners engaged while the riffs and lyrics feel all over the place. Yet somehow it works. It feels anxiety provoking without the strong bite of anxiety. There's little distortion to toughen the themes and tension, so it pulls off confusion without getting too upsetting. Its perfect for people who want weird without going avant garde.

My expectations were kind of high for this one so I may have messed myself up here because it did not meet the mark. At all. I guess Air is alright but. Bleh.

Fitting to the name, this whole album sounds very nervous, from the thin high-tempo guitars to David Byrne's panicked wail of a voice. That gives it a vibe I can't really compare to anything but which I inexplicably like. It's very fun and groovy as well as being weird and artsy, and those two things never feel like they're in conflict with each other. Definitely a band I'm excited to explore more. Best song: Life During Wartime

I like Talking Heads singles and David Byrne. The sound is quite distinct but this album didn’t really grab me. Not quite a 2 but a low 3

It was OK.

It was pretty solid Not my favorite, I'll have to get used to the vocals, but it was better than the last one

Not great. Most of it sounds like Roxy Music. A guy with a bleaty voice, trying to croon.

Saatanan hieno polyrytminen levy! 4/5

On se vaan kova. Life During Wartime on niiin tiukka. 4,5/5. Tämä tai RIL lienee bändin paras.

Talking Headsia aloin kuunnella vasta vuosi, pari sitten ja on kyllä hyvä bändi. Kuumeinen, taidokkaasti kömpelöntuntuinen ja kaiken kaikkiaan vaan kiinnostava levy.

bops :)

Bit boring

Es una critica completa, logren que suene bien, lo tiene todo, el unico detalle es el sonido del grabado en sí pero es algo menor, el disco sigue siendo una experiencia formidable hermosa y disfrutable 9/10

This Album was pretty good. Talking Heads is just one of those bands that are reliable, their music is different and a lot of the times doesn't have many words in them but I think that's okay it's pretty interesting honestly. The whole album did kind of blend together for me, don't know if there were any stand outs but it was all good so why not give it a listen if you enjoy either Talking or Heads.

Well it's gotta be good right, it was born the same year as I was! Well it was alright. I mean he definitely has a unique voice. Hard to confuse that with anyone else. Satirical lyrics.

Not my favourite Talking Heads album but I liked it

Decent got a bit bored by the end though

funky, but very samey...

We can recognize that it's really good, but it's just not our thing.

Can’t really go wrong with Talking Heads. I might be biased though, since Psycho Killer is one of my favourite songs

El tercer álbum de los legendarios neoyorquinos Talking Heads comienza ya a ahondar en un sonido más experimental y alejado de sus coterráneos. Con repeticiones adictivas, y melodías sorprendentes, la banda construye un álbum sumamente colorido e interesante. Un indispensable de la música alternativa.

Really not my thing at all

Rock psicodélico raruno. Ni fu ni fa.

Air

As always, I feel I should like this more than I do.

Personal Enjoyability (out of 40): 10 Consistency of Quality (out of 25): 12 Keeps Interest (out of 25): 4 Album Flow (out of 10): 7 Overall 33/100 ★★ Quick Review: I just don't get this. Listening to the album was like being the only person in the room who isn't stoned. Only highlight was the second half of Animals.

David Byrne is Superfun and cool guy, and I like some of the songs , but none od those are not on this album…

I was disappointed by this because I wanted to really like this a lot more, given so many artists I like are influenced by Talking Heads. Instead, it was mostly just a pretty solid new wave album, with a couple of pretty funky numbers like I ZImbra and Cities both of which were great. Maybe this is a grower type of album.

Sitting on the couch stoned....then this is pretty good. Otherwise....

Maybe their first perfect album, and my personal favourite. Such an anxious vibe! Fitting, of course, considering the title. I once heard (though I'm unsure whether this is true) that each song title is meant to represent a fear -- fear of air, fear of cities, etc. And that fear is felt across the album; sometimes it's a heavy, suffocating sense of dread, sometimes a fast, frenetic anxiety, but definitely an uneasy feeling throughout. Musically, it's pretty weird, and I mean that as a high compliment. They really gel into a cohesive unit here; the interplay is fantastic. Some of their best hooks and riffs of their career are on this album. It rewards repeat listens, but definitely deserves to be included in conversations about which Talking Heads album is best.

En nyt aivan ymmärrä. Vähän sama biisi moneen kertaan ja yliyrittämistä, toisaalta tunnistettava omanlainen tyyli

Lauluääni, soundin ohuus tai musiikin vinksahtaneisuus eivät ole ongelmia. Mikä ei tarkoita, ettenkö kaipaisi paria popratkaisua tämän kaiken sekaan.

I think people either love / hate Talking Heads, not much in between. The good lady can't stand David Byrne - but how can you not love the strange rhythms and vocals. Is "nerd-punk" a genre?

Much better than anticipated. Cool sounds here worth a revisit.

David Byrne sounds like a gag act, but he’s not—these songs have a secret depth to them. I enjoyed this album, actually.

Really just not my thing. Didn't find it particularly musical on any level.

Starts as a sort of jungle pop sound, with some chanting singing, which is an interesting way to start, but drew me in! The second song has Pink Floyd vibes, which I loved too. The rest of the album is classic TH, with the echo-y shout singing and fast tempo. Good album overall!

YES!!! Love talking heads. My second favorite new wave band next to Devo. Favorite album is Remain in light, but this one is up there. I like em all tho. Favorite tracks are Zimbra, mind, cities, animals, drugs. LFG

This wasnt really for me. Couldnt vibe with it.

Mellow album but couldn't get into it

This ain′t no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around No time for dancing, or lovey dovey I ain′t got time for that now Paranoia has never been so much fun. Also, mightily relieved that this brilliant album is in the 1001 after all 😅

Not crazy about this one, just not really my vibe.

Disco for people with anxiety

6/10 Oubliez l'entièreté de l'album, mais ca avait l'air de bien s'écouter

dont get me wrong - people really really like this album - its one of their biggest records. but after a string of mediocrities and nothings i must express sympathy for the normal not album obsessed person who has heard all about how wonderful the talking heads are and gets this. there are moments throughout that feel like if family guy had to do a talking heads cutaway they would play this, just tedious and boring remain in light is the one we want

Is there some slogan The Talking Heads have similar to Primus Sucks? Anyway I enjoyed this, if it wasn't a little long

Had I been born a decade earlier, The Taking Heads would have been my favorite band. The music here is great. But it's constrained by the cruft of it's era. Way to much reverb, to sparse of instrumentation. It's missing some key things to really make it pop.

Opus magnum! ;-)

Still crazy after all these years

This was a fun listen but overall it was missing that little bit of oomph to get it higher in my books. It is a four but probably only just

Great songs to twitch along to. Highlights: I Zimbra, Heaven, Cities, Life During Wartime

My favourite Talking Heads album and the one I think they are their best.

Very unusual but compelling. It's very hard to balance "weird" with "enjoyable" but Talking Heads seem to be able to walk that line. Not really my thing but I get it. 3.5 stars

Probably my least favorite Talking Heads album. I love them, but never was into this one too much.

I LOVED Heaven, but the rest of the album... not sure it hit that great?

the talking heads are a good band and their clean, jangly guitar is fun. they get a little overhyped, but this album has pizzaz. “electric guitar” is a standout.

This was pretty similar to the other talking heads album but with significantly less catchy songs. Overall it was still good and I enjoyed it. It has a decent 80s precursor for the sound that came during that decade without t being gimmicky. Overall I wouldn’t revisit this album as much as the one that came before it. 6.5/10

Doesn’t move the needle for me.

buen ritmo pero algunas canciones me dieron miedito haha me guarde AIR

Likely not their best, it’s sandwiched between two classics in their discog. You can tell the wheels are turning and the songwriting is fairly strong but not quite up to the highs of the former or latter.

I liked it but not amazing

3+

I was writing songs I liked and I ended up writing all of them. Super catchy and Byrne’s voice is great.

some good points, some bad points. mildly annoying. repetitive, meaning I didn't like what they were repeating. cities.

Solid, fun album. Funky guitars and unique vocals. Animals, Wartime, and Cities are my favorites. Main drawback is you can't understand a damn thing this guy is saying.

The disco rhythms mixed into the rock instrumentation works really well. This album is a fun listen. Standouts: Mind; Life During Wartime;

There's a reason why only a few Talking Heads songs got airplay, because most of their music is utter shit. This album exemplifies that statement.

I’m a big fan of the Talking Heads but this is not my favourite work of theirs. The album version of Life During Wartime really falls flat when compared to the live version, in my opinion. It’s still a good album though, I like it but expect more from them.

Interesting but a bit too different to my tastes for me to come back to.

Mieux aimé que Talking Heads 77, mais ça reste le son que je connais du band, je n'ai plus grand chose à rajouter à ce point. 6/10

I GOT SOME GROCERIES SOME PEANUT BUTTER I liked this album Def vibed with it Especially the above lyrics and also "I've changed my hairstyle so many times now I don't know what I look like" It was just generally fun to listen to

Favorite Song: Drugs Super cool, very experimental feel. I can hear the influence on later music.

Everyone is trying to get to the bar The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven The band in Heaven, they play my favorite song They play it once again, they play it all night long One of the best of all time. 5/5

Rather like this. Like most of the albums here, I knew bits by the band but had never listened to anything deeper than what might appear on a playlist or on the radio. So the style was vaguely familiar, although the rhythms were bit of a surprise. Some clever stuff and it was easy to listen to and very pleasant. I'd probably listen to it again without a problems so it's an easy 4 stars.

This was a pretty good album, I enjoyed David Byrne's vocals and there were some nice bass-led songs. Wouldn't seek it out, but would listen again.

not for me.. too loud. hurt my ears.

I find Fear of Music curiously hard to get into, the first few tracks are good, but kind of cold. I understand where critics of TH's sound, that it is too precise and has got no soul, are coming from although I wouldn't judge them as harshly. But, and it's a big but, I am always swept away at a point halfway through Cities all the way up to and including Animals - what a run of songs. Absolute genius. After this big chunk, the album kind of fizzles out for me before the end, which is a shame. So, a flawed classic, and a hugely important step on the road to the best TH album, Remain in Light. A second listen later in the day it's even better, right up until those last two tracks. Favourite of the rest - Mind. Favourites - Heaven, Air, Life During Wartime

Not bad but overrated

I very much appreciate the sound that Talking Heads are able to create - it's so unique and distinguishable, and nobody pulls it off except for them. I feel like this album started out as a list of words that was given to David Byrne, and he just ran with it - really fun and weird lyrics, and the intricate, often syncopated rhythms just fit the songs so well. I hadn't even listened to this album before despite being a casual Talking Heads fan, but it's super fun. Fave tracks: I Zimbra, Life During Wartime, Electric Guitar, Drugs

Great entry by the Talking Heads - plenty of funk/afro-inspired rhythms in this one make it a very catchy album. The production is good, the songwriting is good and it's overall just a solid collection of songs. I should really have nothing bad to say about this album and yet it's somehow a bit forgettable. I feel like I'm not alone in this opinion, as none of these songs top any list of Talking Heads best tracks. Fav Tracks: Mind, Life During Wartime, Air, Animals

Honestly, I really like Talking Heads' music (except for Once in a Lifetime) so I was expecting to like this as well. And I did ended up liking it but more than I'd expect.

I prefer Remain in Light, but will probably give this another listen.

One of my all-time favorite albums is Vivid by Living Colour. It took me 47 years to realize that my favorite song on that album was a cover of Talking Heads. Blew my mind.

I love how much of a role rhythm plays in Talking Heads' music. So many of these songs are built around tight, funky rhythms. But the music doesn't sound like traditional funk. They've got their own unique spin on it. This is an excellent album and has two classics, "Life During Wartime" and "Heaven" (which has great lyrics that read like a poem). Some songs can feel a little cold, which might be why I've listened to this album less than other Talking Heads albums. There are also a few songs on here that I'm more familiar with from the live album/movie "Stop Making Sense" and they come alive even more in that performance.

This album is fun, whimsical, and groovy. "I Zimbra" is a killer opening track. Love the energy in the percussion and vocals. In "Mind", track 2, I love the lyric "I haven't got the faintest idea" and how it turns into a synth-like sound at the end of the "a" vowel at the end of "idea". That is super cool. Really enjoyed throughout. I think David Byrne is a treasure. I don't think it has that many hits on it, and the bands true standout tracks are on other albums (like Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime, Burning Down the House, etc) which has kept this from being slightly higher rated for me.

Meh. Not really my thing. Fortunately it kinda faded into the background, so it wasn't unbearable.

Not as cohesive and maybe not a cultural statement as strong as Remain in Light, but Fear of Music makes up for it by throwing us some of the weirdest and most paranoiac new wave you'll ever get to hear. This sounds so fresh even to this day. Life is still as stressful as these songs wanted to portray.

So much quirkiness in this band, I love it.

I really like this band and this record as well. Have it on vinyl and play it often. Kind of suprise to see it in the 1001, but hey !

I don't know how relevant it is to have so many Talking Heads albums in the challenge, but for sure, I won't complain. This one is my third favorite of the band and it's still incredible new wave music!

for a 70s album sounds contemporary sofar.

Really good and I love the classic talking heads sound

Talking Heads give me a reason to believe weird is good

This was my first time listening to any Talking Heads albums from start to finish, I really know their hits but I really haven't heard any songs from this album before. Couple things I noted -David Byrne's peculiar and sometimes eerie singing really is the driving force behind these songs, but I feel like sometimes this becomes too much in songs. -I really enjoy the instrumentals of the songs, I appreciated how they tried to make each song really unique to one each other, no song feels blended with one another; each track feels like a separate experience Notable tracks: I Zimbra, Air

David Byrne’s vocals have always been best in small doses for me. Maybe they’ll click later in life, but unfortunately not today. Maybe it would be cool over some fast songs, but I find the yelpiness and over the top style aggravating over the mid-slow temple instrumentals. It’s a shame because the instrumentals themselves are really cool and I know people love Talking Heads, but this wasn’t for me today. Cover Art: 5/10 this is just a worse version of their self titled cover art and loses points for the pattern over the black

Damn I wish the two days I had to kinda rush through these albums wasn’t for this one and Low end theory. Both have banger after banger. I’m surprised this isn’t one of the talking heads more acclaimed albums. Liked the grooves and guitar playing a lot on this one and of course the experimentation and David Byrne’s vocals are always cool. 👍: cities, memories, Heaven

Kinda rush listening cause I was super busy… Talking heads (specifically David byrne) has always been a toss up for me on whether I loved them or hated them. This album helped bring me a little closer to thst answer. Although some lyrics were a little silly, I did enjoy this album. 👍 air.

This album was kind of all over the place stylistically. You could tell there was some definite experimentation going on here. You have some more traditional rock songs, some funkier ones in the middle, an African influenced track to start the album, an everything in between. Despite this, the talking heads are still able to stamp some of their staple eclectic sound on all of them. This in combination with the singers quirky vocals make for interesting music to say the least. While others revel in their unique sound I tend to find it off putting at times. In my opinion the melodies suffer on most songs due to the vocal style and doesn’t necessarily leave me itching to relisten. That being said a lot of the instrumentation here is super cool and I do like a good amount of the songs. The first half is MUCH stronger in my opinion. I’m sure remain in light is on this list so I’m glad it gave us this one first. Beat tracks: mind, I zimbra, air Tim’s Most Memorable Melody (new recurring segment) (MMM for short) : I NEED SOMETHING TO CHANGE YOUR MIND🎶

The point where Talking Heads started to fall into their own groove and decide what kind of band they would be. Eno is ever-present throughout.

Shimmering with originality, Talking Heads continue their music/art project with some excellently crafted tracks, brilliantly produced and played superbly. They deconstruct and then reconstruct the pop song, experimenting with lyrics, form and effects. Compelling, urgent, unique, a band who would go on to hit even greater heights.

Good album probably their weirdest and darkest

Brilliant

Huh. I hated Talking Heads 77 but felt like this had some bop to it.

didn't like first track or vocals but wasn't bad- 5/10?

I thought I liked talking heads but this album has suggested otherwise

Very nice album

A ridiculously good album. The '70s-'80s punk-new wave-funk is a fantastic complement to David Byrne's monotonous (but never boring) voice. And then you have experimental elements and instruments, making some songs sound like Halloween hits, some a bit more soulful, and some like drug-induced ramblings. That probably would not have worked with other artists, but Talking Heads creates magic here, that's amazingly supplemented by Brian Eno. You hear his influence all over. This album would be nowhere near as good and cohesive, despite its eclecticism, if not for his work. Standout tracks are Mind, Cities, Air, and Memories Can Wait.

One of the many perfect albums by Talking Heads. Hook it to my veins.

Not for me

The 'Heads were just an album away from penning and recording their magnum opus when they released the already wonderful *Fear Of Music*. And you can feel it. Byrne was at the peak of his game during that period, and helped by Eno's production ideas, his band were firing on all cylinders. Only three tracks are *a little* underwhelming in this LP, first "Life During Wartime", to a certain extent (never understood why they picked that one as a single--it's very "linear", melodically speaking), but more specifically "Animals" and "Electric Guitars", very weird even for the band's usual standards. Fortunately, those latter two tracks are sandwiched between the perfect ballad "Heaven" and the evocative and moody "Drugs", two of my absolute favorite Talking Heads tracks. So the peaks are more significant than the valleys on side two. And the album is insanely great overall. 4,5/5, rounded up to 5 here. Number of albums left to review: 597 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 193 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 90 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 120

It's been a while but this is a classic and probably my fav Talking Heads album

The first five Talking Heads records are nearly a perfect output for a band, in terms of the overall output and their growth and evolution from album to album. Fear of Music is arguably the weirdest and most experimental of the five records and is likely the one I reach for least out of all of them. But this album rules and is nearly perfect and is a great listen every time.

Sorry David, not a great listen.

fabulous

Ojämnt, men har sina ljusa stunder.

Pretty good background

Underwhelming

There's just no weak spot to be found on the album. It might not get into the heights of some songs on the predecessor or on the next album, but it's unique, compelling, danceable, maniacal, creative, neurotic, funky and timeless throughout.

Этот альбом мне понравился больше чем Remain in light, он отчасти более забавный какой-то, вокал местами неожиданный, но в этой энергии что-то есть отдельно отмечу трек electric guitar, это какое-то безумие...

Черт, не знал что головы могут быть такими. Мне кажется если бы они исполняли все позже, то точно исполняли IEM. Очень интелеггентный фанк получился, но который вгоняет в тоску и паранойю от мира

Моё представление о Говорящих головах меняется с каждым прослушанным их альбомом. Я был всегда уверен, что это такой пост-панк и ничего более. Потом был альбом Remain in Light, который прям неплохо так окунул нас в нью-вейв и фанк, что совсем отличалось от дебютника. И сейчас мы попали в середину, откатившись из 1980 в 1979. Здесь всё ещё много гипнотически-трансовых басовых линий, но есть небольшой "откат" в сторону классического песенного стиля. Это всё ещё очень классно, и кажется, я открыл для себя ещё одну интересную группу, в дискографии которой хочется покопаться. С другой стороны, я думаю, что может этот альбом в списке и лишний. Мы с большой долей вероятности услышим и первую пластинку группы Talking Heads 77', мы уже слышали следующий за этим альбом. А здесь... ну, смесь) В целом, для знакомства можно было бы и двумя альбомами обойтись. Вопрос только какими... Это 4+, 5 не ставлю, чтобы выделить, что прошлый альбом понравился больше.

Изначально думал как-то сравнивать с их предыдущим ака следующим альбомом, но они оба хороши. Если Влад говорит об обволакивании альбомов, то я заявляю, что головы просто затянули меня в их альбом и это было вкусно

So this is what all the other songs on that one hit album sound like.

3.5

Objectively 4.5

It’s not bad and it’s a very David Byrne style album which I don’t mind - but at the same time it’s not very memorable and not something I’d return to.

I've tried to listen to the Talking Heads before and I'm never that into it. The album is fine. I like the sound and tone of all the songs but it never draws me in.

Standard talking heads 2.5.

Enjoyable

At times frantic, other times dreary. Lyrics sometimes existentialist, sometimes nonsensical. Feels like the band doesn’t want the album to be pinned down. “Air” & “Heaven” are ones to listen to again.

I didn't love this one. Had that "Talking Heads Sound" that's never really vibed with me.

This one is legendary, but for the exception of singles, nothing on this lp is relistenable

Just the best dad music. Not my dad, of course, who's a Beatles guy - but someone's dad. Byrne is cool as fuck. Great rhythms. Great lyrics. Nice taste in suits. Rhythmic, angular, great life-affirming, funk-adjascent groove. I particularly like the section where Byrne says heaven is a place where nothing really happens. Dunno what it means but it feels like it means something good.

3.5

Surprisingly good.

Fantastic record. Perfect weird energy. Amazing performances. One of Talking Heads best.

Sounds like terrible 70s music

I've mentioned this before, but Talking Heads will always get a 5 star rating from me. David Byrne is a beautiful genius, a remarkably talented and rare shiny gem among musicians, and everything he touches turns to gold. I love this album end-to-end, it is flawless. It's rock 'n' roll, but also art pop and new wave proto-everything cool in all the best ways. I fucking love it.

Not their best album, still very good

This was ok, not one I’d keep in my library but it wasn’t bad. David Byrne is amazing but it felt too much like poems over backing music.

I Zimbra stood out to me, and made me reflect on things like cultural appropriation, musical inspirations, collaboration across genres, synthesis of something new from old parts... Other than prompting that interesting internal discussion, the rest of the music was pretty bland for me. Hopefully I Zimbra was made tastefully and not just taken wholesale.

pretty based. not my thing usually but it's great

More Rock than I ever knew the Talking Heads could be. Some good tracks in there

Great album

This is THE Talking Heads album. The one I recommended when someone asks. The one hooked me to their style. The one I always come back to. Fantastic sequencing, immaculate production, contagious rhythms. Each songs dealing with traumas and “fears” (I think I heard that you could add the prefix “Fear of” to each song to know where they were going: Fear of mind, fear of cities, fear of heaven…. -this does not apply to I zimbra) in a cathartic way. Personally, my favorite TH song is heaven. Its helplessness, hopelessness, philosophical anxiety. A passive aggressive song: heaven is a place where nothing ever happens… can you ask for more in an album?

Perhaps one of the greatest albums to ever be released! Fear Of Music Is Insane, It's like a huge melt pot of Funk, Rock, World, Psychedelic and what else is on the horizon. I love Byrne's delivery and paranoia. Definitely need to dive in their other albums! Favorite lyrics: - You make me shiver, I feel so tender. We make a pretty good team. - They think they know what's best, they're making a fool of us. They ought to be more careful, they're setting a bad example. Key tracks: I Zimbra, Mind, Paper, Cities, Life During Wartime, , Memories Can't Wait, Air, Heaven, Animals, Drugs 9 out of 10

3/5 I really liked the first song, and the rest just blended in together. It wasn't horrible screechy guitar or voice so I leaving it at a neutral 3.

Not bad! Kinda funky and upbeat and not as bad as I expected. Don’t know if I’d listen to again but it’s not because I hated it.

The final Talking Heads album before The Big One. Truth be told, you can throw a dart at a board of the first five Talking Heads albums and land on a great one. That goes double for the Eno-produced ones. I love Live During Wartime, but the energy on the live version is undeniably better. The b-sides mostly sound like manic ramblings, which are actually captivating thanks to David Byrne's excellent delivery. Perhaps their most dissonant album. I like what it does and I've always liked how weird they are.

Genre-bending to the point of inconsistent. Singer seems either bored or trying to sound like Jim Morrison.

I love Talking Heads, not overly familiar with this one. Thought I didn't know any of the songs, but Phish had covered Cities. Byrne seems to put the wit in the back seat here. Good stuff.

This gives me heavily discounted Sparks (the band) vibes. Besides a few tracks, it's a pretty mediocre album. If you enjoy repetition and scratchy monotonous music this is for you.

From start with the dada reference in I Zimbra, Eno involved, and the end (Drugs!) 11 classics in a row. Music can't be much better than this, a 4.999999999. After Drugs it was high time to listen to My Live In A Bush Of Ghosts by Byrne/Eno (guess also in 1001 best albums?). BTW: Am liberal in my views normally, live and let live, but can't understand that Simply Red released/raped Heaven (a bit of self censorship does not hurt does it?)

Good album! Very funky and groovy.

Yup - so good. What a strong debut album.

Nothing quite like it. Hilarious and unsettling at the same time. Only (small) drawback is that thay managed to top themselves with Remain in Light in most ways. A great record.

Not the best Talking Heads album, but even an okay Talking Heads album is still amazing.

buen disco los amo talking heads 8.5/10

Love the Talking Heads, Life During Wartime is top 5 David Byrne. His influence on music is still being felt today. I listened to this one twice yesterday.

I liked this album more than I was expecting to.

This was a really good album for me.

Gott, wenn bloß David Byrne nicht am Mikro wäre. Immer wieder unerträglich.

Fun and weird instrumentals. The guitar work is fantastic. Lyrically hilarious at points, other points oddly serious given the upbeat music like Life During Wartime. That and Animals were my favorite tracks. I just don't like his voice and I don't know why.

Very nice. I have weird fascination with 'Cities', it sounds so humorous to me which I quite like😆

One of the great ones.

Exceptional album

Very new wave. Like Talking Heads.

So unbelievably creative and fresh. And so unbelievably influential. I love it

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Heaven

Casi perfecto, toda la onda. Un par de temas medio fuera de lugar. Mejores canciones: 1- Life during Wartime 2- I Zimbra 3- Heaven

Awesome Talking Heads album that feels get a bit overshadowed by Remain in Light, unfortunately. I prefer this one over Remain in Light, since I find that the talking heads typical "groovy" sound is there is full form while remaining accessible. On Remain in Light, this sound is going overboard a little bit in the experimentation in my opinion. Incredible songs here like "I Zimbra", "Cities" & "Heaven" are really representative of the genius of Talking Heads. FUNKY 8,8/10

Love this band Love how this has the rub of Fela Kuti and moving towards the next albums Some of my favourite tracks … even if the Stop Making Sense live versions are wven better in my ears Why go to college …

I've always been a fan of Talking Heads but never spent much time with this album. I Zimbra sets the mood, Life During Wartime sounds eerily like the Bunnings theme song, and Dancing for Money is a trip. Overall feels just as relevant today.

Yeah, liked this more than "More Songs About Buildings And Food" - there seemed to be more oddness? Like, most songs had moments or features that made me go "Ooh, that was weird, I dig it!" Fave track - "Heaven" and "Drugs" I reckon!

Groovy and quirky

Talking Heads from Rhode Island, USA. This is their 3rd album and they have FOUR albums on the 1001 list. Initial Impression: Singles: -------------------------------------------------- Life During Wartime (#80 USA) I Zimbra (#28 US Dance) Cities (Did not Chart) Standouts: Life During Wartime Others: Drugs Rating: 3/5

David Byrne is one of those artists who people are going to lose their collective shit over when he dies. Obviously he's adored and lauded (not many other pop stars could pull off what he did on Broadway with American Utopia), but the outpouring of hosannas thrown at him when he goes to his great reward will rival those bestowed on Bowie and Prince when they passed. It's like that old Bill Murray joke from Stripes about Tito Puente: "Tito Puente's gonna be dead, and you're gonna say, 'Oh, I've been listening to him for years, and I think he's fabulous.'" And part of that reassessment will include over-praising this album, which isn't as complete as their follow up, the brilliant "Remain In Light". The key issue I have with this album is that the songs here that are included in "Stop Making Sense" sound MUCH better during that concert. But you could pretty much say the same thing about all of the songs performed during "Stop Making Sense", which will go down as perhaps the greatest concert film of all-time. And maybe that's Byrne's true legacy. "Stop Making Sense" is, as Pauline Kael stated at the time, close to perfection. Byrne knew how to perform his songs live better than anyone could produce on record. And Kael got it somewhat wrong in regards to "Stop Making Sense". The versions of Heaven and Life During Wartime in that concert film aren't just close to perfection. They're downright perfect.

This band, and this album are overrated. Full stop.

Maybe my favorite talking heads album? It is catchy and accessible yet its not afraid to go out there either. For now 4 stars but might grow honestly.

This is my favourite Talking Heads album. The pure energy of I Zimbra announcing the arrival of the new Taliking Heads to the world as one of the first purveyers of true African Rhythms in rock music. This would reach its zenith on the next release Remain in Light. But this album I think better combines their punky, nervous new wave roots with the poly rhythms that they would become famous for. Filled with great songs from beginiing to end. My only gripe is the mastering of my somwhere close to original Canadian viny is a little thin and shrill at times. It doesn't allow those gorgeous rhythms space enough to breath the way they do on Remain in Light. 4.5 stars

Not a fan.

Not bad but not anything special in my opinion. A lot of the tracks were just.. boring. I did however really enjoy "Life during wartime" aswell as "Paper". The last track just feels unnecessary?

Arguably their best album.

another weird talking heads album

The highs on this album are quite high, but the large majority of it didn't move me very much. Favorite track: Life During Wartime

Fear of Music was fine. The bass was consistently pumping through the mix with unique lines. That was probably the most enjoyable part of the album. You can tell everyone is very talented, but not really my flavor. Favorite track- I Zimbra Least favorite track - Electric Guitar

First time listening. Good album, enjoyed listening to it!

Loved it for the first 3/4 before it started to drag a bit, but never exactly got boring. Super high energy, quirky, head bobbing music and felt like a more organic and stripped back version of remain in light. The super tight choppy slap echo rhythms were my favorite part of the whole album, def plenty to learn here as a musician. Overall a great listen with a few tracks I was indifferent to.

I like the Talking Heads, but this album was so uninteresting and homogeneous. It felt like it all blended together (and I did 1.5 listens). This isn't necessarily a bad quality though. That makes the album very easy to listen to when working. The music is groovy and mostly stays out of the way. Not super interesting, but I'd listen again.

Meh

I think I like talking heads but this didn't really grab me

No hits on here for me.