Fear Of Music

i cheered, i shouted, i fist-bumped the air beautiful

Man, how have I slept on Talking Heads for so long??? What is wrong with me? '77,' their debut album, was good, but I'm glad it's the first one I listened to, because everything I've listened to since, including the fabled live album 'Stop Making Sense,' has been fantastic, and this album is no exception. Weirdness accentuated by David Byrne's unusual voice, the album strikes a great balance between the weird and the catchy. 'Heaven,' 'I Zimbra,' and 'Life During Wartime' were standout songs for me, but the entire album rocks from start to finish.

Talking Heads é uma das minhas bandas favoritas da vida (Stop Making Sense é incrível), mas curiosamente nunca tinha ouvido falar desse além de Life During Wartime. Eu acho incrível sentir o quanto a banda deve estar se divertindo durante as gravações. No geral, não é meu álbum favorito, mas é um bom disco.

4.25

Huge fan since 77. They always surprised with every album, this one especially.

I've dabbled with Taking Heads in the past. I'm not a huge fan overall, but they are always invited to my party. I've heard several songs of theirs across as many albums that I think are absolutely essential listening. I don't think I've ever played Fear of Music before though. 🤔 Alright, I am familiar with several songs on this album, but it my ears it's just not a great Talking Heads effort overall. Either I'm gonna get another 5 Taking Heads albums generated in the future, or I'm completely missing something here.

The third Talking Heads album I've had and the only I've enjoyed. It's fucking weird and I actually enjoy it. Dunno why I like this over their other stuff, but this one is just weird enough that I like it. Not enough to say that I will regularly listen to the Talking Heads, but enough find it passable from them.

Spacey Rock with some psychedelic sounds.

hell yeah

legal legal bem grooviezao

I really liked this album. It felt tight, groovy, funky, glamorous, and fun. It felt a little Bowie-esque. All of the tracks were extremely cohesive and let my mind imagine a world of fun characters to go along with the antics of the lyrics. In true Talking Heads fashion, the lyrics had a sense of humor, heart, and insight. Favorite Tracks: 1) I, Zimbra 2) Mind 3) Life During Wartime 4) Memories Can’t Wait 5) Heaven 6) Drugs 7) Electric Guitar Honorable mention: Air

FOM oh.

i'd like to find the person who first told David Byrne he could sing, and then shake that person by the hand

A transitionary album for Talking Heads and just barely my least favorite of their first 5.

Not even their best album

My all-time favorite Talking Heads album.

Yay Talking Heads! A lot of love for this band but have listened to big hits and watched random live performances rather than listening to full albums like this. It's a really strong and classically unusual/exciting/unique opening track, It's really nice to have that African-disco inspired opener. Love that the album is quite punchy at 40 mins and the variety with it chopping and changing between tracks a lot. It holds my interest well. I love the description I will pinch from Wikipedia of "gritty weirdness". As always I really love the influence/appearance of Brian Eno in the production of the album. I LOVE where they found inspiration and the fact that their songs are written about unusual objects or based on non-sensical poetry rather than the usual themes of love drugs etc etc and it makes it very interesting to read up on the inspiration behind the songs and lyrics. Really enjoying the disco vibes throughout, super fun and dancey. Some really clever moments like the breathy vocals which sound like the word "air" at the beginning of Air.

I liked it, particularly how it sometimes sounded a bit like Bowie. Found it fun and varied

As much as I love Talking Heads, I'm not sure this was my most favourite albums. On the whole I really enjoyed it, but there were a few I was more ambivalent about. Its funny, because the ones I like I LOVE then I'm surprised how unbothered I am about others.

A masterpiece, just fantastic

Good stuff!

Another classic Brian Eno record, this time featuring Talking Heads.

Heaven is such a beautiful song in such a great album. Oslid stuff

Enjoyed this, blends together a little but good music

Loved it. I liked the talking heads already but this album was new to me. Def don't make them like they used to

David Byrne for life!

i really really like this i loved Cities and added it as the first song in Songs About Cities just a good vibe and cool sounds. i want to listen to this stoned

Yes! Never heard this before but quite brilliant. I knew Cities though, best song from a great record.

If David Bowie was playing a character from Mars, Talking Heads are playing characters (and music) from planets that haven't received actual names yet. Super fun, weirdly, oddly funky. Favorite tracks: "Life During Wartime", "Heaven", "Animals"

Another album by Talking Heads. Good stuff as usual in my opinion. Saved tracks: Paper, Cities, Life During Wartime, Memories Can’t Wait, Heaven

Good, but my favorite parts are always the fleeting guitar.

Thought it was solid, had some nice instrumentals. Vocals weren't amazing but overall fairly mediocre

Meh, other stuff is way better.

Definitely has some good songs, maybe if I was in a better mood I’d give it a 4

I love Talking Heads, and this record sums up a lot of what I love about them. In a time when soul, punk and glam rock seemed to dominate, you have this weird art-pop-rock collective making weird accessible music you can dance too. I just think the whole album is ace from start to finish, and even today sounds fresh and unique to me. I cant think of anyone who comes close to Talking Heads in terms of making this type of music. Strange enough to be interesting, catchy enough to catch on. Just what you’d expect from something Brian Eno has been involved in. Id love to have a pint with Brian Eno.

What I love about Talking Heads is that it's a band that can reconcile the weird, literate, often pretentious, but clever music with fun, radio-friendly, catchy music, all without ever losing their identity. This album achieves that, somewhere between enjoyable and funny (Animals is hilarious), and unsettling and nervous. The title is really fitting, as it's just about fear. Fear of achieving perfection, to urban life, to the air we breathe. 21/10/22

Some real highlights on this album and I'll never get sick of the Talking Heads, but it falls just shy of a 5/5 album for me.

I've always had my preconceived notions about Talking Heads and their music, but never really delved into it much past their hit singles. At the onset of this album, I didn't really know what to expect since the first song, I Zimbra, is just nonsensical language, but after this song, it returned to the Talking Heads I had heard before. Oddly nervous lyric delivery, and experimental, spacey music. The lyric delivery always did, and continues to drive me crazy, and they make no sense most times. One song, they sing about how the air is trying to kill you, and another song they sing about how animals are morons. Overall, not my cup of tea, but I do get that Talking Heads are very influential to bands that came later, I just don't get the appeal myself. Maybe I'm just not intelligent enough for nerd rock. Favourite songs: Life During Wartime, Animals, Heaven, I Zimbra Least favourite songs: Drugs, Electric Guitar, Mind, Paper, Memories Can't Wait 2/5

This reminds me of a very specific time so a biased 4

Felt way ahead of its time for 1979, eccentric music and lyrics but in a modern sounding way, really good

Decent album. Realised I'd not heard much outside of their first album, will be going back and listening to more.

Thought some songs were okay but didn't really enjoy it.

Listened to another talking heads album in the past and wasn't a fan. This hasn't changed my mind. Maybe I don't get it but their sound does nothing for me.

Like it for being mentally active😅

Fear of Music is average at best, quirky and horribly of its era, not bad, just something I don't like and that doesn't feel like it has a high quality bar. 2.

I really like the idea of Talking Heads, and want to like their music, but just can't get properly into it. Suspect it is one that requires more listening than I'm able to put in at the moment given how far I am behind! Nothing really stood out for me in terms of individual tracks, the sound is not unpleasant (although David Byrne's voice is a bit jarring), but there's nothing that I'm particularly excited about going back to. 2/5.

the talking heads - fear of music (1979) notes - second talking heads album that i’ve reviewed - this one accentuates the things that i liked about the first and tones down the stuff i didn’t enjoy - released 1 year after the other one - the guitar interplay on this is great! - david byrnes delivery seems a but more measured and intentional on this one - produced by brian eno fav song - cities - like the warped piano, lyrics and vocal performance - Bonus shout out to the song animals least fav - Electric guitar - I liked the bass and some of the weird sounds but the song itself was meh 4/5

Enjoyed it. Doubt i would go back though

Always fun to listen to Talking Heads. Their funky signature style gets you dancing every time.

Mi dispiace mettere un voto così basso a un album genere New Wave che a me piace. Ma proprio questo album l'ho trovato noioso e ripetitivo. Capisco le intenzioni ma non mi piace il risultato.

Jag skulle aldrig vara rädd för denna musik!!

I like Talking Heads but this album eludes me. I like the songs(Life During Wartime is a personal favourite) yet the album as a whole doesn’t gel…. Strong 3

Bu!

Love talking heads songs but their albums are mostly okay. Solid album. But nothing spectacular.

Oh. this is the talking heads. ~ psycho killer. qu'est-ce que c'est bah bah bah bah bah abah bah bahab ah ~

Would be a 5 but there are some strange, classic TH tunes on this one. Standouts are I Zimbra, Cities & Life During Wartime, which are all time songs.

Not my favorite talking head but life in wartime elevated

6,5/10

A really good album..

Good melodies and good beats. Need to finish listening.

This didn’t turn out to be my favorite Talking Heads album. Fear of Music is indeed loaded with Fears. It may not be music that is the object but many frightening aspects of life in the late 20th century. There is a deep paranoia at work, bordering on panic, that pervades the entire album. I had previously felt that one of the great things about Talking Heads music is how it all seemed to grow out of a fervent drive to dance and almost frolic in one’s own unique weirdness. Fear of Music sounds unyieldingly manic. As the lyrics of Life in Wartime say, “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around.” The urge to dance is discarded in favor of despairing for the mess the world is in, maybe right to the point of digging a hole to survive in while the world goes inexorably to shit. Pretty fucked up album, really, but also really successful at getting the madness across.

Art Rock meets African rhythms? What's not to like?

p431. 1979. 2 stars The problems here are David Byrne's voice - he can't sing - and no standout songs. It's instantly forgettable, other than the "singing". The best thing about this is Brian Eno's production. Not sure this is essential listening.

This Talking Heads album was a turning point for the band going from a clean pop-rock-new wave-punk sound to an expanded, rhythm-based experimental sound. Eno's influence is all over the record it widened the scope of sound of the band with mixed results. There are a couple of classic TH songs on here and you can't deny they are a "better" band, but I tend to have more songs from their first two albums on my playlists.

Sums up much of what I love about Talking Heads. Rhythmic, manic, anxiety inducing, funky in parts. Produced by Brian Eno in possibly my favorite period of his career, having just worked with Bowie on his Berlin trilogy. Standout track "Life during wartime"

Not one of my favorite Talking heads albums

4.0 - It's David Byrne and Brian Eno so of course it's epic, right? For the better part of this week I bopped my head along, feeling the rhythms and noting the subtle studio quirks: on "Mind" Byrne's grunt fades seamlessly into a guitar solo, there's an extended outro on "Memories Can't Wait" that's awesome, and I love the ambient paranoia of "Drugs"...Still, the music won't burrow into my guts. Some of it sounds like "And She Was", some of it sounds like Blues Brothers ("Cities"). Mostly I hear the advent of NY punk, which I'm getting (kinda sorta) sick of?

I struggle with Talking Heads because I'm not a fan of David Byrne's voice. The rest of the band are great though, especially that rhythm section. Despite that, I could resist picking up a signed copy of 'How Music Works' from Rough Trade when I was over in London years ago. Also kinda sad it all ended so acrimoniously for them.

Look, I've never got them as an album band and I'm probably too old to start now.

Fantastic album and their best IMO.

Probably one of their weaker efforts, this comes after the initial excitement of the first two albums bursting with jittery post punk/new wave style but before they got together with Eno for the genre busting Remain in Light. All sounds fine but nothing really sticks out and it seems the change in direction that was to come was the correct decision.

I love the musical genius that is David Byrne. This however is not his best work. I am constantly disappointed that Speaking in Tongues is not included in this book, its my favorite of the Talking Heads albums. Stop Making Sense is also one that should be included, but that is something that should be watched instead of just listened to. All that is not to say that I didn't enjoy this album because I did like this album. I think I'd only put two or three of the songs as essential to knowing the Talking Heads. Just a lot of deep cuts.

fabulouussssssssssssssss 8/10

I remember why I started listening to jazz about this time.

Ok, didn't love it.

Meh

One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. All of the quirkiness and clever lyrics.

1 - I zimbra: an odd song has a retro pop feel to it. Not sure if it’s my type of music. ———————————— 2 - Mind: cool intro riff. Lyrics? Sounds like drunk Bowie. About something dull not working and looking for something better. ———————————— 3 - Paper: This band confuses me. Not enjoying album so far. ———————————— 4 - Cities: one of the better songs it pulls itself together at the end. ———————————— 5 - Life During Wartime: The best song on the album going if of the number of listens. Reminds me of earthbound. Song is mid. ———————————— 6 - Memories Can’t Wait: Bro what the fuck am I listening to rn. Very psychedelic. Favorite song so far. It’s coherent. ———————————— 7 - Air: Funky ghostly opening. Mellow sounding. I like it. ———————————— 8 - Heaven: Classic rock sounding riff. Reminds me of in the lap of the gods. New favorite song. Another drunk bowie song. ———————————— 9 - Animals: It’s alright I guess. One of the better ones in my opinion. Very creative song ———————————— 10 - Electric Guitar: The thing I hat most about this album is that the singer just wails you the title of the track and rhymes it with other words. The song is whimsical as well doesn’t make much sense. But it’s also kind of good...? Nvm. ———————————— 11 - Drugs: This one better be good. Maybe it will be talking about the inspiration for this whole album considering how weird it sounds. Into features moaning sounds. I like the airy sound as-well. Don’t like vocals. This song sounds eccentric. It’s good. ———————————— 12 - Dancing for money unfinished outtake: My expectations are low. Sounds like this dude got some awkward kid to sing backup vocals. Overall it’s a good thing it’s an outtake, not that is would help the album at all. ———————————— Overall: Didn’t really like this album at all. Other than a flex exceptions. This was my first time actually listening to the talking heads and it disappointed me. My rating out of ten for this album is a 4/10

Mwah

In their top 3 for sure but not my favorite Talking Heads album. That said, 5 stars!

Ok rock. Some decent songs, but some songs were tough to get through.

Funky shit funky shit catchy choruses

While I like the talking heads I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single track off of this album. It’s definitely a talking heads album with all the weirdness but this felt a little more psychedelic or something idk

Probably the TH record I'm least familiar with although have always loved cities. Heaven is an obvious five star tune too. Overall somewhat darker offering.

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. Stand out tracks: Drugs, Life During Wartime.

didnt get to finish this, but the first 2 songs were good. i’ve always loved the art fags tho so maybe i’m biased … - yesterday was fabulous, did some “networking” and put myself out there a little more. today is less good, everyone here is so cliquey and exclusive. i don’t remember it ever being like that. it makes me sad to think i don’t have a group and no one wants me in theirs. ik it probably shouldn’t bother me so much, but it does. wish people weren’t so awkward

09/01/2022 I just….don’t like the talking heads. They’re the whitest band ever to me. The album was fine, I was able to get through all of it, but I didn’t enjoy any of it tbh. Definitely won’t be listening again, but it wasn’t something so horrible that I couldn’t get through the album. It’s all just personal preference. — Today was way better than yesterday. Did a lot of work and finished a lot of stuff early so I could just relax this weekend. Heading to San Antonio for a few days, hope to relax and recharge.

У нас уже был на прослушивание самый первый альбом TH, и он мне не понравился Не могу сказать то же самое об FOM — он огненный!

drugs крутейшая

Isang pagdiriwang.

Banger opener

This was the first time I've listened to this album. I appreciate the direction they moved in with the innovative sound, but overall this isn't something I'll continue to experience.

I Zimba - Samba music Mind - hypnotic... single? Paper - disco punk... marillion dramatic vocals ... catchy but repetitive (SOLID TRACK) Cities - ska punky... Ffo - Black Country new road, yard act .... (SOLID TRACK) single? Life During Wartime - jazz bluesy intro... hip shaking track... Memories Can't Wait - Vocals very Gary Numan vibe... lovely bass tone... (SOLID TRACK) Air - mad synth parts... Morrissey vocals Heaven - slow ballad... David Bowie vibe...(SOLID TRACK) Animals - Idles vocal... mad guitar tone... Electric Guitar - mad... Heavy abrasive Drugs - slow math rock... beautiful strings.... The Maccabees soaring solos... very experimental... deranged... (SOLID TRACK) Artwork - Fits the sound of the record... metallic rock... Rating - 3/5

Good variety of sounds and ideas, very creative band with undoubted talent

I wasn't expecting this to be so upbeat and musical.

Very nice. Familiar with it.

Already love Talking Heads, but I've never heard this album. It's really nice, and my favorite track was Heaven

This album makes my bussy bop. Love it.

Okay

Started off unsure but ended up adding a few songs to my playlist.

The most I’ve listened to the Talking Heads. For sure a great band and I can see why. I don’t think I’d return to this album though. Other than a few songs, a little to erratic for me.

A very fresh, innovative sound for 1979. They were never afraid to try different sounds: all while sounding like the Talking Heads. (Franz Ferdinand is cut from the same cloth). This was a nice listen.

Cities is a real bop. The Talking Heads really lean into this funk disco sound on the open tracks on this album. Life During Wartime is rad.

This album still has David Byrne's oddities and creativity, but I would say this is a more accessible Talking Heads album that tones down some of his more "out there" ideas. The last two songs are definitely where he lets loose, leading up to that it's a bit more of a standard alternative rock album.

cool

Most of the songs aren't terrible, there are a few i really don't enjoy, and they kind of ruin the album for me. There are a few okay songs on here, but I wouldn't listen to it again.

mas ou menos, tem musicas bem esquecíveis mas outras legalzinhas

Super interesting album. Not great for background music or relaxing to. More for when you want to actually listen to some music and let your thoughts and emotions roam around a little.

Spiky guitars, nice bass from Tina Weymouth, spoiled by the irritating voice of David Byrne

Not really my kind of thing. Relatively interesting, musically at least, and can hear the influence on loads of bands and artists. Sounds very 80s, which I guess means it was ahead of its time 3 🌟

I can appreciate their body of work and sound but I just wasn't that big a fan of their music, save a song or two. This album wasn't really it for me. 7/10.

Interesting, but I think their other work is better. Great to hear where the later sounds started.

I feel like I love pretty much anything Brian Eno works on. This album was a very solid surprise to me.

consistent with their sound

I just don’t get it. Maybe my ability to listen to music isn’t very refined, but I couldn’t get into this album. I made an honest effort. I appreciate how truly unique they have always been; very committed to their own brand of sound.

This has been a favorite of mine since highschool. Pretty experimental like on the first track with the nonsensical language.

Great album by a great band. Unique mix of punk, dance, funk, as well as rhythmic sounds from all over the world. Layers of subtle instruments. Polyrhythms on top of polyrhythms.

Just weird enough.

1 not a fan of the sound nor the vocals. I could prob sing just like this and there’s nothing special about it.

Weird / oddball, very talking heads, catchy but no must-listens imo

Not my fave of their albums but some good stuff

I love myself some Talking Heads - this album was a little rough though. The whole album felt formulaic. Tina's bass was nice, as always. not much else to say. Life During Wartime is classic.

Wacky and I'm glad it exists. It has its moments but not something I'd want to hear all of the time. Favorite track: Cities

paar heel leuke nummers!

synoniem voor tof

Beter als verwacht maar kan er nooit enorm van genieten

I never liked psycho killer on the radio. I like this even less.

Psycho killer isn’t on this album :(

Sucked ass.

Top Song: Memories Can't Wait

Top songs: Paper, Cities, Life During Wartime 3/5

Talking heads 😳😳😳😱😱😩😱😳😳😩😱 1 Heaven, 2 Ok wtf "Drugs" bangs. At the times when it's not fucking horrible.

I'm a big fan of Talking Heads - they've made some of my favourite tracks and influenced loads of other great artists - but I've yet to find a TH album I loved from start to finish. Having said that, I do like the cut of this one's jib. The commitment to completely bonkers (but possibly profound??) lyrical themes hooked me in, and second time round some pretty infectious tunes revealed themselves too. 3.5, but I suspect that score may rise further in future.

Love some vintage Talking Heads

talking heads... ai ai. eu so conheço psycho killer, e o resto que eu ja ouvi n me agradou nem um pouco. tem algo nas musicas deles - provavelmente os riffs disco - que me lembra muito as musicas de transição do the wall do pink floyd, não que isso seja ruim, mas quando todas musicas são assim é foda. minha expectativa é: nenhuma musica vai me pegar, não vou me lembrar de nenhuma. essa vibe deles não me prende nem um pouco. um bom ponto é a guitarra, me lembra robby krieger do the doors, no sentido de que não é uma guitarra que constantemente molda a harmonia, ela ta ali so pra fazer uma rapida passagem e é isso. que particularmente eu acho muito foda. papers é tri. com o tempo eu fui percebendo que não é so a guitarra que se parece com the doors, o byrne canta muito parecido com o jim morrison, as melodias são parecidas, a poesia tambem. é the doors se fosse uma banda de disco. foi um pouquinho melhor do que eu esperava, mas mesmo assim, nenhuma musica me pegou. gostei de algumas inteiras, gostei de algumas partes de outras, mas nenhuma me pegou.

Could get into this more.

Just coming out of the coma I suffer from the album. Nothing too impressive

enjoyed

Wanted to like it more

Not my fave Talking Heads but it’s got Heaven

Good album. Husband loved it.

Meh.

Standard new wave album by the Talking Heads. I didn't read much about the album before listening but I remember the first time going through this there were at least two other talking heads albums that were on the list. Maybe I am missing something but still not sure why they have so many entries.

"Fear Of Music"? Yeah, these guys were deathly afraid of making good music. I don't get this genre at all. They're just talking... with their heads. Almost like they're The Talking Heads™ (Credits roll) There's like 5 Talking Heads albums on this list. Maybe I'll enjoy one of them, since I actually think Psycho Killer's quite a banger.

Some of their best

One of my favorite Takling Heads releases. I definitely think this is the album where they truly came into their own. It's darker and more experimental than their earlier stuff, while retaining the pop sensibilities. Eno's production is fabulous as well.

I like Talking Heads, but none of these tracks really gripped me in a way that some of their other stuff does. Still, a decent listen.

It's probably the nerviest sounding Talking Heads album which is no mean feat. Half the album is gives, the other half threes...

Talking Heads are always pretty great, sometimes fantastic, but during this era, I find it hard to listen to anything but Stop Making Sense. The album versions of Heaven and Life During Wartime on this one are just not the same!

Great start.

4.5

Talking Heads are my fine wine band, they get better to me with my age

Maybe my least favorite Talking Heads album. But then it has some of their all time best songs on it, like Heaven and Life During War Time? Ah well 5 stars I guess for these fuckin' guys.

Theres better albums from deez guys

Great band, great album

'I, Zimbra' non male, la seconda torna già sui livelli che non mi piacevano. Godibile comunque. 'Heaven' devo ammettere che è molto bella. L'ultima boh. 3

i don't like his voice, guitar cool

I am certain that the titular fear is tongue-in-cheek, but one could easily read it in the monotone of the opening songs. Intention is evasive like that, and divining Byrne's feelings about melody seems annoying and useless. Talking Heads wake up late in the tracklist with a fabulous run of songs. Drugs proves that there's still range there, and suggests that I should revisit the music I initially found boring.

This ain't no party

Офигенный альбом. Предтеча Discipline группы King Crimson. То, что доктор прописал. То, что я очень люблю.

Sounded very 'world music'- a bit samey but nice.

Wow! I’ve always meant to listen to the Talking Heads and I’m glad this 1001 album endeavour finally forced me to. This is the first album I’m giving 5/5 because I will definitely listen to it again. When it finished playing, I let it start again. Loved it from start to finish.

"The better the singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying" - David Byrne. It doesn't ring entirely true, but goes a long way towards explaining Talking Heads' approach to music: capture a flash of inspiration, cling to the authenticity of it, worry about everything else afterwards. To me, "Fear of Music" (what a title) is when all the components of this brilliant band come together for the first time. David Byrne's unique and neurotic worldview was projecting out to everything around him, the band were starting to explore new ground and styles musically while retaining a sense of spontaneity, and Brian Eno's partnership with them was soaring to new heights. The concept of "Fear of Music" - detachment from any sense of stability, and paranoia concerning just about everything - unravels beautifully across the set of songs. We're treated to what is, in effect, a Talking Heads rulebook containing the following insights: Love is as weak as paper. Heaven is a con. Don't trust animals, they're laughing at you. Don't trust electric guitar, it's breaking the law. Don't trust the air you breathe, it can also hurt you. Bim blassa galassasa zimbrabim! Musically, they're on stellar form: Byrne and Jerry Harrison's jagged and brash rhythm guitar, Tina Weymouth's bubbling, disco-esque basslines, and Chris Frantz bringing rock-steady drum parts. Some occasional stuttering keyboard accompaniments go a long way, as does Eno's cold production. Even including the weakest link "Electric Guitar", every track is either lyrically striking, irresistibly danceable (a frenzied strut, but danceable all the same), or at least ear-grabbingly intriguing. The coda of "Animals" holds a special place in my heart. Robert Fripp's guitar cameo in "I Zimbra" is dizzying wonder. The build-up in "Memories Can't Wait" is triumphant and disturbing at once. "Heaven" sounded a lot better four years later on "Stop Making Sense", but it's still a melodic gem. Every track is completely original and arrestingly immediate. They would move onto more ambitious work immediately afterwards, but "Fear of Music" shows the band absolutely mastering three-minute songcraft.

Great album by a great band. This album sounds like a band coming into their own. 4 stars. On a separate note, can we talk about how many Brian Eno-produced albums are on this list? Pretty amazing really. I can’t imagine there’s any individual who has contributed to more albums on this list than Eno.

It was ok

LP

Honestly, I could never really get into the Talking Heads so this album was pretty average for me

Not exactly their best

I like the talking heads as much as the next guy but at this rate we’re going to have listened to their entire discography by the time we get done with this list

not the best album but good

Funky new wave, and an agree David Byrne. And then it’s got Life during wartime on it. What’s not to like

Nice, nothing particularly stood out.

Such a great band, musical genius. Incredible album to sit and listen to what is going on with each track, harder if you are just taking in if it's background music

Overall didn't enjoy it, and yet I can see why it's influential. Good to have heard, probably won't revisit.

It's very difficult to give an impartial review on one of my favourite bands. An influential masterpiece, unlike anything else released at the time.

Getting to the heights of Remain in Light.

Ok album

Aðeins ójöfn, og ég er í sjálfu sér enginn aðdáandi raddar Byrnes, en þetta er oftar en ekki töff og skemmtilegt, gæti vel hlustað á oftar.

Experimental sounds but just can’t get into Talking Heads at all. Music or vocal styles.

when the guitars hit during Mind... oooooooh. this album got me through an unnecessarily stressful afternoon thank you Talking Heads. 9/10.

8/10. Quite good, but how many Talking Heads Albums are on here?

Decently entertaining if a little odd. 7/10

idk man I don't understand this band, don't hate it but it's not my thing

Didn't like this album at all. Can't really find much redeeming about it. It's different, but it's not especially easy to listen to. Perhaps that's the appeal? These guys are raw and not sellouts? Finally turned it off at song #12... Couldn't make it through the whole album and didn't even want to. 1 star.

This whole album feels like an inside joke that I've heard once that I was never really a part of. Talking Heads is supposed to be good, right? It's the second one from there that I've been really meh on. All I get is 'different', and not in a particularly good way.

Even as a fan of the Talking Heads, it is hard to beat their work on their live album Stop Making Sense. Most of the music off of this recommendation, Fear of Music, was new to me. I am only certain that I have heard two of the eleven tracks from this album, but the album does sound like the Talking Heads. I liked "I Zimbra" and "Life During Wartime" the most. "I Zimbra" hints at later work by the band and David Byrne's solo career. I was a little disappointed that I didn't find more than one or two tracks that I'm definitely going to listen to again, but overall I could give Fear of Music another listen.

Not too bad, not as good as remain in light

Enjoyed this much more than…checks notes…the other Talking Heads one that was AOTD recently. I particularly like Drugs. Probably as it’s under Eno’s influence more than other Heads’ output. Parts of this - unsurprisingly - put me in mind of Bush Of Ghosts, which is no bad thing. I played this twice and enjoyed it both times.

Interesting album of the time

It's fine but I don't really get the appeal.

Fav songs: - Memories Can't Wait - Electric Guitar - Paper

Mixed bag of some of my favourite songs by them with a lot I don't particularly feel anything for. Definitely don't love this as much as some.

Only really knew one song, but enjoyed entire album.

Love this album - the lyrics, the rhythms, the cover...

I've been trying to get into this band for what feels like forever, and I think this is the album that finally opened the door a bit. Each track is distinct 'Heads' material, but the off-kilter guitar tones now match up to Byrne's eclectic delivery and leave every song an earworm. Lots of head-turners in terms of instrumentation, rhythm, and production only complement the sense of artistic weirdness and make this a fun but easily digestible listen.

Jagged and edgy and lived in

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around. This is just another awesome Talking Heads record. It might be my third or fourth favorite Talking Heads record depending on the day but it's still a great time.

Ég held mikið með David Byrne og Talking Heads. Asskolli skemmtileg plata!

i wanted to like this more than i actually did. i guess i went into this thinking it would be pure and catchy new wave. to be fair, this album isn’t bad! i listened to it several times and couldn’t find it in me to love this album. there’s some great, interesting beats here (“i zimbra”) and i love singing “this ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco,” but that just wasn’t enough. i wonder if it’s because byrne’s vocals are rather soft. still a good listen, but it’s rather average.

I have always put Talking Heads squarely in the "new wave" genre, but one thing I noticed with this album in particular is that the band, at least at this point in time, had way more funk and disco influences in their music than I realized. I Zimbra was a very unexpected but pleasant opener; I listened to that track several times. Overall, I really dig the bizarre rhythms that are used by Talking Heads. I think the band's vocals fit the progressive take on music, but sometimes those vocals come off as more hypnotic and monotonous than anything. I found myself really enjoying the first half of the album, but was kind of bored with the second half.

Okay

I've never much liked this band, but it was OKAY.

Yes, this was very David Byrne, some of the tracks I've never heard but I felt like I could have known them for years.

4.5/5 Basically one notch below "Remain in Light"

Life During Wartime gets the toe tappin’ and booty shakin’. 2.67.

3*

Nothing special

Amazing highlights. Heaven, life during wartime, cities, mind are really great. Sadly, some other songs sound filler. Great listen though

It's Talking Heads. I am not qualified to judge, these people are legends.

Talking Heads are an all time great. This album is a masterpiece.

loved it. talking heads 77 is better but this turned me on to a whole bunch of songs id never heard.

There were a few songs I liked on this album, but in general, not a fan of the style.

I like the Talking Heads, but this was nothing special. The first track (I Zimbra) is super catchy, though. 6.5/10.

Très sympa ! J'ai toujours du mal avec le fait que la musique des Talking Heads me paraît un peu lugubre (peut-être parce que c'est en mineur) mais l'album est très sympa !

I don't like Talking Heads that much

Man, that's just an utter mess of a record. It's a bunch of half-baked melodies over half-formed song ideas. The end result isn't even half-assed, it's a quarter-assed at best. What an annoying waste of time.

Great!!

Very Talking Heads but not that many hooks.

"Deep breath, stay calm, try and hide those sweaty palms." At first, I liked Talking Heads. I got into them at around 18, after reading Rip It Up and Start Again. I bought lots of albums because of Simon Reynolds’ writing about them, and the chapter on Talking Heads and Wire was among my favourites. At that age, I still liked the idea of a band as a self-contained unit of guitars, bass, and drums, ideally with one non-musician. This album was my favourite; it seemed a good balance of that tradition and musical experimentation, before they expanded into a funk orchestra with Remain in Light. I had a rough time over the next couple of years. I’d moved from a quiet, rural place to go to university in London, running away from teenage drama with the vague feeling that everything would be better when I got there, and I was completely out of my depth. I’d always sailed through exams and essays with ease, which made things look alright from the outside and taught me to see what intelligence I had as a kind of protection. Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t even read any more. Things I didn’t immediately understand felt like attacks. At some point during all of that, Talking Heads stopped making sense to me. Their music felt purely intellectual in a way that was beyond me. With the exception of I Zimbra, which I always liked, it felt like something that needed to be decoded. I thought of it as emotionless. I didn’t like feeling that I was missing something obvious. A lot has changed since then, thank god. I’ve come to understand social phobia better. I’m less scared of being thick and better at asking questions. Recently, I listened to Speaking in Tongues and quite enjoyed it. Even so, I had some trepidation about going back to this one. It has the reputation as the one that fans like the most, rather than the one we’re supposed to admire. The Revolver to Remain in Light’s Sgt. Pepper, perhaps. Then it hit me: melophobia, the fear of music. Some of the symptoms are common to other forms of anxiety, including elevated heart rate, panic attack, breathlessness, an urge to flee, anger or loss of control, and the inability to speak or think clearly. Maybe that last one is why it took me 15 years to pay attention to the title. It’s not cold and emotionless at all, it’s music of fear. The scene is set with Hugo Ball's sound poetry, a form that erupted during the cataclysm of "world war without end...revolution without beginning." It appears as form without content, but the disrupted content exposes the futility and arbitrariness of form alone. The Dada manifesto, in translation, calls Dada "the word soul," the definitive essence of communication without borders in a time of unstoppable turmoil. It can't give you answers. There is no sense, only sensation. This sets up an album that's not funk as dance music, but as a mind itching for a definite answer where there isn’t one; David Byrne freaking out in a freezing bedsit with the radio on and the news on the tv. The relentless rhythms and warped, psychedelic guitar tones put me in the cortisol-zapped mind of the vocalist as he races through every trigger and hopelessly cycles through every available coping mechanism. At first glance, Electric Guitar seemed like an outlier to me, as it essentially retells the concept of Rush's 2112, in which an authoritarian regime has banned rock. It seems far-fetched from a comfortable western perspective. It might seem more immediate to a paranoid, panic-stricken mind, or indeed to anyone who had to etch pop songs onto old x-rays to share them. To put it in an historical context, the album was composed during the Iranian revolution; the band went into the studio to record it about 2 months after the Ayatollah took control in Tehran. I appreciate Fear of Music a lot more now I'm not too close to take it in. It's a tense record, but that's kind of the point, and I find it less claustrophobic than I used to. I’m really not going to make it through The Young Gods, though, am I? P.S. because I just noticed this and can't resist putting it in: the Dada Manifesto says that "In German it means 'good-bye,' 'Get off my back,' 'Be seeing you sometime." I wonder if Patrick McGoohan was a fan.

One of my faves- minimal and sparse at times, other times jagged and claustrophobic. Always driving rhythms and progressive. Still listen on the reg. Pulled me out of a really bad headspace at Bighorn 100, mile 72-ish. Highlights: Mind, Air, Cities, I Zimbra

This isn't my favorite Talking Heads album, but it still slaps

I like it. It's an experimental album with african beats

Bien qu'ayant obtenu un quatre sur cinq de ma part lors du prime précédent, je n'accorderai cette fois-ci aucun passe-droit aux Talking Heads. L'album n'a pas du tout su me convaincre. Pour vous remettre dans le contexte, j'ai lancé sa lecture à l'exact moment où je montai dans un train en direction de Hanovre. Quelques minutes après mon installation, au moment de contrôler mon billet, l'employée de la Deutsche Bahn missionnée ce jour-là prêta une oreille à ce que vrombissait mon enceinte JBL dans tout le wagon. « C'est vraiment pas terrible… Ils avaient fait très fort avec Remain In Light mais là c'est vraiment pas terrible... » dit-elle avant que je n'abonde dans son sens. En bref, les Talking Heads devront prouver qu'ils méritent bel et bien leur place avec les deux prochains albums.

Je tiens à prendre les devants suite à l'événement s'étant produit hier. J'ai en effet brisé l'un des commandements du générateur par erreur, contre mon gré. Vous n'êtes pas sans savoir que je possède plusieurs générateurs pirates, que j'ai déjà évoqués dans de multiples reviews d'albums. Or, l'un de ces générateurs a présenté un dysfonctionnement, et m'a généré automatiquement l'album Heroes de David Bowie. Mes générateurs pirates sont conçus pour ne me donner que des albums ne figurant pas dans la liste de Robert. Pensant le système infaillible, j'écoutais cet album, sans me douter qu'il figurait dans la liste des 1001 albums à ne surtout pas écouter avant qu'ils soient générés. Après quelques minutes d'écoutes, je reçus immédiatement un message de robdenayer, m'invectivant d'un "Eh mais t'écoutes Bowie là ?!". Je compris immédiatement que j'étais dans l'erreur, et avouait directement ma faute à Robert. En revanche, je ne compris pas comment rob avait pu être alerté aussi rapidement. Je vérifiais donc les réglages de mon générateur pirate, et y découvrit un virus, déposé là par un hackeur du nom de "RobCrusaders". Je fis donc rapidement le lien entre ce hackeur et l'ignoble rob, et clarifiait une deuxième fois toute la situation à Robert. Ce dernier se montra magnanime: il générera seulement une liste de 5 mauvais albums à la suite en guise de punition, et me fit jurer, pieds et poings liés, que cela ne se reproduirait plus.

I think it's their best album.

Another of these records where the hit is misleading about overall texture, which is interesting throughout and occasionally weird, though it scans as much less weird today than 40+ years ago. It's a whole album, a unit of measurement that isn't much used anymore. I still think of it all as a peace with the other three early albums. Whole lotta Eno, too, works for me. Zimbra, Air, Heaven, Drugs are the personal faves.

While I've always enjoyed a lot of their music, the Talking Heads always felt a little like they were for much cooler people than me. And this album really felt like a set of deep cuts from their œuvre. Too cool for me. I felt the first half was fine, but I had a hard time getting through the second half. I think a little more time might help me out, but I didn't have it to give today.

Great! I didn't know this album from Talking Heads, but I loved it!!

I run hot and cold with Talking Heads. Love some songs, find others really grating. This one's got more good to it than grating. Glad for that.

I’ve always liked The Talking Heads, although I have never heard this album. Glad that has been addressed, because this is a great album. It is really fun to listen to with its interesting rhythms, quirky lyrics and fun musical touches. But underlying all that is a lot of fear in “Fear of Music.” There’s a palpable desperation as the album grapples with the challenges of modern life. I was familiar with the song “Life During Wartime.” The problems it explores have not been addressed. The singer of “Cities” struggles to find a place to in the world that the pandemic has made a top-of-mind issue for many. Our increasingly polarized societal splits makes “Mind” something that could have been written today. Climate change could make “Air” its anthem. “Fear of Music” does not feel like an artifact from 1979. Am I reassured that despite this being true 41 years ago we are still here or frightened that this is so relevant after 41 years? Timeless. Fun. Disconcerting. Great!

Meh. Very British and mostly good beats and jamming. I liked the Electric Guitar song because of the riff/beat. Overall would not listen again except the one song that I liked. Mind is actually pretty decent tho. The alternate version. I like the songs that are clear and less busy.

You know what I love about Talking Heads? They completely existed in their own musical headspace. This is a band that basically invented their sound as they went along, frequently wandering into uncharted territory. They could draw on what was hip at the moment musically if they felt like it, but bend it into their own weird concoctions. Their music was off the wall, lyrically complex and sometimes pretty challenging. This is wickedly smart music that is also incredibly engaging and fun to listen to. There really is no other band like the Talking Heads and I live on this music. Fear of Music has everything you want or need in a Talking Heads album, full of funky grooves, offset with a little punk-tinged terseness and grit. The band is in top form with jagged, urgent guitars, frenetic drumming and some seriously funky bass. Byrne's singular vocal style lilts from whimsical to menacing and even melancholy in a sometimes surprising but always entertaining fashion. Not every song on this album is an easy listen, but the band is able to strike a balance between being adventurous and being fun, which is really hard to do. They get even better at it on the albums that come after this one. Fave Songs (All songs from most to least favorite): Cities, Life During Wartime, Heaven, I Zimbra, Mind, Memories Can't Wait, Air, Paper, Animals, Electric Guitar, Drugs

Best album I've listened to by far

Not their best album, but ok

Some great tracks on this. Instrumentation is fantastic. Basslines pop out and synth is everyewhere. Rhythmically complex and interesting, and probably only let down by David Byrne's voice. Heaven is a killer tune.

More Talking Heads. This one was much more what I had expected from the band, an extra star for that "paper" song, but I'm not sure why this one's on the list.

this was a very good album. I enjoyed listening to it. got a lot of modest mouse vibes with david byrne's singing so, that's probably where isaac brock, uh, got that idea, but it's working. Instrumentally some of the songs I was really into and some of them I could leave it. Mind was particularly catchy and i'm not sure i'd heard it before.

Mind resonated for me the most

Poppy album with a unique sound and character

Not bad. I can see the appeal for this group and album. Not fully my cup of tea.

This was average. Nothing bad about it, but nothing outstanding about it either.

Listened Before: N Old Talking Heads! Sweet! Pros: A few catchy ones in there. It's fun to hear where their sound originated. Overall a solid album though. Really liked Life During Wartime. Cons: Sometimes a little bit TOO experimental for me. "Drugs" in particular.... Although I'm not sure what I expected with a title like that! Added to playlist: Life During Wartime

I Zimbra is probably one of the best songs I've ever heard in my entire life.

The Mid-to-Late-70s-Bowie-Vibes are strong with this one, without reaching Bowie's level. The music is quite experimental here (Brian Eno's influence), but not enough tracks stand out. Nice album, which I don't absolutely have to listen to again. 3/5.

great album so much energy, i guess cocaine

The best of this album IMO: - Drugs It's okay. Nothing memorable in my opinion, except Drugs. Mmm, drugs. 2.7/5

3.5/5. This was a difficult album for me to rate because I actually enjoyed it but it wasn’t a 4. I thought it was different enough to be fun but not amazing.

Talking Heads. They're a tough one for me... I'm glad this one came on a weekend so I've been able to listen multiple times; I just knew I wasn't going to connect on first listen and I definitely didn't. There's this weird dichotomy I've found with Talking Heads (and most definitely on this album) of sounding rhythmically worldly yet stilted at the same time - very pronounced to me over the first few songs especially. For example on "I Zimbra" the opening cut - my first instinct was that it was/is too repetitive/boring. But that's also my Western perspective - there's a hypnotic element which seems reminiscent of African beats. Perhaps this is the point - this band forces me to step outside of what I'd traditionally think of in terms of a pop music structure for a song. Rhythms and chord progressions that don't resolve in a traditional sense (e.g. both "Mind" and "Paper") initially are frustrating to me but I start to "get it" a bit more each subsequent listen. The second part of the album starts to drift back into more-accessible structures (e.g. "Heaven") and there are a few tunes on here that I'm familiar with (esp. "Life During Wartime" and "Memories Can't Wait" oddly enough initially through Living Colour's very cool cover version...). This is one of the weirdest "3" ratings I'll give. I kind of think there's a ton to unpack here, yet I still can't fully connect with some of the frequent atonal aspects of it. I think in the end very often with Talking Heads...I very much appreciate the skill and composition yet I can't connect emotionally with them. It feels like a total copout but they're a good "sure I'll listen to them" band for me. 7/10 3 stars

i zimbra - so vibey 4/5 mind 3.5/5 paper 4/5 cities 3/5 life during wartime 3.5/5 memories can’t wait 3/5 air 4/5 heaven 4.5/5 animals 3.5/5 electric car 4/5 drugs 3/5 73% overall!

Talking Heads liebe ich, schöne Melodien, gute Texte

Estilo propio de los 80, con un pop un tanto comercial y canciones con una misma secuencia. No destaca en nada en particular. Se deja escuchar sin más

3,5 Will listen again to: - I Zimbra - Cities - Life During Wartime - Air

Not really my kind of thing. Relatively interesting, musically at least, and can hear the influence on loads of bands and artists. Sounds very 80s, which I guess means it was ahead of its time

kinda hard to rate as a whole but heaven is low-key really good

2nd best Talking Heads album. Damn near perfect. 9-10/10 1. Life During Wartime 2. I Zimbra 3. Memories Can't Wait

Very unique for 1979.

Temmelig weird musik. Dog var "War during lifetime" rimelig fed. 2,5

Sådan semi..

-"Cities" has some great back bass and groove, but I do prefer the more intense live version on 'Stop Making Sense" -"Life During Wartime" is an awesome song -The end bit of "Animals" is really cool, with the layers and layers of David Byrne singing -Memories Can't Wait is pretty cool like psychedelic stuff kinda -Just generally solid, even if the live versions are way better

Nameless new wave. 2/5.

Album to become unhinged to

Off the wall.

It was solid, just not my fav Talking Heads album

Made me dance and enjoyable to have on in the back ground but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again

Sounds like if David Bowie was trying to be Pink Floyd. It’s fine. Songs are fine but nothing stands out.

LIfe During Wartime Heaven Good classic Talking Heads

Rock psicodélico raruno. Ni fu ni fa.

Fun listen. Will definitely go back to.

Not bad. I think this is because of Brian Eno's involvement.

rad

I had always heard of the Talking Heads as being the “type” of band I would like, but never really listened to them. This album is really cool, and definitely seems like it was ahead of its time. Would have fit right in in the 90s. Some really good tracks on here.

I zimbra is the best song here. The vocal are off-putting. 3/5

Loved every minute of this.

I love Talking Heads, but haven't listened to these songs much before now. I'm sure that'll change.

joa ganz gut ne

2021.11.10 cities life during wartime memories can’t wait heaven

Nice, relaxed

It's Talking Heads. It's one of 3 consecutive masterpieces. (Though, here's a fun little tidbit about me, it's my least favorite of the 3 consecutive masterpieces!)

Legendary album full of experimental grooves. Not my favorite talking heads album though, misses the mark for 5 stars despite having lots of awesome songs because some parts of this album can be abrasive and borderline annoying at times. It’s a unique piece of art but not the most enjoyable talking heads album to listen to

Liked this one a lot some songs got a bit repetitive though

Some stand out tracks, but I still think talking heads 77, remain in light and speaking in tongues are more cohesive and listenable.

I enjoyed and got a bit bored by this in equal parts. Has some good ideas and is fairly fresh sounding, but some parts just go on too long.

Good.

Maybe I'm the only person in the world that doesn't like the Talking Heads. This is awful. One and a half star awful, but I feel generous today.

Really enjoying this one. Not sure how I hadn't listened to this entire album in the past. Definitely starts stronger than it ends. 4/5

good album, not my favorite Talking Heads but definitely listenable

HECCIN GROOVYYYYY delay experimentation for the 70s. can see where the fall etc got some vocals, also maybe black midi lol this is quite brilliant and i will listen to it more

Funky. The bass lines are sick

Remember the talking head from art attack? He’s not on this album which is a crying shame

Very solid.

A spooked ostrich in a house of mirrors.

Things what I did done learn from the 1,001 Albums: Part 4 - Talking Heads are really bloody good. No idea why I paid them so little attention before. If they were a football team, they would be Brentford (a breath of fresh air) as opposed to Burnley (Aimee Mann - a bit dull), Norwich (The Incredible String Band - really, really shit) or Man United (any jazz - loads of fellas doing loads of different playing with absolutely no cohesion).

Good album, actual score 3.5

4 star pre-credit. i really will try talking heads at some point

Oh this is one of the best albums in the list. The music. The lyrics. All great from start to finish. Too bad one cannot give 10 star!

David Byrne. Genius.

Talking Heads third album - Fear of Music - containing new-wave, post-punk music was released in 1979, and was certified gold six years later. There are many different musical genres sprinkled in to the various songs, and every songs' lyrics are well done. My personal opinion of the album is that - while having good rhythm & lyrics, and a dark & gritty theme - there wasn't any wow factor that would make me listen again.

Another one that I’m more of a fan of on paper than reality. Some interesting hybrids of DIY disco and electro but did grab my attention as much as I was hoping.

My dislike for David Byrne aside, this is a great TH album. Very future driven. 3.5/5

10/10 why didn’t I start listening to these guys sooner?! this album is FUCKING AWESOME! definitely gonna check out this bands other stuff.