Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Good album, nothing spectacular. But a four due to my love of Talking Heads.
6/10 - a very Talking Heads sound, pioneers of the franz ferdinand/scissor sisters type sound
I enjoy Talking Heads more now, I guess.
Weird. Skizo. Love it.
Weird. Timeless. Edgy. Brilliant. And it’s not even the best Talking Heads album.
A couple of good songs but the album is not as strong as their others.
I probably would've rated this a little higher, but I've had a couple Talking Heads records back to back and I can only take so much...
Talking Heads is one of those bands I've always heard about but never took the time to listen. I know they have a cult following, so I was glad to finally give them a try. It was not what I expected, and I'm still in the process of digesting what is clearly a generous album. Overall, I'm not sure I really like it, but it's mostly because art rock never struck a chord with me. The band is competent and inventive, with some stunning instrumental moments, and I don't have anything bad to say about them. There's a ton of different influences here, and they do blend quite well together, creating a unique, slightly unhinged atmosphere. But it's a tad too much on the pop side for me, and not as weird or experimental as I had hoped. I really loved a few tracks (like the magnificent Memories Can't Wait), while some others left me indifferent. To sum it up, it's a great album in a genre I don't really enjoy. I can appreciate it intellectually, but emotionally it doesn't do much for me. I'll gladly give their other albums a try though. 6/10.
Talking Heads are an important and influential band I’ve listened to and tried to get into in the past. Still, their mix of moods and influences, from dark and gloomy to quirky and humorous, all tied together by that cold post-punk sound, kind of leaves me puzzled. It works really well on some tracks, but often I’m not fully convinced, especially when they bring in Afrobeat vibes that make them unique but, to me, not all that appealing. I don’t dislike them, but I’m not exactly a fan either. I think that I might enjoy more their first albums but I didn’t dig that much into them this weekend.
Listening to this album really elevated my fondness for Talking Heads. It's really an enjoyable album. Pairs well with technically challenging work or hobbies.
Songs I liked - 4 Songs I didn't like - 7 4÷11≈0.36 0.36=36% I feel like an utter gimp doing maths to give my rating but I'm ill and I can't be arsed writing anything out.
Really enjoyed some of the melodic tracks - like Heaven. Some too quirky for me - though imagine if watching live would enjoy, adding the visual aspect to this band!
It seems only one album in every three or four on this website is any good. So I've got 2-3 days of crap to grind through after today.
Jams all the way through
As someone with no nostalgia for the talking heads... i dont really get it.
Just going about my day and Heaven hits me like a ton of bricks. Talking Heads, some of the best to ever do it!!!!
Frantic energy from that we know and love 💞
Great disco beats made funky, some tracks that I will listen to again for sure. 4/5
I don't remember my first experience with The Talking Heads, but I had a negative bias as soon as I saw their name come up. It started off pretty funky, though, different to what I was expecting. It does end with '80s-era sounds, so I see how this record in particular might've influenced future projects, but I would tag this outside of your stereotypical album by decade. It has a timelessness to it. I guess I'm not a huge fan of the vocals, which in turn aren't inviting me to explore the lyrical content with too much depth. Credit where it's due, it's a well produced piece of work. I'm hesitant with my rank because I could see me warming up to the sound. 3/5
David Byrne es uno de los creadores más originales que ha dado la historia del rock. Su vehículo de expresión ha sido fundamentalmente la banda Talking Heads. Ahí ha dado rienda suelta a su eclecticismo y su poco convencional sentido de la música. Esa es su aportación y bien que nos gusta. En este álbum hay canciones que me dejan más bien frío pero la gran mayoría son aciertos. “I Zimbra” (claramente crimsoniana, no en vano el mismísimo Robert Fripp toca en ella), “Cities” y mi favorita “Heaven” son buen ejemplo de la originalidad de la banda.
much better
5/10
Checke einfach nicht, was an denen besonders sein soll. Finde es langweilig.
Schon recht zäh, da gefiel mir „Remain In Light“ von ihnen besser.
Schwache 4 bei mir. Bin irgendwie nicht so ganz reingekommen wie in andere Talking Heads-Platten. Könnte mir aber vorstellen, dass es ein Grower ist. Anfang stärker als das Ende.
Hat mich mehr mitgenommen als das letzte TH. Aber so richtig warm werde ich nicht damit.
Remain in Light hat mir besser gefallen. Trotzdem hatte ich Spaß hieran. Die zweite Hälfte mag ich lieber.
Irgendwie werde ich nicht warm mit den Talking Heads...
i want to like the talking heads i think this just isn't the best entry point
Or serving talking heads album and still not really for me
Typical TH idiosyncratic tunes!
Me gustó este disco.
Mostly groove based songs, but pretty catchy.
Good, not great.
Easy 5 star, talking heads in their prime and most creative.
Weird and wonderful as always, but this is a strangely understated Talking Heads album. It doesn't really 'grab' you for a repeat listen.
Not my favourite of theirs
I have a difficult time any music that has the word punk in it, in general. However, this is the 2nd Talking Heads album I've listened to - the first one was Talking Heads 77 and I gave that one a 3. I enjoyed this one actually...I expanded my mind to appreciate this pleasant cacophony of musical genius. Speaking of mind..."Mind" is hilarious to listen to if one is having marital problems. All the beats are quite catchy, infused with some funk even. Each song is so unique, it's not an album one gets bored listening to! David Byrne, you've convinced me to somewhat accept this genre with the word "punk" in it.
Another band that I view as the musical equivalent of 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. There were 2 or 3 tracks that didn't jar with me, the rest was utter shite. I had to turn it off during 'Animals'.
Very nice.
Easy listening, not my favourite lyrics or voice, but very cool instrumentals.
V/rv
Hmmmm this one doesn't quite have whatever sauce for me I was so interested in the previous (Remain In Light). Not bad, though!
Another banger from Talking Heads! Not one I've revisited as much as Remain in Light, but I'm gonna have to change that - this one's just as chock-full of bangers.
About on par with the other Talking Heads albums we’ve had. Maybe I liked this a little more? Idk
I dove into Fear of Music right after giving Remain In Light a 5 on first listen. Still riding that high, I was excited for more Talking Heads! This one sadly underwhelmed me though? All the pieces are there, they're still doing weird and funky jams, but it feels like the truly memorable moments are few and far between. A lot of the grooves kind of blend together. Still a decently fun listen, but it doesn't reach the highs the other Eno albums did. Standouts: Air • Heaven
I think i finally found a Talking Heads album I really like. I always understood what they were doing but this is one I would actually put on to listen to any given day. It had me both dancing and feeling nervous about the state of society which is always a great combo.
I can see why you’d fear this music. Maybe try being Singing Heads next time!
Great stuff as per. Simpsons: Yes
I've already forgotten this even if I did enjoy it.
can never go wrong with the Talking Heads
Idk, I love Talking Heads, but this is pretty low on the totem pole. Maybe I will regret giving it this review after my enlightened friend absolutely trashes me
Minne litt om B-52's:) Va heilt greit, happy go lucky musikk:) Beste sang: Cities - Alternate version
This has the TH hits like Life During Wartime and Heaven, of course. But I so dig the spooky classics like Drugs and Electric Guitar. Drugs, btw, is your brain when it's deciding whether to plunge you into a full fledged bad trip. Love I Zimbra.
Thoroughly enjoyed this album.
71/100. It’s a solid post-punk record that, while not as impressive as some of their later work, still highlights the band’s distinctive sound and evolving direction.
Not my favourite Talking Hesds record, but then they’ve never put out anything less than an 8/10 so that’s not a bad thing. One of the best bands ever, could happily listen to their back catalogue and nothing else for the rest of time.
Not a fan. Can't lie
Good... established for their other stuff...
Respectfully why do people go on and on about these guys? They’re fine but nothing special
The Talking Heads took punk to a different place... mixing in art-rock and pop and plenty of synth and keys, they made their own sound. This is a catchy record that is enjoyable to listen to.
When you hear Talking Heads and David Byrne, you expect something offbeat / strange and this didn't disappoint on that front. But that alone doesn't make it great, and that certainly holds for this album, which is just average. There are some good tunes on here. It got of to a very interesting start with I Zimbra, which I thought was a decent song. I downloaded it to my own library, not sure I will keep it though. Life During Wartime is a song most people have heard and it is solid. Heaven was another good one in my book. But others didn't hold up and were just inferior recordings. Worth a listen, but nothing I would come back to again.
Was amazed by how good some of the lyrics were. I find the music a bit annoying at times but this is a great album
What an album! It's not my favorite from Talking Heads, but it's still excellent work with many great songs!
Fear of good music? Favorite Track: "Mind".
I forgot how good this album is.
While not bad, unfortunately I found this album pretty boring. I generally like the Talking Heads and already liked a few of the songs on here. As a whole, though, it just didn't do much for me. Some songs felt almost like they doing a poor imitation of Bowie, which fell flat. I'll still like the band and their music, but I'm not sure I'll come back to this one with any frequency. Overall: 2.9/5
5 out of 5. Heaven is one of their best songs so there's some bias here. Overall just a really interesting and fun album.
David Byrne being his best self on this record!
A bit one paced but decent
More new wave, joy. This guy's voice is irritating as hell. The first song is kind of cool sounding, the second track just weird and goofy. Ditto the third track. Cities, for example, is a more rocking song and Byrne isn't too much on his usual trip, and the following one is OK too--Life During Wartime I think. Some of their stuff is OK, it's just hard to get over the dumb vocals and dumber lyrics. And plus, I always have that Documentary Now! spoof about them in the back of my head now. Also, to add fuel to my dislike, apparently Brian Eno had something to do with this garbage. The high points are enough to lift this above a 1 or a 2, which I would prefer to give them. Alas, it's a 3, grudgingly.
Ok
- nur kurz durchgeskippt - hört sich alles recht ähnlich an und ist auch nicht mein Sound - Etwas anders klingt der erste Song deswegen auch Topsong - hätte ich jetzt nichts verpasst wenn ich es nicht gehört hätte Topsong: I Zimbra
Enjoyable record, sounds like a more polished production compared to their earlier work but still has that quintessential Talking Heads sound.
I guess I’m kind of a fan now of Talking heads. I’ve had 2 albums so far, but they never stuck with me. Now I see the appeal, this album has a lot of the funk and rhythm I was missing from some of the other albums. Solid 4, almost a 5 outside a few passable tracks.
I wish i could half vote on this because 4 feels too much but 3 feels stupidly harsh. Is it just me or is this quite disco? I also felt like I wanted to dance around the house like Hugh grant in love actually to thr entire album. Top song for me was EASILY I Zimbra. Ok im going to give a 4. 3 is too low
"Fear of Music" is the third album by American band Talking Head. New wave, post-punk, art rock and psychedelic funk are the Wiki-listed genres. Can't argue with any of those for this one. The band didn't want to be a singles band after the success of their cover of "Take Me to the River" and wanted to expand on the subtle disco rhythms from their previous album "More Songs About Buildings and Food" Co-producer Brian Eno helped them do that by building the album with electronics. Talking Heads were David Byrne (lead and backing vocals, guitar), Jerry Harrison (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals), Tina Weymouth (bass, backing vocals) and Chris Frantz (drums). Commercially, the album reached #21 in the US and #33 in the UK and, critically, it had favorable reviews for its unconventional rhythms and Byrne's lyrical performance and as one of the band's best albums. Fast drums, polyrhythms including congas, a rumbling bass and and building guitar riff kick the album off in "I Zimbra." A swirling keyboard melody as Byrne teams up with recording engineer Julie List, Brian Eno and others on the vocals. Mostly non-sensible lyrics but with a theme of World War I artists attempting to rekindle their fractured world after the war horrors and linking it to the 1979 era. Disco, afrobeat and a song Byrne said influenced the direction of their next album "Remain in Light." "Cities" comes in charging with the guitar, fast drums and rolling bass. They get the dance going again. Byrne with anxious and paranoid vocals and lyrics. The band's residential preference is urban. The frantic, anxious vibe gets amped up a notch in "Life During Wartime." Synth melody driven. An irresistible funkiness with the bass and drums. Byrne with shotgun vocals as he he places us in a dystopian world where he is the unheroic urban guerilla and normalcy is lost. If I had to point someone to the most Talking Heads' song, this would be it. Why would anyone protest the atmosphere? Well, that's exactly what Byrne does in "Air." Creepy synth and guitar. A tight rhythm section. Even breathing hurts at times when your depressed. It's hard for me not to picture the "Stop Making Sense" footage of David Byrne and Tina Weymouth alone on stage when hearing "Heaven." Dreamy. A great guitar melody and bass. Byrne's echoing vocals are both emotional and unemotional as he imagines eternal bliss being a monotonous, uneventful state. My favorite Talking Heads' song. This is an album which I bought when it came it out, liked it; it continues to sound extremely good and has also aged well. The band accomplished their goal of expanding the rhythms and beats of their previous release with polyrhythms and a very tight drum and bass section. The vocals are chanting, echoing, anxious and paranoid. A proposed overall theme of fear is very interesting and I agree that every song can be imagined to be a fear of whatever is the song's title. The marriage of the lyrics, vocals and music perfectly match the intent. This album has the most Talking Heads' Talking Heads' song (to me) and has my favorite Talking Heads' song. Is it my favorite album? Hmmm? It'll always be in the top three. Obviously, I give this a very high recommendation and a must listen.
Not my genre
I know that a lot of fans of this band are gonna hate me for this. I respect Talking Head. I like them. I just don't love them. Like really love them. I heared a dozens songs from them, but never a full album. But my problem with them is still there. They're cool, engaging, versatille, but it's like some X Factor is missing from them to be as genius as most people treat this band. I had so much fun listening to them and this album in particular, but it's like 75% of their songs are missing just one part, one thing from being genius. It's like a feeling of something left unsaid is their instrument of expressing emotions. Still can't say anything bad about them. David, Tinam Jerry and Chris seem to me like a creative guys who are also fun to hang around with. Life During Wartime is probably the best lyrics about a band on tour. Also, let's face it, this is one of the coolest album titles ever. These things persuaded me towards to give this a five, but... the feeling of something unfinished is just a bit stronger.
nice songs to have on in the background. interesting music but i feel like it ran right through me
Fantastic album
not my favourite of talking heads but still good Will I listen to again: 39%
life durring war time
Like their music.
I've never listened to this album (27). From a band I've always found a bit overated, it was better than I expected.
Definitely talking heads. Good for five minutes but I don’t want a whole album of it.
Heaven is all time favorite
Love the Talking Heads, love this album, love the song "Heaven", still think that the lyrics "Everyone is trying to get to the bar. The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven" is one of the dumbest lyrics I've ever heard. 4/5
I really don't care for much of this
Starts nice and fast paced, building up layers Chanting type vocals Very textures music Lots of repeating patterns Percussion, synths, drawly vocals Sad white boy music (in a positive way) Very 70s/80s synth Bibbly bobbly music These guys were either on LSD or wanted to be A bit witchy at points
3/5 7.77/10 gives halloweeny vibes at times, that's fun bass lines carry the album
Definitely one where I can (hopefully) appreciate its qualities and influence on later artists without really connecting with it personally. I think his voice just grates on me and gets in the way of enjoying the music.
Probably don’t love this as much as I used to. However, I still really like it and can see its influence. Rhythmically interesting with interesting structures and strong melodies.
Funky, percussive, warrants repeated listens but some great nuggets to be found. Although not my favourite of theirs, where I think they peaked a few years after this, it shows the promise that they had and broke new ground in the musical structures and influences that it could manifest.
buena onda, me guarde un par
Liked this but kind of expected to be more in on it. Heaven and Drugs only two that I could see myself coming back to much
Remek djelo. uvik mislim jel mi draži on. Ili remain in light
Talking Heads in their prime. What more needs to be said. 5/5
Wow that intro and outro. So sonically different yet cohesively open/close this album. Everything in between to me was sort of a blur but not exactly in a bad way. Would love to revisit.
Another Talking Heads album, another round of me wondering why the heck they are so universally revered.
7/10. Good but kinda lame
Rating: 1.5 I can’t understand this band. Everything they make sounds like background music from an educational VHS tape in 1985 yet I’m supposed to hail them as the most innovative thing ever. Not happening buddy.
251/1089 - David Byrne's phrasing really makes this record. Probably my favorite Talking Heads one of the one's I've listened to since it's the least repetitive.
Surprisingly I don't think I've ever listened to this album, though I've heard a bunch of the songs from their live album (I Zimbra, Mind, Cities, Life During Wartime to name a few). In the studio environment these songs sound so much more contained -- especially I Zimbra feels like there is a lid on it. Mind is a great encapsulation of the quirky essence of Talking Heads -- video game sounding bass twills, and Byrne being Byrne -- absolutely love it. Cities is fucking great. Love the propulsiveness and sense of urgency nearing on desperation for Byrne to find a city to live in. Life During Wartime is an absolute jam made to get crowds up and shuffling. Memories Can't Wait is a wildly psychedelic detour with deeply unsettling instrumental as Byrne laments the never-ending party in his mind. Air is a simple jam; love the breathy vocal support. Heaven is an oddly sober reflection in this context. Always have loved how they leaned full force into the off-kilter nature of his voice. Such a kook. Really dig the muted bass tone on Electric Guitar. Drugs is true to its name as a spaced out closer oscillating between sections of groove and bliss(?) with plenty of other random shit thrown in here and there for effect. Well that was a ride that I was very much in favor of. Certainly nowhere near the punchiness of Remain in Light, but fantastic in its own right. Solid 5 / 5 in my book.
Another Talking Heads album where I really like the hits and the rest of the album is just kinda meh to me. I Zimbra, Life During Wartime, and Cities all being good hits (and I think are all featured on Stop Making Sense).
Haven't had Talking Heads in a while probably over a year. This one had some really fun ones on it especially Cities, song is whacky. Heaven is a new one that I haven't heard before and was probably my favorite on here.
Very solid Talking Heads album. Just fun af. Air was one I wasn't very familiar with and loved. Obvs the classic Life During Wartime is a jam. Heaven sounds like a Bowie song in the best way possible. I would take drugs to the song Drugs.
Talking Heads that sounds urban and downtrodden at times. It's an unvarnished sound compared to future works, less syncopated and more groovy, strummy. Great album. Will listen to again. All tracks great. Standouts: I Zimbra Cities Life During Wartime Memories Can't Wait Heaven is amazing Animals is RAW and frenetic.
The afrobeat influence is easier to see on this one than remain. Some all time great songs on this, and was Tina once bad at bass as rumored? She got so good by now! We got some groceries - some peanut butter! All I ever needed.
Talking Heads are legit. Enjoying their music & wouldn’t have necessarily listened to a whole album without this project.
decent not their best
I really like this album though its not my favorite release of theirs. I'm always a fan of their blend of funk and anxieties. Jamming and rambling may be one of my fav genres of music ever.
yeah, this didn't do it for me.
Man, I love Talking Heads. Their blend of art-rock, afrobeat, funk, punk, and whatever other influences they have kicking around just speak to me. That said, I'm not sure Fear of Music is quite up to the same quality of some of their other releases - particularly in the somewhat meandering second half. There are definitely classic songs on this record; Life During Wartime, Heaven, Memories Can't Wait, but some of the rest don't hit. Sonically, the record is a winner - everything sounds great, particularly the off-kilter guitar parts. David Byrne's performances are also fantastic throughout, showcasing why he's proved to be one of the most endearing front men of his era. Not perfect, but a lot of fun and certainly head and shoulders above many of the other albums on this list.
In retrospect this feels like a build-up to the album that followed it, with the groovy jams and African influences on tracks like "I Zimbra" sitting next to the quirky new wave of their previous albums. Despite that, the songs here are strong enough to stand on their own. The jams - "Cities" and "Life During Wartime" - are the highlights, tracks that could be double their length and not get old. But the other highlight is "Heaven," which is much more subdued; the band's lyrics were always good, but this one shows they could carry a song. The last three songs are a bit weak ("Drugs" is ok as a closer, less good as a song), but everything before it is good enough for this to get a 4.
Nerdy and weird new wave music that just needs to exist
Not bad but It's not something i'd just whack on in my day to day. The vocals can get a bit crazy throughout. I like well known talking heads songs but this didn't have any I recognised.
An interesting album by a band with many bigger hits in its catalog. However, it is very Talking Heads and is pleasant to listen to. A big hit or two could have lifted this album to a 4 out of 5; now it falls just short of that. 3/5
the david byrne + eno combo is super fun but surely this was the build up to remain in the light?
Ok not my style of music
Great opener. Loved the groove on “Cities”. “Life During Wartime” was very entertaining. About halfway through the album now, and I can confidently say I prefer the music to Byrne’s voice. He does some goofy shit with his voice that I realize is probably purposeful, but it just irks me. “Air” was very weird. Whole album feels very avant garde and abstract. Drugs I guess haha.
I've heard a lot of good about the Talking Heads, and I did enjoy most of this album. That said, I did not love it, and I don't think I'll be listening to it again. It's competently made and mostly sounds good. But some of it just doesn't do much for me.
I like the later records better.
¿Cómo es que no sabía que existiese este disco?
Eh. 3/7
I can’t listen to the Taking Heads without picturing David Byrne doing quirky dances. To be honest it’s a key reason why I enjoy their music and this album is no exception. His enthusiasm and sense of wonder is contagious. I love how this band seems to stumble into their most memorable songs rather than trying to make singles. In just doing what they do they always have a couple songs that stick in your head after one listen. That song on Fear Of Music is “Life During Wartime”. All around this is the typical high energy, fun Talking Heads album that I come to expect from them. Easy 4 for me.
I like the music on here, but his voice gets on my nerves. This is a quirky album. I thought Remain in Light was way better. This one just hit me on the wrong day. 3 for the music.
The first half of this album is "The Talking Heads... Dance!" Great stuff. This is the Talking Heads album I wish I had heard to introduce the band to me. Still, David Byrnes style is interesting, but difficult to hear for a full album. It gets dull after a while. I think I'll stick to my Talking Heads playlist of my personal favorites. 4/5
Listen, I love David Byrne, I love Talking Heads and more than anything I love Brian Eno. But clearly not enough, since I can't *feel* this album :(
The neurotic whining, the constant mocking of society. The tone reminds me of the boys who bullied me at school. It lacks any optimism, any "let's make this world better". I hate every bit of this. The instruments are ok I guess, but as soon as the singer opens the mouth it's like torturing in hell.
Loved this.
Surely not their best
Aika monipuolinen. Kivoja rytmejä, mutta välillä biisien, kuten Memories Can't Wait, tunnelma oli tosi blah. Monta hutia, pari ihan hyvää.
still Nothing for me. why is he so bored
There’s something unnerving about this album, but it’s also intriguing. Goofy ass sounds and playful vocals.
I am not sure what the Talking Heads’ schtick is supposed to be, but nothing on this album really grabbed me. The songs are quirky and offbeat, but they never hit that point where I felt hooked or wanted to come back for another listen. Maybe it is a me problem, because I have never been much of a fan of that 80s new wave sound they pioneered. The mix of odd rhythms, twitchy vocals, and angular guitars just does not click with me. I get that the Talking Heads were influential, and I can respect their place in music history, but Fear of Music was more of a chore than an enjoyable listen.
Belting, always love talking heads. Toe tapping and funky, clever and funny and man what a voice. Life during wartime could raise me from the dead.
Brand new one for me - enjoyed it!
This was all kind of OK and un-special to me. I very much liked Remain in Light , which just seemed much better to me
Good
Side A is perfect. Side B has its moments but it's noticeably weaker. Still a great record. I get goofy to this.
Avant-garde rock music. Love David Byrne and Talking Heads & Fear of Music is an example of why I love them. Nothing or nobody really sounds like them. They are a band where you pick up something new and exciting with the 1st listen as well as the 100th. This album is a feeding frenzy for "modern day" jambands, with Cities, Life During Wartime and Heaven often covered by an array of bands. Great album from a unique and truly amazing band. Besides the aforementioned tunes, I Zimbra, Air and Paper are standout songs on an album full of bangers.
This is my least favorite talking heads album. One of my friends accuses them of sounding like a tiki-bar house band, and this album doesn’t help me rebut that. It marches on and on with the same sound almost throughout. The lyrics seem uninspired compared to the rest of their catalogue. That said, it’s still the Talking Heads and still worthy of being played at any party.
A joy to listen to. Funky and fun with razor sharp production.
Very experimental pop album, stylish.
This album isn’t bad. Talking Heads has always been one of those bands where most of their tracks are just middle-of-the-road, 3 out of 5’s. However, when they do make a track that’s a 5 out of 5, they really hit the ball out of the park. Unfortunately, I wish I could have the same experience listening to them like I used to, but I’ve really just burned myself out on them over the years. For a newer and younger music critic who’s still exploring different types of music, this is definitely an essential band to check out.
I like Talking Heads, but they have done better than this.
I am familiar with talking heads. Never really listened to them except what played on the radio. I enjoyed this album way more than I thought I would.
Nothing sounded like Fear of Music when it came out, and it still stands completely on its own. Talking Heads and Brian Eno took paranoia, disco grooves, and post-punk anxiety and mashed them into something that shouldn’t have worked. “Life During Wartime” is an apocalypse you can dance to. “Heaven” plays like a hymn for people stuck in line at the DMV. And “I Zimbra” opens with nonsense poetry and ends up sounding prophetic. It’s jagged, it’s funky, it’s weird as hell, and David Byrne somehow makes fear sound like a party invitation. Even 46 years later, this record still feels like it’s from another planet.
5 of 5 Love every single song. Talking Heads is a phenomenonal band
Kinda standard Talking Heads, but not really what I would call Pop. Ok.
Weird but strangely good. It is oddly addictive.
I don’t like his monotone voice. Some songs were catchy but I can’t get past his voice.
Creative, unique, alternative. They paved a cool path for music. I feel like I hear so many artists that took inspiration from this through both alternative and pop. Very cool.
This landed much better with me than the previous Talking Heads album I was given. A real sense of fun in the funky
Vocals are weird. Sounds like Bob Dylan but higher energy (not a compliment)
top
This is one of the few times that I had no idea who the artist is or what genre this belonged to but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked it's ambiance and it's just an album you can chill whenever. I am a big of Duster and I would be remiss to not notice how these artists share the same mood and beats in their music. I always enjoy this type of music so I am glad I am getting exposed to more artists of this music genre. I hope they keep appearing in this 1001 album collection.
„Mind“ and „Cities“ are cool i guess
Didn't listen to a lot but the ones I did were really good
Grew up a big fan because my dad would play them in the car all the time in the mid 80's. Knew their greatest hits but it has been fun going back and listening to the albums to discover new stuff. This album was great. "Mind" "Cities" and "Heaven" were all new to me and I loved them!
UHOOOOO
Interesting. So much less grove and rhythmic complexity and dancability than remain in light. Kind of feels like David Byrne is trying to be an angular electric Dylan, with some poetic obscurities. Doesn't land as well as remain in light for me.
Obviously, Mr. Dimery thinks we must listen to ALL of the Talking Heads albums before we die.
This band was soooo great. This is one of the weird ones, along with Remain in Light. You can't go wrong with Fear of Music.
The overall sound is really fun and nice to listen to, but the songs kind of blend together. Fav: memories can’t wait
This album is totally good; it’s enjoyable to listen to pretty much the whole way through, but sometimes the songs kind of just blend together. It does end on the worst tracks in my opinion. The bass playing is probably my favorite part of this album and the talking heads in general. Would definitely give it a 4.5 if I could. Standout tracks: Mind, Cities, Memories Can't Wait, Heaven 4/5 deserves to be on this list
I've always liked this "worldy" album from the Talking Heads. Every song slaps.
scale: 1 - instaskip, 2-meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip, 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out, 4 - would listen to again, 5 - must listen "saying the name of the song early scale" (SNSES) Will be accounted for when I can remember. I Zimbra: 3 Mind: 2 Paper: 3 Cities: 3 Life during wartime: 4 Memories can’t wait: 2 Air: 2 Heaven: 4 Animals: 2 Electric guitar: 2 Drugs: why the fuck did I sit through all of this 2 Dancing for Money: 7; this is such a fucking stupid song I love it. Overall: will reluctantly give a 3
I Zimbra - 3 Mind - 3.5 Paper - 3 Cities - 3 Life During Wartime - 4 Memories Can't Wait - 3 Air - 3.5 Heaven - 4 Animals - 2.5 Electric Guitar - 3 Drugs - 3.5
Funky Talking Heads that I have to be in a mood for.
Very talking heads. One of the most recognizable bands ever.
För kaotisk för min smak. Spretig musikstilar. +I zimbra skön låt men funky inslag - sångares röst
En del jag inte hört förut faktiskt, superbra men svänger mindre än "Remain in Light"
Inte lika weird som vissa av deras andra grejer tycker jag, och överlag najs! Velar med betyget men känner mig snäll.
Riktigt cool! Svänger mer än "Remain in Light".
Good stuff, dropped off near the end but a welcome album to listen to
Few good songs
There's so much Talking Heads that I don't know!
Auch diese TH-Platte packt mich nicht. Sicher perfekt produziert, aber trotzdem keine eingängigen im Ohr bleibenden Melodien. „Heaven“ ist der einzige Song, der halbwegs hängenbleibt.
Fun album to listen to
I want to like Talking Heads but they just aren't consistent enough for me. David Byrne has a distinct voice that is mostly interesting but there aren't enough highs to outweigh the lows.
Awesome, funky album. I Zimbra, Mind, Life during Wartime are standout tracks to me.
I like the Talking Heads. I didn’t know any songs on this album. It was fine. It sounded like the Talking Heads.
Day 17 Brilliant album, love the basslines in a lot of these songs. 8/10 Highlights Cities Life during wartime
ОЧЕНЬ КЛАССНО!!!
I find the talking heads to be boring.
Better than I expected but too 80s synthy for me.
Good and enjoyable but not my preferred Talking Heads tunes.
Really unique album from a very unique band. I have this album in my collection, but for some reason it hasn't got the same attention as the debut or Remain in light. Was about to give it 4 stars, but then listened it for the second time and added one more. Great album!
This has some of the same rhytmics as a recent african salsa/cha cha album had. Not a surprise really, since to me it feels like Talking Heads has always thrown in a good measure of world music into their concoction of pop music. Sounds quite a lot like the stuff I've previously heard, none of which tickles my fancy.
Fine. Familiar with Talking Heads, this album didn’t particularly grab me as an album.
2,5
Würi nid aktiv abschalte, aber au nid aktiv ihschalte.
Better than expected. Pretentiousness of other albums comes through less and there's music to feel a bit
Cool album
Goodness this generator keeps giving me talking heads albums without a single song I’ve heard before. Just how much music did they make? Anyway this was good, felt a little ungrounded, and I think the vocals wear a bit after a while. I’m a fan though, and life during wartime stood out to me, that track was great.
i love talking heads but meh
Não gostei disto :(
Highlight Song/s: Memories Can't Wait, Heaven and Electric Guitar My first Talking Heads album. I have previously listened to their song "Psycho Killer" and I remember not liking it, but I can't even remember how it goes. So it's practically my first time. Anyways, the band has such a unique sound, this dance sort of sound, with the ringing guitars of post-punk and funk basslines. David Byrne's voice - at least his singing voice - reminds me a lot of Berlin Trilogy-era David Bowie. He also has some quirks that remind me a lot of Bowie. It was quite difficult to try to get into the album. I will try again when their other albums come along. And maybe, just maybe, It will hit, or maybe it just won't.
7.5/10 *Obligatory comment about Stop Making Sense* Highlights: Cities Heaven Life During Wartime Animals Electric Guitar
Brian Eno and Talking Heads = Peanut Butter and Jelly 5/5
Melophobia.
Loved the first song - what a great way to start an album. The rest of it felt a little repetitive, but I would definitely listen again.
4.0 Talking Heads are one of my favourite findings from this list. Still doesn't top More Songs.., similar to 77 or Remain.., but there's some really good tracks here. Starts really solid, but the latter half lets it down, after a few listens I still can't really get into the sequence from Air through to Electric Guitar. Last track ends on a good note though. Cities probably my fave, can see that growing and growing.
I like a lot of Talking Heads music, and that's the case with this album. A few bangers, and a lot of just middle of the road songs. 3.36 / 5 stars Top hits: Memories Can't Wait Paper Life During Wartime Air
4/5
I liked the part of the track Drugs that was filmed in a Black man's basement
It was fine.
Innovative and occasionally interesting but doesn't really capture my imagination.
Not my type of thing normally but overall I enjoyed listening, not sure if I’d go back but it was a good change of pace and the instrumentals and vocals were pretty solid.
As pioneers of New Wave and shapers of what would become post-punk, Talking Heads were always going to be poised to play well to my tastes. Add on top of that the incorporation of a more experimental spirit and funk elements and the brew is exquisite. While I have listed to TH before, I had not made it through this entire album before this experience. I enjoyed Fear of Music from front to back, the obvious inspiration of punk groups at the time, David Byrne's vocal performance, and the diverse and varied instrumentation made it a thoughtful and engaging listen. I will be coming back, and look forward to more albums in this space to build out the picture of the evolution of the genre(s). 4.2/5
I've historically felt like I'm missing something every time I listen to Talking Heads. I think I've figured out that it's the lyrics. Their somewhat nonsensical songwriting meshes really well with the instrumentation, like a bunch of lads just having a good time and shooting the breeze. Or sitting in a circle smoking j's and going "woah dude." Life During Wartime stood out to me in its competent and emotional communication of a grim and hopeless situation despite this easygoing style. Electric Guitar stood out as being the most shameless embrace of said style.
Before listening to anything I am excited about this because there is a book I read forever ago (cannot remember the name) where an astronaut on a long space mission used Talking Heads albums to remember her humanity. This man's voice is so ridiculous but I think I love it. I enjoy the layers of instrumentation, there's always an interesting bass line or percussion fill to focus on.
Another really good Talking Heads album. I thought I was heading for a 3 when it started but it grew on me to the point where I actually listened twice through it.
3.5 I listened to a deluxe version, there were a few alternate takes that I liked, namely, Cities. The alternative of Life during wartime was pretty bad. Not my fav talking heads album, but will have to give it another listen at some point, maybe Im missing something
A great variety of very interesting music. David Byrne is a fantastic songwriter and the album shows these talents very well. The experimentation on the album can be quirky but also be taken seriously, as it shows a lot of creativity. Byrne’s vocals are full of personality and Tina Weymouth supplies great bass playing throughout. 4/5
Talking Heads: Fear of Music: This is a really cool and funky album. The percussion and guitar work is intricate and unqiue. The songs standout throughout the album, though they do all use the exact same style. I had a great time listening to this though, reminds me of 80 king crimson in a very good way. 9/10
4.6
This felt like more of a deep cuts Talking Heads album. They have a very distinctive sound, but I recognized none of these songs. It’s. 3 1/2 for me if half strs worked here. I moderately like it but there weren’t a ton of standouts tracks
Very interesting rhythms on this album. My standouts were "I Zimbra" and "Life During Wartime" and to a lesser extent "Heaven". I listened to the expanded reissue so the Alternate Versions of the songs was interesting.
Love this album. Been in my collection for many years. Esp like Heaven, Life during wartime and drugs. 5/5
I remember this being better to be honest, but I was never a giant fan of Byrne’s vocals so…maybe over time I’m less tolerant. I saw them play much of this live in 1980 and admittedly they were great.
Pretty solid, I can appreciate what it is but likely won't spend a lot of time listening to it. Also writing this review a few days late so no more in depth thoughts
This feels very much 'of its time'. I wasn't around when this first came out, and I don't like it now. It would probably be a good album to get drunk to if I were 18 and out with friends.
Great album where the original is improved by a remaster where vocals are more balanced the rest of the music.
Would'nt relisten
Surkee, en kuunnellut loppuun, 0/5
92/1001. FEAR OF MUSIC is a green staircase to nowhere, rattling like a typewriter eating rain. Houses in motion? No — the houses breathe. The floorboards whisper, “I Zimbra” in zebra Morse code, while cities turn upside down to comb their hair. This record is not a record, it is a black rectangle filled with invisible giraffes dancing to the sound of boiled clocks. David Byrne’s voice? An umbrella that refuses to open. The bassline? A polite earthquake wearing silk pajamas. You don’t listen to Fear of Music — it listens to you, then nods and rearranges your furniture in alphabetical order.
It's ok. I'm not a huge Talking Heads fan. It's very Talking Heads.
I could not finish this album. It is very experimental and puts you in the backrooms with every punk-ish track. A incoherent mess of sounds and symphonies, it makes you wonder who this album is actually for. The talking heads definitely do fear music with this noisy mash up of everything you don’t want to hear. I’m sure I’d give this a better rating if I was high AF but listening to this sober left me confused more than anything.
This album is built on rhythm. It’s pop in its energy but never feels typical or safe, which makes it stand out. From the start I could hear how much this sound influenced modern bands, and it’s wild to recognize elements of things I listen to today. The music is unpredictable in a way that keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you’ve figured out the groove, it shifts, and while that makes it harder to dance or sing along to, it’s also what gives it its character. For me, the first half of the album held together better. It felt more focused and cohesive, with a few songs that really stuck in my head. The back half started to lose me, drifting into ideas that sounded more like experiments stretched into songs. That looseness isn’t bad, but it didn’t always land for me. Overall, I’d call it “good weird.” There are some catchy moments and flashes of brilliance, but as a full album it left me feeling like something was missing.
Not bad. I didn't love it, but it was an interesting change of pace from what I've been getting recently.
Heaven frábært lag
Funky,weird,art rock. I’ve never had the desire to put talking heads on. And don’t feel the need to ever listen to this album again.
I just listened to this the other day, since it was it's album release anniversary. This is a great album. 4-stars
I really liked the album, specially bc I like the band. I think its alternative, but it makes you dance, and sing
Ask me about other Talking Heads albums
good
Good. It wasn't great. I liked it
I’ve always admired Talking Heads more than I’ve enjoyed listening to them and this was not my favorite album of theirs.
After David Bowie's Young Americans on Sunday (today is Tuesday), I'm swimming in the wellspring of New Wave this week and I'm here for it! I think I've underestimated the influence of the Talking Heads and never given them the credit they're due. All the singles (minus "Psycho Killer") predictably skew a little on the pop side, which probably kept me at a distance. The album tracks fall back into some of the punk/funk roots. Like "Psycho Killer", I love how prominent the baselines are in many of these songs (and even more-so in the 2005 remastered version) which gives tracks like "Memories Can't Wait" an ominous sense of suspense while also helping all the awkward nerds in their fanbase stay on beat during the verses. Absolutely not for everyone - it wasn't even for me until recently - but I've been having a lot of fun exploring experimental pop music, especially this throughline from David Bowie - David Byrne - Beck.
I liked this one
Fear of Music – Talking Heads (1979) | Post-Punk / Art Rock | Avg: 4.95 | Favorite Song: “I Zimbra”* Fear of Music is the sound of a band pushing boundaries, but this one didn’t fully connect. “I Zimbra” leads the charge with its manic polyrhythms and hypnotic energy—by far the most engaging moment here. Beyond that, the album seems to struggle with tonal consistency. With most tracks sitting in the 4 to 5 range, it feels like the experimental edge often comes at the expense of memorable songwriting. There’s ambition, for sure, but it doesn’t always land in a satisfying way. That said, you can still hear the groundwork being laid for the band’s stronger future material. There’s a rawness to songs like “Mind” and “Air” that could be appreciated on a conceptual level, even if they don’t have the replay value of later classics. Fear of Music may be respected for its artistic risks, but based on your scores, it sounds like it ends up more frustrating than rewarding. Fear of Music is an album caught between innovation and accessibility that never quite finds the sweet spot.
Tossing a coin to determine whether this should be a 2 or a 3... fine, it's a 3
espero que david byrne nunca muera
Lots of minor key use on the 3rd Talking Heads album which is a bit of a mixed bag. I like the experimental rhythms of I Zimba and Life During Wartime is up there with some of the best TH cuts. Heaven has to rank as one of the most melodic songs Byrne wrote with a bit of a nod to Bowie. Worth a listen.
I really enjoyed a few tracks. Some of my favorites were Animals and Life During Wartime. A lot of these songs were very unlistenable though if I’m being honest, this album seemed like a lot of deep cuts from the 3 or 4 songs I know.
Funny how even a meh Talking Heads album like this is still miles better than most peoples best. 8/10
A pretty good album comprising tracks you won’t hear on the radio unless it’s on a Sunday evening “deep dives show”. I particularly liked Heaven - very Bowie-esque, reminded me of Heroes. The link took me to the deluxe edition with the reworks and alternate versions and the album lost me there. So this rating is on the 79 track listing.
Very groovy baselines and a couple catchy verses but not something I would replay.
I think I made my brother dislike this album. Well, contributed to it anyway, through overplay when we were younger (what can I say, autism can have a big effect on a person). Anyway, after More Songs about Buildings and Food, Talking Heads found two things: Disco and depression. Having a theme helps give the album shape, but also risks being like marmite if the theme is divisive enough. Personally, I think it works well. Synths have been added even more to the sound palate but don't overwhelm the guitars, and the general slowing down of pace helps differentiate them from the classic new wave sound. (Though songs like Life During Warfare and Cities still bring the speed on occasion) Still, songs like Animals, Paper and Electric Guitar were always going to be a harder sell for the general populace than Take Me To the River, and I can't say I love it quite as much as I used to. Still great though. Tangent: I'm not sure if the Fripp and Eno partnership began here, but this was definitely where it began to really take shape. Favourite Song: Life During Wartime Least Favourite: Animals Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0
for some reason this album has appeared twice for me. I gave it 5 stars then. I will give it 5 stars now
Twitchy and legit, plus at once moody and dancey. One's never been a full-on Heads head – more of an admirer of the effects – but digs the moods they achieved. The early records are the most interesting work they ever did, obvs (thanks to some significant degree [if not entirely] to Eno). Best songs sound like a list of all the best things in life – "Air" "Heaven" and Drugs" ("Zimbra" also good.)
i've only partially heard this in the past, but obviously i'll be rating this pretty highly I Zimbra - 5/5 Mind - 5/5 Paper - 5/5 Cities - 5/5 Life During Wartime - 5/5 Memories Can't Wait - 5/5 Air - 5/5 Heaven - 4/5 Animals - 4/5 Electric Guitar - 3/5 Drugs - 4/5 Average score: 4.5/5 (rounding up)
It's really nice to hear some other tracks by this band that aren't 'Once In A Lifetime' (great song by the way). I enjoyed this a hell of a lot. It has these unconventional yet unswerving rhythms that are fun and funky. The whole album has an almost gritty weirdness to it. It's full of funky bass basslines and cool guitar licks and David Byrne in vocals sounds great if a little all over the place but in a good way. There's some proper footstomping tunes on this album and it's good fun. 'Memories Can Wait' gets quite heavy and almost psychedelic. Overall a very good time and I'm hoping there's more Talking Heads albums to be enjoyed on this list!
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco.
Loved it! My favorites were "Life During Wartime," "I Zimbra," and "Animals."
This album is alternative and a great listen
Weird in the right ways but don't necessarily need to listen again
3.3 1x
no lo escuché entero. no es mi tipo de música.
Despite paying attention while listening everything sorta blended together and maybe that’s just a me problem but I didn’t see this one
17/1089 it’s started off with some fun and catchy punky style, very easy and enjoyable to listen to so far I don’t have much to add, i’m still enjoying listening but the first song was definitely the stand out to me, the rest have merged a bit. Drugs and Dancing for Money aren’t my cup of tea i don’t think, they’re verging on irritating to me. though i sipposed that makes sense for Dancing For Money since that’s an unfinished outtake I didn’t listen to the last 3 tracks of the deluxe since they were just alt versions of a few of the songs fave: I Kimbra clears the rest of the album i really like that track least faves: Drugs and Dancing For Money 3 stars or 62/100
Funky fun stuff. Love it
Great
🤏🏻👏🏻
Nearly 500 albums in, and this one is making me realize that I probably just don't like New Wave as a genre all that much. Not that a New Wave album can't be great, just that it has to be a little bit better to really blow me away. Less to do with this album though, and just thoughts about my music opinions in general. This album is odd. It's kind of clear to me, though, that this is supposed to be a complete album, because there isn't really a single song that stands out to me, but the album as a whole is pretty good. There are some dud songs, imo, but I think they still play a role in the album, and they're not bad per se, just not as good or interesting as the other songs. I do really like the rhythmicality (is that a word?) of the stringed instruments, particularly the bass. It does really bring an interesting element to the table that, without it, I don't think this is a good album. I think it ultimately ends up being a good and interesting listen, though. Favorite Song(s): Life During Wartime, Heaven
Life During Wartime is the only thing that made this tolerable
2.6
A classic album that I have listened to hundreds of times
It was fine.
Some great songs. Some filler. But over all I enjoyed it
Funky groovy, weird. Some not outstanding but some standout songs. Lyrically interesting. Good head nodding music, maybe even some shoulder jiving but not quite a hip thrusting album.
I was a little bored by this album. It reminded me of Tally Hall, weird pop and all, but I think Tally Hall does it better. I found the first two songs to be the best in the album.
We love talking heads.
We love the origins of Weird-core, but this is one of their less inspired albums. Some of the songs were standouts for their clear social/political sentiments paired with groovy music, but the album as a whole is not my favorite.
Ooookkkk it's a mash up of some sort of animal placed between instruments,an ape or maybe a small grouping of Raccoons wandering around and over them mixed with people that want be able to sing.
Not my flask of Calpol.
Please leave the poor animals out of it!
I found the lyrics nonsensical and the rhythms and tempos to be generic ans repetitive nothing stood out, not my bowl of coco pops
take me to the river .
Honestly, I listened to it three-four times through and it never really caught my attention.
Good as it ever was.
I loved this! Can't believe I didn't look up more Talking Heads after watching Stop Making Sense. I loved that concert video and it seems like I enjoy Talking Heads in general!
Turns out I've been sleeping on Talking Heads. I like everything I hear of theirs. Really enjoyed this.
2.5
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around. Weird but fun. Almost a 4, but Drugs as the closer was a real bummer. 3.5
I love the Talking Heads. Aside from Life During Wartime and Heaven, this album is kind of a circle jerk by the band.
Fine for Talking Heads standard, better than most. 4/5
Loved this - I’m already a big Talking Heads singles fan so knew going into this that I would probably like it. Moody and atmospheric at times, always interesting and innovative. Would absolutely listen to this again.
awesome
They are tres cool
I enjoyed this, as far as talking heads go it wasn't my favourite, but it was still enjoyable. I think I need to give it another listen to judge it better though.
Wow. This is my 2d Talking Heads album after getting their debut a few weeks ago. I can't believe popular music used to be able to sound so weird. I can't wait to listen again. I love the musicianship and odd rhythms.
Too eccentric for its own good
Not one of my favorite Talking Heads records, I like Remain in Light and '77 a lot more, but still pretty great.
Better than the last talking heads album but not saying it is good
Though many have tried, nobody else could do what Talking Heads could because David Byrne’s combination of weirdness and sobriety is a tough one to nail. This one isn’t exactly their most accessible album, which dings it a little, but there’s good stuff here.
Amazing