Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Really good but didn't grip me like some Talking Heads albums do
Fun album. I was out until Animals came on.
Umiddelbart positivt overraska over hvor lite poppa det er. Jeg trodde talking heads var et reint 80 talls popband. Men dette albumet kom jo forsåvidt ut i 79, så det er på grensa Jeg kommer på nå at jeg blander Talking Heada og Tears for Fears. I mitt hode har de alltid vært samme band. Alt i alt syns jeg dette har vært et fint album. Men det har vært dritt og, på godt og på vondt
Omatakeista
A 3.
Talking Heads are great, but kind of challenging to listen to as an "album band". This one is full of discordance and paranoia and leaves the listener on edge and wanting more melody. Genius, but not altogether pleasant.
Learned to love Talking Heads from a friend/superfan, although my introduction was to a recording of one of their live shows. So it's honestly hard for the audio-only releases to stack up. This is right on the edge of four stars, but it didn't wow me enough.
Favorite Track: Mind
It was fine
It’s pretty tough to not like Talking Heads for me. This is probably not one of their better albums, and I still kinda like it. It’s weird but catchy. I know they're capable of better, but even their worst is better than a lot of artist's best. 3.5/5
Not super captivating. Lacks a certain "punch". The song Drugs is an interesting piece of music. I enjoyed the alternate versions that the deluxe offered. 2.7 outta 5
Decent - enjoyed, but not grabbed
Once again, I can't quite externalize what it is about TH that I don't resonate with, as they are excellent musicians and their records still sound fresh. Just not for me, I guess. I still do recognize it is a very good record
Building up to greatness, but not quite there yet.
I don't hate this
This album is definitely a post-punk new wave album, which is a genre that has never piqued my interest. However, this more funky take on the genre is certainly more palatable to my tastes. Especially the hits of Cities and Life During Wartime that are the highlights of this album.
Funky, groovy, lyrics are pretty repetitive and not very interesting. They are actually largely nonsense. I like the lyrics to Wartime (Alternative Version). LCD Soundsystem does the speak-singing better. But Cities is also ok lyrically.
Talking heads are different and quirky. I like it in small doses but it started to feel long
The first song was incredible but the rest of the album didn't hold up.
Not my style, but good sound.
The Talking Heads' third album again finds them trying out new ideas, often with exceptional results but with a few misfires along the way. At the risk of making lists of songs, "I Zimbra", "Cities", "Life During Wartime", "Memories Can't Wait" and "Drugs" are all stellar. At the other end of the spectrum, "Animals" and "Electric Guitar" are awkward; Byrne sounds like he's deliberately trying to be weird and both of those are clunky as a result. The remainder of the songs are just OK; the sonic treatments on these songs are interesting but the writing isn't top-drawer.
I love their music but David’s vocals start to wear on me after a while.
3/5
Did connect to lyrics or the music really. I enjoyed the instruments and favourite song was Drugs which is the last song.
Carino, sound variegato. Ma non mi ha lanciato.
esp. cities and life during wartime good, rest…
Cities, Heaven, and Life During Wartime.
First listening - very 1970s, very few tracks rise above their time. "Heaven" is the only one. "Life during wartime" is described as the standout track. Wasn't for me - most of the tracks were very "dirgy" and nothing reached the heights of "Psycho Killer". Gave up after a while.
6/10 - a very Talking Heads sound, pioneers of the franz ferdinand/scissor sisters type sound
I enjoy Talking Heads more now, I guess.
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.
As someone with no nostalgia for the talking heads... i dont really get it.
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
Hat mich mehr mitgenommen als das letzte TH. Aber so richtig warm werde ich nicht damit.
i want to like the talking heads i think this just isn't the best entry point
Typical TH idiosyncratic tunes!
Good, not great.
Weird and wonderful as always, but this is a strangely understated Talking Heads album. It doesn't really 'grab' you for a repeat listen.
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!
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've already forgotten this even if I did enjoy it.
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
Good... established for their other stuff...
Respectfully why do people go on and on about these guys? They’re fine but nothing special
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.
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
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
not my favourite of talking heads but still good Will I listen to again: 39%
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.
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
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
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).
Talking Heads are legit. Enjoying their music & wouldn’t have necessarily listened to a whole album without this project.
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?
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.
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.
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 :(
There’s something unnerving about this album, but it’s also intriguing. Goofy ass sounds and playful vocals.
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
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.
I like Talking Heads, but they have done better than this.
Kinda standard Talking Heads, but not really what I would call Pop. Ok.
I don’t like his monotone voice. Some songs were catchy but I can’t get past his voice.
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.
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
Few good songs
I like the Talking Heads. I didn’t know any songs on this album. It was fine. It sounded like the Talking Heads.
Better than I expected but too 80s synthy for me.
Good and enjoyable but not my preferred Talking Heads tunes.
Fine. Familiar with Talking Heads, this album didn’t particularly grab me as an album.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
It's ok. I'm not a huge Talking Heads fan. It's very Talking Heads.
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.
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.
good
Good. It wasn't great. I liked it
Tossing a coin to determine whether this should be a 2 or a 3... fine, it's a 3
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.
Weird in the right ways but don't necessarily need to listen again
3.3 1x
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
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
2.6
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 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.
Honestly, I listened to it three-four times through and it never really caught my attention.
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.
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.
Talking Heads is some kind of hit or miss to me. They have enough songs to fulfill a setlist or a Greatest Hits album, but the studio albuns are kinda meh. This one, for example. Life During Wartime, Heaven and one or two more songs are hits (live, like on Stop Making Sense, BIG hits), but the rest feels like a miss to me. Thin sound, ideas that are different but not enough, etc. Thus, for me, Speaking in Tongues is a far better record.
Funny - liked them better back in the dat
diving straight into a fear of music with courage. some of this stuff is incredibly avant-garde, unique, authentic, and interesting, like I Zimbra and Mind. and some of it is the blandest shit I've ever heard. like Electric Guitar, snoozefest of a track. I find myself feeling this way about a lot of Talking Heads though, the lead singer's drone crosses the line from artsy and intentional to plodding imo. listened to while concussed and it sounds like how my brain feels
Utter turd
Was a bit much for me
3.5
not my favourite album the talking heads have done but it was alright. the second half was better than the first and there were some good beats
decent
Interesting, loses steam at the end
5/10 dragged and bloated somehow
TH have always kind of been in their own lane and their creativity no doubt influenced future music. That said, I find I only really like a handful of their songs. On this album, that song is “Life during wartime”. The rest is ok. Giving this one midrange for being unique and the style being a little ahead of its time.
I’ve always appreciated the Heads. Their attention to artistic detail from the music down to the cover art…and everything in between has always been top notch. They truly are students of art. But from a musical side, their stuff was always hit or miss with me. You can very much tell that Eno produced this album too given the sound of things. Outside of a few songs though, much of it didn’t quite hit for me. I can appreciate it. I just don’t know if I like it. The album is still deserving of a 3 based on influence alone.
I know some people are crazy about this band, but I can really only get into a few of their songs. The rest are just ok for me
Solid. Can’t say I’m a huge talking heads fan but like some of their stuff. I think a good example of being unique and creative but still creating songs people want to listen to. I don’t know their chronology and how sound has evolved but kept expecting One In a Lifetime to come on. Looks like that was next album so maybe this was building to that sound? Back of the album lost me a bit. Heaven sounds like it took a bit of inspo from David Bowie’s Hero’s (particularly in the chorus). Man, when that dude is dancing with that big suit or doing that crazy knee swinging dance…cracks my ass up. 3.25
I think I like the idea of Talking Heads more than their music... I find that their albums have a track or two I really enjoy and the rest is not my favorite. I really appreciate the creativity and dig I Zimbra and Life During Wartime. They have a couple albums I enjoy more than this one so I'm not going higher than an average rating. 3.25/5
Got a fast paced urgent feel to this record. Vocals remind me of 70's Bowie, could be the Eno influence on the record. Would I have this on a regular rotation probably not, but some good solos and its a interesting record. Stand out tracks: - I Zimbra - Cities - Air
Not interesting but not uninteresting.
Unique as always. Few songs in the beginning of the album got my foot tapping. Felt like they were just throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick.
Quirky and unconventional, but likeable. Like the one weird uncle who always attracts attention at family parties with his wacky shirts and adventurous stories.
Interesting, but not something I want to listen to too much.
Talking Heads are another band I feel I should like more than I do. This one was better than the other two so far, and ‘Heaven’ is a really good song. 3.5
idk i definitely liked the album but im not crazy about it :P
Mid. Repetetiv, chant-like
I liked it, pretty funky and groovy
Музыка то не страшная
6/10
Not their best but still pretty good
We have Led Zeppelin at home
Heaven is a fave of theirs. Rest as expected
Pretty good, but not my favorite
Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩ Will I be listening to this again: Probably not What do I like about it: I already knew the band and heard some songs from other albums What I dislike about it: It's not bad, but this band has a big variety of albums and most of them I won't like them :( Higlighted songs: Heaven, Drugs
A mixed bag. Some good songs but I've always struggled with David Byrne's vocal style, and this hasn't helped...
Some weirdo shit over funk rhythms. I liked it. This is an album where I think the one album per day review system fails, as I think its different enough that I'd like to listen/relisten to it over some time to fully digest. I think it would grow on me. While I wasn't fully sold on Byrnes voice I liked his playfulness in how he approached singing over different songs. Highlight: Memories Cant Wait
I Zimbra - 7 Decent opener. The album is from the late 70s and you can feel the influence of other popular music from the time in this track, mainly Disco from the very beginning. Pretty good vibe. Mind - 6 Bit of a psychedelic track. I had gotten Hunky Dory by David Bowie the day before this album and the similarities are very glaring. Grant it, Hunky Dory is also from the 70s (1971) and it feels like this song might have been inspired by that the way the vocals sound as well as instrumentally how the song goes from verse to chorus and back again. Guitar at the end sounds awesome. Paper - 5 Lyrically it's not a bad track. Instrumentally it's not a bad track. I don't think there's anything in this track that will make me want to listen to it again. Pass over track on the album. Cities - 7 Strong track and probably up to this point the best of the 4. Vocals are nice and remind me of Supertramp in a way. Disco undertones are here again in this song with the way the bass guitar is written into the track. Much more upbeat but overall it's very enjoyable. Life During Wartime - 8 Very good song. Lyrically it's very very strong with the message it is trying to send. Instrumentally it's a great tempo and beat and also incredibly catchy. You will find yourself moving along to this song even if you didn't plan on. Memories Can't Wait - 7 Complete tone change from the previous song but not so much it's out of place on the album considering what's before it. Overall it's a enjoyable song to listen to. The vocals are decent and the instrument builds into the outro very well at the end. Air - 4 Despite reminding me of bands like The Clash, this was a tough track to listen to. Vocals fall in and out of the tempo of the song constantly. You just listen to this with no idea of what the point is or where the song is going. Heaven - 6 Sounds like any average song from the time. This is another gear change for the album and a song with a lot more structure. Tempo is consistent. Vocals stay within that tempo. The problem with it is that this is about the only song on the album (at least so far) that has a rigid structure and so it feels out of place. The song sounds fine but there's nothing particularly remarkable about it either lyrically or instrumentally. Animals - 3 Awful track. Vocally it's like nails on a chalkboard. Instrumentally it has no club what it wants to be: more like Heaven or more like Mind. Vocally it just gets worse as the track goes on as well. Electric Guitar - 4 Track sounds ok. Another one with a bit of structure but everything is meant to sound very electro wavy and the instrumentals actually drown out the vocals at times you can't hear them. Bit too psychedelic for me. Drugs - 2 The worst track on the album is the last track on the album. Lyrically it comes in and out and it barely decipherable for the same reasons Electric Guitar is. Instrumentally there's barely anything there as it's very light on the guitar and the drum but then at times that just stops for some psychedelic sounds before randomly cutting back in. Outro is pretty poor and filled with randomness. Final Rating: 5.4 1001 Albums Final Rating: 2.7 out of 5 Rounded Up: 3
Solid
This wasn’t bad. I like talking heads generally but there weren’t any standouts on this album. I could see how this album and their early sound generally was very influential.
I liked it alright. Only one of their super hits on here. Otherwise, I don't know if I was familiar with any of the other songs.
its fun, very 70s/80s. i feel like i don't know what hes saying though but thats never really stopped me from enjoying music.
I think again-great music, ruined by the warblings
I love David Byrne’s voice! This album was just perfectly weird enough. I haven’t listened to Talking Heads much and I’m glad I did. It was groovy, but couldn’t say I wanted to crank up the music on the commute which is a requirement for me to get a 4 or 5. This song came out after, but I kept hearing “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby.
Like their overall vibe but not a favorite album of theirs for me. Life during wartime is great but weren’t many songs I’d go back to.
Reminds me a lot of LCD Soundsystem. Was fun dancing to Life during wartime. Wanted to like this more than I did
instrumentais ótimos
I Zimbra has got the groove Not digging Mind Paper is interesting, but probably takes multiple listens to truly appreciate Cities is weird but fun Life During Wartime rips. I prefer the live version tho Memories Can't Wait through me for a loop. Kinda gives me U2 vibes, but heavier Air is weird. I like it...I think? Heaven feels like filler and also written by a different band Animals feels more like a TH song, but I don't care for it Electric Guitar is fun Drugs is the typical Throw Random Crap on There as a last track
I enjoyed this to start with but felt like it petered out a bit by the end. The slightly unusual/eclectic rhythms of some of the earlier songs piqued my interest but then it seemed more samey later on in the album. Overall decent though.
Few decent songs
A very daring record even today, over 45 years after its release. Weirdly, I feel that the production of Byrne's vocals on this album really lacks in comparison to the live recordings on Stop Making Sense*. It just seems a little unfocused, which, coupled with Byrne's vocal style, can get a bit much or downright irritating at times. Unfortunately, this is, once again, one of those albums on this list that make me complain. Talking Heads have three albums on this list (77, Fear of Music and Remain in Light). Which is a lot, really, given they only ever released eight studio and two live albums before they split up. Considering there are a lot of live albums on this list, the mind boggles how Stop Making Sense is not on this list, and honestly... Fear of Music is probably the one that could be dropped in its stead.
groovy
Pretty good, Not the biggest fan of the vocals
It had some really good songs so walk to. I’m not sure I would sit down and listen to this whole album again though.
ji likr th4 covrer
Nice old school chill rock
Don't find this nearly as catchy as their follow up. A little repetitive but still very listenable.
I like this band but I've listened to this album a few times and only a few songs ever stick. Probably better live.
Meh
Kyllähän tuon kuunteli. Kaikennäköistä soundia siinä oli, ja ajoittain ihan hienoakin, mutta jotain tämä olisi kaivannut lisää.
Semmosta Byrnen kohellusta tällä kertaa. Pari ihan jees laulua
Ei tämäkään puhuvan pään albumi oikein lähde, vaikka loppujen lopuksi ihan kuunneltavaa kamaa onkin.
I love 'life during wartime' and there were some other really good tracks on here but I wasn't blown away by the thing as a whole.
What a fun band and album. Cool.
I like them quite a bit but never one of my favourite bands. A solid album, unique and ranged, but not their best release to be honest. No songs that particularly stood out.
music is good but his voice is a bit irritating
6/10
Not sure how to really feel about this, the vibes had a bit of a rollercoaster feel throughout the album with some songs definitely hitting better than others and avoiding certain repetitions. The lack of consistent lyrics also made it teeter on the edge of an acoustical album yet not so with the occasional utterances. Overall, the album will get a 2.5 and be bumped to 3 to avoid direct comparison with the gang of two's.
Was good, not really much to say tbh
Liked the latter half of this album a bit more than the first part. So far Talking Heads full albums are a bit much for me, I love the singles but can’t really do it for 50 minutes. Maybe I’ll revisit this album in a few years and enjoy more. 3.4/5.
Talking Heads will never be my favourite band. Too self-consciously cool. But this might be my favourite album of theirs. Cities and Life During Wartime are both jams.
This is one of the threes I've given that I can most see the argument for it being a 4, because I can totally see how this might have a higher rating if someone else rated it. It had some nice energy to it, but felt lacking in substance. I dunno. I may move it up later. Favorite Track: Animals
Temas interesantes, muy interesante. Fin. Nota: 3.0
obviously fun but saving room for the real talking heads
Zimbra is a good opener but mind is bad. Paper was an improvement but not by much. It picks up through air, which is a highlight for sure, but I’m starting to hit the same wall I hit with almost every project pre 1985: “I get why this was awesome at the time but it just doesn’t do it for me now.” This was a discouraging listen for me for the future of the list as I feel trapped in that mindset for so much of what we listen to. But I am reminded there are at least 3 more talking heads albums that are much better than this on the list. And David Byrne can do whatever he wants.
Good album! I enjoyed this while it is not my traditional listen! 6.7/10
A challenging and spiky listen but some interesting vocals and hooks to make the isolating sound more accessible. Listened twice and found it bleak and a complete piece. Not one I'll return to but enjoyed it.
Feel like this album is doing some interesting things for the time it was written, but I had trouble not zoning out while listening
This might be one that would grow on me but as someone that only really knows "Psycho Killer" by them it just sounded like an album of "Psycho Killer"-likes. "Cities" and "Animals" were good with my favorite being "Drugs"
While I enjoy Talking Heads weirdness, I feel this one was a bit too experimental for my current mood
i like them boys bt not my favorite
Bumpin'. Pretty interesting music, bothers me a slight bit because of vocals. Good elec guitar. This album was not my most favorite, especially the second half. The vocals sound like breathy and straining. I think the songs that have more listens are definitely better in this album in my opinion.
Always enjoy Talking Heads, there's not a song I don't like! Wish more people in my generation had heard of them!
We listened to the album on the way to the Catskills in NY! From first impression I got definitely a Bowie vibe from the vocalist. The vocals were a little out there but the music had us bopping our heads to the beat. Nothing especially exciting but good nonetheless.
Mind
I love the Talking Heads but I think maybe they have one too many albums on the Top 1001 and it's likely this one. This album has a TON of listens, tracks range from 10M ("I Zimbra", "Heaven", to 6M ("Cities") to 4M ("Mind", "Life During Wartime" which should be higher, and "Memories Can't Wait") but no song has fewer than 1.5M listens. Standouts, the classic "Life During Wartime" & "Heaven" which is just uplifting. Lowlights for me was "Memories Can Wait" & "Drugs" I don't think it's T1001 worthy though I enjoyed most of it.
good, not great, new wave record, there are better Talking Heads albums
Ok ok. I didn’t get through the entire album unfortunately
Highlights: - I Zimbra - Memories Can’t Wait - Air Animals was silly fun. Entire record was light, funky/pop/rock? Seemed like the band was having a good time and playing around with their sound which is cool. Didn’t always bring me along though.
canciknes fav: air mind
respectful 3 pop sht
Often feeling like David Bowie light due to the singing style there was only one thought I had during listening: Ece will not enjoy this 😆
A better TH album IMO. Some if Harrison's guitar work reminds me of Adrian Belew, which is interesting as the were touring together in 2024.
Good album! Talking Heads have always been decent.
Great songs. A little bit repetitive.
George of the jungle vibes in places. Lots of beep beep boop boops. Kind of enjoying it.
Kind of repetitive sound wise
Stand outs: - Life During Wartime - Heaven I like the funky guitar riffs and beats but it's not an album that grabbed me on first listen.
Pretty fine album, sounded like the Talking Heads but I really didn't hear any standout songs.
While still weird, it doesn't feel as experimental as some of their other offerings.
Started stronger than it finished but I enjoyed it more than I expected!
Enjoyable. Admittedly I was working on other things while listening so it did not have my full attention but it was solidly mid range.
nao gosto tanto de talking heads perdao fml 💔
é ok, definitivamente não chega perto dos melhores do talking heads mas eu achei legalzinho
Ouvi pouco talking heads na minha vida, vamo ve como vai ser Começou legalzinho o album resto das faixas foram bem monótonas, passou algumas musicas e eu nem vi salvei uma ou duas musicas desse album, não ouviria dnv 6/10
Eu não tive muito tempo para ter a experiência de escutar e refletir sobre o album mas certamente, pra quem escutou pouco mas escutou, é um album bem fraquinho, com poucos altos e vários zzz..zzz... Posso destacar o Cities, I Zimbra e Mind como as faixas nas quais eu dei mais atenção (porra vei o fripp ta no I Zimbra wtffff). Não é bem meu estilo de New Wave mas tá indo.
My second Talking Heads in a row! That's not a bad thing, I guess. They were building their canon here by adding all-time classics "Life During Wartime" and "Heaven." And they had definitely discovered their signature sound in this second collaboration with producer Brian Eno.
another 3 but worse than bad but above divine comedy. this was ok i liked when it was funky.
One of the all time unique bands. I didnt love this one but I think it shows bits and pieces of their best work they just didnt have it yet. That sort of psychedelic sound is there but the rest didnt feel quite as great.
I like this band but i can't connect with their soul.
Highlights: I Zimbra, Life During Wartime
Arty, nerdy, white disco-funk-New Wave goodness from the Talking Heads and Brian Eno! Not my favorite album by them, but Life During Wartime is a great song. 3.5⭐️
energetic. Tbh, i actually heard only the first track
Whatever
I have to accept that Talking Heads just isn't my thing. It was still a fun time
Really weird that they chose this Talking Heads album. It’s like the creator of this list wanted to be a lil hipster and intentionally not choose the greatest hits.
It had a nice groove.
Quite an unusual album, it's really creative and finds a way to be different, but still musical and interesting. The album is a blend of different styles and a transitional one for the band, since they started moving from a more traditional punkish new-wave, to funk/art/talking heads type of sound. One of the things I liked about this album, as with their previous release, is the unusual guitar rhythms and melodies, you are never sure what's coming next, which is true for other instruments as well. The bass lines are also quite interesting throughout the album. The songs are fun to listen to, and the themes are engaging, but they just weren't that special to me. The bands trademark sound is here, but for me there is a lack of bigger singles/hits, although, most of the songs are memorable and have nice themes and sounds. Was between a 3 and a 4. Giving it a 3 in the end because the album just wasn't that special for me.
Good.
I swear this sounds like a Modest Mouse album from the 2000s. It's... Fine.
I'm a big fan of Talking Heads. Like some of my previous albums I've been given, I know a hand-full of some of their biggest hits but this is the first time I've taken a deep dive into one of their records. I'm much more familiar with their material on "Remain in Light" and "Speaking in Tongues". Some of the standout tracks for me are "Life During Wartime", "Paper", "Animals", and "Electric Guitar". I started off by listening to the original 1979 edition on Spotify but wasn't super enamored with the sound. I felt like the production of the original version was a little muffled and neutered sounding. With that in mind, this website links to the Deluxe Edition which was remastered in 2005 and I decided to give that version a listen to see if I liked the record any better. I do think the remastered 2005 version lends to a better listening experience. I found all of the same tracks enjoyable with the addition of "Drugs" which has an extremely foreboding sound that I enjoyed - definitely reminded me of having a bad trip. My overall verdict: enjoyable because of how much I enjoy the band but I have a feeling I would like their later releases a lot more.
Talking Heads typical go down well with music critics, but so far I've been fairly split on their songs. This album exemplified this by having a great first half and then an uninspiring, boring second half.
Pretty good.
3.5
3.0
Dit (bijvoorbeeld 'Air') klinkt als een aflevering van Ernst, Bobbie en de rest, waarbij Bobbie de hele aflevering vermoed dat er een spook op zolder zit, terwijl de moeder van Ernst daar gewoon haar beddengoed aan het drogen is ofzo. Ik zeg niet dat niks op dit album het niveau van een aflevering E, B en de R ontstijgt, maar het is wel zo dat er bizar veel van dit soort post-punk in deze lijst staat en haast elke keer weer als ik zo'n album aanzet word ik geconfronteerd met dat ik niet snap wat mensen die dit 5 sterren geven horen. Soms vraag ik me daadwerkelijk af of die mensen met zo'n lovende review hetzelfde album als ik hebben geluisterd. Dit klinkt toch best wel goedkoop, poppy en met vlagen lachwekkend theatraal? Stukjes van sommige liedjes op dit album zijn wel goed hoor en het is voor mij geen verschrikkelijke strijd om hier doorheen te komen, op dat knagende gevoel dat ik het niet begrijp wat er zo geniaal aan is na. Het einde van 'Memories Can't Wait' en het einde van eerder genoemde 'Air' vind ik best mooi en 3 sterren kan ik hier wel uit plukken, maar dat is het dan wel zo'n beetje.
I’d say it beat expectations cause I was worried about liking their singing style. Which it isn’t my favorite but it didn’t ruin the album for me. I didn’t really love any of the music itself though. And all the repetition in the lyrics made that also generally uninteresting for me. I think after more listens I could better appreciate it but at this moment in time after the first listen I don’t feel it.
Strange fun as always from the Talking Heads. Thrilled to play back Stop Making Sense.
Obviously, this is good...but listening to this made me wonder if I like Talking Heads as a concept vs. the music they're making. This didn't stay with me and didn't feel the need to replay any songs either.
Kinda fun but not really my bag
so, normally i really really dislike Talking Heads. even their major hits I tend to give a pass. I just don't love the lead singers voice and their music seems frantic to me. that being said, I did actually listen through this twice, really enjoying Cities and enjoyed their demo tapes. Not sure if I would go back to it, but this album I'll give a solid 3. it was enjoyable, and I am glad I listened to it... but probably won't go back
Talking Heads tick a lot of boxes for the kinds of sounds I enjoy, and in theory I *should* love them, but I don't. No hate either, they're just alright.
很妙的老摇滚，但大概率不会再听
I've always been really 50/50 on these guys, some of this album is super interesting and some of it is completely nonsensical. Weirdly really enjoyed the "Dancing for Money" demo
3 - Not my talking heads classic, some interesting stuff and cool musical commentary
I like the Talking Heads quite a bit but this album did not do it for me.
Weird. Not really my cup of tea, but can appreciate it for what it is. Really like the music on Drugs. 2.5/5
3.5
I lost some interest on the second half of this album. If I was comparing this to the rest of a talking Heads portfolio this album is kinda disappointing. Not bad, just was missing something.
Whenever I've seen this album's title, I've always imagined that it was not only a Talking Heads classic, but also that it has the vast majority of their best-known songs. I can see why it's a classic, but I'm very surprised that there are almost *no* radio classics on the album. (I can see that "I Zimbra", "Cities" and "Life during wartime" were all singles from the album, but the latter track is the only one that endured on radio playlists, although it definitely makes up for the remainder's obscurity.) Listening to this album nearly 50 years after it was released, it's interesting to hear how quintessentially Talking Heads this is, yet each track is also surprisingly *un*-distinctive (except "Memories can't wait", which feels a lot more like David Byrne's solo work years later)--it's like they created a mold for what a Talking Heads album would sound like, and then left it to past and future albums to create the hits they'd be known for long after they disbanded. Distinctiveness or lack thereof aside, my favorites on the album are probably "Life during wartime", "Heaven", and "Animals". It's interesting to read that Brian Eno (who is everywhere) helped produce this album, as I suspect this album was the reason he was so reluctant to help produce their next album, yet there's no real discussion of whatever scarred either him or the band to working with him (or maybe he was just tired of producing their albums?).
Weird og bra, digger talking heads
6/10
Not even that scary. Yet another case of false advertising from Byrne & Co.
I do like Talking Heads, and I enjoyed the album … but I really don’t remember anything about it.
I like Talking Heads but I thought this was good and not great. Life During Wartime was the only track that really stood out but maybe that's just because I already knew it.
Fav song: Air Talking Heads were ahead of their time. So fun and interesting but a few tunes lost in the sauce on this one. Can’t believe this was pre-80’s. Madness.
Weird in a good way, not my favourite album of theirs, but Life During Wartime is a bop, and Paper.. very nice
Most of this was pretty good. I didn't love the song "Animals," it was kind of screechy to me. Most of it was fun, it was very energetic but just didn't really seem like it had much depth to it.
I really like The Heads, but not familiar with this album.
I don't know why but even I like it and there is a few of good songs I don't think I be back to that one
Definitely wish I was high when I listened to this album. Hits and misses but overall enjoyable.
ну вот что-то я не прониклась
liked this - ol Byrne but with funky backing tracks
Not the best Talking Heads album but still better than most.
great band - not my favorite album but I enjoyed it. I love David Byrne for myriad reasons (his Brazilian exploring in the late 80s, his painting, solo work, used to come to my gym where I taught in nyc..coolest guy. i think he is true to his art/music and that shld be rewarded, even if I didn't love this album - some is great but the rest eh? Also Tina Weymoth and her hubby - Stood next to Blondie !?!?!!? at the 'World' theater back in 1990 watching the Tom Tom club love them too!
I think this is best consumed in a multi-media environment, where you can see, hear, and gleam the nuances of the whole experience: fun lyrics, iconic sound, and a lot of avant-garde whimsey.
Fun album
I’ve never really appreciated the Talking Heads, and this album did not change that.
To me, Talking Heads is a band that makes accessible, decently fun, and very well produced music that, for some reason, has almost no charm to it. It's like pop but slightly better, excerpt slightly better is not enough for me to be a fan, because I don't like pop. Yeah, their music just doesn't impress me in any way. Their next album, Remain In Light, is slightly better, in my opinion, but I also couldn't find anything to praise it for. Good music, but nothing remarkable. 7/10
Not bad but not super memorable?
Not my cup of tea.
Now here is a weird band. To me their music is simplistic, minimalistic to the extreme. But sometimes less is more, and when they get it right, boy do they get it right. I have their greatest hits album, but that is the only album of theirs that I have heard, unless there was one on here earlier that I've forgotten about. Life during wartime is the only track I recognised, but the others were OK. Really not sure whether I'd buy any album by them other than greatest hits, but on the whole this one was ok. A solid high 3 from me.
Talking Heads are a bit like Marmite, sometimes they hit the spot, and sometimes it's just brown sludge. This was definitely the former I've never listened to this before, and it's well worth another spin. There was a lot going on, so I was unable to appreciate the subtleties, another few plays and it might get a higher score.
Not the album I would have chosen - good but not their best
When they're good, they're great. When they're not good,they sound like a weird novelty act.
I like talking heads but this isn’t the best version of them.
I like the first few tracks enough, but the whole album feels a bit samey in sound and vibe. I Zimbra is a cool start to an album, and I liked the different feel Drugs provided. Their default sound reminds me of Bowie. Like 'Fame' (1975), 'Let's Dance'. I think this is just cool 70s music.
A classic! Still, prefer their biggest hit.
It’s ok i guess
Upbeat. enjoyable. Don't know if it will b on I come back to but good none the less. 3-3.5
Not bad.
I didn't know this album well at all. Obviously Life During Wartime was the big hit from it that always makes Greatest Hits collections and I knew the other singles. It seems to me that it's front-loaded for those singles with a longer, less interesting tail. It's not bad exactly but the evidence is clear: reviewers loved it, record buyers didn't.
listened to again definitely oddball, somewhat interesting, not enough for me
Buena segunda mitad
Talking Heads continue to be my favourite discovery of this project Obviously I knew their singles before but I had no idea how much I’d enjoy all of their work This wasn’t quite as good as some of their other albums on this list but was still pretty great
Talking heads is atmospheric but this album didn't quite have the highlights of some of their better singles.
Sounds similar to franz ferninand.