Fear of Music

Certain Songs #2616: Talking Heads – “Heaven”

May 13, 2023 by Jim Connelly

Album: Fear of Music
Year: 1979

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Another thing that set Fear of Music apart from the other two albums Talking Heads recorded with Brian Eno was that rather than recording at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, the basic tracks were recorded at Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth’s loft in New York City. Also, it was basically a brand-new batch of songs, to boot — the songs on the first two albums went back to their earliest days — which might account for Byrne’s lyrics about war, animals, drugs, memories, not being able to change someone’s mind, and how air is bad for you. Or might not.

Certain Songs #2615: Talking Heads – “Cities”

May 12, 2023 by Jim Connelly

Album: Fear of Music
Year: 1979

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Fading in with sirens rushing at you from a distance — one of the more universal sounds you encounter when you find a city to live in — “Cities” is kinda sorta the Talking Heads paying Brian Eno back for “Kings Led Hat” while also looking forward to Remain in Light.

Certain Songs #2614: Talking Heads – “Mind”

May 11, 2023 by Jim Connelly

Album: Fear of Music
Year: 1979

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The second album of the trilogy that Talking Heads made with old sourpuss himself, Brian Eno, 1979’s Fear of Music, isn’t quite held in the same highest regard as the albums that surrounded it, More Songs About Buildings and Food and Remain in Light. So, in that respect, it’s kinda like The Two Towers. But that might be because it’s easily the darkest of those three albums, which is understated in the title: music is just one of the many many many things to fear on this record.

If Byrne’s persona was normally kind of a bemused joy, that often goes right out the window on Fear of Music, where nothing seems to satisfy him — not even breathing or eternal life, as we’ll see — and he’s at war with the entire world, opening the record spouting gibberish and ending the record tripping balls. So it’s a dark masterpiece, which might even secretly be their best album. So, in that respect, it’s like The Empire Strikes Back.