Album: Fear of Music
Year: 1979
. . .
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.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2614: Talking Heads – “Mind”