Wikipedia

Fear of Music

Fear of Musicis the third studio album by the Americannew wavebandTalking Heads,released on August 3, 1979, bySire Records.It was recorded at locations inNew York Cityduring April and May 1979 and was produced byBrian Enoand Talking Heads. The album reached number 21 on theBillboard200and number 33 on theUK Albums Chart.It spawned thesingles"Life During Wartime","I Zimbra",and"Cities".

Fear of Music
Studio albumby
Talking Heads
ReleasedAugust 3, 1979
RecordedApril 22–May 6, 1979[1]
Studio
Genre
Length40:40
LabelSire
ProducerBrian Eno,Talking Heads
Talking Headschronology
More Songs About Buildings and Food
(1978) 		Fear of Music
(1979) 		Remain in Light
(1980)
SinglesfromFear of Music
  1. "Life During Wartime"
    Released: October 14, 1979
  2. "Air"
    Released: 1979 (Japan)
  3. "I Zimbra"
    Released: February 7, 1980
  4. "Cities"
    Released: July 8, 1980

Fear of Musicreceived favorable reviews from critics. Praise centered on its unconventional rhythms andfrontmanDavid Byrne's lyrical performances. The album is often considered one of Talking Heads' best releases and has been featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of all time.

Background

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Talking Heads' second albumMore Songs About Buildings and Food,released in 1978, expanded the band's sonic palette.[4]The record included a hit single, acoverofAl Green's "Take Me to the River",which gained the quartet commercial exposure.[5]In March 1979, the band members played the song on nationwide U.S. music showAmerican Bandstand.[6]In the days after the performance, they decided they did not want to be regarded simply as "a singles machine".[7]

Talking Heads entered a New York City studio without a producer in the spring of 1979 and rehearseddemotracks.[8]Musically, the band wanted to expand on the "subtly disguised"discorhythms present inMore Songs About Buildings and Foodby making them more prominent in the mixes of new songs.[7]These recording plans were shelved after the quartet was not pleased with the results. A decision was then taken to rehearse in drummerChris Frantzand bassistTina Weymouth's loft inLong Island City,Queens,where the band members had played while unsigned in the mid-1970s.Brian Eno,who had producedMore Songs About Buildings and Food,was called in to help.[8]

Recording and production

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On April 22 and May 6, 1979, asound engineeringcrew in aRecord Plantvan parked outside Frantz's and Weymouth's apartment building and ran cables through their loft window. On these two days, Talking Heads recorded the basic tracks with Eno.[8]

Weymouth later stated that Byrne's sense of rhythm is "insane but fantastic" and that he was key to the band's recording drive during the home sessions.[7]As songs evolved, the performances became easier for the band members.[8]Eno was instrumental in shaping both their sound and recording confidence, and worked on electronic treatments of tracks.[9][10]

Composition

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Fear of Musicis largely built on an eclectic mix of disco rhythms, cinematic soundscapes, and conventionalrock musicelements.[citation needed]

Byrne credits the inspiration for the album, especially "Life During Wartime", to life onAvenue Ain theEast Village.[11]Instead of incorporating characters in society, as he did onMore Songs About Buildings and Food,Byrne decided to place them alone indystopiansituations.[4]Weymouth was initially skeptical of Byrne's new compositions, but the frontman managed to persuade her.[8]

Album opener "I Zimbra"is influenced byAfrobeatand disco, and includes guitar work byRobert Frippand background chanting from assistantrecording engineerJulie Last.[7][12]The nonsensical lyrics are based on the poem "Gadji beri bimba" by GermanDadaistwriterHugo Ball.[10]Band memberJerry Harrisonhas said that this song influenced what the band was to do on their next album,Remain in Light(1980).[13]

"Cities"details a search for the ideal urban settlement to live in and was born out of Talking Heads' preferences for urban homes, especially in Manhattan.[14]"Paper" compares a love affair to a simple piece of paper.[8]In "Life During Wartime",Byrne casts himself an" unheroicurban guerrilla",who renounced parties, survived on basic supplies likepeanut butter,and heard rumors about weapons shipments and impromptu graveyards. The character is only connected to the imminent collapse of his civilization. Byrne considered the persona "believable and plausible".[4]"Air" is a protest song against the atmosphere, an idea Byrne does not consider "a joke". Inspired byThe Threepenny OperabyBertolt BrechtandKurt Weill,the lyricist wanted to create a melancholic and touching track about a person who feels so depressed that even breathing feels painful.[14]

Artwork

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The LP sleeve was designed by Harrison. It is completely black andembossedwith a pattern that resembles the appearance and texture oftread platemetal flooring, reflecting the album's urban subject matter.[15]The rest of the artwork was crafted by Byrne and includesheat-sensitive photographycreated by Jimmy Garcia with the help of DoctorPhilip Strax.[10]The design was nominated for the 1980Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.[16]Harrison suggested the "ludicrous" title to the band; according to Weymouth, it was accepted because it "fit" the album's themes and the quartet's stress during the album's production.[9]

Promotion and release

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After completingFear of Music,Talking Heads embarked on their firstPacificregion tour in June 1979 and played concerts in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. The album was released worldwide on August 3.[17]

A U.S. tour to showcase the new material was completed during August 1979.[17]At the time, Byrne toldRolling Stone,"We're in a funny position. It wouldn't please us to make music that's impossible to listen to, but we don't want to compromise for the sake of popularity."[18]The band shared theheadlinerslots withVan Morrisonandthe Chieftainsat theEdinburgh Festivalin September, and embarked on a promotional European tour until the end of the year.[17]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Chicago Tribune[20]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[21]
Consequence of SoundA+[22]
The Irish Times[23]
Mojo[24]
Pitchfork10/10[25]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[26]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[27]
Uncut9/10[28]

Critical

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The album received widespread critical acclaim.Jon Pareles,writing inRolling Stone,was impressed with its "unswerving rhythms" and Byrne's lyrical evocations; he concluded, "Fear of Musicis often deliberately, brilliantly disorienting. Like its black, corrugated packaging (which resembles amanhole cover), the album is foreboding, inescapably urban and obsessed with texture. "[29]John RockwellofThe New York Timessuggested that the record was not a conventional rock release,[30]while Stephanie Pleet of theDaily Collegiancommented that it showed a positive progression in Talking Heads' musical style.[31]Robert Christgau,writing inThe Village Voice,praised the album's "gritty weirdness", but noted that "a little sweetening might help".[32]Richard Cromelin of theLos Angeles Timeswas impressed with Byrne's "awesome vocal performance" and its nuances and calledFear of Music"a quantum leap" for the band.[33]Tom Bentkowski ofNew Yorkconcluded, "But what makes the record so successful, perhaps, is a genuinely feltanti-elitism.Talking Heads was clever enough to make the intellectual infectious and even danceable. "[34]

In retrospective reviews,AllMusic's William Ruhlmann felt thatFear of Musicwas "an uneven, transitional album", but nonetheless stated that it includes songs that match the quality of the band's best works.[19]In the 1995Spin Alternative Record Guide,Jeff Salamon called it Talking Heads' most musically varied offering.[27]In a 2003 review, Chris Smith ofStylus Magazinepraised Byrne's personas and Eno's stylized production techniques.[35]InTheRough Guideto Rockpublished the same year, Andy Smith concluded that the album is a strong candidate for the best LP of the 1970s because it is "bristling with hooks, riffs and killer lines".[36]

Commercial

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Fear of Musicwas certifiedGoldbyRecording Industry Association of Americaon September 17, 1985, after more than 500,000 copies were sold in the U.S.[37]

Accolades

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Fear of Musicwas named as the best album of 1979 byNME,[38]Melody Maker,[39]and theLos Angeles Times.[40]The New York Timesincluded it on its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year.[41]Soundsplaced the album at number two on its "Best of 1979" staff list, behindthe Specials'eponymous release.[42]It placed fourth in the 1979Pazz & Jopcritics' poll run byThe Village Voice,which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.[43]

In 1985,NMEplacedFear of Musicat number 68 on its writers' list of the "All Time 100 Albums".[44]In 1987,Rolling Stoneplaced it at number 94 on its list of the best albums of the previous 20 years.[45]In 1999, it was included at number 33 onThe Guardian's list of the "Top 100 Albums That Don't Appear in All the Other Top 100 Albums of All Time".[46]In 2004,Pitchforkfeatured the record at number 31 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s" list,[18]while in 2005,Channel 4ranked it at number 76 during its "100 Greatest Albums" countdown.[47]The album was also included in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[48]

Track listing

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All tracks are written byDavid Byrne,except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Zimbra"Byrne,Brian Eno,Hugo Ball3:09
2."Mind"4:13
3."Paper"2:39
4."Cities"4:10
5."Life During Wartime"Byrne,Chris Frantz,Jerry Harrison,Tina Weymouth3:41
6."Memories Can't Wait"Byrne, Harrison3:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Air"3:34
2."Heaven"Byrne, Harrison4:01
3."Animals"3:30
4."Electric Guitar"3:03
5."Drugs"Byrne, Eno5:10
  • The original LP issue credited all songs to David Byrne, except "I Zimbra". After complaints from other band members, the credits were changed to the above on later CD issues.
  • A limited edition UK LP included a live version of "Psycho Killer"and" New Feeling "fromTalking Heads: 77on a bonus 7-inch record.
Expanded CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Dancing for Money" (Unfinished outtake)2:42
13."Life During Wartime" (Alternate version)Byrne, Frantz, Harrison, Weymouth4:07
14."Cities" (Alternate version)5:30
15."Mind" (Alternate version)4:26
  • The remastered reissue was produced byAndy Zax,with the help of Talking Heads, and was mixed byBrian Kehew.
  • The DVD portion of the European reissue contains videos of the band performing "I Zimbra" and "Cities" on German music showRockpopin 1980.

Personnel

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Those involved in the making ofFear of Musicwere:[10][49]

Charts

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Chart performance forFear of Music
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[50] 35
Canadian Albums(RPM)[51] 27
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[52] 11
UK Albums(OCC)[17] 33
USBillboard200[17] 21
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[53] 24

Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales forFear of Music
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[54]
2006 release 		Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[55] Gold 500,000^

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release formats forFear of Music
Region Year Label Format(s) Catalog
United States and Canada 1979 Sire Records LP, cassette 6076[10]
United Kingdom
Rest of Europe WEA 56707[56]
United States and Canada 1984 Sire Records CD (2–)6076[19]
Europe
United States and Canada 2006 Rhino Records Expanded CD,digital download 76451[19]
Europe Warner 8122732992[49]
Japan 2009 WPCR-13291

Footnotes

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  1. ^Fear of Music(CD release, back cover).Talking Heads.Sire Records.1979.
  2. ^Helmore, Edward (March 27, 2009)."Interview: 'The business is an exciting mess'".The Guardian.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  3. ^Reynolds, Simon (2005).Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984.Penguin. p. 163.
  4. ^abcPareles, Jon (May 1982). "Talking Heads Talk".Mother Jones.p. 38.
  5. ^Charone 1979,p. 27.
  6. ^Bowman 2001,p. 145.
  7. ^abcdCharone 1979,p. 28.
  8. ^abcdefBowman 2001,p. 146.
  9. ^abCharone 1979,p. 30.
  10. ^abcdeFear of Music(LP sleeve).Talking Heads.London:Sire Records.1979.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^Moss, Jeremiah (2017).Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul.p. 17.
  12. ^Charone 1979,p. 31.
  13. ^Charone 1979,p. 29.
  14. ^abBowman 2001,p. 147.
  15. ^Bowman 2001,p. 158.
  16. ^"Grammy Award Nominees 1980 – Grammy Award Winners 1980".Awardsandshows.com.RetrievedAugust 9,2019.
  17. ^abcdeRees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991).Rock Movers & Shakers.Billboard Books.p. 519.ISBN0-8230-7609-1.
  18. ^abPitchfork staff (June 23, 2004)."Top 100 Albums of the 1970s".Pitchfork Media.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 23,2009.
  19. ^abcdRuhlmann, William."Fear of Music – Talking Heads".AllMusic.RetrievedSeptember 23,2009.
  20. ^Kot, Greg(May 6, 1990)."Talking Heads On The Record".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedNovember 9,2020.
  21. ^Christgau, Robert(1981)."T".Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies.Ticknor and Fields.ISBN0-89919-026-X.RetrievedMarch 9,2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  22. ^Cudmore, Libby (August 31, 2019)."Talking Heads Dance Away Our Fear of Music".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedOctober 30,2020.
  23. ^Courtney, Kevin (January 13, 2006)."Talking Heads: 77/More Songs About Buildings and Food/Fear of Music/Remain in Light (WEA)".The Irish Times.RetrievedNovember 8,2015.
  24. ^Cameron, Keith (July 2020). "New Feelings".Mojo.No. 320. pp.68–69.
  25. ^Greene, Jayson(April 23, 2020)."Talking Heads: Fear of Music".Pitchfork.RetrievedApril 23,2020.
  26. ^Sheffield, Rob(2004). "Talking Heads". InBrackett, Nathan;Hoard, Christian(eds.).The New Rolling Stone Album Guide(4th ed.).Simon & Schuster.pp.802–03.ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
  27. ^abSalamon, Jeff (1995). "Talking Heads". InWeisbard, Eric;Marks, Craig (eds.).Spin Alternative Record Guide.Vintage Books.pp.394–95.ISBN0-679-75574-8.
  28. ^Gill, Andy (August 2015). "Buyers' Guide".Uncut.No. 219. p. 40.
  29. ^Pareles, Jon(November 15, 1979)."Fear Of Music".Rolling Stone.RetrievedOctober 5,2014.
  30. ^Rockwell, John(August 3, 1979). "The Pop Life: Talking Heads strikes again".The New York Times.p. C19.
  31. ^Pleet, Stephanie (October 24, 1979). "'Fear of Music': not just a tete-a-tete ".The Daily Collegian.p. 8.
  32. ^Christgau, Robert(October 8, 1979)."Christgau's Consumer Guide".The Village Voice.RetrievedFebruary 4,2016.
  33. ^Cromelin, Richard (September 23, 1979). "The Talking Heads' Fears, Fixations".Los Angeles Times.p. O83.
  34. ^Bentkowski, Tom (December 10, 1979). "State of Heads".New York.pp.135–136.
  35. ^Smith, Chris (September 1, 2003)."On Second Thought: Talking Heads – Fear of Music".Stylus Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 23,2009.
  36. ^Smith, Andy (2003)."Talking Heads".In Buckley, Peter (ed.).The Rough Guide to Rock.Rough Guides.p. 1054.ISBN1-84353-105-4.
  37. ^"RIAA: Gold & Platinum".Recording Industry Association of America.Archived fromthe originalon June 26, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.Note: User search required.
  38. ^NMEstaff (December 15, 1979). "Best Albums of 1979".NME.p. pull-out section.
  39. ^Melody Makerstaff (December 15, 1979). "1979 Melody Maker Albums".Melody Maker.p. pull-out section.
  40. ^Los Angeles Timesmusic staff (January 6, 1980). "The 10 best albums of 1979".Los Angeles Times.p. 68.
  41. ^Rockwell, John(December 21, 1979). "The Pop Life: A critic picks top 10 for '79".The New York Times.p. C20.
  42. ^Soundsstaff (December 15, 1979). "The Best of 1979".Sounds.p. 30.
  43. ^"The 1979 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll".The Village Voice.January 28, 1980.RetrievedSeptember 23,2009.
  44. ^NMEstaff (November 30, 1985). "All Time 100 Albums".NME.p. 16.
  45. ^Rolling Stone staff (September 3, 1987). "Top 100 Albums Of The Last 20 Years".Rolling Stone.p. 56.
  46. ^The Guardianmusic staff (January 29, 1999). "Top 100 Albums That Don't Appear In All The Other Top 100 Albums Of All Time".The Guardian.p.Featuresinsert.
  47. ^"The 100 Greatest Albums".Channel 4.February 26, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012.RetrievedDecember 23,2010.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  48. ^Bates, Theunis (2006). "Talking Heads:Fear of Music".In Dimery, Robert (ed.).1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.Universe Publishing.p.431.ISBN978-0-7893-1371-3.
  49. ^abFear of Music(CD booklet and case back cover).Talking Heads.London:Warner.2006.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  50. ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 304.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  51. ^"RPM 50 Albums".RPM.32(12). Toronto: RPM. December 15, 1979.
  52. ^"Talking Heads – Fear Of Music".Ultratop.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.
  53. ^"Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 41. hét"(in Hungarian).MAHASZ.Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  54. ^"British album certifications – Talking heads – Fear of music".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedOctober 23,2021.
  55. ^"American album certifications – Talking heads – Fear of music".Recording Industry Association of America.
  56. ^Fear of Music(LP sleeve).Talking Heads.London:WEA.1979.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Bibliography

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  • Bowman, David (2001).This Must Be the Place: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the Twentieth Century.HarperCollins.ISBN0-380-97846-6.
  • Charone, Barbara (October 1979). "More Songs About Typing and Vacuuming".Creem.pp.27–33.

Further reading

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