Fear of Music (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Fear of Music
Type = Studio
Artist = Talking Heads


Released = August 3, 1979
Recorded = Long Island City, NY, April 22, 1979 and May 6, 1979. The Hit Factory, Atlantic Studios, RPM Sound Studios, The Record Plant, New York
Genre = New Wave, Post-punk
Length = 40:25
Label = Sire
Producer = Brian Eno and Talking Heads
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Adjivad5kv8w1 link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=talking+heads link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Not Rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/talkingheads/albums/album/226922/review/5945904/fear_of_music link]
Last album = "More Songs About Buildings and Food" (1978)
This album = Fear of Music (1979)
Next album = "Remain in Light" (1980)

"Fear of Music" was the third album by Talking Heads, released in 1979. It peaked at #21 in the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and singles "Life During Wartime " made #80 on the Pop Singles chart, and "I Zimbra" made #28 on the Club Play Singles chart. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year. The album was also ranked at number 76 on Channel 4 list of the 100 greatest albums.

The song "I Zimbra" was adapted from the poem "Gadji beri bimba" by Dadaist poet Hugo Ball. Its polyrhythms presaged the direction the band would take on its next album, "Remain in Light".

The original LP sleeve was all-black and embossed with a pattern that resembled the appearance and texture of diamond plate metal flooring.

In 2005, the album was re-released and remastered by Warner Music Group on their Warner Bros./Sire Records/Rhino Records labels in DualDisc format, with four bonus tracks on the CD side ("Dancing for Money" and alternate versions of "Life During Wartime", "Cities" and "Mind"). The DVD-Audio side includes both stereo and 5.1 surround high resolution (96 kHz/24bit) mixes, as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1 version of the album and the videos for "Cities" and "I Zimbra". In Europe, it was released as a CD+DVDA two disc set rather than a single DualDisc. The reissue was produced by Andy Zax with Talking Heads.

The alternate "Life During Wartime" is a full-length version with a guitar part by Robert Fripp. The "Cities" alternate contains verses and musical elements not used in the album version.

Track listing

All songs written by David Byrne, except where noted.

ide one

#"I Zimbra" (Byrne, Brian Eno, Hugo Ball) – 3:06
#"Mind" – 4:12
#"Paper" – 2:36
#"Cities" – 4:05
#"Life During Wartime" (Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth) – 3:41
#"Memories Can't Wait" – 3:30

ide two

#"Air" – 3:33
#"Heaven" (Byrne, Harrison) – 4:01
#"Animals" – 3:29
#"Electric Guitar" – 2:59
#"Drugs" – 5:13

Personnel

*David Byrne – vocals, guitars
*Chris Frantz – drum kit
*Jerry Harrison – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
*Tina Weymouth – bass, backing vocals

Additional personnel

*Brian Eno – backing vocals, treatments
*Gene Wilder and Ari – congas on "I Zimbra" and "Life During Wartime" [These credits refer to two street drummers, per the band's biography: cite book |last=Bowman |first=David |title=This Must Be the Place |origyear=2001 |origmonth=April |edition=paperback ed. |date=2002-11-26 |publisher=Harper Paperbacks |location=New York |language=English |isbn=0060507314 |pages=p. 146 |chapter=Hoovering |quote=Later two street drummers, credited as 'Gene Wilder and Ari', were rounded up from Washington Square Park to beat bongos [sic] to the cut as well.]
*Robert Fripp – guitar on "I Zimbra"
*The Sweetbreathes – backing vocals on "Air"
*Julie Last – backing vocals on "I Zimbra"

Recording personnel

*Joe Barbaria – engineer
*Greg Calbi – mastering
*Brian Eno – producer
*Rod O'Brian – engineer
*Neil Teeman – engineer

Charts

Album

References