Even though most people see Remain in Light as Talking Heads's masterpiece, Fear of Music was the album that really got me into the group, and it's surely my favorite. You can already see them moving into the dense, atmospheric style of Remain in Light, with producer Brian Eno's influence becoming more prominent, but their pop sensibilities are as strong as ever, and the album features a number of great songs with the band really showing us everything they could do. David Byrne's just as quirky and weird as ever, but his lyrics are better here than anywhere else. Much of the lovable, teenage awkwardness from the first two albums is gone, but replaced by a sense of confidence, with Byrne tackling issues such as the energy crisis, pollution, and censorship in music, but also have a lot of fun in other places. My favorite song on the album is Mind, which is all kinds of fun, and that fun just continues on funky numbers like Life During Wartime and Cities. Even when the band is doing something more akin to just plain rock such as Paper or Memories Can't Wait the results are excellent. The more minimal electronic Drugs is another treat, and who can forget the opener, I Zimbra, sung entirely in Swahili, and hinting at the sound of Remain in Light. Heaven is also a nice semi-ballad, which isn't exactly what you would expect from the group. Electric Guitar rocks, and Air has some glorious moments, but nothing on the album disappoints in the least. It may not have the mind blowing sound of its successor, but Fear of Music doesn't need it. A greater set of songs is hard to find.
By: MoeHartman