FEAR OF MUSIC

The first sounds of I Zimbra really makes you wonder if it's actually Talking Heads you're listening to. I guess it only proves that there is never a time to stop experimenting for David Byrne and his band! Only after a few revisits of Fear Of Music it becomes clear that this album is a drop in quality compared to the two previous and its follow up releases. Still, this doesn't mean that it hasn't got its share of excellent moments, this was after all the period where Talking Heads could do nothing wrong!

The foreign sounds of I Zimbra was just something we would have to get used to since it was an important cornerstone that paved way for Remain In Light, only a year later! I'm still debating on whether the band chose to experiment with new sounds and beats because of the obvious drop into the songwriting department, most notable on tracks like Mind, or if this drop was a direct result of the experimentation. Whatever the answer is, there's really no denying that songs like Memories Can't Wait and especially Electric Guitar are just not as memorable as Talking Heads' earlier material and covering these flaws in layers of effects doesn't make it better.

There are a few definite rays of sunlight like the concert favorites Cities and Life During Wartime, plus I'm a huge sucker for melodic hooks like the one depicted on Air. Heaven is also a nice track that is only ruined by the idea that nothing really happens here! The rest of the material is neither hit nor miss and keeps up the flow quite nicely while we wait for some of the biggest highlights.

Overall, Fear Of Music is a drop in quality compared to the other three out of Talking Heads' first four albums. Still, thanks to the fact that all of the other releases are either masterpieces or on the verge of being just that, this release is merely an excellent album, which is something that is an achievement in itself and shows that Talking Heads were pretty much unstoppable back then!

***** star songs: Cities (4:14) Life During Wartime (3:41) Air (3:34)

**** star songs: I Zimbra (3:09) Paper (2:39) Memories Can't Wait (3:30) Heaven (4:01) Animals (3:30) Drugs (5:15)

*** star songs: Mind (4:12) Electric Guitar (3:01)