Top 200 Albums of All Time: T artists

Remain in the Light: The Talking Heads (1980)

The Talking Heads wanted people to realize they were a group and not David Byrne with a backing band. Remain in the Light included African rhythms and studio innovations such as samples and loops. Byrne used Africa as lyrical inspiration. Despite this, the album’s most endearing work, “Once in a Lifetime” deals with a midlife crisis.

Aenima: Tool (1996)

The album’s title combines enema with anima. Much of the work connects song to song through short segues. The band itself is camera shy, so their videos tend to exclude them. For example, the video for “Stinkfist” is all Claymation.

#45 Talking Heads

David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison made up the avant-garde rock band, The Talking Heads. The group formed in 1974 and remained together until 1991. They combined everything into their music. Unlike most popular bands, the group managed to earn good reviews for their music. David Byrne’s whimsical wordplay and their stage show helped them rise from the New York punk scene to one of the most important acts in history.

Rock n Roll Moment: The film “Stop Making Sense” was based on a tour. The show started with Byrne and a radio with cassette player. Throughout the show, more was added. By the end, it was a full blown concert.

Essential Talking Heads:

Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
More Songs About Building and Food (1978)
Remain in the Light (1980)
Stop Making Sense (1984)

Talking Heads’ Top 10:

Psycho Killer
Once in a Lifetime
Life During Wartime
Burning Down the House
Take Me To The River
And She Was
Wild Wild Life
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town
Love---Building On Fire