Fear of Music

Once in a Lifetime was written by Talking Heads in collaboration with producer Brian Eno for their 1980 album Remain in Light.

It was the quartet's fourth studio album and was released at a point when they had already found some success following on 1979's Fear of Music, which featured a favorite of mine, Life During Wartime.

This ain't no party.

This ain't no disco.

Both of those records were also produced by Eno, who would return a third and final time to produce Remain in Light.

Keyboardist Jerry Harrison, bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz, and lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter David Byrne were always shifting and changing how they approached songwriting.

And after Fear of Music, they realized that they wanted to take a more collaborative and improvisational approach to songwriting.

As they worked on the music that would become Remain in Light, they began to explore working with looping sections, building grooves and musical ideas, and repeating them, riding the trance, and seeing what came of it.

Yeah, but it's the one that comes directly after.

And like, Brian Eno, yeah, he did Fear of Music, which is, of course, incredible.

Yeah, more songs

about building...

remain in light

Fear of Music, which was in 79 as well when we talked about Van Halen 2.

Now, the number two album on this list is another band that topped... either 78 or 79 I can't remember but it was another one that was that is kind of like uh it was 79 it was towards the top of the 79 list um okay very small discography similar sort of like post-punk new wave kind of aesthetic very different sound a lot more uh I would say a lot more esoteric than Talking Heads

more post-punk and yeah It's not Mission to Burma, is it? It is not.

This is... one of the bands that like incredibly influenced me as a kid.

So like, uh, fear of music and remain in light.

Like, uh, as he got to those, I'm like, uh, let me sit here.

And like, I was picking out parts of like, I know this doesn't sound right.

Okay.

Which Talking Heads album features the track Once in a Lifetime? Is it Fear of Music, More Songs About Buildings and Food? What a great name for an album.

Remain in Light or Little Creatures?

I don't know Talking Heads.

Who was the first woman to serve as mayor of Chicago? She served from 1979 to 1983 and was followed by Harold Washington, the first African American to serve in the same position.

Her last name is shared by a former governor of New Jersey, whose second term overlapped with her term, and by the leader of an American new wave band that released the albums Fear of Music and Remain in Light during her term.

A new wave band had the same name?

The leader of the new wave band.

The David Byrne was the-

Oh, David Byrne of the Talking Heads, right.

So Fear of Music and Remain in Light were the two albums they released during, during those four years.

Mm-hmm.

They're living on nuts and berries They set a bad example They ought to be more careful You know my homes are hairy They're living on nuts and berries They want to have what's best They're making up to us They ought to be more careful They're setting a bad example They want to laugh at people They're setting a bad example They're having trouble loving They think everything's nice They say they don't need money, they don't want some fairies, they don't want some fairy, they think they're number one's best, they're making a fool of us, they like to laugh at people, they're making a bad example, they say they don't need money, they don't want some fairy, they don't want some fairies, they say they don't need money.

Animals from my favorite Talking Heads album, Fear of Music, here on the Alternative 80s Podcast.

Coming up, we've got some Kate Bush, we've got some Lovin' Rockets, but first up is the Cocteau Twins.

With a little bit of info, maybe you did or did not know, but John Bonham is sort of playing on the album Treasure.

What it is, is Cocteau Twins used a drumulator drum machine, and they put in quite a few samples of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, specifically When the Levee Breaks.

And they used those samples and kind of made their own sound.