Fear of Music tops NME Critics Poll

Talking Heads : Life During Wartime

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New Musical Express declared Fear of Music by Talking Heads as the best album of 1979, over such memorable efforts as London Calling, Entertainment!, Unknown Pleasures and Metal Box. In an article published weeks before the release of the album, David Byrne gave NME some hints about the songs on the new record:

"I've tried to write songs that are far from my usual point of view, about getting drunk and chasing after girls, but they're never successful. I don't think I can chase...See, if I use the third person it achieves distance. It's slightly humorous. It isn't always very nice...The songs 'Heaven" and "Mind" are set in parties and bars, places where people get together, except in one  of 'em the party is in someone's mind and they want it to stop. Eventually they decide they like it"

Earlier in the month Talking Heads performed at London's Electric Ballroom with opening acts Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark and, from Ireland, a band calling themselves U2. 

NME 1979 ALBUMS
 1. Fear Of Music - Talking Heads
 2. Metal Box - Public Image Ltd.
 3. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
 4. Setting Sons - The Jam
 5. Entertainment - Gang Of Four

 6. Armed Forces - Elvis Costello
 7. Do It Yourself - Ian Dury
 8. London Calling - The Clash
 9. Squeezing Out The Sparks - Graham Parker
 10. The Specials - The Specials

 11. Forces Of Victory - Linton Kwesi Johnson
 12. The B52's - The B52's
 13. Bop Till You Drop - Ry Cooder
 14. The Raincoats - The Raincoats
 15. Tom Verlaine - Tom Verlaine
 16. I Am - Earth, Wind + Fire

 17. The Undertones - The Undertones
 18. 154 - Wire
 19. Repeat When Necessary - Dave Edmunds
 20. Drums + Wires - Xtc
 21. New Picnic Time - Pere Ubu

 22. Cut - The Slits
 23. Risque - Chic
 24. Regatta De Blank - Police
 25. Humanity - The Royle Rasses

 26. Same Song - Israel Vibration
 27. Katzenmusic - Michael Rother
 28. Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young
 29. Bruder Des Schattens, Sohne Des.. - Popol Vuh

 30. Dragnet - The Fall
 31. Even Serpents Shine - The Only Ones
 32. Eskimo - The Residents
 33. Slow Train Coming - Bob Dylan
 34. Blue Valentine - Tom Waits

 35. This Heat - This Heat
 36. A Train To Marineville - Swell Maps
 37. I’m The Man - Joe Jackson
 38. Soldier Talk - The Red Crayola

 39. Reproduction - The Human League
 40. Lodger - David Bowie