Talking Heads

Fear of Music

First released1979

Fear of Music, the third studio album by Talking Heads, was recorded in 1979 at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and released in August of that year. The album was produced by Talking Heads and Brian Eno, continuing their collaborative relationship from the previous album More Songs About Buildings and Food. Engineer Ed Harrison and the production team experimented with angular guitar work, funk-influenced rhythms, and Eno's distinctive production techniques to create a more dance-oriented and rhythmically complex sound compared to the band's earlier work. The recording sessions took place during a period of significant creative confidence for the band, as they refined their art rock and post-punk style while incorporating elements of world music and electronic production. The album became a commercial and critical success, establishing Talking Heads as innovative artists and helping to define the post-punk and new wave movements of the late 1970s.