Talking Heads' Fear of Music (Continuum)
Novelist and essayist Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude, Ecstacy of Influence), returns to Skylight to discuss and sign his entry in the always-fascinating 33 1/3 series, a collection of pocket-sized books in which one great writer discusses one great album in whatever form they like. Here, Lethem tackles the Talking Heads' third album, Fear of Music, using theory, fiction, and memoir to examine a band he puts on par with Fritz Lang, Edgar Allen Poe, Patti Smith, and David Foster Wallace.
Jonathan Lethem is one of the most acclaimed American novelists of his generation. His books include Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, and Chronic City. His essays about James Brown and Bob Dylan have appeared in Rolling Stone. He is Roy Edward Disney Professor in Creative Writing at Pomona College.
Fear of Music, the third album by Talking Heads, was recorded and released in 1979. It is, like each of their first four albums, a masterpiece. Edgy, paranoid, funky, addictive, rhythmic, repetitive, spooky, and fun - with Brian Eno's production, it's a record that bursts out of the downtown scene that birthed the band, and hints at the directions (positive and negative) they'd take in the near future. Here, Jonathan Lethem takes us back to the late 1970s in New York City and situates Talking Heads as one of the most remarkable and enigmatic American bands. Incorporating theory, fiction, and memoir, and placing Fear of Music alongside Fritz Lang, Edgar Allen Poe, Patti Smith, and David Foster Wallace. Lethem's book is a virtuoso performance by a writer at the peak of his powers, tackling one of his great obsessions.
Possibly out of print. Email or call to check availability and price.
Possibly out of print. Email or call to check availability and price.
