adriancole

Station To Station (1976)

Station To Station | 1976 | UK | RCA | APL1-1327, APLI-1327, APL1 1327 | Vinyl LP, Album

★★★★½ Jun 28, 2026

This album really does sound like someone standing between identities and not trusting any of them. A lot of Bowie writing treats it as the bridge between the slick soul side and the colder European work that came after, and that feels right because the music is tense, elegant, and a little sickly at the edges. The title track still feels unreal, half ritual and half machine. On this UK RCA copy the whole record has a lean severe shape that fits the mood. It is not comforting music, but it is incredibly controlled and hard to shake.

Fear Of Music (1979)

Fear Of Music | 1979 | US | Sire | SRK 6076 | Vinyl LP, Album

★★★½ Jun 28, 2026

This still sounds foreboding in a way that is weirdly fun. The whole album feels urban, tense, and full of sharp little textures, like the band took anxiety and taught it how to dance. Brian Eno being more involved really shows because the grooves are tight but the mood stays disorienting on purpose. This US Sire copy gives the rhythm section a dry push that works well for songs like Life During Wartime. I do not love every single second of it, but I totally get why people hold it up as one of Talking Heads' most unsettling and distinctive records.