Talking Heads Announce Fear of Music Reissue

Rhino will release a Super Deluxe edition of Talking Heads' album Fear of Music on November 13. The set consists of three CDs and one Blu-ray featuring a new remix of the album, rare tracks, and two full concerts. The Blu-ray includes Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound, and high-resolution stereo mixes, alongside footage from BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. The group posted their Old Grey Whistle Test live performance video of Life During Wartime on YouTube. Both vinyl and CD formats of the release will include a 60-page hardcover book with liner notes written by Will Hermes and rare photographs.

The announcement arrived at the same time as the launch of a Talking Heads channel on SiriusXM. Previously in March, Rhino released Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live, a collection of early live recordings and demos from the band.

Released on August 3, 1979, Fear of Music reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 and became the group's first Gold-certified album. The song Life During Wartime also earned an RIAA Gold certification for the first time. NME, Melody Maker, and the Los Angeles Times named Fear of Music the best album of 1979. Rather than using commercial studios, the group recorded the album in two days at Weymouth and Frantz's rehearsal space in Long Island City.