New York City might have been a mess in 1979, but it was great for music. Of course there was CB’s and Max’s, but there were a couple of new places downtown that booked live music, Tier 3 and the Mudd Club. There was also Hurrah, and by the time “Life During Wartime” was on the charts, Danceteria was about to open. They all had killer D.J.’s. You could hear “Off the Wall” by Michael Jackson right next to “Contort Yourself” by the Contortions. The playlist might include “Public Image” by John Lydon’s new band, PiL, or maybe the new record by Grace Jones or Chic, and the D.J. would then blast into Teenage Jesus. You might hear the same records at the legendary dance club Paradise Garage. Disco wasn’t dead, and neither was rock ’n’ roll. Talking Heads found a spot between the two and covered it better than anyone else.

“Life During Wartime” was all over the clubs. It sounded fantastic, and at 2, 3, maybe 4 in the morning, after a set at Danceteria, it was the perfect New York City record. It was the perfect New York City record no matter what club you were in. It had flashing lights and warning signs and the sound of gunfire mixed in with a lethal groove. That was New York City in 1979

Jonathan Lethem on Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’ - NYTimes.com

Source: The New York Times

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