I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A well told story of the ones who created the well know band, The Talking Heads.

"Studded with memorable places and names from the era--Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, Stephen Sprouse, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, and Debbie Harry among them--Remain in Love is a frank and open memoir of an emblematic life in music and in love."

Well researched and told with heart, this was a great piece of musical history.

Interesting read but the writing could use some better editing. Overall a fun look into some of the 70/80s NY music scene.

Wonderful biography read by the author! Entertaining and engrossing! An in-depth look at his career and the bands he created and influenced.

5 out of 5 stars.

I wanna preface this by saying that I love Talking Heads, so I was looking forward to this book! And I mean, this was kind of interesting and entertaining. but Frantz is just... not a great writer.. The book was really unbalanced. It goes into painstaking detail about two Talking Heads tours; four Tom Tom Club albums aren't even mentioned and he skims over the last 30 years in less than 50 pages. Some of the stories are really cool, but he’s just not great at telling them. Where were the publishers/editors?

Commissioned an interview with Chris Frantz for our 11 newspapers and websites, which ran on or around the publication date of the book. You can read the link below. Thank you very much for your help. (This 100 character count is making me write more, which I am finding difficult at the moment.)

DNF at 12%

I saw I had 13 more hours to go and woof. This book desperately needed some major editing to reel in the stories. I really didn’t need to hear about girls legs and bodies so much and random people he met once and never saw again. Bummer because I was looking forward to this book.

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the chance to listen to, "Remain in Love" by Chris Frantz. I've always liked reading biographies from musicians and bands. This was a great rock biography from Chris Frantz, the drummer from The Talking Heads and a member of the Tom Tom Club. Frantz's insight into his life and beyond was enjoyable. It seems like he is a great guy. Reading this makes me want to go listen to some Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club right now. The only real downfall of this biography is sometimes going into too much detail about certain foods, events and people. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone to read or listen!

I will start by saying that I am a big music fan and love Talking Heads. As soon as I saw Chris Frantz had a book coming out I wanted it. I was never lucky enough to see the Talking Heads (I was only 5 when they broke up) but I have been able to see Tom Tom Club twice and David Byrne twice and both were fantastic. I had been aware of the fact that there was bad blood between Tina Weymouth/Chris Frantz and David Byrne but I didn't know the details other than that they were friends and band mates and then they had a falling out. From the beginning of Remain in Love it was clear that Frantz is not a David Byrne fan. At first I thought well it sounds like David Byrne is an awkward person and I love awkward people. By the end of the story though it goes beyond that and you understand why Frantz shared all the stories he mentioned in the earlier book. It is clear that Frantz and Weymouth were very hurt by someone who they considered to be a friend. Obviously, there are two sides to every story but I'd say Frantz got his point across.
From their first major tour with The Ramones which had me singing Sheena Is a Punk Rocker in my head for that portion of the book to the story behind the Talking Heads shirt that I have seen hanging up in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame I loved hearing all about Talking Heads history and development.
The other thing that stuck out to me in the book is how much Frantz loves his wife, Tina Weymouth. It was so sweet that after all this time being together as a couple he still puts her needs in front of his own and is clearly so in awe by her.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'd say if you're a fan of music, especially 80's music, this book is for you!

It's hard to be a longtime fan of Talking Heads and have to leave a less than stellar review. I believe that had I read the print version I would have had a much better experience with this title. It makes total sense to have the author read his own biography but in this case, it does not make sense at all because it was really difficult to listen to. The "life" that skilled narrators bring to the written text was missing making it feel like a bit of a slog that I could only listen to in small doses.

This is not the fault of Chris, he's a drummer and fantastic creator who's story was of great interest to me. The publisher should have insisted on a trained narrator.

All that said the story of Chris & Tina's relationship, the story of one of the most seminal bands in rock history was all top notch. Probably more detail than I needed in some cases but had this been a print book I would have skimmed those bits and gotten on to other things.

I remain in love with the band and the story but do not love the audiobook version.

If you are a Talking Heads fan, you'll love this book. Frantz doesn't hold back while discussing matters concerning David Byrne and why they will never join forces again. He is nostalgic as he takes you through the early days of the band and their formation. Many stories involving CBGB and all the famous bands and artists he encountered along the way. What I loved most is reading about his love for his wife, bassist Tina Weymouth, and their resilience in the music industry and also in their marriage. A great read for music fans especially the bits about touring Europe with The Ramones!

As a Talking Heads fan from way back, I was super excited to listen to Chris Frantz read the book and I was not disappointed! It's so good and detailed about the years spent as the band got underway in NYC and early tours in Europe with The Ramones.

Despite my affection for their music, I had never read much about this group so it was all new to me and so fascinating because I knew Chris, his wife Tina Weymouth and David Byrne were all students at the Rhode Island School of Design which is located nearby to me in Providence, RI. It was certainly fun listening to him refer to places around the campus that I know about.

Even if you only have a passing interest in this band but you like post-punk music and want to read more about this era, music producing and other well-known music notables of the era, definitely take a listen to this book!

If you're a fan of Talking Heads, and the New York music scene that began at CBGBs then you should consider picking up Remain in Love. While ultimately telling the story of his life, Chris Frantz focuses on the creation, and journey of Talking Heads to what they have become known as today more than any other part. It's a story filled with amazing detail, honesty, and quite a bit of name dropping. At times it can seem a bit overwhelming, but Frantz is clear about wanting to tell what happened, and give credit to whom it is due. I can respect that, and while the names of side musicians, producers, engineers and background singers may not mean much to me personally it's nice to see how he wants all who had a part in the process to be acknowledged. Frantz pulls no punches, and you can tell what his feelings are towards the people he writes about good, and bad. Ultimately what I took away from the book is that Frantz loves how his life has turned out. Being in Talking Heads, and Tom Tom Club, working in music and creating art have been a treat, regardless of the struggles faced. It was all a big adventure that he enjoyed. And most of all Chris Frantz loves his wife, and musical partner Tina Weymouth, and is thrilled with the life they have been able to live.

I believe listening to the audiobook greatly aided in my enjoyment of the book. Hearing Frantz read his own words adds to the entire process. It felt more like he was telling the listener a story, and it was one I wanted to hear more of. I definitely believe I wouldn't have gotten the same feeling by just reading the words myself, nor would I have enjoyed the book as much as I did.

★★★★ 1/2

Very informative biography from one of the founding members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. Frantz's vivid description of the nascent days of Talking Heads and the various (early) tours were highlights.

I would have liked a little more detail about the recording of the Talking Heads' final album and maybe a mention of the Tom Tom Club show that I went to (in the gymnasium of Rider University), but that's just me.

(1/2★ deducted due to Frantz's (kind of creepy) insistence on describing every physical detail of nearly all of the females throughout the book -- it was a little icky.)

Loved this book!!! A must for any fan. This is told from the perspective of the drummer of Talking Heads, Chris Franz. You hear in the audio....narrated by the author of how him and fellow members David Byrne and Tina Weymouth meet in art school, and form the band along with later add Jerry Harrison. You will hear an honest and sincere narrative of being on tour with the Ramones, B-52 s, meeting Dire Straits, Ziggy Marley, and Andy Warhol. Franz speaks of his great love of his wife Tina Weymouth and the flawed creativity of David Byrne. VERY enjoyable listen.

The best part of this memoir is how candid and sincere Chris Frantz come across. On both sides of a passionate spectrum we see his deep love for his partner in life and music, Tina Weymouth, and his disdain for David Byrne. His straightforward, pull-no-punches manner, will make this a great read for fans of his music. For more casual listeners, his flat tone in narrating the book may feel a bit cumbersome to get through (though it makes sense that he should narrate his story). Some memoirs surprise us and dig deep, showing the unknown depths of someone we thought we were familiar with; they have a universality that transcends fan-hood (thinking of Trevor Noah here). Others are more a compilation of stories in direct correlation to the authors' life work. This is the case for Remain in Love. It's detailed and honest (perhaps painfully so), but it won't remain with me for a long time.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talking Heads are one of my favorite bands of all time, so I was very interested to read this memoir account by drummer Chris Frantz. Frantz and his wife Tina Weymouth were the rhythm section for the Heads and the creative partnership behind Tom Tom Club, and their marriage and relationship really created a steady foundation for the band and their lives. David Byrne comes off pretty badly in this book ("David is a person incapable of returning friendship") and I think some of that comes down to different values and outlooks on life. From this telling, Frantz treated the Heads as a family that produced great music together while Byrne (in this telling) saw it as a way to create good music/art and left when his ambition and plans outgrew the band, a more business outlook that would not mix well with Franz's approach. I loved Franz's description of the energy of playing live, the relationships he formed with other bands, and the details of studio recording, but I would have loved hearing more about how they came up with the music. Frantz also comes off as somewhat bourgeoisie for a rock star, with discussions of real estate, celebrity encounters, and listing of menus at music industry soirees, but that also matches well with his family and comfort values (the cocaine habit maybe not). There was way too much commentary about females' appearances; came off as a bit creepy. It's also strange the there's very little discussion of Jerry Harrison in the book compared to the other bandmates. But in the end, Talking Heads made amazing music, the book is very interesting and listenable, and while Byrne maybe the cooler one, Frantz and Weymouth are the ones I'd rather be friends with.

Back when I was in high school, I had musical tastes that ran counter to my traditional rural Midwestern classmates. While most were headbangers, or the milder version of arena rockers, or into post-outlaw country, I tended to the occasionally cerebral, often fun songs by artists outside of the mainstream as it existed where I was. Which means I enjoyed new wave, art rock, and the like, much of it British. Out of that conglomeration of sounds came “Psycho Killer”. I was a fan of Talking Heads from the time I first heard them. Got the vinyl, saw a 1982 concert, got some of the post-band albums, and even (much more recently) read David Byrne’s books on music and bicycles. Now, with Chris Frantz’s new book, you get the story from Chris and, maybe, wife and bandmate Tina Weymouth. Chris tells a personal version of events, from his early years to the formation of the band. His early band years stories are quite interesting, mixing the rock and roll business stories of touring, writing, and partying with his own story of falling in love with Tina. It seems they have their rolls here – David Byrne as the self-centered occasionally crazy one, Chris as the drug-taking but earnest one, and Tina as the beauty/Mom/responsible one (she's the Winnie Cooper of New Wave). Frantz provides an extremely detailed retrospective of their lives, with quite funny stories about the first major tour with the Ramones. Some of the later stories showed some reflection, as he talks about the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and about sailing.

As I listened to this audiobook, I found myself wondering a few things. One, how did he keep track of all the venues and all the anecdotes he relates here. At times, he even mentions the food they ate, forty years ago. I didn’t catch an explanation. Also, what was Tina’s role in the writing of this book? Perhaps this was described in the paper book, but in the audiobook with no addenda or intro, she is the often mentioned party who happens to live with the author, and who would have made a great co-author. This makes me wonder if Tina has her own book in the pipeline. When it comes to Tina, this book is a tribute to her from Frantz. He has absolutely nothing bad or critical to say about her. Perhaps she was greatly involved in writing this book but didn’t want her name on it because of this. Nevertheless, this is refreshing as a celebrity describing the love of his life, and I am surprised to say that this is the part, or theme of the book I feel I will remember the best.

I also wonder why Frantz reads the unabridged audio of his book. His tempo is very slow and plodding. I don’t think I could have listened to the entire book at normal speed, but at double speed it moved at a good pace. Still, there are a lot of stories here. Fans will find a lot of interest. I found it enjoyable, but you're left with a kind of bad taste for David Byrne. So now, I deserve a little break with some Tom Tom Club. Play that bass, Tina.

So, I am a fan of Talking Heads, but not a Mega-fan. It is not like I have posters up or have all of their lyrics memorized. However, I have a good number of songs on regular rotation. In fact, I played Psycho Killer so much that when my son was 2 or 3 I occasionally heard his little voice from the backseat of my car saying "play Psycho Killer!"

This new memoir by Chris Frantz tells of his youth, his time with the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. Frantz tells of how he met his wife Tina Weymouth and David Byrne while they were students at the Rhode Island School of Design and formed a band that was called The Artistics. Later, after he graduated, Chris and Tina moved to NYC where they moved into an industrial loft space with David Byrne so they could work on their music. They became regulars at the nearby club CBGB, where many bands got their start in the 1970's.

Like any celebrity or rock & roll memoir, there is lots of name dropping of people they met along the way...The Ramones, Debbie Harry, Grace Jones etc. to name a few. We also see that there have been tensions between David Byrne and the rest of the band since early on. David has issues connecting and socializing with the band and is apparently oblivious to giving others credit.

I found this to be an interesting and entertaining read. While, Chris Frantz may not be a wordsmith, his voice does come through and we clearly feel the love he has for his wife and his passion for music. The audio version is narrated by Chris himself.

What to listen to while reading (or taking a break)
Clearly, the obvious choice here is The Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.
Other groups mentioned that you can listen to include The Ramones, XTC, Blondie, Bob Marley...