Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 15, 2017 14:58:32 GMT
I thought about starting a thread for the british 1980s group Talk Talk for a while now, and since I could not find any other threads or topics about the band on the Music General board, I hope it is ok to start this one up.
I guess it is a bit of tiredsome cliché to say that I first became a fan of their music when playing GTA: Vice City (2002) back in 2003, as that game not only introduced me for the stunning Life's what you make it but an endless supply of fantastic 1980s hits and artists, and even now, I often find myself only playing the game because of the music and how well the visuals and soundtrack go together. I can just drive around in Vice City for hours and hours, listening to 80s songs and I've been doing so for, well almost 14 years and it is still my favorite PS2 game, and that is mostly because of the incredible songs used in it.
Anyway, Talk Talk were a british band that started around 1981-82 and who would drew some attention when getting signed up by EMI records who in return had hoped to have secured their next "Duran Duran", however it soon became clear that Talk Talk was not exactly thrilled about that idea or the direction in which their record company wanted them to go.
Their first album release was to be The Party's Over (1982), a synth-pop driven debut that was produced by Colin Thurston (who also had worked with Duran Duran) and while the record might not be looked upon as an instant "classic" it does however showcase that the group already here had more to offer than to just become another "Duran Duran" MTV clone backed up by glossy make-up and clothes along with fashionable music videos.
The debut contained the top 20 single Today along with the minor hit Talk Talk which proved they had some commercial potentional for EMI.
I like the the debut, it is not great but there are some real strong and clever early numbers on that album which is highlighted by Mark's powerful and haunting voice along with some truly impressive bass playing by Paul Webb.
My problem with The Party's Over (1982) is that some of the songs are just too uneven, they often start up with a promising intro or melody, then only to be almost ruined by the awful use of "Oh ohhh oh ohhoooh" during the choruses in some of the more pop-friendlier cuts.
The "cold" synths I have never had a problem with, in fact some of the best songs like Candy, The Party's Over or Have You Heard The News? all have that hypnotic/dreamy yet somehow elegant feel to them, and for me they are the real key numbers here on the 1982 album. I sometimes think of early 80s Roxy Music when I listen to them, and that is never a bad thing.
Lyrical and melody as well, I think they could easily be included on the follow up, two years later.
Within the next few years the band would end up leaving behind their synth-pop past, resulting with becoming a trio when Simon Brenner (keyboards) decided to leave and for their next release It's My Life (1984) a new and very important "unofficial" fourth member would arrive with Tim Friese-Greene.
Tim would not only be a guest musician, but go on to co-write several songs with Mark and then produce the rest of their albums. So, big things was certainly taking place within Talk Talk, and as a result the title cut It's My Life was released as the albums first single.
The song had a sound to it that was not that far off of their debut, but still it sounded riched/fuller than their earlier material and while it might not become an instant hit there and then, it would be re-released several times over, resulting in by making it to be their biggest hit of that period.
Such a Shame would also become a hit in several european countries while the third single Dum Dum Girl also enjoyed some success.
Beside Tim there was to appear a few other important names who would make their debut on this album and that was guitarist Robbie McIntosh and trumpeter Henry Lowther.
The two would go on to appear on almost every one of Talk Talk's album from 1984 and onwards.
Their third release The Colour of Spring (1986) was to be a huge step away from their earlier material and where the once synth driven sounds of their past were now long gone. As a "thank you" for the hit singles and commerical success on the charts, EMI decided to step up and back the band with a much larger budget than before, which would result with an small arsenal of talented guest musicians (Steve Winwood, Danny Thompson and David Rhodes just to name a few) in order to help create one of the finest pop albums of the 1980s.
Here you had the perfect combination of radio hits and more "experimental" numbers which allowed the band to get more space and freedom and that they where not looking back, but always going forwards, with every step they take.
The album is really something else, and while it might not be as "catchy" when it comes to melodies and hooks as their first two records, it is one of those albums that "demands" attention and which will be very rewarding in time, as it becomes better and better with every listen.
With the huge thundering sounds of David Rhodes' guitar riffs along with a heavy use of organ and a "simple" yet effective piano riff Life's What You Make It would go on to become Talk Talk's biggest hit single ever, and deservedly so. The follow up and just as catchy was Living in Another World, which also would be a favorite of many, but not managing to reach the same heights as the former lead single.
All in all, here you have a fantastic album from start and up till finish, 8th classic songs which blend the radio friendlier hits along with more experimental numbers such as April 5th and Chameleon Day which would give a little hint of what to expect in the future.
Not to take anything away from their two first album, as good as they are, but I think this is their first true classic.
By 1986 the band was enjoying their biggest commercial success ever, and was now on the brink of becoming big pop stars, or so their record label hoped.
But when they appeared on the Jazz Festival Live at Montreaux the same year along with very re-worked versions of their songs, it should have maybe given both their fans and EMI a little heads up, as Talk Talk wanted to improvise more and here the 3 minute pop act did not fit in too well.
After the big success with The Colour of Spring (1986) Talk Talk were given more freedom than ever, along with a very generous budget in order to go into the studios and make another huge hit album.
But in return, the record company along with many of their fans would be in for a huge surprise, one that would not not sit too well with everyone.
Spirit of Eden was released in 1988 and it must have been some interesting moments when the big money men at EMI was finally given a copy of the album and realised that there was absolute no commercial potential in there, what so ever.
Instead of having another Life's What You Make It or It's My Life Talk Talk had spent the last two years or more on continuing what they started with April 5th and Chamelon Day, making an album that would many years later be credited as one of the earliest arrivals of the musical term, Post-Rock.
Spirit of Eden sounded more like a jazz or ambient record than a pop album and the only single released from it was the hauntingly beautiful I Believe in You which did not live up to the commercial success of their earlier hits.
As a result of creating one of the finest albums ever made, EMI decided to sue the band, while claiming that Spirit of Eden was not "commercially satisfactory".
There was no going back from here, Talk Talk would soon move on towards Polydor records and while the "whole" music world was soon to be on the verge of becoming taken by complete surprise with the arrival of grunge and Nirvana mania, one of the finest and brightest bands of the 1980s would sign off permanently, in silence along with their final masterpiece Laughing Stock (1991).
Time It's Time (1986)
Time it's time to live
Time it's time for living
Now that it's over
Rest your head
I guess it is a bit of tiredsome cliché to say that I first became a fan of their music when playing GTA: Vice City (2002) back in 2003, as that game not only introduced me for the stunning Life's what you make it but an endless supply of fantastic 1980s hits and artists, and even now, I often find myself only playing the game because of the music and how well the visuals and soundtrack go together. I can just drive around in Vice City for hours and hours, listening to 80s songs and I've been doing so for, well almost 14 years and it is still my favorite PS2 game, and that is mostly because of the incredible songs used in it.
Anyway, Talk Talk were a british band that started around 1981-82 and who would drew some attention when getting signed up by EMI records who in return had hoped to have secured their next "Duran Duran", however it soon became clear that Talk Talk was not exactly thrilled about that idea or the direction in which their record company wanted them to go.
Their first album release was to be The Party's Over (1982), a synth-pop driven debut that was produced by Colin Thurston (who also had worked with Duran Duran) and while the record might not be looked upon as an instant "classic" it does however showcase that the group already here had more to offer than to just become another "Duran Duran" MTV clone backed up by glossy make-up and clothes along with fashionable music videos.
The debut contained the top 20 single Today along with the minor hit Talk Talk which proved they had some commercial potentional for EMI.
I like the the debut, it is not great but there are some real strong and clever early numbers on that album which is highlighted by Mark's powerful and haunting voice along with some truly impressive bass playing by Paul Webb.
My problem with The Party's Over (1982) is that some of the songs are just too uneven, they often start up with a promising intro or melody, then only to be almost ruined by the awful use of "Oh ohhh oh ohhoooh" during the choruses in some of the more pop-friendlier cuts.
The "cold" synths I have never had a problem with, in fact some of the best songs like Candy, The Party's Over or Have You Heard The News? all have that hypnotic/dreamy yet somehow elegant feel to them, and for me they are the real key numbers here on the 1982 album. I sometimes think of early 80s Roxy Music when I listen to them, and that is never a bad thing.
Lyrical and melody as well, I think they could easily be included on the follow up, two years later.
Within the next few years the band would end up leaving behind their synth-pop past, resulting with becoming a trio when Simon Brenner (keyboards) decided to leave and for their next release It's My Life (1984) a new and very important "unofficial" fourth member would arrive with Tim Friese-Greene.
Tim would not only be a guest musician, but go on to co-write several songs with Mark and then produce the rest of their albums. So, big things was certainly taking place within Talk Talk, and as a result the title cut It's My Life was released as the albums first single.
The song had a sound to it that was not that far off of their debut, but still it sounded riched/fuller than their earlier material and while it might not become an instant hit there and then, it would be re-released several times over, resulting in by making it to be their biggest hit of that period.
Such a Shame would also become a hit in several european countries while the third single Dum Dum Girl also enjoyed some success.
Beside Tim there was to appear a few other important names who would make their debut on this album and that was guitarist Robbie McIntosh and trumpeter Henry Lowther.
The two would go on to appear on almost every one of Talk Talk's album from 1984 and onwards.
Their third release The Colour of Spring (1986) was to be a huge step away from their earlier material and where the once synth driven sounds of their past were now long gone. As a "thank you" for the hit singles and commerical success on the charts, EMI decided to step up and back the band with a much larger budget than before, which would result with an small arsenal of talented guest musicians (Steve Winwood, Danny Thompson and David Rhodes just to name a few) in order to help create one of the finest pop albums of the 1980s.
Here you had the perfect combination of radio hits and more "experimental" numbers which allowed the band to get more space and freedom and that they where not looking back, but always going forwards, with every step they take.
The album is really something else, and while it might not be as "catchy" when it comes to melodies and hooks as their first two records, it is one of those albums that "demands" attention and which will be very rewarding in time, as it becomes better and better with every listen.
With the huge thundering sounds of David Rhodes' guitar riffs along with a heavy use of organ and a "simple" yet effective piano riff Life's What You Make It would go on to become Talk Talk's biggest hit single ever, and deservedly so. The follow up and just as catchy was Living in Another World, which also would be a favorite of many, but not managing to reach the same heights as the former lead single.
All in all, here you have a fantastic album from start and up till finish, 8th classic songs which blend the radio friendlier hits along with more experimental numbers such as April 5th and Chameleon Day which would give a little hint of what to expect in the future.
Not to take anything away from their two first album, as good as they are, but I think this is their first true classic.
By 1986 the band was enjoying their biggest commercial success ever, and was now on the brink of becoming big pop stars, or so their record label hoped.
But when they appeared on the Jazz Festival Live at Montreaux the same year along with very re-worked versions of their songs, it should have maybe given both their fans and EMI a little heads up, as Talk Talk wanted to improvise more and here the 3 minute pop act did not fit in too well.
After the big success with The Colour of Spring (1986) Talk Talk were given more freedom than ever, along with a very generous budget in order to go into the studios and make another huge hit album.
But in return, the record company along with many of their fans would be in for a huge surprise, one that would not not sit too well with everyone.
Spirit of Eden was released in 1988 and it must have been some interesting moments when the big money men at EMI was finally given a copy of the album and realised that there was absolute no commercial potential in there, what so ever.
Instead of having another Life's What You Make It or It's My Life Talk Talk had spent the last two years or more on continuing what they started with April 5th and Chamelon Day, making an album that would many years later be credited as one of the earliest arrivals of the musical term, Post-Rock.
Spirit of Eden sounded more like a jazz or ambient record than a pop album and the only single released from it was the hauntingly beautiful I Believe in You which did not live up to the commercial success of their earlier hits.
As a result of creating one of the finest albums ever made, EMI decided to sue the band, while claiming that Spirit of Eden was not "commercially satisfactory".
There was no going back from here, Talk Talk would soon move on towards Polydor records and while the "whole" music world was soon to be on the verge of becoming taken by complete surprise with the arrival of grunge and Nirvana mania, one of the finest and brightest bands of the 1980s would sign off permanently, in silence along with their final masterpiece Laughing Stock (1991).
Time It's Time (1986)
Time it's time to live
Time it's time for living
Now that it's over
Rest your head
