I'm also curious how the original vinyl of Spirit Of Eden stacks up against the reissue. I've only recently heard this album (on CD) for the first time, and really liked it. I usually go for original pressings, but they are quite pricey.
Completely don't get why they are called Post-rock, when they don't share any similarities with the standards of that Genre like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed You Black Emperor
That rarest of albums that NEVER sounds dated or gets old. As much as I love the early stuff and some of the funky 70s stuff.
Only just exploring this band after having had the solo Hollis album for a few years - beautiful, but very quiet! There's clearly a lot of varied material to appreciate, but I am absolutely loving this Living In Another World - it's sensational! Digging the short versions, long versions, live & everything in between.
I only have the original albums/singles and have never bought a Talk Talk compilation (or for any other band come to that, preferring to investigate a band via their "classic album" if they have one), but I had heard previously that the A-sides B-sides compilation wasn't very good even though it seemed to be complete and inclusive, and that's put me off buying it. Isn't it meant to be brickwalled as well? Such a shame as I gave "It's Getting Late In The Evening" a lot of plays when I originally got it hoping they would do more stuff like that and would love to have it on CD.
DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR9 -0.57 dB -13.14 dB 4:35 01-Talk Talk (Extended Version) DR9 -0.43 dB -12.30 dB 4:34 02-Today (Extended Version) DR9 -0.66 dB -11.28 dB 5:30 03-My Foolish Friend (Extended Version) DR9 -0.55 dB -12.86 dB 6:19 04-It's My Life (Extended Version) DR11 -0.53 dB -14.74 dB 7:01 05-Such a Shame (Extended Mix) DR10 -0.50 dB -13.76 dB 6:34 06-Such a Shame (Dub Mix) DR10 -0.53 dB -13.23 dB 5:24 07-Dum Dum Girl (12" Mix) DR12 -0.48 dB -13.81 dB 5:55 08-Without You (12" Mix) DR11 -0.96 dB -13.46 dB 7:01 09-Life's What You Make It (Extended Mix) DR9 -0.60 dB -11.72 dB 8:58 10-Living in Another World (Extended Remix) DR10 -0.44 dB -13.16 dB 8:06 11-Pictures of Bernadette (Dance Mix) DR11 -0.59 dB -13.66 dB 7:02 12-Happiness Is Easy (12" Mix) DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR11 -0.76 dB -13.54 dB 3:28 01-Talk Talk (Demo Version) DR10 -0.63 dB -13.00 dB 3:30 02-Mirror Man (Demo Version) DR12 -0.88 dB -14.45 dB 4:25 03-Candy (Demo Version) DR10 -0.74 dB -12.53 dB 2:45 04-Strike Up the Band DR9 -0.49 dB -11.26 dB 4:09 05-? DR9 -0.47 dB -10.86 dB 3:20 06-My Foolish Friend DR10 -0.91 dB -14.97 dB 3:50 07-Call in the Night Boy (Piano Version) DR9 -0.32 dB -12.23 dB 4:05 08-Why Is It So Hard ? DR9 -0.37 dB -10.61 dB 4:12 09-Again a Game...Again DR11 -0.42 dB -12.76 dB 3:26 10-Without You DR9 -0.44 dB -11.82 dB 3:40 11-Dum Dum Girl (U.S. Mix) DR9 -1.15 dB -15.52 dB 5:46 12-It's Getting Late in the Evening DR11 -0.86 dB -14.56 dB 5:22 13-For What It's Worth DR8 -0.51 dB -10.50 dB 5:04 14-Pictures of Bernadette DR8 -0.97 dB -13.29 dB 4:22 15-Eden (Edit) DR10 -1.15 dB -13.96 dB 4:39 16-John Cope
Have you read the posts after the one you quoted? The Asides disc is nothing special, but the Besides disc is fantastic and an essential part of their discography. And it's not brickwalled at all, not sure where you got that from, it sounds great.
To me the first two albums are pop. Spring idk. And Eden and Stock are something I'd call "Industrial Jazz" as they created new sounds from not just instruments and were clearly influenced by jazz. I'm amazed how difficult it is to find a fitting genre for Talk Talk. It's like their music is a genre on it's own.
It’s a tag applied retrospectively and I think is derived from Simon Reynolds’ original coining of the term to reference bands such as Bark Psychosis, Laika, Disco Inferno, et al in the early 90s rather than the Slint-following instrumental rock bands you mention that are now considered the “Post Rock canon”.
Genres are for dinosaur radio stations with narrow playlists and Old fashioned retailers to file product to move. To me, Talk Talk is music!
Not quite true. While it isn't brickwalled, some (not all!) of the tracks were mastered by Peter Mew and have that typical, somewhat harsh "Mew sound".
I may have been a bit harsh - some of the mixes aren't that bad, but to me there are other bands that were better suited to this treatment (compare to the 12" mixes by Tears for Fears and you'll know what I mean). One I do like is that weird 12" of "Pictures of Bernadette". Not as good as the version on Disc 2 but that "we shall overcome" sample does sound funny...
I can’t see an option to edit my post (using my phone just now) so replying to add that Talk Talk are to some extent seen as forebears of that initial wave of post-rock as they share a common trait of trying to move away from conventional rock arrangements and musical formations, into other areas such as dub, ambient and jazz. I think a lot of what’s considered “post rock” now is significantly less ambitious (if more grand in scope) than what that initial wave were (and Talk Talk themselves) were chasing down.
I can see Bark Psychosis Hex as being the first supposed quoted in a review in 94, the slint stuff is from 88-90, released in 91, so Slint is firmly before the Hex Lp. Am I missing the good talk talk cuts, it all sounds derivative British Duran Duran to me
Probably fair to say the two strands of post-rock are the Bark Psychosis line and the Slint line, with the Slint line having taken precedence over time despite not necessarily being what originally carried the label. Have you listened to ‘The Colour of Spring’, ‘Spirit of Eden’ or ‘Laughing Stock’? The latter two albums in particular really do not sound like Duran Duran.
I have heard some stuff from the later period, that sounds like they were making a record in the library study room, under a blanket. I think I must have fallen asleep or either the air conditioner kicked on and then I couldn't hear it anymore. I don't know, maybe from as much as they are mentioned I was expecting too Bold sound like : Eno, ECM,Beefheart, something unforgettable. So far it sounds like the opposite. Art school dropouts fail at their Duran Duran band and decide to get arty with a made in the library album, And they forgot the words, and somebody said sing softer they'll never know
Me either. By genre, their best album Spirit of Eden is English Art Rock of the Eighties, somewhat like an ambient version of Pete Townshend's 80s solo stuff, but not a post-rock at all.
While this starts out quiet, it gets very loud after awhile. Amazing track. Besides, I wouldn't call their poppier beginnings "failed", since "It's My Life" and "Such a Shame" are still played heavily on the radio.
A bit of trivia here: Listen to the end of the album version of the a-ha song "Shadowside". Doesn't it sound familiar?
Generally not a big fan of more modern remixes, History Revisited-The Remixes has a couple good ones. Being a Syntax/Fluke fan, Mike's remix of Life's What You Make It is pretty good. SQ on this is good as well- Analyzed: Talk Talk / History Revisited - The Remixes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR12 0.00 dB -14.85 dB 4:40 01-Living In Another World '91 DR12 -0.11 dB -14.80 dB 5:43 02-Such A Shame (Remixed By Gary Miller) DR15 0.00 dB -16.90 dB 7:03 03-Hapiness Is Easy (Dub) DR14 -0.11 dB -16.74 dB 3:25 04-Today (Remixed By Gary Miller) DR12 0.00 dB -16.10 dB 5:00 05-Dum Dum Girl (Spice Remix) DR15 0.00 dB -15.68 dB 6:14 06-Life's What You Make It (Remixed By BBG) DR14 -0.53 dB -17.44 dB 5:23 07-Talk Talk (Remixed By Gary Miller) DR14 -1.27 dB -17.00 dB 5:59 08-It's My Life (Tropical Rainforest Mix) DR14 -0.96 dB -16.97 dB 7:49 09-Living In Another World (Curious Dub Mix) DR14 -0.28 dB -16.17 dB 6:17 10-Life's What You Make It (The Fluke Remix) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 10 Official DR value: DR14
Err, not really? Or do you mean the very last chord in the fade out? That is similar to the third chord in Desire, as they're both first inversions of B minor.
Weirdness: last weekend my wife and I were hitting a sale at Macy's. Instead of easy music coming out of the ceiling speakers, I heard several Talk Talk songs, all covered by different artists. Not something I would expect at a major chain store. In my mind, Talk Talk are semi-obscure. Maybe not as obscure as they used to be but still...
I'm not getting anything familiar related to Talk Talk but I really like the song and it reminds me a lot of Keane.
