I've possibly mentioned it here, many pages back, but the Tim Friese-Greene-produced Catherine Wheel tune that, to me, most resembles late-era Talk Talk is "Crawling Over Me", which is a non-LP tune on the "Black Metallic" EP. In this tune I hear structural and dynamic similarities to "Desire" (from Spirit Of Eden):
I really like the two O.Rang albums. I’d say it’s a case of Talk Talk were excellent so better rather than O.Range are bad! If you like O.Rang I’d suggest ‘Hex’ by Bark Psychosis - I think Lee may have drummed on that or the other BP album.
I agree that Bark Psychosis are certainly worth checking out. Their leader Graham Sutton did also guest on the first O.Rang album.
This comment made me stop and think about what future era Talk Talk's last three ( and particularly their final two ) would have most comfortably fit into as I agree that they were ahead of their own. Can't come up with an answer... I suspect the real charm of these records is their singularity. They were and are unlike anything else. They seem to exist in a bubble which protected them against the worst musical trends and excesses of the time where they were created and from everything that followed. As I listen to The Colour Of Spring right now, it still sounds remarkably fresh. They seemed to have aged exceptionally well, especially the last two where the tentative tie to conventionality which loosely held The Colour of Spring from completely drifting off into space grew looser and fell away altogether... Apparently they were torturous to make. They certainly sound fully considered. D.D.
Definitely! I always thought Fripp from their Chrome album could have been a late period Talk Talk track:
The French band Bed are worth checking out if you want to hear a band with a marked Talk Talk influence. "The Newton Plum" and "Spacebox" are both excellent albums by them.
Bark Psychosis' Hex is one of the best 'unknown' albums of the 90s. I'd also suggest french band Ueh. Especially the song 'Monade' on the split album they did with Kawabata Makoto. I couldn't find a copy on the youtubes, sorry.
I spun Laughing Stock cd last night for the first time in awhile last night. Really enjoyed it but I have to be in the right mood for that album.
Fans of Bark Psychosis (and Talk Talk) should check out the "Yahweh" album by Shiva Affect, especially the track "Caught in Amber". (It's on Youtube!)
Yes - the 1986 performances, professionally recorded at Montreux for that DVD, and both nights at Hammersmith Odeon for the London 1986 CD (and for tracks scattered on various comps and singles), are really impressive, and generally far more muscular than the studio versions. These live shows are fascinating because they're the only place I know of to hear material from the first two albums played with the larger ensembles and real instruments that they used to create the final three albums.
And it makes me wish they had not stopped touring... I can see recreating "Spirit of Eden" would have been complicated, but jazz musicians do it all the time.
There’s an interesting/painful clip on youtube of Talk Talk performing the single I Believe in You for the Dutch tv-show Countown. The problem with live concerts would be clear: can tracks from Spirit of Eden be performed after the poppy swing of It’s A Shame? The only thing that MIGHT have happened was a tour of smaller venues with seats.... But it’s not likely; if you listen to Mark Hollis’ interviews from the SoE/Laughing Stock era you’ll someobe totally dedicated to every sound that has been made en every split second of silence is measured. I dont think a whoopin’ and whistling audience is an element he’d want....
I'll check that clip out. But it could've worked like this, setlist-wise: - some big hits to get the audience into it, in the vein of the 1986 tour, getting more and more mellow (Renée, Give It Up, Chameleon Day) - Spirit of Eden suite/improvisation (basically using the main themes as centerpieces of a long free-flowing piece, perhaps leading into a "big" song such as "Time It's Time") - encores (two or three big hits, maybe ending with Such a Shame) I could envision that... and Mark could have told the audience to be quiet before the quiet part begins.
If Talk Talk were ever to play live again (some hope!) I think they would get the same kind of reverence from the audience as Kate Bush received when she played her 2014 shows. Those who are still interested in the band won't necessarily be going to see them for the early hits but the later material. If they got the right musicians around them they could definitely pull off playing Spirit of Eden and/or Laughing Stock live. It's not like people wouldn't be prepared to pay a realistic ticket price to see it done right. But of course this is all academic anyway.
The aforementioned clip....and one of the reasons I think the touring days of these guys was over with the release of Spirit of Eden....
Holy crap that clip is something I never knew existed...the music is too personal to perform but it was nice to see mark sing that song. Thanks!
35 years ago today, Talk Talk released It's My Life. The album was a top 5 hit in several European countries, and huge in the Netherlands, where it stayed in the charts for 64 weeks between 1984 and 1986. - @ThatEricAlper
One of my favourite songs from that album... albeit in an even better version (I love both mind you...)
2012 reissue (with high res DVD ) is stunning, as is Spirit of Eden from same time. Shame they didn't do all five Talk Talk albums in that manner.
That post's a blast from the past! I since bought the two 2012 reissues and Laughing Stock, all sound great. The first two albums were reissued last year and they sound great too, not sure of the source used but definitely worth checking out if anyone wants to upgrade all used copies.
spirit reissue is just as good as the original, Laughing stock though is not, I highly recomend getting an original if u can....
Considering what the cost of getting an original is, and the likelihood of getting a copy with no surface noise, I’m happy with the reissue. It’s a quiet pressing, no pops/crackle and sounds good on my system.
