Marillion also veered close to the sound of Talk Talk, at times. Afraid of Sunrise, or Beyond You (especially unplugged) are good examples. I'm currently listening to Rustin Man's Clockdust, by the way... the connection to TT is clearly audible. Good stuff.
And of course there's Elbow who were very influenced by TT as is particularly evident on this track, Newborn.
I often describe Spirit of Eden to people as In a Silent Way Miles Davis jamming with the Velvet Underground and various random session aces (harmonica player, for example).
Steve Hogarth has mentioned his love for Talk Talk (and The Blue Nile) a couple of times on his weekly podcast. If I recall he also wrote a paragraph in the Talk Talk book a few years back.
[QUOTE="I'm currently listening to Rustin Man's Clockdust, by the way... the connection to TT is clearly audible. Good stuff.[/QUOTE] I agree. I loved Drift Code from the start but Clockdust took a few plays. Great album though
Steve was a class act - he pooled from a lot of guitarists, said the solo on "I Don't Believe in You" influenced his playing. Criminally underrated, if off topic - something like Easter but more cynical would fit perfect on COS.
Which Steve are we talking about now? As I said, I think the AOS era is probably closest to Talk Talk. This jam b-side is a prime example
Whist we have these two bands in mind I really hope Marillion get afforded some degree of critical reappraisal one day. Both amazing bands but Marillion deserve more respect outside the niche they have created. I wasn’t around at the time but how were Spirit of Eden/Laughing Stock greeted at the time? Have they benefited from a reappraisal or were they always accepted as masterworks?
Neither was I, though I don't think either were ever reappraised, it looks as both had people calling masterpiece tier or nonsense, though neither sold incredibly well at the time.
Some people said they needed a year to understand Spirit of Eden. Mark said that the album would not have raised as many eyebrows if it had been released twenty years earlier. In the 70s certainly, it was normal to let albums sink in properly, and bands like Pink Floyd or Yes really used the opportunity to create challenging but rewarding stuff. Two days ago, a radio DJ asked for unusual songs from the 80s. Because I was immersing myself in Talk Talk, I suggested something from Spirit of Eden. He wrote back and said a) he didn't have immediate access to anything from the album and b) he remembered buying the album as a teenager and being disappointed with it because it was so different. The way he put it made me think he probably hadn't revisited it ever since. I wonder if my message gets him to re-appraise it...
When Spirit of Eden was released EMI promoted the album with a four-page booklet included in that month's music magazine (think it was in Q magazine that I got my copy) quoting extracts of press reviews of the album. The quotes included were obviously all very positive.
Speaking of amazing artists nice to see Stina in your avatar. I was obsessed with her work in the 90’s. I love the two tracks she did with Vangelis and her whole catalogue is amazing. Pre-internet I remember actually writing to her record label for information on her.
And Steely Dan, and Brian Eno, and Glenn Gould, and Brian Wilson (though he was dragged back on stage). . . It seems that a lot of the Beatles fans on here don't really know much about music.
Um, slightly embarrassed to admit it but so did I. They were very nice and sent me a press pack and video which I'm sure I still have. Thank you WEA. Anyone who likes Talk Talk should definitely check out her And She Closed Her Eyes album.
For my generation, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock definitely benefitted from a reappraisal, most specifically Pitchfork’s best of the 80s and 90s lists.
It's two years to the day since Mark passed away. In his memory, I'll raise a glass and spin his solo LP this evening.
Those were great articles, Jules! I have to check out more on that site. There seemed to be a lot going on with them around this time. There's at least four versions of Why Is It So Hard? for instance. The version on Asides Besides was never released before that comp to my knowledge. The first version I came across back in the day was the First Born soundtrack which was remixed by Steve Thompson. He's also credited on the Asides Besides version but I have a feeling that's a mistake. The First Born version is sped up and has some pretty dated sounding keyboard flourishes. That version also appears on the Sedated In The Eighties volume 4 CD, released in 1995. The version on It's My Mix was the second one I came across and it's an extended Steve Thompson mix and is similar to the First Born version. The one I was totally surprised by was the Zabou soundtrack version from 1987, which has the same time and speed as the Asides Besides version but is a completely different mix with a lot more real instruments. I had no idea about that version until someone mentioned it on SHF probably. There's also a couple of Italian comp LPs from 1985 so I'm curious which version is on those. Who knows what's still in the vaults but it seems unlikely we'll ever know since Mark Hollis was very protective of their work.
Oh my! You can add the BBC take, which is probably a good indicator of how the song would've sounded if they had released Chameleon Hour. The Zabou soundtrack version has some comments underneath it, on YT, saying it sounds like an attempt to record it for It's My Life. But there is organ and mellotron on it, making it closer in sound/style to The Colour of Spring... which perhaps wouldn't be too far off since For What It's Worth was also re-recorded at those 1986 sessions. The mystery continues! And the more I read, the more potential for future releases unfolds, but as you say, Mark probably put up obstacles in order to keep that from happening. Happy to be proved wrong, of course.
Hey Mr Mirror Man, “Does Caroline Know?” And here I thought the solos on "I Don't Believe You" and "Give It Up" actually came from guitars! Turns out that, like on several It's My Life songs, they came from Ian Curnow's amplified synths...
I was reminded of that when I watched the Live At Montreux 1986 DVD again last week! You're looking at the guitarist, thinking he's not synced with the playing and then they cut to Ian rocking out on the keys. It's a must have for any Talk Talk fan and has a superb PCM soundtrack. Still only about $10 at Amazon too. Talk Talk - Live At Montreux 1986
I'm looking to collect some of the Hi-Res versions of Talk Talk albums. I've heard The Colour Of Spring on DVD-Audio included from the 2012 Vinyl reissue, and it's stunning. Now I want to get some of the others. The Spirit Of Eden is obviously next on my list, especially since I no longer own the original 1988 CD and only have the 1997 remaster in two versions (different artwork, mainly). However, in the notes for the LP/DVD release on discogs, it says: "Although the audio on this DVD had been transferred from the original analogue stereo masters AT 96khz/24bit, the audio used to create the final mixes was bounced down from analogue 2" 24 track to a Mitsubishi pro digi 32 track digital recorder which only recorded at a sampling rate of either 44.1khz plus, the use of the Mitshubishi, with a sampling rate of 44,1khz, means there is no content above 22khz on the original digital recordings and therefore all mixes / copies that followed would also be lacking in content above 22khz." Not being versed enough in tech stuff, can anyone tell me if this means what I'd hear on the DVD-Audio is any better than the original 1988 CD, or indeed any of the versions on CD? Or is the DVD-Audio version simply the same as something already on CD but presented on a different/alternate medium? EG.
Every edition of that album, on any format, is from the same digital mix. However, they sound different due to having different masterings.
