Spirit of Eden

I've been doing some CD buying recently and happened to be looking at Talk Talk's first album - this led me to the usual critical appraisals of their other records and the almost deafening praise for 'Spirit of Eden'. Now regularly cited as 'one of the greatest albums ever made', it stood at number 87 in Mojo's all time list above 'Physical Graffiti', 'Raw Power' and 'Dusty in Memphis' to name a few. That sounds like some album doesn't it?

And yet, it's a strangely dispiriting album. Mark Hollis mumbles, the band (what's left of them) try hard to shape the songs but in the main, lose the fight. Dissonance mixes with Satie and primitive drum patterns to make an enigmatic soup, which the critics fall for every time. The first track lasts for over 23 minutes. Sound familiar? Track Three 'I Believe In You' is actually quite affecting and manages to avoid some of the muso failings of the other tracks - but only just. From here on in Talk Talk headed off into Jazz ambient with a vengeance, even signing for the Verve label. And to be fair, the follow-up, Laughing Stock isn't a bad album - you just have to be in the mood and not go too near any prescription drugs.

In all the praise heaped onto the late albums, Talk Talk's second and to some extent, third albums get overlooked. That's a real pity, because both of them are borderline classics. It's My Life was released in 1984 and received a lukewarm review in Q magazine where echoes of synthpop were still being noticed. Hey, as if that's a bad thing in the 21st century. The title track, particularly on 12" became an eighties staple despite a puzzling video involving Hollis having his mouth sewn up in zoo. Take it as read that the track is a recognised classic and should feature in any decent 80s compilation. Rousing and epic are two words that come to mind. Two other singles in 'Such a Shame' and 'Dum Dum Girl' also caught the mood of contemplative verses followed by stirring choruses. However, that's only part of the story. The rest of the album was steeped in atmospheric meloncholia where Hollis literally grew up in public. Tracks like 'Renee', 'Tomorrow Started' and 'Does Caroline Know' are startlingly mature songs from a young suburbanite featuring strong song structures, without straying into later self indulgent territory. 'It's You' ended the album on a suitably epic high note. The album was a relative commercial success across many countries and with Tim Friese Greene at the helm, work began on the follow up, 'The Colour of Spring'

This is the band's masterpiece. Do yourself a favour - go buy it. It's been described as Chamber pop, whatever that is. It is literally an album you can't categorise. The opener 'Happiness is Easy' has a weird time structure and a children's chorus overlaying the lead vocal. The single 'Life's What You Make It' has an urgent shuffling tempo but it's neither an urgent song nor does it have a shuffle beat. The piano - repeat piano, is the lead instrument for most of the song.

'I Don't Believe You' and 'Give It Up' are just fantastic songs. I saw the band at the Hammersmith Apollo on the 'Spring' tour, going along at the last minute with a friend. I wasn't a big fan, but was happy to go along to see what they were like. I've never been to a better concert since. The audience were completely at one with the band and when Hollis stopped singing both songs half way through, the audience completed the performance. It was a magical event where band and audience were just completely aligned and the real affection for the band and love for the songs came over the crowd in a great wave.

The propulsive 'Living In Another World' and 'Time It's Time' were involving songs which suddenly veered off into strange time structures and 'voices carry' choruses to keep the listener coming back again and again. The two key tracks for me on the album are 'April 5th' and 'Chameleon Day'. They point directly to what's on the horizon for the band. They are meditative, melancholy and achingly beautiful. The key though is that they retain the earlier album's sense of structure to create two classic 'pop' songs which, whilst not 'Chamber' are indeed an evocation of an England that most of us will never see.

There are many stories about what went wrong with Talk Talk, which it's not my place to comment on. All I would say is that the space between classic synthpop and challenging new age masterpiece occurred in 1986, when the band recorded quite simply an album that will never be bettered. It deserves its place in any classic album list and I'd say is an essential for any serious collection. Lose yourself in Engalnd's green and pleasant land for 50 minutes.