Talk Talk | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With the exception of a handful of common threads -- chief among them the plaintive vocals and haunting lyrics of frontman Mark Hollis -- there is little to suggest that the five studio LPs that make up the Talk Talk oeuvre are indeed the work of the same band. After beginning their career with records virtually epitomizing the new wave era that spawned them, the British group never looked back, making significant strides with each successive album on its way to discovering a wholly unique and uncategorizable sound informed by elements of jazz, classical, and ambient music; their masterful final recordings, while neglected commercially, possess a timelessness rare among music of any genre, and in retrospect they seem the clear starting point for the post-rock movement of the 1990s. The story of Talk Talk begins with singer/songwriter Hollis, the younger brother of Ed Hollis, a disc jockey and producer who went on to manage such punk-era bands as Eddie & the Hot Rods. Mark originally planned to become a child psychologist, but in 1975, he left university to relocate to London, eventually forming a band called the Reaction; Ed Hollis called in a few favors, and in 1977, the Reaction recorded a demo tape for Island Records. Among the tracks was a Hollis original titled "Talk Talk," which later surfaced on the Beggars Banquet punk compilation Streets. After just one single, 1978s "I Cant Resist," the Reaction disbanded, and through his brother, Hollis was introduced to bassist Paul Webb, drummer Lee Harris, and keyboardist Simon Brenner, with whom he formed Talk Talk in 1981. After recording a number of demos with producer Jimmy Miller, Talk Talk signed to EMI, which assigned Duran Duran producer Colin Thurston to helm their first two singles, "Mirror Man" and "Talk Talk." Clearly, EMIs intent was to mold the band in the spirit of the new romantic movement, and toward that end, they also tapped Talk Talk as the opener on Duran Durans 1982 U.K. tour. Their debut LP, The Partys Over, was indeed a product of its times, defined by contemporary synth pop sensibilities but with an honesty and lyrical depth absent from most other records of the moment. In 1983, Talk Talk resurfaced with the single "My Foolish Friend," which in itself marked a major leap from the first record with its denser and more mature sound; the subsequent dismissal of Brenner made it plain that the bands days of relying on synthesizers were over for good. The remainder of 1983 was spent writing and recording Its My Life, Talk Talks breakthrough recording. The turning point was the arrival of producer and multi-instrumentalist Tim Friese-Greene, who was to remain an unofficial fourth member of the band for the remainder of its existence. In Friese-Greene, Hollis found the ideal partner to realize his ambitions; Its My Life made major strides away from The Partys Over, rejecting the debuts new wave trappings in favor of richer, more natural textures. The gambit worked, with the title track becoming a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Released in 1986, The Colour of Spring continued the trend, and on the strength of the smashes "Lifes What You Make It" and "Give It Up," it became Talk Talks best-selling album to date. A major world tour followed, with EMI allotting an enormous budget for the groups next effort. In 1987, Talk Talk settled into an abandoned Suffolk church to begin working on their fourth LP. EMI executives eagerly awaited the finished product, and they were to continue waiting, as the group worked far past its deadline, seemingly with no end in sight. Already well over budget, Hollis refused to allow label heads any advance tapes, and informed EMI that not only would there be no singles from the record, but that the group would be unable to re-create the complex arrangements on-stage and, as a consequence, would perform no live dates in support of the discs release. Finally, after some 14 months in the studio, Spirit of Eden was issued to thunderous critical acclaim, albeit little commercial interest; an intricate, meditative work, it bore little resemblance to standard pop music, with its lengthy songs and spacious, organic arrangements perhaps closest in theme and texture to jazz. With relations between EMI and Talk Talk at a breaking point, the label issued an edited single version of the Spirit of Eden track "I Believe in You" without the bands consent. Talk Talk eventually split from EMI, but not without resistance from the label, which subsequently sued the band for making an anti-commercial album (the case was thrown out) and released a pair of compilations, Natural History and History Revisited, without the bands involvement. Talk Talk then signed to Polydor; Paul Webb subsequently left, and the masterful Laughing Stock was recorded primarily with guest musicians. Issued in 1991, the LP marked a complete break from convention, adopting an almost free-form aesthetic; however, it was also Talk Talks final work -- in 1992, Webb and Harris reunited in ORang, while Hollis disappeared from view, finally issuing his self-titled solo debut in early 1998. A live Talk Talk release, London 1986, appeared in 1999. Mark Hollis died on February 25, 2019 following a brief illness. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 20 Title: Talk Talk Released: 1982 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (03:20) 2 Serious (03:19) 3 Today (03:28) 4 Candy (04:39) |
 | Album: 2 of 20 Title: The Party’s Over Released: 1982-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (03:24) 2 It’s So Serious (03:23) 3 Today (03:29) 4 The Party’s Over (06:11) 5 Hate (03:58) 6 Have You Heard the News? (05:06) 7 Mirror Man (03:23) 8 Another Word (03:14) 9 Candy (04:39) |
| The Party’s Over : Allmusic album Review : Talk Talk began life as a slavishly derivative, Duran Duran-styled new romantic synth pop band, as their debut, The Partys Over, clearly shows. Much of the album seems to attempt to recreate Duran Durans debut, but even with their most blatant rip-offs, like the single "Talk Talk," they do it with a naïve charm that makes for some really enjoyable music, even if it isnt particularly innovative or groundbreaking. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 20 Title: Its My Mix Released: 1984 Tracks: 6 Duration: 34:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Why Is It So Hard (12" US remix, extended version) (06:04) 2 Talk Talk (extended mix) (04:31) 3 My Foolish Friend (extended mix) (05:30) 4 It’s My Life (extended version) (06:18) 5 Dum Dum Girl (12″ mix) (05:23) 6 Such a Good Good Feeling (extended version) (06:27) |
 | Album: 4 of 20 Title: It’s My Life Released: 1984-02 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Dum Dum Girl (03:50) 2 Such a Shame (05:35) 3 Renée (06:22) 4 It’s My Life (03:53) 5 Tomorrow Started (06:00) 6 The Last Time (04:23) 7 Call In the Night Boy (03:47) 8 Does Caroline Know? (04:40) 9 It’s You (04:42) |
| It’s My Life : Allmusic album Review : After an unremarkable debut, Talk Talk regrouped and refashioned themselves more in the style of sophisto-era Roxy Music while developing their own voice. Its My Life shows a great leap in songwriting, the band making highly personal statements with a sexy, seductive groove and a diversity that transcends the synth pop tag. Synthesizers still play a dominant role, but the music is made far more interesting by mixing "real" instruments and challenging world music rhythms seamlessly with the technology. Still pulling off the catchy single (like "Dum Dum Girl" and the title track, as well as the simply sublime "Does Caroline Know?") on Its My Life, Talk Talk also proved themselves capable of achieving a cohesive album -- a rare feat for the time and an unexpected surprise from a band that seemed to be simply a bandwagon-jumper. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 20 Title: The Colour of Spring Released: 1986-03 Tracks: 8 Duration: 45:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 2 I Don’t Believe in You (05:02) 3 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 4 April 5th (05:50) 5 Living in Another World (06:55) 6 Give It Up (05:17) 7 Chameleon Day (03:20) 8 Time It’s Time (08:10) |
| The Colour of Spring : Allmusic album Review : With Its My Life, Talk Talk proved that they could pull off an entire album of strong material. With The Colour of Spring, they took it one step further, moving to a near-concept song cycle, following the emotional ups and downs of relationships and pondering life in general. Musically, they built on the experimental direction of the previous album with interesting rhythms, sweeping orchestration, complex arrangements, and even a childrens chorus to create an evocative, hypnotic groove. Though the songs were catchier on the earlier efforts and the ambient experimentation was more fully achieved later on, The Colour of Spring succeeded in marrying the two ideas into one unique sound for their most thoroughly satisfying album. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 20 Title: Spirit of Eden Released: 1988-09-16 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Rainbow (08:02) 2 Eden (07:39) 3 Desire (07:17) 4 Inheritance (05:20) 5 I Believe in You (06:16) 6 Wealth (06:44) |
| Spirit of Eden : Allmusic album Review : Compare Spirit of Eden with any other previous release in the Talk Talk catalog, and its almost impossible to believe its the work of the same band -- exchanging electronics for live, organic sounds and rejecting structure in favor of mood and atmosphere, the album is an unprecedented breakthrough, a musical and emotional catharsis of immense power. Mark Hollis songs exist far outside of the pop idiom, drawing instead on ambient textures, jazz-like arrangements, and avant-garde accents; for all of their intricacy and delicate beauty, compositions like "Inheritance" and "I Believe in You" also possess an elemental strength -- Hollis oblique lyrics speak to themes of loss and redemption with understated grace, and his hauntingly poignant vocals evoke wrenching spiritual turmoil tempered with unflagging hope. A singular musical experience. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 20 Title: Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk Released: 1990-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Today (03:29) 2 Talk Talk (03:18) 3 My Foolish Friend (03:21) 4 Such a Shame (05:43) 5 Dum Dum Girl (03:50) 6 It’s My Life (03:53) 7 Give It Up (05:17) 8 Living in Another World (06:55) 9 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 10 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 11 I Believe in You (06:02) 12 Desire (07:00) 13 Life’s What You Make It (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon) (04:44) 14 Tomorrow’s Started (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon) (07:41) |
| Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk : Allmusic album Review : Originally released in 1990, and then reissued in 2007 and 2013 in slightly different forms, Natural History covers Talk Talks EMI years, from The Partys Over through Spirit of Eden. The basis of the compilation is the bands charting U.K. singles, and each one, including the Top 30 hits "Today," "Talk Talk," and "Lifes What You Make It," is included. The latter two editions were released as CD/DVD bundles. For those who dont care about the bands videos, the audio-only Essential, an EMI set from 2011, makes for a better -- and closer to thorough -- summary of the 80s output. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 20 Title: History Revisited: The Remixes Released: 1991-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 57:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Living in Another World 91 (04:40) 2 Such a Shame (remixed by Gary Miller) (05:42) 3 Happiness Is Easy (dub) (07:02) 4 Today (remixed by Gary Miller) (03:25) 5 Dum Dum Girl (Spice remix) (04:59) 6 Lifes What You Make It (remixed by BBG) (06:14) 7 Talk Talk (remixed by Gary Miller) (05:22) 8 Its My Life (Tropical Rainforest mix) (05:58) 9 Living in Another World (Curious World dub mix) (07:48) 10 Lifes What You Make It (The Fluke remix) (06:16) |
 | Album: 9 of 20 Title: Laughing Stock Released: 1991-09 Tracks: 6 Duration: 43:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Myrrhman (05:33) 2 Ascension Day (06:00) 3 After the Flood (09:38) 4 Taphead (07:39) 5 New Grass (09:40) 6 Runeii (04:58) |
| Laughing Stock : Allmusic album Review : Virtually ignored upon its initial release, Laughing Stock continues to grow in stature and influence by leaps and bounds. Picking up where Spirit of Eden left off, the album operates outside of the accepted sphere of rock to create music which is both delicate and intense; recorded with a large classical ensemble, it defies easy categorization, conforming to very few structural precedents -- while the gently hypnotic "Myrrhman" flirts with ambient textures, the percussive "Ascension Day" drifts toward jazz before the two sensibilities converge to create something entirely new and different on "New Grass." The epic "After the Flood," on the other hand, is an atmospheric whirlpool laced with jackhammer guitar feedback and Mark Hollis remarkably plaintive vocals; it flows into "Taphead," perhaps the most evocative, spacious, and understated piece on the record. A work of staggering complexity and immense beauty, Laughing Stock remains an under-recognized masterpiece, and its echoes can be heard throughout much of the finest experimental music issued in its wake. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 20 Title: The Very Best of Talk Talk Released: 1997-01-27 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s My Life (03:53) 2 Talk Talk (single version) (02:57) 3 Today (single version) (03:13) 4 Dum Dum Girl (03:40) 5 Have You Heard the News? (05:06) 6 Such a Shame (original version) (04:26) 7 For What It’s Worth (05:17) 8 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 9 Eden (edit) (04:20) 10 April 5th (05:50) 11 Living in Another World (single version) (04:14) 12 I Believe In You (single version) (03:44) 13 Give It Up (single version) (05:12) 14 John Cope (04:42) 15 Wealth (06:36) 16 Time It’s Time (08:10) |
| The Very Best of Talk Talk : Allmusic album Review : The Very Best of Talk Talk is the most comprehensive retrospective assembled on the synth group to date, following the band from its new wave origins to its latter-day atmospheric new age recordings. Although the compilation features nothing from 1991s Laughing Stock and all of the songs from 1988s Spirit of Eden are presented in edited versions, the disc remains a good overview of the bands evolution and features all of their big hits, including "Talk Talk" and "Today." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 20 Title: Asides Besides Released: 1998-04-20 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:22:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (extended version) (04:34) 2 Today (extended version) (04:33) 3 My Foolish Friend (extended version) (05:30) 4 It’s My Life (extended version) (06:18) 5 Such a Shame (extended mix) (07:01) 6 Such a Shame (dub mix) (06:32) 7 Dum Dum Girl (12″ mix) (05:23) 8 Without You (12″ mix) (05:55) 9 Lifes What You Make It (extended mix) (06:59) 10 Living in Another World (extended remix) (08:58) 11 Pictures of Bernadette (dance mix) (08:06) 12 Happiness Is Easy (12" mix) (07:02) 1 Talk Talk (demo) (03:28) 2 Mirror Man (demo) (03:30) 3 Candy (demo) (04:20) 4 Strike Up the Band (02:45) 5 ? (04:06) 6 My Foolish Friend (03:19) 7 Call In the Night Boy (03:47) 8 Why Is It So Hard? (04:04) 9 Again a Game… Again (04:06) 10 Without You (03:25) 11 Dum Dum Girl (7" US mix) (03:39) 12 It’s Getting Late in the Evening (05:44) 13 For What It’s Worth (05:21) 14 Pictures of Bernadette (05:00) 15 Eden (edit) (04:20) 16 John Cope (04:42) |
| Asides Besides : Allmusic album Review : Asides Besides can certainly be seen as a cash-in release to coincide with Mark Hollis first solo release and the reissue of Talk Talks EMI catalog, but rarely does such a calculated industry move result in such a treat for fans. Over two discs, Asides Besides essentially ties up all of the loose ends for the band. Disc one is probably the least essential, bringing out all of the 12" remixes, which are of marginal interest, though all are superior to those found on the unauthorized History Revisited. Disc two however, reveals no shortage of prime rarities beginning with three demos from 1981 ("Talk Talk," "Mirror Man" and "Candy"). A handful of singles are included -- the not-so-rare single, "My Foolish Friend," the ultra-rare "Why Is it So Hard" (from the film First Born), the U.S. remix of "Dum Dum Girl," and the edit of "Eden" -- but the real gems are the B-sides, which are anything but "throwaways." In fact, the B-sides are not only in most cases as strong as the ones that made it onto the albums, but they also indicate the more experimental direction the band would take later on. Asides Besides may be of interest only to diehard Talk Talk fans, but for that audience this collection is absolutely essential. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 20 Title: London 1986 Released: 1999-02-22 Tracks: 8 Duration: 56:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tomorrow Started (07:51) 2 Lifes What You Make It (04:30) 3 Does Caroline Know? (07:36) 4 Living in Another World (07:05) 5 Give It Up (05:55) 6 Its My Life (06:29) 7 Such a Shame (09:01) 8 Renée (07:45) |
| London 1986 : Allmusic album Review : To many, Talk Talk are not known as a "live band." They are known as a synth pop dance band from the 1980s with a couple of radio hits. But in actuality Mark Hollis (founder and leader of Talk Talk) is a true musical genius who tried to alter that perception of Talk Talk by producing a number of superb albums that sadly have largely gone unnoticed. He also toured Talk Talk and managed to produce their sublime sound live. Recorded during the Colour of Spring tour (most of the songs performed are from that release), this would be the last time Talk Talk performed these "pop" titles, which makes this somewhat of a historical piece. Hollis went on to record the CDs Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, which were more jazz/experimental works. Some of the "jazz" sound can be heard in this performance. The playing is tight and flawless, and the songs take on a breath of fresh air from their album versions as the band sounds somewhat freer and not as produced. Hollis has done an admirable job putting this release together, and quite honestly it is required listening for Talk Talk fans to see what all of the fuss was -- and is -- about this band. Collectors note that the front sleeve is the design for the abandoned video release from the same tour. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 20 Title: The Collection Released: 2000 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:10:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (02:58) 2 It’s My Life (03:53) 3 Without You (03:25) 4 Strike Up the Band (02:43) 5 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 6 It’s Getting Late in the Evening (05:44) 7 Pictures of Bernadette (05:00) 8 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 9 The Last Time (04:22) 10 I Don’t Believe in You (05:02) 11 Its You (04:39) 12 Talk Talk (Demo Version) (03:25) 13 Its So Serious (03:19) 14 The Partys Over (06:09) 15 Dum Dum Girl (03:40) 16 Candy (04:39) |
| The Collection : Allmusic album Review : There are as many reservations with 2000s The Collection as there are with 1990s Natural History. Functioning as a one-stop purchase for those wanting to go a bit deeper than the 80s various-artists compilation staple "Its My Life," this does a good job of replacing the earlier highlights package. Although this doesnt contain anything from 1988s Spirit of Eden, it tops Natural History by including "Its Getting Late in the Evening," "Pictures of Bernadette," "Without You," and "Strike Up the Band," fine non-album material obtainable only through the exhaustive Asides Besides double-disc set. It is more than a little frustrating to see the bands last two albums go completely overlooked, especially since both of them are stacked with outstanding moments. The absence of Spirit of Eden can be attributed to its single-piece nature, since the record is a pair of three-song suites. The golden Laughing Stocks lack of representation has more to do with the bands switching to another label than it does weak material. Apart from the non-album cuts mentioned above, the disc evenly distributes the wealth through the bands first three records. Both The Partys Over and Its My Life are represented with four songs, while the quantum leap (and major departure from synth pop) of The Colour of Spring is represented with three. That said, the disc hardly paints a complete picture. Its decent for those who like the bands early synth pop sound, but its hard to justify investing in a compilation that offers album cuts from a band that released two LPs prior to reaching "album band" status. Its decent as an introduction, but its little more than that since its unfair as a snapshot of Talk Talks career. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 20 Title: 12x12 Original Remixes Released: 2001 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:16:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (extended mix) (04:34) 2 Today (extended mix) (04:33) 3 My Foolish Friend (extended mix) (05:30) 4 It’s My Life (extended version) (06:18) 5 Such a Shame (extended mix) (07:01) 6 Dum Dum Girl (12″ mix) (05:23) 7 Without You (12″ mix) (05:55) 8 Lifes What You Make It (extended mix) (06:59) 9 Living in Another World (extended remix) (08:58) 10 Pictures of Bernadette (dance mix) (08:06) 11 Happiness Is Easy (12" mix) (07:02) 12 Such a Shame (dub mix) (06:32) |
 | Album: 15 of 20 Title: Missing Pieces Released: 2001-06-29 Tracks: 7 Duration: 50:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 After the Flood (outtake) (04:14) 2 Myrrhman (05:33) 3 New Grass (09:35) 4 Stump (04:45) 5 Ascension Day (06:00) 6 5.09 (05:13) 7 Piano (14:39) |
| Missing Pieces : Allmusic album Review : Essentially for the most loyal Talk Talk fan only, Missing Pieces compiles the three singles released off the bands final LP, the boundlessly experimental and beautiful Laughing Stock. It was odd that anything off that record was aimed at the pop charts, and it remains baffling when reminded of it ten years after the fact. It could be said that Talk Talk is to post-rock what Neil Young is to grunge, since they were one of the first to break free from rock constructs while maintaining the basic instrumental set-up. The album versions of "New Grass" and "Ascension Day" easily surpass the average single length, while a shortened "outtake" version of the hypnotic "After the Flood" remains otherworldly with five minutes trimmed from the original incarnation. Both of the proper B-sides -- the only genuinely "new" Talk Talk material for most fans -- are instrumentals. Neither one is too remarkable, but "5.09" is worth mentioning for its collage-like manipulation of random pieces from the album sessions. Elements of nearly every album track pop up, including some of the percussion from "Taphead" and contorted guitar snatched from "New Grass." A weird inclusion completes the disc: Mark Hollis minimalist piano contribution to Allinson/Browns AV1 from 1998. (On that record, Hollis performed under the pseudonym of John Cope, named after the sound recordist who worked with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Cecil B. DeMille.) Time has been good to the material collected here, evident through the classic status accorded to Laughing Stock from critics and musicians alike, not to mention the outright sampling (Unkles "Rabbit in Your Headlights") or worshipful cloning (Catherine Wheels "Thunderbird") of Lee Harris sensitive, tingly drumming. This collection might not be essential, but anything to satiate diehard cravings and increase the profile of Laughing Stock should be welcomed. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 20 Title: Time Its Time Released: 2003 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:06:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Such a Shame (05:43) 2 It’s My Life (03:53) 3 Renée (06:22) 4 Time It’s Time (08:10) 5 Mirror Man (03:23) 6 I Believe in You (06:02) 7 Chameleon Day (03:20) 8 Tomorrow Started (06:00) 9 Does Caroline Know? (04:30) 10 April 5th (05:50) 11 Living in Another World (06:55) 12 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) |
| Time It's Time : Allmusic album Review : Very similar to most of the other one-disc Talk Talk overviews, Time Its Time picks highlights from the groups first four albums, but it places a heavy emphasis on the second and third. Tracks are included from 1982s The Partys Over ("Mirror Man"), 1984s Its My Life ("Such a Shame," "Its My Life," "Renée," "Does Caroline Know?," "Tomorrow Started"), 1986s The Colour of Spring ("Happiness Is Easy," "Living in Another World," "Chameleon Day," "Time Its Time," "April 5th"), and 1988s Spirit of Eden ("I Believe in You"), although flaws abound -- no "Lifes What You Make It," for instance. This is another unnecessary and misguided representation. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 20 Title: Introducing... Talk Talk Released: 2003-07-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:07:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Have You Heard the News? (05:06) 2 Candy (04:39) 3 Renée (06:22) 4 Tomorrow Started (05:58) 5 Call in the Night Boy (Piano version) (03:52) 6 For What It’s Worth (05:21) 7 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 8 April 5th (05:50) 9 It’s Getting Late in the Evening (05:44) 10 Desire (07:00) 11 John Cope (04:42) 12 I Believe in You (06:02) |
 | Album: 18 of 20 Title: It’s My Life / The Colour of Spring Released: 2011-03-28 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:28:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dum Dum Girl (03:50) 2 Such a Shame (05:35) 3 Renée (06:22) 4 It’s My Life (03:53) 5 Tomorrow Started (06:00) 6 The Last Time (04:23) 7 Call In the Night Boy (03:47) 8 Does Caroline Know? (04:30) 9 It’s You (04:42) 1 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 2 I Don’t Believe in You (05:02) 3 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 4 April 5th (05:50) 5 Living in Another World (06:55) 6 Give It Up (05:17) 7 Chameleon Day (03:20) 8 Time It’s Time (08:10) |
 | Album: 19 of 20 Title: Essential Released: 2011-09-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:18:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Talk Talk (03:17) 2 Today (03:28) 3 Have You Heard the News? (05:06) 4 My Foolish Friend (03:17) 5 Dum Dum Girl (03:50) 6 Such a Shame (05:43) 7 It’s My Life (03:53) 8 Tomorrow Started (05:58) 9 Happiness Is Easy (06:31) 10 Life’s What You Make It (04:28) 11 Living in Another World (06:55) 12 Give It Up (05:17) 13 Eden (07:39) 14 Desire (07:01) 15 I Believe in You (06:03) |
 | Album: 20 of 20 Title: Natural Order 1982 - 1991 Released: 2013-01-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 56:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Have You Heard the News? (05:06) 2 Renée (06:23) 3 For What Its Worth (05:28) 4 Chameleon Day (03:20) 5 April 5th (05:50) 6 Wealth (06:33) 7 John Cope (04:42) 8 Eden (07:39) 9 After the Flood (outtake) (04:14) 10 Taphead (07:26) |
| Natural Order 1982 - 1991 : Allmusic album Review : The material on this Talk Talk compilation is in chronological order, but its not exactly natural. Released in 2013 to complement an expanded edition of Natural History, Natural Order features none of the bands A-sides and sticks strictly to album cuts, B-sides, and a track from the 2001 archival release Missing Pieces. If one wants to go deeper than the well-known singles, this is a fine way to do it; the selections, made by the bands Mark Hollis, are smart, while the Spirit of Eden-era B-side "John Cope" is essential. However, Talk Talks phenomenal last three albums -- The Colour of Spring (1986), Spirit of Eden (1988), and Laughing Stock (1991) -- deserve uninterrupted, front-to-back play, and any reconfiguring of their contents seems peculiar. | ||