"Here we are Our hands are all untied We'd rather walk than ride Then ride and ride and ride, ride, ride Ride and ride and ride
There you stand Your eyes are in your head You should have stayed in bed Oh, Fred in bed and ride, ride, ride Fred in bed and ride"
― Tom D., Friday, 12 October 2007 14:23 (sixteen years ago) link
Both excellent, but I prefer Laughing Stock ("Ascension Day" = exquisite)
― Joe, Saturday, 13 October 2007 12:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
I'd have to pull them out to make sure I've got this right, but I'm thinking that Laughing Stock sounded much better (CD) than Spirit.
I'd guess a CD from 1988 needs remastering considerably more than one from 1992 though.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 01:42 (sixteen years ago) link
A; Spirit of Eden got remastered in 1997. B; Laughing Stock is 1991. C; You don't know what you're talking about. D; They both sound absolutely great, just different. For my money, LS is the most interestingly-recorded and absorbing album I won, from a sonic POV, but that's because the levels are very low and lots of odd mic set-ups were used, like having the drum mic 40ft away from the drum kit and stuff. Turned loud, nothing cometes (bar maybe Hot Buttered Soul).
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 09:54 (sixteen years ago) link
won = own, obv.
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
I finally get Talk Talk.
The Rainbow, really loud.
I get it.
― I know, right?, Monday, 4 August 2008 11:02 (fifteen years ago) link
http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/IntWWpb1198.html
Mark Hollis S/T
"Unlike Spirit or Laughing, there were demos of almost all the songs.."
WANT
― MaresNest, Monday, 4 August 2008 12:00 (fifteen years ago) link
not sure I'd want to hear 'em. I remember someone on ILM once said that it sounded like they had recorded the whole album in a weekend and then spent months taking things out of it, and I think I prefer that story to the true version of events.
― bernard snowy, Monday, 4 August 2008 15:20 (fifteen years ago) link
Unpopular opinion, but I prefer Slowdive's "Pygmalion" to both.
― res, Monday, 4 August 2008 15:38 (fifteen years ago) link
pygmalion is an electronic album, these are not
― akm, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:31 (fifteen years ago) link
huh? that's not true at all.
― res, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:32 (fifteen years ago) link
SoE. by far.
― the table is the table, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:44 (fifteen years ago) link
So hilarious -- three years ago and it's LS in a landslide.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 4 August 2008 21:12 (fifteen years ago) link
"Spirit Of Eden" is OK in small doses whereas "Laughing Stock" is plain unlistenable. Makes it kind of easy to choose, although "The Party's Over" or "It's My Life" would have been the correct choice.
― Geir Hongro, Thursday, October 11, 2007 9:10 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
better late than never, sb'd u 4 this
― davon cuul II (m bison), Tuesday, 30 August 2011 01:19 (twelve years ago) link
I first listened to Spirit of Eden at a time of crisis in my life. It was the year I graduated college and my first love/first relationship ended. I was at rock bottom. Spirit of Eden was the most deeply moving and spiritually cathartic album I had ever heard.
Around the same time, I had also listened to similar albums such as Hex (Bark Psychosis) which became one of my favorite albums and is, for me, perfect late-night listening and the quintessential winter album. At this time, I listened to Laughing Stock, as well, and, although its instrumental complexities were entrancing, it simply did not speak to my emotions the way Spirit of Eden did.
Spirit of Eden is still the album I go to when I'm at my lowest and searching for my path.
It's one of my Desert Island albums, alongsideA Storm in Heaven (The Verve)No Other (Gene Clark)Lazer Guided Melodies (Spiritualized)
― Graveyard Poet, Monday, 25 February 2013 09:37 (eleven years ago) link
I'm a better musician. Serious musicians and composers are not commercial I trained at the top music school in the US.. I'm a CREATIVE person. I am a vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist. I taught myself how to write music but I had extensive training. I sing advanced music and write advanced music. I can write simple music too. I need donations since the commercial world does not fund serious composers or serious musicians. I need assistance. All serious musicians do.
― garfield drops some dank n' dirty dubz at 2am (unregistered), Monday, 25 February 2013 14:00 (eleven years ago) link
I feel like both these albums would be better as instrumentals or at least if vocals were mixed lower
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 07:12 (nine years ago) link
https://procrastimes.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/facepalm.jpg
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 February 2015 08:22 (nine years ago) link
Pope OTM.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 26 February 2015 14:45 (nine years ago) link
The vocals just have this strange adult contemporary feel to them that i find offputting, whereas Bark Psychosis's are by contrast very low in pitch and serve as additional texture rather than a focal point.
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 14:55 (nine years ago) link
I could listen to a Talk Talk album that was only vocals.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 26 February 2015 15:15 (nine years ago) link
Poliopolice OffTM. Sorry, but Hollis's vocals on songs like I Believe In You are out of sight.
― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Thursday, 26 February 2015 15:19 (nine years ago) link
Never liked his vocals much tbh
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 26 February 2015 15:22 (nine years ago) link
... though not because they sound 'adult contemporary', which is what exactly?
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 26 February 2015 15:26 (nine years ago) link
The Colour Of Spring is rather "adult contemporary" imo
― example (crüt), Thursday, 26 February 2015 15:42 (nine years ago) link
hollis's vocals on 'wealth' are among the most powerful ive ever heard so i definitely disagree
― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Thursday, 26 February 2015 16:49 (nine years ago) link
If you don't like the vocals, maybe you'd prefer this:
http://open.spotify.com/album/1bZJF6RXhSy87wSEAxhiLl
― glenn mcdonald, Thursday, 26 February 2015 16:54 (nine years ago) link
i like hollis's voice a lot but he definitely sometimes sounds like a depressed goat
― let me be your fan taytay (NickB), Thursday, 26 February 2015 16:59 (nine years ago) link
Not sure why but seeing that Talk Talk processed through Paulstretch thing on Spotify makes me mental.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 26 February 2015 17:01 (nine years ago) link
(xp) So that's what Adult Contemporary vocals sound like.
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 26 February 2015 17:05 (nine years ago) link
Is it just that Hollis's voice cues very 80s? Which basically implies that his particular delivery style is outdated.
― Evan, Thursday, 26 February 2015 17:34 (nine years ago) link
maybe 80s is what I mean... but it's a particular style of 80s, like stuff I remember hearing on soft rock radio in the late 80s.
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:12 (nine years ago) link
I realize now that this is probably what has prevented me from really getting into these albums. I've probably listened to each about 1-2 times a year for the past 10 years, with no success at "getting" them. This morning I listened to both twice, and they are still musically intriguing, but the vocals just feel really jarring and out of place. They take what could otherwise be transcendent music and ground them into an obviously 80s production style, robbing them of a timeless feel that they might otherwise have.
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:17 (nine years ago) link
im not a huge fan of his vocals but i like how i have listened to these albums a bunch and have favourite songs on them yet have no idea what they're called or what the lyrics are because of his habit of not really bothering to enunciate at all.
― Rave Van Donk (jim in glasgow), Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:18 (nine years ago) link
I think 'depressed goat' is a more accurate description than 80s soft rock
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:20 (nine years ago) link
maybe depressed goat from the 80s
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:28 (nine years ago) link
I mean, let's take Chris de Burgh for instance. I just put on "Lady in Red" and vocally I don't hear it as being all that far off from Mark Hollis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt2YIpZWBqA
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:32 (nine years ago) link
his vocals are literally the sound of a religious experience occurring, ban poliopolice
― vacuum head tree disease (imago), Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:53 (nine years ago) link
Poe's Law.
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:54 (nine years ago) link
anyway, i'm sure comparisons to reviled soft rock icons is not going to win me any fans here
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:57 (nine years ago) link
you were kidding the whole time, is that your little scheme
― vacuum head tree disease (imago), Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:58 (nine years ago) link
"I Believe In You" from Color Of Spring has astonishing vocals. I love his voice, it's really unique. Seeing him sing really makes his voice seem all the more extreme.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 26 February 2015 19:58 (nine years ago) link
Ha, Chris de Burgh!!! Who has better diction than Hollis tbf.
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 26 February 2015 20:01 (nine years ago) link
his vocals are literally the sound of a religious experience occurring
This^^^
Even more so on his solo record.
― kwhitehead, Thursday, 26 February 2015 21:16 (nine years ago) link
I don't care for Hollis' voice either but then again I don't care for many sax solos on many of my favorite pop recordings so I ignore it oftne.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 26 February 2015 21:17 (nine years ago) link
just like Chris de Burgh's!
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 26 February 2015 22:34 (nine years ago) link
Wow, it never occurred to me before that someone might not like Hollis' voice. It's so tender, so uniquely... bruised-sounding, that I would never have imagined other listeners not being as drawn to it as I am.
― Vast Halo, Thursday, 26 February 2015 22:56 (nine years ago) link
any emotionally affecting voice has potential for being annoying to somebody
― example (crüt), Thursday, 26 February 2015 22:58 (nine years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_Contemporary_%28chart%29
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 1 March 2015 19:02 (nine years ago) link
To each their own and all that but, I can't imagine these records without Hollis's voice.
― kwhitehead, Sunday, 1 March 2015 19:31 (nine years ago) link
Lots of songs have made Billboard's A/C chart without qualifying as "consciously over-safe music pandering to 50+ demographic."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, March 1, 2015 1:46 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Well yeah, I guess my wording only applies to artists with that specific intent. But I think what it means to have an Adult Contemporary vibe is when any particular song conforms to a conservative, unoffensive and measured set of guidelines, again not far removed from those of what qualifies as muzak. Except unlike muzak, the genre is generally singer-songwriter/pop/rock oriented. It's the kind of stuff I hear on something like "coffee house radio" (whose main listenership is likely hovering around the 50 age range which is why I included that).
― Evan, Sunday, 1 March 2015 21:55 (nine years ago) link
so it's indie rock, in other words
― brimstead, Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:57 (nine years ago) link
it's true hollis sings in an affected way that may not be to all tastes. i knew someone who couldn't stand early roxy music for similar reasons (by "avalon" ferry had toned it down significantly). thinking about it though most of my favorite male voices are affected in some way or another- brian wilson with his falsetto, robert wyatt with his muddy mouth, peter hammill with his precise diction... affectations are what give a voice personality.
― rushomancy, Monday, 2 March 2015 12:25 (nine years ago) link
Damn right. I know people who struggle with Wild Beasts because of the voices, but I love them.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 2 March 2015 12:41 (nine years ago) link
yeah, i love ferry and hollis for these exact reasons.
― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Monday, 2 March 2015 12:48 (nine years ago) link
I think unusual voices are something some people have to get used to. I didn't like unusual voices as a teenager, but I've got over myself.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 2 March 2015 12:50 (nine years ago) link
we all hear things differently i suppose but i'm not sure i see hollis's voice as being at all affected. i think the timbre and the accent are very much in line with his natural speaking voice - in a way he's got quite a ordinary blokey voice, it's just he uses it with a great amount of control and delicacy.
― we reward the hake (NickB), Monday, 2 March 2015 13:18 (nine years ago) link
I think I heard Life's what you make it before the last couple of albums and iirc it felt like his voice was evolving in parallel with the fairly different pared down arrangements. It all went so well together.
― xyzzzz__, Monday, 2 March 2015 13:23 (nine years ago) link
Annoying and ridiculous singing voices are the best voices
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 2 March 2015 13:40 (nine years ago) link
I love Bryan Ferry's early, middle, and late voices but had trouble with Hollis initially.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 2 March 2015 14:32 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hop1tb-DR_k
― future glown (crüt), Monday, 2 March 2015 15:45 (nine years ago) link
that's a weird video for me. his voice sounds totally unlike what I would it to sound like, based on his appearance.
― Poliopolice, Monday, 2 March 2015 16:41 (nine years ago) link
I miss Geir sometimes
― X-101, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 13:22 (nine years ago) link
Did anyone ever get a copy of the book Spirit Of Talk Talk? It goes for a small fortune these days when it pops up on Ebayhttps://spiritoftalktalk.com/
― piscesx, Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:02 (five years ago) link
I have it with some weird spongy cover, it's nice enough but not at all worth £143
― MaresNest, Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:12 (five years ago) link
nope, but it looks good!
timely revive, as this pair of albums has been in heavy rotation for me recently (along with hollis' S/T). the discussion from late Feb 2015 above is also fun to read, as i also struggled with the vocals for quite a while. which seems to be a concept that some people on this thread have a really hard time imagining! but ultimately, they grew on me quite a bit. and it was apparent from the very beginning that his voice forms the very core of these songs. still, i still feel a tinge of irrational embarrassment whenever someone catches me listening to late period talk talk, because if you're not familiar with them and don't have a full hour to listen at a loud volume on decent speakers, the subtlety of the music can be completely lost, and all that stands out is the "adult contemporary" voice.
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:16 (five years ago) link
I got it because I love James Marsh's artwork but don't feel like hunting down all the various 12" releases
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:40 (five years ago) link
(xp) Depressed goat surely?
― Wee boats wobble but they don't fall down (Tom D.), Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:41 (five years ago) link
funny, i bought all the 12"s because i'd rather see the artwork full size than in a book. The Talk Talk 12"s have been pretty cheap too. I guess they must have made millions of copies of each, so they're not hard to find.
― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:43 (five years ago) link
Marsh sells nice prints of most of the Talk Talk artwork on his web site as well!
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:44 (five years ago) link
(it was mostly a matter of me having space on my bookshelves but none on my record shelves)
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:45 (five years ago) link
wow, you can also buy Laughing Stock toddler pajamas! I love the 21st century
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 24 January 2019 19:49 (five years ago) link
i recently found an fm broadcast of a 1986 show in Belgium from later in 1986, like four months after the london show that was officially released. It's stunning, just as good as London but with interestingly different set list. Been playing it tons. I think if you search "talk talk belgium 1986 reliquary" you should find the blog i got it from.
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Friday, 25 January 2019 15:55 (five years ago) link
The Salamanca, Spain concert is fab too, Belgium is a radio broadcast from the Werchter Festival iirc.
― MaresNest, Friday, 25 January 2019 16:47 (five years ago) link
yes i also downloaded two versions of Salamanca, great show, both versions had different little audio glitches that were not enough to ruin it for me.
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Friday, 25 January 2019 17:11 (five years ago) link
ooh, thanks, going to track down that Belgium show!
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Friday, 25 January 2019 17:51 (five years ago) link
yes I have that book (the paperback). I didn't realize that was out of print also now.
― akm, Friday, 25 January 2019 21:42 (five years ago) link