― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:15 (twenty years ago) link
I bought both late period records when they came out (I actually had the 45 of "Life's What You Make It" too but it took me much longer to finally pick up Colour of Spring). Sorry if that sounds annoying; that's my "losing my edge" moment for the day. Anyway, I first heard "I Believe in You" on WLLZ-FM in Detroit which was like an AOR station by day, but had a weekend alt program (I wonder if Andy K. remembers it; hosted by Mike Halloran I think?) I was immediately transfixed; it just sounded so unlike everything else they would play. I remember hearing that organ and ascending bass kick in after the first verse and feeling like I was floating away. And then the choir at the end .. goosebumps. Laughing Stock was definitely one of the most anticipated albums of that period of my life. Badmotorfinger was probably the other one though, so that my lose me some coolness points.
Anyway, I don't remember seeing anything written about them. The one guy I do recall writing a really positive review that seemed to "get it" is the sometime-maligned Thom Jurek in the Metro Times. So I've always kind of respected him for that, no matter what I've thought of his writing since.
I was the music director at my college station when Laughing Stock came out, and anyone who's done that job knows one of the worst aspects is taking calls from annoying major label reps promoting all sorts of horrible records. I remember once the PolyGram rep phoned, and preparing to take the call I'm thinking "Oh great, this shouldn't be too irritating, I'll just talk to him about how much I like the Talk Talk record." But he was all like "oh, we don't care about them" (!) Like, he didn't even want to push this record of theirs that I had actually expressed interest in (for once). It was like, they were completely resigned to it doing poorly and weren't even bothering or something. Or maybe they had the jazz department working it or something. Anyway, I just found it shocking and depressing.
― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:18 (twenty years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:31 (twenty years ago) link
But is SOE the best record of the bunch? I know it's become kind of hip to like LS, esp. in light of our revisitation of all things 90's lately. Plus, it's even more oblique in many ways. Still, I wonder whether SOE is the best of the three (better of the two). On the basis of its very strong tunes, the originality of the concept, and the risk Hollis took making it (it supposedly made the record execs cry it was so uncommercial), I think it might be...
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 23:06 (twenty years ago) link
― Llahtuos Kcin (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 23:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 22 January 2004 00:37 (twenty years ago) link
I'd rate the other ones in decending order per their order of release, with Mark Hollis a definate last. But that's just me.
― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 22 January 2004 00:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 01:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 22 January 2004 01:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 01:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 01:15 (twenty years ago) link
i like all of the cited records and dont feel any need to decide, although as noted above i took spirit of eden with me to paris in a clinch
― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 23 January 2004 10:26 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 23 January 2004 15:22 (twenty years ago) link
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 10 May 2004 02:18 (twenty years ago) link
Still one of the greatest ILM threads ever.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 May 2004 04:18 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 May 2004 07:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 May 2004 07:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 10 May 2004 08:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 May 2004 08:29 (twenty years ago) link
The voice, the production quality, and the melodies, both vocal and guitar with the lite-jazz beat made me think initially of 80s 'organic' adult pop/rock (and certainly not of medieval music). The Sting comparisons upthread seem apt (though I haven't listened to a whole Sting album either). It sounded like how 'organic' music was produced at that time. (I actually quite like, on the other hand, the sound of glossed-out 80s studio synth-fusion. I don't know if I was hoping for more of that kind of sound, maybe because I'd heard they used to be a synthpop band.) But, like I said, that feeling does change as the track progresses.
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 06:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Rob M (Rob M), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 08:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 08:43 (twenty years ago) link
― Rob M (Rob M), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 08:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 05:25 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 06:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 12:58 (twenty years ago) link
― francesco (francesco), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:14 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:18 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:23 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:24 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 20:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 21:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Keith Watson (kmw), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 22:03 (twenty years ago) link
-- Ned Raggett (ne...), January 19th, 2004.
― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 22:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:04 (twenty years ago) link
Mark Hollis is the best of the three
(for now).
― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:12 (twenty years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 1 July 2004 01:59 (twenty years ago) link
I just bought Spirit of Eden....It's very cool...bewitching....unstructured but not really arty at the same time....This is the first time I've heard Talk Talk (except for the No Doubt covers)....pleasantly suprised that I can't really think of many records that sound like Spirit of Eden.....Almost in a weird was reminds me of some meld of Scritti Polliti and Van Morrison Astral Weeks, but I'm probably wrong.
Interesting cool stuff....Next up I think is Bark Psychosis I'm finally going to hear those dudes as well....
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 2 December 2004 18:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Hot Pants, Thursday, 2 December 2004 18:55 (nineteen years ago) link
Matt: good on you with Bark Psychosis. Next, Disco Inferno. AND THEN YOU WILL BE MY SLAVE. Er, anyway.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link
Disco Inferno the wrestler?? He was okay I guess.
Oddly enough, a friend in another corner of the Internets just got a Chameleons record and is raving about it....I've still gotta pick one of those up....Ragget-rock renaissance I guess.
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:03 (nineteen years ago) link