"...My Truth's No Longer Sane..."
Anyone expecting the accomplished TALK TALK of 1986's "The Colour Of Spring", 1988's "Spirit Of Eden" or even 1991's "Laughing Stock" should readjust their sets for the band's opening salvo "The Party's Over" because it's an overtly All-Synths OMD-Depeche Mode sounding debut very much rooted in the Duran Duran big-hairdo Popstral landscape of 1982.
At least this lovely-looking spine-themed 1997 EMI Records CD Reissue offers a truly blinding Remaster from Top Audio Engineers PHILL BROWN and DENIS BLACKHAM (of Skye Mastering) using original EMI 1/2" master tapes. Once more unto the party people...
UK released September 1997 - "The Party's Over" by TALK TALK on EMI Records RETALK 100 (Barcode 724385679629) is a straightforward CD Reissue and Remaster of their 1982 debut album that plays out as follows (36:53 minutes):
1. Talk Talk [Side 1]
2. It's So Serious
3. Today
4. The Party's Over
5. Hate [Side 2]
6. Have You Heard The News?
7. Mirror Man
8. Another Word
9. Candy
Tracks 1 to 9 are their debut album "The Party's Over" - released July 1982 in the UK on EMI Records EMC 3413 and in the USA on EMI America ST-17083. Produced by COLIN THURSTON - it peaked at No. 32 in the UK LP charts, No. 132 in the US Billboard Charts.
TALK TALK was:
MARK HOLLIS - Lead Vocals
SIMON BRENNER - Keyboards
PAUL WEBB - Bass
LEE HARRIS - Drums
There are four CDs in this 1997 Remaster Series - each spine spelling a T A L K letter - so T for "The Party's Over" (1982), A for "It's My Life" (1984), L for "The Colour Of Spring" (1986) and K for "Spirit Of Eden" (1988). Each issue has upgraded 12-page booklets with lyrics and those beautiful James Marsh paintings/artwork the band featured on so many of their 7" and 12" single sleeves. The debut booklet shows the "Talk Talk" and "Mirror Man" UK single sleeves - and the lyrics are here too, but naught else - no new liner notes or history. Which is more's the pity, because I believe Talk Talk to be one of the most underrated bands of the 80ts and 90ts a group that grew ever more brilliant with each new album up to a point where EMI just didn't know how to market them to a single's market when they became an album's band.
But all of that slight presentation letdown is mightily offset by the big news - a fantastic Remaster from original 1/2" analogue master-tapes by PHIL BROWN and Skye Mastering's DENIS BLACKHAM - a man I actively seek out as a Remaster go-to. Take the piano-playing in the left speaker of "Have You Heard The News?" or the very early-Depeche-sounding "Mirror Man" - both sounding full of power while Hollis warbles on about being miserable and betrayed (or both).
I have always wished Talk Talk's debut "The Party's Over" was an LP I'd return to with more affection, but it's a start that would eventually lead to the sonic wonder of 1986's "The Colour Of Spring" - an album I'd put up there with Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love", Prefab Sprout's "Steve McQueen" or even The Blue Nile's debut "A Walk Across The Rooftops". And the loss of the ethereal lead singer and principal songwriter Mark Hollis in 2019 was/is a shattering blow to longtime fans and damn it - music itself.
Still - gotta love that great audio - and those T A L K CD-spines on my shelves make me a very happy bunny just gawking at them. A great band and not just a good one...
The TALK TALK EMI CD Remasters (September 1997)
RETALK 100 to 104 are UK Catalogue Numbers - The Next Are International
1. The Party's Over (July 1982 Debut Album)
UK CD Remaster on EMI RETALK 100 - EMI 7243 8 56796 2 9 (Barcode 724385679629)
2. It's My Life (February 1984 Second Studio Album)
UK CD Remaster on EMI RETALK 101 - EMI 7243 8 56797 2 8 (Barcode 724385679728)
3. The Colour Of Spring (March 1986 Third Studio Album)
UK CD Remaster on EMI RETALK 102 - EMI 7243 8 57131 2 5 (Barcode 724385713125)
4. Spirit Of Eden (September 1988 Fourth Studio Album)
UK CD Remaster on EMI RETALK 103 - EMI 7243 8 57129 2 0 (Barcode 724385712920)
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