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I have a few touch-points when it comes to naysayers about the Eighties being nothing more than Poodle Rock, Synths and Drum Machines and Shoulder Pads bigger than their hair-dos. For such a maligned decade - the mid 80s onward didn't half produce some utterly ball-busting greatness.
It's now 40-years plus and I still haven't tired of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's shooting stars never stop double "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" (1984), David Sylvian's "Brilliant Trees" (1984), Kate Bush's meisterwerk "Hounds Of Love" (1985), Peter Gabriel's fabulous "So (1986), John Martyn's underrated "Piece By Piece" (1986), Deacon Blue's "Raintown" (1987), Love And Money's "Strange Kind Of Love" (1988) with Production from Steely Dan's Gary Katz, Joni Mitchell's "Chalk Mark In A Rainstorm" (1988), R.E.M.'s "Green" (1988), Simple Minds' "Street Fighting Years" (1989), Del Amitri's "Waking Hours" (1989) and The Blue Niles' "Hats" (1989).
And this is not forgetting Paul Simon's other-genres-enlightening "Graceland" (1986), the Texas debut "Southside" (1989) that introduced us to the fabulous vocals of Sharleen Spiteri and Ally McErlaine's stunning guitarwork, Matt Johnson's The The and his acidic but brilliant "Infected" (1986), The Smiths on a one-after-another stormer with "Meat Is Murder" (1985) and "The Queen Is Dead" (1986), Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel Of Love" (1989), Prince's "1999" (1982) and "Purple Rain" (1984), John Mellencamp's "The Lonesome Jubilee" (1988), Eurythmics' "Be Yourself Tonight" (1985), Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever" (1989) and so many more.
But up there with a whizz-bang bullet in the Top 10 pantheon for that entire decade is Talk Talk's gorgeous third album "The Colour Of Spring" from March 1986. Everything about this winner spells event. With the core of singer-songwriter MARK HOLLIS and Keyboard whizz and Producer TIM FRIESE-GREENE and Bassist LEE HARRIS - they roped in a formidable array of Guest Musicians to help achieve the vastly more sophisticated and ethereal sound the album debuted (a move away from the overly synth-based Pop of the first two LPs in 1982 and 1984 "Talk Talk" and "It's My Party".
That list included the lauded Robbie McIntosh and David Rhodes on Guitars, Steve Winwood of The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and Solo Career on Organ, Mark Feltham of Nine Below Zero on Harmonica, Danny Thompson of Pentangle on Double Bass, Alan Gorrie of Average White Band on Bass with other players like Gaynor Sadler on Harmonica, David Roach on Saxophone, Paul Webb on Bass and some schoolkids and a choir.
There are only 8 songs on the LP - but they matter and each in its own little way is a sonic masterpiece - beautifully arranged and produced by TFG. Throw in the seriously gorgeous and eye-catching JAMES MARSH hand-painted artwork that graced the front sleeve and all the hugely collectable 12" singles that came off the album - and "The Colour Of Spring" impacted with a face slap - sit up and take notice of this boys and girls of the C-90 generation.
And that's where this one-of-four CD Reissues and Remasters comes a stomping in. UK catalogue-numbered RETALK 100 to 104 - the four albums from "Talk Talk" in 1982, "It's My Party" in 1983, "The Colour Of Spring" in 1986 to "Spirit Of Eden" in 1988 are in the series - each spine spelling out a single letter at the top and base - TALK TALK. The beautifully clear yet muscular Remasters were done by a duo of much respected Audio Engineers - PHILL BROWN and DENIS BLACKHAM (of Skye Mastering) - each making the original 1/2" EMI Analogue Tapes shine like never before. This is a fantastic-sounding CD and my only fault would be that it could have done with those tasty Non-LP B-sides from the 12" singles.
To the details - once more unto the butterfly breach/peach...
The 12-page booklet reproduces the inner sleeve (handwritten almost illegible lyrics intact) with musician credits beneath and a very nice touch is to give each of James Marsh's paintings (that graced the album's singles) a full leaf each (Pages 8 to 11). There isn't a history, liner notes or any involvement from the band, which is a bit of a let down - but the songs and the audio are the business (I've seen this CD for sale on Auction Sites for under four or even three pounds). To the chameleon music...
"Happiness Is Easy" opens accounts in a fantastic Talk Talk kind of a way - the song benefiting from a bevvy of impressive types - Steve Winwood on Organ, Robbie McIntosh on Guitar and Alan Gorrie of Average White Band on Electric Bass with Danny Thompson of Pentangle on Upright Bass. Bizarrely - there is also a Robbie McIntosh in AWB (their drummer), but the McIntosh used here is the session guitarist and a different bloke. The children chanting lyrics come courtesy of the School of Miss Speake.
EMI had preceded the March 1986 release of "The Colour Of Spring" album in January with the first of four singles from it - "Life's What You Make It" which hit a healthy interest-arousing No. 16 in the UK and No. 90 in America. March 1986 saw "Living in Another World" which made a lesser No. 48 in Blighty and then "Give It Up" in May 1986 which hit No. 59 and inexplicably - the best track on the album as far as I'm concerned - "I Don't Believe In You" in November of 1986 only to not chart at all. It's interesting to note that the last three British 45s, 12s and Picture Discs mentioned weren't released by EMI America in the States where the album seemed to languish as a non-event.
Speaking of "I Don't Believe In You" - it is the second of three tracks on "The Colour Of Spring" album that benefits big time from the floating Organ sound of Steve Winwood (the other song is "Living In Another World"). Both lingering-mood tunes also having Robbie McIntosh on guitar (his soloing on "I Don't Believe In You") is one of the highlights of the album - while David Rhodes provides a second guitar for "Living In Another World". And while the ear gravitates to the hits - especially "Life's What You Make It" - longtime listeners will adore the quietly brilliant "April 5th" and "Chameleon" too. It ends on "Time It's Time" - a wonderful eight-minute moody and broody little bugger that boasts Percussion from Morris Pert of Stomu Ymashta's Red Buddah band (and before that Sun Treader, also on Island Records) with Martin Ditcham of Virgin's Avant Garde band Henry Cow. The mood is also buoyed up with the church-like eerie vocals of The Ambrosia Choir. I love it.
"The Colour Of Spring" by Talk Talk is like Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love" or Prefab Sprout's "Steve McQueen" from 1985 or Dead Can Dance's "The Serpent's Egg" on 4AD Records from 1988 - the kind of off-kilter genius I'll play the whole way through.
"Spirit Of Eden" that followed in 1988 would see them go even more uncommercial minimalist and soundscape weird - Mark Feltham of Nine Below Zero giving the greatest Harmonica solo ever on "The Rainbow" - its opening track. But in truth - 1986's "The Colour Of Spring" is the Talk Talk album I go potty for. Mark Hollis and his staggering warble vocals gave us a self-titled solo album in January 1998 on Polydor Records (much praised), but retired after that (despite huge cash offers) and was lost to us in February 2015 - a passing that I know many fans could hardly believe let alone bare. Both Hollis and the band were a talent that just wouldn't play the game (much to our advantage) - and I for one love them to bits for it...
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