Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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 throughout. 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, 1978's "I Can't Resist," the Reaction disbanded, and through his brother, Hollis was first 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, who assigned Duran Duran producer Colin Thurston to helm their first two singles, "Mirror Man" and "Talk Talk." Clearly, EMI's 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 Duran's 1982 U.K. tour. Their debut LP, The Party's 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 band's days of relying on synthesizers were over for good.

The remainder of 1983 was spent writing and recording It's My Life, Talk Talk's 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; It's My Life made major strides away from The Party's Over, rejecting the debut's 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 "Life's What You Make It" and "Give It Up," it became Talk Talk's best-selling album to date. A major world tour followed, with EMI allotting an enormous budget for the group's 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 disc's 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 band's 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 band's 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 Talk's final work – in 1992, Webb and Harris reunited in 'O'Rang, 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.

Biography by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk began life as a slavishly derivative, Duran Duran-styled new romantic synth pop band, as their debut, The Party's Over, clearly shows. Much of the album seems to attempt to recreate Duran Duran's 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 isn't particularly innovative or groundbreaking.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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After an unremarkable debut, Talk Talk regrouped and refashioned themselves more in the style of sophisto-era Roxy Music while developing their own voice. It's 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 It's 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.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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With It's 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 children's 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.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Compare Spirit of Eden with any other previous release in the Talk Talk catalog, and it's almost impossible to believe it's 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.

Review by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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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.

Review by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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During Talk Talk's hiatus following Spirit of Eden, EMI issued a hits collection compiling the singles from the first four albums as well as the non-LP "My Foolish Friend," a couple of live tracks, and an edit of "Desire." Natural History serves as a nice introduction to the band, showing it as an effective singles act despite its more recent album-concept experiments, and the added rarities make the package a necessary addition for fans as well.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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Asides Besides can certainly be seen as a cash-in release to coincide with Mark Hollis' first solo release and the reissue of Talk Talk's 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.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Talk Talk - Albums Collection 1982-1998 (16CD+DVD)

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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.

Review by Aaron Badgley, Allmusic.com