> Laughing Stock
This and Laughing Stock are my joint favourite records of all time. I think I discovered them both at the same time so it’s like they’re part of a singular whole for me. Can’t split them up.
Autumn. Leaves turning. These records on headphones. Walking for the sake of it. Just perfect.
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Y’know I’ve never listened to Talk Talk? They’ve been on my radar forever, constantly talked up by artists I love and admire, Spirit of Eden has been recommended to me a million times over the years and yet…I’ve not heard a note.
I’m finally going to rectify that this morning.
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Played again this morning, still a perfect record.
If you don’t love it then I will personally hunt you down and ask you why
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https://community.drownedinsound.com/t/talk-talk-laughing-stock/5579/18?u=crisps
Picked up this and Laughing Stock (and Colour of Spring). Very glad I did.
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I was in this exact position a few years ago.
Wonderful records though, can’t recommend them more.
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Same for me until recently. Listened on Youtube - thought it was OK. Got hold of the album proper - still think it is OK. Concerned it has been hyped up way too much, but suspect it is a slow burner. I said the same about Slint many years ago.
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My listen through Spirit of Eden was interrupted by a fire alarm (the people in the new canteen downstairs haven’t worked out how to make cookies apparently) but I’m enjoyed it a lot. I’ve got a lot of time for that sultry sax work. The second half kinda drifted by harmlessly though tbh - I reckon I’ll need to give it a proper listen at home to focus on the details.
All in all: intrigued/10.
Both this and Laughing Stock are absolutely gorgeous sounding records and totally worth the time and attention. Particularly on headphones.
And whilst there’s the eruptions of noisy guitars and stuff in songs like Desire, for me the real beauty is in the layers, the tones, the space between the sounds used. Also how silence is as important a sound as any of the instruments.
In some ways it’s more like ambient music than traditional songs, despite the fairly standard band setup of the instrumentation.
I LIKE TALK TALK.
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yeah they’re definitely not immediate albums but they are incredible (colour of spring is way more immediate)
obligatory shout out for the Mark Hollis solo album as well
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Aye. New Grass has the best overall sound of anything I’ve heard, well either that or The Black Meat by Bark Psychosis
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Happy Birthday!
Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are all masterpieces.
Definitely agree with the above comments about patience and repeated listening.
Much like Loveless by MBV it took me about 10 listens to find an entry point, 20 listens to appreciate and admire and 30 to cherish (except Colour of Spring which is much more immediate but still has lasting appeal). Now I keep going back to them all.
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New Grass is the best. Just the absolute best.
Big love for Bark Psychosis too. Listen to Hex more often than Dustsucker but they’re both wonderful records and definitely feel of a piece with what Talk Talk were doing at the end, though obviously more ‘groove’ based.
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I have never heard any Bark Psychosis and I love Talk Talk, so hopefully this has opened a new door for me
Hex is a wonderful album stuggling against the elephant in the room that is Graham Sutton’s voice.
Love the Talk Talk records, but i’ve always thought that Bark Psychosis just sound like a crappy version of Talk Talk
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I admire the ambition and the singleness of purpose behind those records but I don’t actually enjoy listening to them that much, partly because I find his voice unappealing (but that’s obviously a personal thing). The arrangements are amazing of course but sometimes I feel they are all surface without much behind them. I’m aware that is a view that very much goes against the current critical consensus. Funny how these things change because they weren’t that highly rated at the time. I think they were underrated at the time and are overrated now.
Listening to the recent amazing reissues of Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum reinforces my view that Japan are a far superior band.
Funnily enough, just been listening to Bark Psychosis’ Hex since it was brought up and once again imagining how much better it would sound with David Sylvian’s incredible timbre instead of Sutton’s feeble schoolboy quaver. I wouldn’t want him to replace Mark Hollis, though.
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Having read about your listening preferences recently, you not having yet listened to (and accepted as two of your favourite ever records) Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock is beyond mental, horse.
Take a week off. Immerse yourself. Seek out beautifully remastered vinyl reissues. Bask in the glow of being one of the beautiful people who know …
Ben
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