Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Surprisingly good.
I liked this!
Peter Gabriel meets Tears for Fears. Win/win in my book.
This is an album I'm kind of conflicted about. There's some really good stuff on here, and "Happiness is Easy" is a staple on most of the 80s playlists I make for myself. There are some really fun guitar riffs, drum fills, and jazzy elements throughout the album, and it's got that dark, melodic atmosphere I enjoy from some of my favorite 80s artists (Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, etc.). On the other hand, the album still manages to have a "sameness" to it despite the experimental bits. The first song starts off with great energy, but then it overstays its welcome by going on a bit too long (and this is my favorite song on the album, remember). That then carries through the rest of the album, as most of the songs sound like variations on the same melody and themes. By the time the closing track finishes (after over 8 minutes), it definitely feels like it's been a lot longer than 45 minutes. I think my biggest issue with it (and Talk Talk in general), though, is Mark Hollis' voice. Though not unpleasant to listen to, there's something about it that's a bit off putting to me. I can't say it's monotone, because he does have range, and the melodies are fairly dynamic; but it often feels like he's just droning on, and I've never really connected emotionally with anything he sings (I think that's why I prefer the No Doubt cover of "It's My Life" over the original). He reminds me a lot more of singers like Michael McDonald and Steve Winwood (who incidentally, plays on this album) — singers with objectively good voices that just do absolutely nothing for me. This is one of those albums that I listen to repeatedly, because it is mostly good, but I probably can't listen to more than once or twice a year without getting sick of. 3.5/5 (but rounding to 4)
That was a very intriguing album with its really upbeat tempo and cool instruments. The singer had a very interesting voice which went well with the instruments. I thought the kid singing in the first song was weird and I am glad it didn't happen again through the album. All of the songs kind of melted together and it flew by, which I guess is good praise.
Džaba što je u pitanju vjerovatno najdepresivniji album svih vremena, meni glas ovog čovjeka ima ljekovit učinak. Bilo bi predivno da ima više pjesama kao Life's What You Make It jer bih onda bila veeeliki ljubitelj ali i ovako se nemam šta žaliti osim na depresivu.
Art-Pop/New Wave, but really well executed. If they would just cut out the harmonica and the children's choir, it might be a 5.
Far from their best, in my opinion, but some Talk Talk is always great!
A little bit self indulgent, though still a great album.
Enjoyable
This is great. I recently interviewed Eric Alper on IGTOV and he picked a Talk Talk album as one of his essential 5. Not this one. So I need to do a deep dive. 4 *
Enjoyed way more than expected! Probably won’t relisten, but it was interesting
I don’t know them, but I liked this sound.
Great album
Echoing another reviewer's sentiment: "You need to be in the right mood for this one, but if you are, it's great. You can really lose yourself in it." I don't normally go for 80s New Wave, but this album really spoke to me today. Very atmospheric and moody, it washes over you like a wave.
Actually really interesting, very different and a lot of unique things going on that were honestly pleasing to listen to, I really love the singers voice and this is something I could for sure come back to 9/10
I'm only cursorily familiar with Talk Talk; I've listened to a couple of their albums but not this one. I find them intriguing in that the music is so sparse (particularly on later albums) but the production is so good. I think I need a few more listens of this one to digest but it's very good.
Talk Talk's 3rd studio album transitioned from synthesizer-heavy art pop into a piano, guitar, and organ album that leans into a more organic and improvisational experimental pop sound that moves away from new wave and more towards an 80s and 90s sound.
I wasn't expecting The Colour Of Spring to be as good as it is but man i was pleasantly surprised. I was mainly expecting Talk Talk (Not to be confused with The Psychedelic Furs album of nearly the same name (just missing another talk)) to be just another 80s new wave band which went the same for this album but it is a pretty decent step above a lot of it's contemporaries. It of course still has some of the cheesiness that you would expect to find in a lot of these albums but this one was also pretty melodic and definitely had some pretty relaxing vibes to it. This album was quite the nice surprise. Best Song: Life's What You Make It Worst Song: Chameleon Day
This is probably the Gen Z Disney movie watcher in me, but I half expected Phil Collins to come barreling at some point on this one... For real though, I was rocking with this one, it's pretty grandiose and really sits nicely with lots of piano, organ, and strings where I would've expected synths. Some light research indicates this album comes at an interesting time in history for talk talk, and was a bridge album for the group in terms of sound. Ironically, I feel like this seems like it would be the best the group has to offer, so I'd be skeptical of hearing them commit to a different type of style on other albums.
Quite enjoyable
Otro grupo clave en los 80 y 90. Pasaron de un pop exitoso, It´s my life (un clásico) a seguir su prpio camino y abrir corrientes que florecerían años después (Post... lo que sea que hicieran). Genta tan exquisita y diversa como Mogwai, Low, Slowdive, Steven Wilson o M83 han reconocido su influencia, así que solo por eso ya merecen un hueco en nuestro quehacer diario... Este es uno de sus discos clave, el otro sería Spirit of Eden, y su obra maestra Laughing stock (después de esto, un disco en solitario de Hollis y nada. Por cierto su último concierto data del año de este disco y fue en Salamanca). Música orgánica, con instrumentación real, alejada de excesos sintéticos de otros. Entre The Sniths (The queen is dead ese mismo año), y Tears for fears ( The big chair apenas un año antes). Aquí sobresalen, sin duda Happiness is easy con ese perozoso coro infantil y Livin´ in another world (con Steve Winwood.) Preciosismo, detallismo, estudio al milímetro de cada nota y cada silencio... (April 5th o Chameleon day sin ir más lejos). Lifes is what you make it es otro temazo, y el cierre con Time it´s time es sencillamente ejemplar. Disco enorme, gigante.
It’s a vibe
Right at the middle of their discoraphy, we find Talk Talk's transitional album The Colour of Spring. And despite that status, it doesn't really sound like either their New Romantic early work or their ground-breaking following albums. Instead we get a somewhat ambient take of pop music, with beautifully arranged instrumental passages, emotive vocals, and melodies that sneak up on you when you least expect them. An incredibly unique album, whose sound world has yet to be replicated. Key tracks: Happiness Is Easy Life's What You Make It Living in Another World Give It Up
really really liked this
Type of album where music and voice of Mark Hollis draws you in to another dimension.
This Talk Talk album is so much better than I was expecting. I knew their big hits like It’s My Life but nothing on this album was familiar, and it feels a lot more “grown up” than their earlier stuff. The whole album has a really nice flow from one song to the next, and strikes a good balance of each song being just similar/different enough from each other to still feel like a cohesive work while not getting boring
Luxury music
I’m usually not super big into the new wave albums the generator gives me, but something about this really worked for me. The instrumentation was really diverse. The vocals here reminded me a little of Peter Gabriel. Favorite songs were Life’s What You Make It, Living In Another World, Give It Up, and Time It’s Time.
Art Rock / Jazz feel on this one with some Depech Mode vibes, great listening experience
I've gotta say... Talk Talk is way better than Talk Talk Talk. I was not a fan of that Psychedelic Furs album I got about a month ago, but I am a fan of Talk Talk's 1986 album The Colour of Spring. This is some good stuff right here! Is it yet another 80s British new wave album? Yes, but it's at least a fairly influential one, so I'll give it that. I'll also give it this; the album's good. I like the songs. The writing is actually somewhat interesting. The singing works. The sound is quite enjoyable. Some moments are more energetic, but there are some slower songs that I also really like. The album's not repetitive. Apparently this isn't even their best album! The two albums released after this, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, are generally considered to be better albums. If those two are better than this, they must be some pretty great albums! Unfortunately, neither of them are on the list, but if I really feel like it, I may check them out eventually. The Colour of Spring is still pretty good though. Light 4/5.
very 80s. liked it
I really liked it but I'm note really sure of why.
Along with Slint, Talk Talk is often cited as one of the pioneers of post-rock; a genre I was obsessed with in my 20s. Specifically their album, Spirit Of Eden--which is a masterpiece--and Laughing Stock, their final album. Both would cement their contributions to the foundations of the genre. The Colour of Spring sits firmly to the right of their 80s, hit making jazz and art pop era, and just before their more experimental, minimal post-rock era. They were still being compared to Duran Duran when this record came out and I can see why. I decided to listen to this record then jump immediately into Spirit Of Eden and really enjoyed stepping back and looking at the progression of the band's sound. I don't love everything on this record but still think it's a solid listen. "April 5th" and "Give Up" are highlights for me.
Pretty good!
At first I thought this would be boring, but almost every song had one or two elements about it that managed to keep me interested just enough
really enjoyed this. they say talk talk were a big influence on hogarth-era marillion and boy can you see it
Surprisingly excellent, with many style points and a high degree of sophistication (not to mention subtlety and restraint throughout). Though the vocals can take some adjustment, this seems pretty near the best of the '80s (certainly in the hidden-gems division), in terms of quality, longevity and sounding considerably better than hideously dated than so many other New Wave (and NW-adjacent) acts, this is thoughtful and creative and very poshly executed. Note the contrast between first two song titles – "Happiness Is Easy" and "I Don't Believe in You" – relative to today's positive thinking pablum. The tempos are dead-on, unhurried and thoughful, though the last cut or two lean a bit too much toward the ponderoulsy melodramatic (as if they're doing lieder). "April 5th" is the best non-cover cover of "St. Dominic's Preview" one's ever heard. The joke on "Caroline Know" is noted – and appreciated. TT is not as good as Style Council but this is a record whose sustaining excellence is a most pleasant surprise, even to one relatively advanced in the finer points of this era. TT, take your place nearby to Weller, Ferry, Bowie, etc., and with pride in taking us forward from benightedness.
Life's What You Make It may be the greatest piece of pop music of the 80s but the rest of the album doesn't quite reach the same heights. I love Spirit of Eden and wasn't sure how much this album would be a transition between their earlier more mainstream style and the sound collage style they adopted. This was beautiful and unique too but I think you need more than one listen to fully appreciate it so I'd give it a high four.
Relaxing, beautiful vocals and all around a delight to listen to.
I wish I could give this a 0. Ancestors is a war crime.
Good init
28/01/25 I only knew of two of their songs and fortunately one of them was on this album, I liked it.
When I was first browsing through the latest iteration of this list, I was shocked to find that this was the (only) Talk Talk pick they decided to go with. But maybe it is the most fitting pick - perfectly bridging the band's earlier new-wave style and their late '80s and early '90s jazz and post-rock dabblings - with two of the greatest albums in the genre. While this album's songs are shorter, less airy, and less ambient than Talk Talk's later works, it certainly contains all the flair and beauty. The sounds are so vibrant, and the organs, acoustics, and bass are so colorful, not unlike this album cover. 'I Don't Believe in You', aside from being antithetical to their later 'I Believe in You', floored me with just how gorgeously all the various sounds blended. 'April 5th' sounds straight out of the "Laughing Stock" playbook, primarily with that soft yet restrained piano chord progression and organ. Like many of the songs here, it's filled with natural imagery and subtle nods to death and life afterward. It feels like a deep breath filled with the smells of maple and sap. While not a huge fan of 'Life's What You Make It' and its new-wave cliches, I found myself more partial towards the song 'Living in Another World', which does similar things - albeit with more pizzazz. My favorite song here has to be the closer 'Time It's Time', a perfect blend of all of Talk Talk's sounds and I love those backing vocals on the cathartic chorus. While not my favorite Talk Talk record (I think they're a band that got better with each subsequent release), it was a nice revisit. And one that demonstrates the band's unique sounds at every step of their journey. R.I.P the genius, Mark Hollis
I mean it's the wrong Talk Talk album but it's still nice it's here. And in a way important given it's success gave them licence to make the inspirational Spirit of Eden 2 years later. That album and the follow up Laughing Stock are simply glorious. This record contains the enormous Life's What You Make It, which is one of the most 1986 songs ever, and explodes into this record after a couple of slightly meandering tracks. Although I do enjoy the opener. I never listened to this record, I knew it was the one everyone bought, which rather than signifying it's their best work often means the reverse, however I am pleasantly surprised that this is not full of commercial massive songs, and quite clearly contains the seeds of their greatest work to come. Extremely evident on April 5th, for example. And Chameleon Day. It's a real mish mash though, it feels like the halves of two different albums mixed together on shuffle. As April 5th wanders off into the quiet underbrush, Living in Another World crashes in reminding us all it's 1986 again. Anyway, despite some misgivings, there's a lot of lovely stuff here, finished off with a suitably epic and long song, Time it's Time.
Lovely, upbeat, comfort music.
I never really listened to Talk Talk before but I really liked it. A lot of sounds going on but they all work together. I'll def check out their discography
This should appeal to me and whilst it's not bad, it does feel a little bit unengaging. I appreciate how multilayered it is. Not a huge fan of the vocals but they do blend in well with the music and avoid distracting from it, which I suppose maybe was the point. This was a bit of a challenge so I can see this being the kind of album that needs quite a few listens to really get into, so I could see myself enjoying this a lot more later I wrote all of the above on the first couple of listens and was going to give it a 3 but I'm currently on my 3rd listen and it's clicking much more. I actually quite like it now Highlights: Living In Another World, Time It's Time
This was a pleasant surprise! The jazzy, classically inspired songs here are so different from what many of Talk Talk’s peers were making at the time.
This album is one of the reasons I keep going with this project. Another UK artist but this album I liked! Nice vibe to the whole album.
While I've no particular objections to this music, I do object to the use of children's choirs. Those little bastards cannot sing in tune for shite, and no record anywhere has ever been improved by including children singing. Thankfully it seems to be limited only to the opening track and the rest of the album is mercifully free of it. By the time I get to the absolutely awesome Chameleon Day, I'm ready to almost forgive it. What a track!
Various instruments from jazz, classical and electronic are utilized to support some of the most intimate, unique pop music of the 80s. A
Well I learnt me a little bit more about New Wave. I thought synths were a pre-requisite but these guys certainly fit the bill, even with their anti-synth stance. All that to say, I like it, I'm a sucker for New Wave. Faves: Happiness Is Easy, Time It's Time
I know Talk Talk's hits but this was all new to me - I really liked it! A lot of surprising instrumental flourishes that made it stand out from typical new wave to me.
Goooood
Reminds me of music from pingu
I really enjoyed this. It felt like the soundtrack to a 90s kids safari show.
I really liked a few of the tracks but found others a bit boring. Overall I enjoyed it.
i LOVE the album cover
Talk Talk is one of the last groups I would have expected to find on this list. And this album is the one most people would say least deserves a spot. Not because it’s bad, but because its two successors are generally received better. They are regarded as one of the most influential and important bands in the history of post-rock. They were also one of the first groups to really that sound on the map. But they didn’t start out like that. Their debut and sophomore albums were more synthpop based, and for their third record, The Colour of Spring, they developed themselves into a progressive art pop sound. Bands and albums like this open up an interesting conversation. This is a list of 1001 albums that everyone should hear before they die. One would assume that the creator is trying to say these are essential. But should a list of essentials include albums that will most likely challenge the average person? Many would say no. That’s not what they are interested in hearing. But I would beg to differ. I think the best thing you can do for yourself, especially if you have a passion for music, is branch out and listen to things out of your comfort zone. But I can’t speak for everyone. I may not necessarily be challenged by this as a listener, but some might. But I can still acknowledge that this is weird. Easily some of the most unique sounding pop music I’ve ever heard. It is still very much an 80s record, both good and bad. But, much like 60s psych rock or 70s hard rock, there is a lot of fluff to be found in 80s era pop music. But this thankfully avoids that. There is a certain level of quality this displays that those other bands don’t have. The amount that they manage to pack into song is incredibly impressive. Most songs are constantly evolving, but have one specific aspect that it revolves around, like the lead guitar on Life’s What You Make It. In the grand spectrum of 80s music, this presents itself as one of most interesting and sophisticated new wave releases of the decade. And I think that more than justifies its presence on the list. Rating: 7/10
Killer A Side, generic b side, intriguing
Relaxing and unique. An example of what 80's music could have been without all they synthesizers.
Ohh I liked this, it's felt easy to just lose yourself in it, not every song was fantastic, but it kept me engaged the entire way through, it's a 4 but it was bloody close to a 5
Talk Talk is a great band that knows how to combine the electric smooth sound with other elements and great handcrafted instrumental work. The lyrics are great too. The singing is just a bit too much of the same.
Amazing
paar saaie stukjes maar verder erg vibe 4/5
The best of both worlds when it comes to Talk Talk's discography. You have the pop hits ("Life's What You Make It", "Living In Another World"...), but also the sophisticated production and the very organic-sounding arrangements leading to the British band's later jazzy art-pop / post-rock period--crisp and glossy to a fault here, maybe, yet so interesting and even often mesmerizing to dive into. A couple of songs are just a little too long given Hollis' plaintive tones as a singer, but the many assets of this LP outweigh those minor flaws. Opener "Happiness Is Easy", with its small toddlers choir, a little out of tune, has an incredible atmosphere to it. And "Time It's Time" is a perfect closer. The arrangements on both those tracks are high art, dreamy yet also tangible and tied to a very solid musical ground. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums".9/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: less that 150. Numbers of albums I'll keep in my list: half approximately (including this one) Numbers of albums I might keep: a quarter, approximately. Numbers of albums I won't keep: another quarter.
Favorite Tracks: Happiness Is Easy I Don’t Believe In You Living In Another World
My french teacher Monsieur Edser loves this album. He says it's the last of the great rock albums and that Talk Talk really fell off after this. It harkens back to the glorious heights of "It's My Life". Don't you forget. Fave Tracks: Happiness is Easy, Life's What You Make It, Time It's Time 3.8/5
Some real ethereal and dreamy soundscapes and songs. I think at parts it was a little too slow, especially for that first half. I don't know what else to say
Aldrig hört dessa innan så kul positiv överraskning. Med undantag för tre lite svagare låtar så är resten genomgående riktigt bra.
I really don't know what makes this album a must-hear before you die. I don't think it was or is genre-defining or amazing in any kind of way. But I did quite enjoy it playing in the background. Not exactly a top 1001 album of all time (which I think applies to the majority of albums on here) but still a very enjoyable listen. Sometimes that's good enough.
Life's What You Make It. Killer piano riff and fantastic drum lines, standout track indeed. Really a top song. This album starts with a cold and clinical sound, but opens up into a lush and interesting record. Great that they could get Steve Winwood to contribute, it's complex but without getting proggy. No-one wants proggy.
Way better than I expected, shit is a vibe AND a bop.
Lekker lekker
Great album, great band, great single. But I am a bigger fan of the previous album from them, so 4 stars
Ingetogen, maar toch bombastisch. Introvert, maar toch theatraal. Klein, maar toch breed uitgesponnen. Karakteristiek stemgeluid van een Britse zanger, maar toch goed kunnen zingen. Het somt het allemaal wel een beetje op. De grote hits zijn namelijk wel het bombastische en theatrale, zoals Life's what you make it. Van die typische jaren 80 over the top, waarbij de gitaar alleen maar wordt gebruikt om een grotesk galmende sfeer neer te zetten. Maar het is stiekem best wel ingetogen allemaal. En dat maakt het toch wel extra interessant moet ik zeggen. Waar ik dit vroeger verafschuwde, kan ik hier steeds beter naar luisteren. En ga ik het steeds meer waarderen.
I've been getting a lot of music from this time period and in this style.This album certainly stands out among the rest. post rock art pop landmark
I fuck with New Wave heavy
Quite melancholic as always.
I was a fan of their first album, "The Party's Over", but wasn't overly keen on their move to a more jazz oriented sound, but this album isn't as bad as their subsequent album "Spirit of Eden".
Talk Talk is a band that I know from the amazing song "It's my life", but literally nothing else. And although "The Colour of Spring" is as 80s sounding as it gets, plus the vocalist sounds like he urgently needs to cough, it grows on you with every song. Great beats make up at least for 75% of enjoyment on this album, but the overall output is just really good. I'll difinitely remember this band from now on.
The 80s and I have a bit of an on again, off again relationship. This album and new wave in general exemplifies the things I have a few issues with, in particular 80s nu-wave vocals, jangly guitars, 80s keyboards and synths as well as random saxophones/brass. None the less I actually liked Talk Talk and would listen to this again
I only knew a couple of singles from this band. The singing is instantly recognizable; the music lovely most of the time. Attention is not completely maintained over the full record, so I leave it at 4 stars.
This felt like a much more chilled out album from Talk Talk compared to their other records. I liked it, and Life's What You Make It is a banger
pleasant musik
Now this is how you do 80s pop! Mark Hollis had such an instantly recognizable voice. 'Chameleon Day' seems a bit out of place and sort of kills the vibe a bit.
We should all be happy that Mark Hollis led Talk Talk in new direction on The Colour Of Spring. His progressive view on 80’s pop brought out some of the most unique pop records of that century. Not everything is a perfect home run on this, but the vision and result is great nonetheless.
A great album but some songs where too sad. Sorry!
Through its fusions of jazz and art pop, Talk Talk create a work that feels simultaneously sensual and mysterious
Felt this deserved several listens and it got better each time. Delish instrumentation & arrangements. Highlight - Life’s What You Make It.
Living in another world is a banger. The rest was also a nice listen.
Artpop mixed with jazz, inspired by Debussy and Bartok got me setting very high expectations for this. Although very good my expectations weren't met. I think I need a few more listens to really uncover this but I'll be looking into more of talk talk's work.
Kæmpe hit album. Det var lidt tungt i starten, dem kan man sikkert lære at elske, men stort set resten var super fint! Det kan namt være jeg vender tilbede til den en dag. 👌
Tämä on hyvä albumi vihamaani genreä.. Kappaleet on taitavasti konstruktoituja.. Välillä knopflerin bändi tulee mieleen... Välillä' mietityttää kappaleiden syklisyys.. PÄÄ* MENEE SEKAISIN..Mutta paketti on mojova esitys
really nice album but maybe a bit less interesting than their later works. no real highlights or lowlights, whole album was enjoyable. strong 7/10
Solid stuff. One big vibe
Good music... enjoyed the blast from the past ... Some songs are vaguely familiar as it was not my usual genre of music.
That’s why I love this app, would’ve never stumbled across this group … they’re very 80s , with a touch of the Smiths — I could totally hear where Maynard Keenan from Tool /Perfect Circle may have gotten some of his influence
Art Vs Commerce. A pyrrhic victory, I fear. Still...
As Amazon may have said, “If you enjoy Tears for Fears, you might also like…”. Or may that’s a little too glib as this album has so much to offer: multi layered, richly produced and a showcase for multi-instrumentalist Mark Hollis. This is so much more than the earnest electro-pop I was half-expecting, what with its echoes of the likes of Astral Weeks and Sketches of Spain(!). Fine album.
Excellent
Vildt lækkert lyd og vildt god stemme. Groovy. Har ikke hørt den her før, men har hørt de to næste Talk Talk plader ret meget. Kan bedre lide dem tror jeg, men det her var mere catchy.
With the change in instrumentation such as wind instruments, organ and acoustic bass, this album moves towards Talk Talk’s later more musically impressionistic material. At the same time, the use of dance rhythms and catchy choruses keeps it connected to their poppy past work. Essentially, this album is a transition between the two eras of the band, seemingly disparate, but as this album reveals are more compatible than they would seem. Rather than a radical shift in direction, the group’s sound is undergoing a, as the butterflies on the cover suggest, metamorphosis. And as a well as this album works as a bridge between two worlds, if you choose to stop at the bridge on your journey you’ll find the view is beautiful all in itself! This album conjures a certain mood, not quite achieved elsewhere by the band. A unique and lovely musical experience. R.I.P Mark Hollis
Trevlig skiva
"The Colour of Spring" is the third studio album by English band Talk Talk. Bandleader Mark Hollis wanted to move away from their previous synth-pop music to using more organic instrumentation. New wave, art pop, progressive pop and experimental pop are appropriate assignments of genres for this album I guess. This album is considered a bridge from the aforementioned synth-pop to their later, more improvised work. A number of additional musicians are used from the core trio including Steve Winwood (organ), the Prentenders Robbie McIntosh (guitars) and producer Tim Friese-Greene (piano, synth, organ, Variophon and Mellotron). Besides Hollis, Talk Talk is Lee Harris (drums) and Paul Webb (drums). This was their best selling non-compilation album hitting #8 in the UK (#58 in the US). You get a sense of what Hollis was going for right away in "Happiness is Easy." A drum beat and percussions. Acoustic guitars. Hollis' voice. Winwood on the organ. This is very sparse and desolate. Strings (synthesized) are added later on to give it a jazzy feel. It's about blindly following religion. Hey, there is a song most everybody has heard in the first single "Life's What You Make It." Piano, guitar, organ and percussion. I always liked this song. A self-explantory title for the song's meaning. The first song on the second side, "Living in Another World," woke me up. It's a standard rock structure song and organ driven. It's busy compared to everything else and has a groove. The album closes with "Time It's Time." This is very dreamy. Percussion and soft piano. Hollis signing softly. A backing choir later on. A message of hope: " Time it's time to live." This album is stark and beautiful. The organ gives it an air of soulfulness. It's also jazzy in spots. There's some spirituality in the lyrics. You defintely see the music transition towards their last two brilliant albums "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock" but this one is worth a listen to as well.
I like their Last two albums better but this one is good too
Good 80s pop music. I like it.
Decent album. Terrible internet provider.
Vibey
Almost a 5!
I wasn't sure about this at first. Reluctantly I let it ride and I was taken for a good one. The vocals are a bit whiny at times, but dude can't help it. This is good music. I love the rolling bass licks and there is some wild polyphonics going on in some of these tracks. It made me think of the Mountain Goats, which is always a good thing in my book
Atmospheric synth influenced new wave pop. This grew on me more and more over time. As I listened again to try and find a playlist track. I realised that every song on the record is excellent. A really lovely album. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Give It Up Date listened: 24/01/24
Enjoyed this - except for kids choir discordant bit on track 1!
It was pretty nice and somewhat unusual
really exquisite, so much so it’s almost frozen
nice Hammond
Nice to do the Sunday crossword to
Life’s what you make it is a classic pop song but the rest of the album is very different I think it’s going to take a few listens but it is really atmospheric Time It’s Time stands out in particular
Loved this
One of the best 80s sleeper hit bands there is
Really enjoyed this, good grooves and well produced and mixed.
I feel like this is teetering on the knife’s edge of interesting and mundane. I think it juuust tilts toward the interesting side, so I’ll give it a 4, but I do wish it were a little more experimental or weird.
I thought it was very good, but I don’t see myself coming back to any of the songs; I’m just not a huge fan of the genre
listened to again very cool
Call it the mood I was in but I was really worming around to this today. Even with the extended song lengths I only found that a couple of tracks overstayed their welcome. Mostly I was happy to let the vibe wash over me, and was won over by the dramatic vocals. Three and a half. Fave track: I Don't Believe in You
Finally got round to listening to it a few years after my friend told me to buy the record. It was pretty good. I’ll hold onto it.
I didn’t really love this, but there was something kind of drawing me in. This might be one that needs multiple listens to get my full appreciation, but I am sure that I will never take the time.
Cool, a chill album
Some songs the vocalist reminds me of Peter Gabriel
This album was the bridge between the early synth pop success and the later sprawling jazz post-rock albums. Its more of the latter though. Delicate emotional stuff. Strong 4
Oeh alle bekende namen waar ik niet goed naar heb geluisterd worden zo langzaam wel afgestreept, vandaag Talk Talk. Heerlijke vibes op dit album, we gaan op reis met de band. Instrumentatie lijkt nauwlettend samengesteld, de preciesie is indrukwekkend. De lyrics zijn een beetje zoetsappig, maar samen met de instrumenten geeft het toch een oprecht gevoel. Al met al een zeer sterk album waar ik enorm van heb genoten Favorieten: Life's What You Make It, Living in Another World, Time It's Time
Dejligt new wave album, der også trækker godt på andre genrer. Stille og roligt tempo og virkelig behagelig lytteoplevelse. Dog måske lidt for stille i perioder. Mark Hollis har en fed stemme, selvom det virker som om han holder tilbage og man har lyst til at råbe at han skal synge igennem. "Life's what you make it" er bare en rigtig dejlig sang.
Vraiment bon, je m'attendais pas à autant aimer ça. L'album est vraiment bien construit, il y a vraiment un fil conducteur. Les instrumentations sont excellentes, la production et le mixing sont parfait. Ma principale critique est que les moments doux sont un peu trop doux à mon goût. Mais globalement un très bon album. 8/10
One of the few good uses of a recorder I can recall
Life is what you make it slaps hard. The rest is very good.
I never heard this full album before. I remembered a couple of songs from when they were hits back in the day. I love the production. Most of the songs are good. Some are a little boring. The voice is an acquired taste. Favorite song: Living in another world
Quand même, pour du new wave j'ai pas détesté. Ca sonnait bien et il y avait beaucoup de trucs différents que j'ai bien apprécié. C'est dans les meilleurs de ce style probablement et je ne connaissais pas donc c'est un PLus 4.20
I enjoyed Talk Talk back in the day and was a big fan of the It's My Life album. Was surprised that this follow-up to that was really good though i had never listened to it. Maybe the issue is that really isn't a big hit on the album though overall its a very solid soulful brooding cerebral vibe. A worthy listen.
cool album, jammy 80s fun
Este me ha gustado mucho. Give it Up and Living in Another World son muy buenas.
Weird choice for a Talk Talk album when "Laughing Stock" and "Spirit of Eden" exist, but alright. Still good though, like really good even, but kind of seems like Robert Dimery choosing his personal favorite over the objectively more influential choice. "Living in Another World" is one of the best songs of all time.
Have listened this nearly 10 times since showing up in this feed and kept getting surprised about how good this was/is – it's refined, especially the pacing and thoughtfulness, and stylish sophistication, if not quite as great as their brethren in stylishness, most prominently The Style Council. The Van-esque vocals overall – and especially on "April 5" a near-cover of "St. Dominic's Preview" – are a strength. So too the ambitious, but not hubristic studio layerings, which avoid Ultimate '80s excess, even as they lean into borderline excessive fun and catchiness (see last cut "Time It's Time"). Even the most '80s cuts ("Living in Another World" and "Give It Up") suggest the driving, machine-y drum beats weren't wholly without merit, plus invoking aurally the haircuts and energy of the era. There are, net-net, harmonicas, and big banks of strings, and kids' choruses (which were still new about then, the time of the release) but thankfully not all at once or again and again and deployed with aplomb, certainly by the standards of the era. Totally missed the quality and sophistication of this record in the real time of the '80s and must say it holds up extremely well, even accounting for the natural tendency to round up for those bands offering a "newness" effect, even for records approaching late middle age. These guys mighta got lost, but one knows how good they were just from the Spotify algo, which serves up choice Kate Bush in the wake.
Excellent album start to finish.
This is surprisingly such a nice, easy-to-enjoy album. Not much to say, I think, but I can't actually find a fault, and this is my second listen going in. Hell yeah!
An intriguing band with an intriguing sound. Will definitely follow this rabbit hole to further listens and their other albums.
Very good
Wat een prachtige plaat! Werd eigenlijk alleen maar beter naarmate ik beter ging luisteren
Prachtig album!
This one is a journey. Never listened to it before, but I this one breezes by with a lot of beautiful sections and at least a few actual *bangers*, but this is more of a vibes album than a singles album. The production is absolute fire. Talk Talk always surprise and delight I have to say, this one strikes a nice middle ground between their later ambient stuff and their more pop albums. Truly singular, at least to me! I need album recs similar to this, solid.
Low key ace.
I coasted through most of my initial listening moderately unimpressed except for Life's What You Make It, which I was already familiar with. Give It Up caught my ear enough to play it a second time with a little more attention. Really there is quite a lot going on, interesting rhythmic melodies, perfectly balanced vocals, nice layers without being a muddy mess of sound. The cover art also rewards a second look, I love the one with the musical notes.
Uuh kasarin suosikkibändejä. Niin chill. Toivottavasti tätä seuraava levy myös listalla.
Frábært gáfumannapopp!
Sadly I really wasn't in the mood for what this album brought the first time I got, but I'm glad I decided to come back to it. It's a bit of a grower this one, but well worth the effort. The instrumentation and orchestration were what won me over in the end. 🦎🦎🦎🦎
Crispy azz drums, nice clean production. The book says that 1986 was a dark period thanks to drummers being replaced by shitty drum machines. I can hear the artistry that has been unleashed with this album though. And that's reflected in the natural but unnatural album art. I can't unsee the butterfly faced mustachioed man on the cover. But...like...that's me. A mask and face forged together with a variety of natural elements (butterflies in this case). Juxtaposition of real instruments with the beating drum of technological progress that up until that point was poorly executed.
Tis is the album that Talk Talk begins to find their voice. Mar Hollis you can see is starting to incorporate jazz and classical motifs into his music and we can clearly hear the seeds of more atmospheric music to come on Laughing Stock and Spirit of Eden. Colour of Speing still has remnants of the alternative music sounds that they grew up on in the gorgeous Life's What You Make It, but even that has a soul feel not unlike Bill Whithers Use Me. It's a great album that points to the beautiful music Talk Talk will move towards in the future. 4 stars
I thought this was some pretty good 80's new wave. The more I listen to in the list, the more I'm opening up to 80's pop I think. Some of these songs did end up being tuned out a bit, but there were also some real bangers in here, and one or two I swear I've heard before but not entirely sure. I think I'll approach this again some time. Favourite: Life's What You Make It
This was a good album. Very pleasant and something I'll likely want to hear again.
I prefer TT here, during their poppy era, more than during their more feted later albums, which I find flat and overproduced.
Love this.
Good album by Talk Talk, which is a great band. This one is kind of transitional between their pop-hits era (see the amazing It's My Life) and their art rock era. I think it blends really well the strengths of both sounds, with pop sensibilities at their best on Life's What You Make It. Production is awesome, and the synth sounds of the album aged really well. The album cover is gorgeous too. Beautiful. 8,4/10
Very good, very evocative of the 1980s. An underrated band.
Crisp production that nods slightly to earlier work but sheds so much of the 80s baggage it's almost a new band. I was surprised by this record. An album I would've never given any thought to listen if it wasn't for this project. The opening track sets the mood and my expectations. The rest of the album delivers on that. This simple thing is really quite indicative of whether or not I'll continue to enjoy a record, regardless of genre, that's been put on for the first time. The song April 5th downshifts the record too much in its current sequence. I'd be inclined to sequence it differently. If the last song wasn't slightly over 8 minutes, I think it could've been last. But then where do you put Time It's Time. So hard to make a perfect record unless you delete a song or two sometimes. Perhaps that's what this record needed to rate a little higher.
very 80s so far. let's see. A solid 4 im going in for a relisten! especially the first few songs on the album scratch an itch I didn't know I had.
Nicer 80s Sound. Gefällt mir so gut, dass ich mir den Katalog mal anhören werde.
They didn't talk that much
Good vibe album, but pretty 1 dimensional. A lot of the songs sound alike, with very slow breaks.
This album hit the spot. Had no idea what to expect but the band was right the length was perfect at a tight 45mins and even the cover art was sweet. Was worried when I saw another Brit rock band from the 80’s but there was no needless drivel to drag this thing out. First track, Happiness is Easy along with Living in Another World were favourite tracks but there were no stinkers here in my opinion. 4.5/5
Great album. Great find.
A beautiful album that sounds like nothing else around the same time. It really wasn't very fashionable to display your Pink Floyd influences back in 1986, especially after you had been wrongly been placed in a second rate Duran Duran pigeon hole. Life's What You Make It is spectacular. It has the last of the driving rhythms from Talk Talk before the rhythm section was toned down on the next two albums. Time It's Time ends with a nursery rhyme like quality. I bought a £3 copy on eBay on the back of playing this again.
An uneven album, undoubted quality musicianship and songwriting, especially Life's what you make it, but overall tone and tempo a bit downbeat and one or two unmemorable numbers. Life's what you make it, earns an extra star
New wave, 1986. A really well done pop album of the 80s with impressive and tasteful productions. The songs are all very intelligent in every aspect of them and the vocals match perfectly with the instruments. Nice job!
I was only familiar with a few Talk Talk songs before this, and I don't think any from this album which is a shame - this is great. It's 80s without sounding *too* 80s (in a dated way) - the songs are all catchy without being saccharine, a great mix of dynamics and instruments. A keeper. 8/10 4 stars.
a lovely, new wavey, easy listen
4.5
The moments this album loses me are the slower ones. It's already a very relaxed album, so the slower moments ("April 5th", "Chameleon Day") are so slow they border on catatonic. Still, despite the semi-yuppieness of this record, it's a fun, textured, catchy listen that I'll come back to. Favorite tracks: "Happiness Is Easy", "Life's What Your Make It", "I Don't Believe In You", "Give It Up"
nice
Not listened to this album for a long time. 'It's my life' and 'Life's what you make it' are the stand out tracks.
I didn’t know this album at all, even though I had heard “Life’s What You Make It” a few times before. It never struck me that it was Talk Talk. This is one of the joys of this list - the lost treasures.
I didn't immediately connect with this album on the first listen, but it grows on you. Some really lush, sophisticated arrangements, leagues beyond what Talk Talk's peers were doing at that time. Much of the album has a lingering pace, so you do really need to be in the right mood for it. Fave Songs: Time It's Time, Living in Another World, Life's What You Make It, I Don't Believe in You, Chameleon Day
This album is immaculately constructed. The way the music builds and complements itself is masterful. Each instrument is clear and the whole is spacious and atmospheric. The production is crisp though it sounds a bit dated. Overall, I really enjoyed this album though a lot of it sounds similar.
Like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly, this is a beautiful transitional album for Talk Talk. Mark Hollis is slowly moving the band from their early synth-pop to a more progressive, atmospheric sound and they’re getting there on this album. They will peak with their later albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock but this is a fine effort.
A slow groove but not a plodder, deliberate impetus; jazz themes and dreamy strums and keyboards, crafted airy vocals. This does feel like a world waking to a new season. Not entirely free of 80s tropes but almost a 90s indie record.
The follow-up to It's My Life came with a sound change - less synthesizers were used, but Mark Hollis' characteristic voice and beautiful, moody, yet never boring songs make this still a true Talk Talk album. Standout: I Don't Believe in You. 4/5
Elegant.
Transcendentalno, hipnotizirajuce, graciozno i Bwitish. Talk talk can talk the talk and walk the walk.
Divan album. Veliki sam fan Talk Talk-a, pogotovo njihova zadnja predivna, presavršena albuma (Laughing Stock i Spirit of Eden). Ovaj album je taman prelazak u žanru glazbe. Na ovom albumu još je najglasniji taj art-pop sa naglaskom na progresivni pop sa njegovim umiljatim glasom i zašećerenim laganim jazzom. Poslije ovog albuma, nailaze dva njihova magnum opusa i s time završavaju karijeru. Da bar većina artista naprave veliki boom, nešto drugačije od onog što inače rade, i osjete da je to to, ne moraju se više pokazivati i završe karijeru.
I've only heard Laughing Stock by these guys, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect here. I think I actually prefer this album. I have a thing for 80's music and this is right down my alley. Especially the song "Living in Another World", which is my favorite off this whole record. I will definitely listen to this one again.
3.5
Dug this a lot. Cool 80’s vibes without being too heavy on the synthesizer & electronic drums.
I love this band… and this album does not disappoint!
The 2 albums they made after this are incredible, never heard this one before. Amazing they gave up pop music and started doing this
Title track is great. I like the style a lot, the mix of instruments at the front and dominant bass makes me think of Tame Impala at times
Dig Talk Talk I guess!
nostalgic good listen
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Life's what you make it, Living in another world,
slightly wild and very ambitious. I really liked the quick "zaps" of sounds we get coming from acoustic guitars and synths throughout the record; they get the passion across. sounds something like talking heads crossed with peter Gabriel. reminds me of a precursor to Destroyer. 7/10 rounding up.
Very good album
Good acoustics
Well, that took me back and I knew I’d love it ! Especially Life’s what you Make It. ****
For me, it's a very good album. However, it's bettered by their last albums Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock.
Brilliant 80s album
Bandu nie znam, nie kojarze, pierwsze widze, pierwsze slysze, ale oczywiscie brytyjska grupa z lat 80, albumik zaliczylbym do soft rocka lub artystycznego rocka, pozytywne wibracje leca przez cale 45 minut krazka, o dziwo wyspiarski wokal, a strasznie mi siadl, chociaz nie ma go zbyt wiele, bo niektore tracki sa czysto instrumentalne, ale jak jest to nie psuje kompozycji instrumentow i to jest jak dla mnie najwazniejsze, troche poor boyowe lub joelowe skojarzenia z nim mam, na plejke wrzucam opening happienes is easy oraz living in another world, trzeba bedzie sprawdzic reszte albumikow talk talka
Weird voice but eerily pleasant. A nice mellow ride all the way through
cool drum pattern to start off Happiness Is Easy. Life's What You Make It is a good pop single. though some tones on that track come out of nowhere. This is good laundry folding music, or back yard barbequing music. Chameleon Day is very, very different from the rest of the album. Not a big fan of an 8 minute operatic ending on an album fueled by synth pop hits
Son los de It's my life, y otras canciones conocidas.
Pretty good
Production: 15/20 Songwriting: 14/20 Innovation: 16/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 14/20 =64 enjoyed
Really cool sound and I had fun listening to a new band
Hyvin samantyyppistä kasarielektroa kuin Duran Duran, ja sokkokuuntelussa nämä bändit oliskin voinut sekoittaa keskenään. Ehkä Duran Duran luottaa enemmän tarttuviin melodioihin, kun taas Talk Talkilla on hieman taiteellisempi ote tekemiseen. Erittäin positiivinen yllätyshän tämä oli. Aiemmin bändistä oli tuttua ainoastaan nimi, ja musiikkigenre oli tiedossa etäisesti. Mukavaa että listalta on alkanut löytymään enemmän tällaisia uusia tuttavuuksia joita varmasti tulee kuunneltua myöhemminkin.
A very impressive piece of New Wave/art rock. It's a bit long winded but I really like it after my first listen.
Really good album that fits squarely into my wheelhouse stylistically. I listened to this mostly in the background, so I didn't pay particular attention to the lyrics, but really liked the sound. 4 stars.
Nice! Bra prodd
Something new, yet very interesting. Similar to Depeche Mode, like it a lot
A few of the songs remind me of Jim James solo work. It's not really my cup of tea. Not horrible.
#43 A solid 80s album, pretty chill and mellow sound. I like that it isn't too heavy on the synths. Not the most memorable listen, but a good vibe.
British 80’s Sound Nothing grabbed me
Ok, did not expect to enjoy this album, but here we are. When I first got it, I thought it was gonna be just another cheesy 80s synth pop album a la Dare by The Human League, but when I got started listening to it, it had a lot more depth than I expected. The instrumentation was a lot more organic than I thought it would be, and it really shows on songs like Happiness is Easy and April 5th, which is my standout track. A lot of the tracks include very lush acoustic guitar and piano, which is not something I would think to have a place on an 80s pop record, but it works. The vocals are also very well executed, almost feeling like a combination of Tears for Fears and A-ha, which works well on songs like I Don’t Believe In You and Chameleon Day, another standout on the album. Overall, this album definitely defied my expectations, and while I don’t know how much I’d come back to it, I’d definitely say that it is a good listen for lovers of the 80s.
Yellow.
Dated. 3/5
That album title doesn‘t fit the heat wave I‘m currently in. But it is as slow as I feel right now.
#979. The album as a whole isn't the most impressive, but there are a few good songs on there. 3/5: acceptable
Some good songs on here. Nothing crazy in my opinion but I can definitely see how some people would enjoy this a lot.
This feels older than it is, very 70s vibes to me I like their addition of orchestral elements The first song was strong for me because it had unexpected elements. The rest of them started sounding really really similar.
3.
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
I actually really enjoyed this- found myself rocking out. The singers voice took some getting used to, but the instrumentation was nice and I liked the use of synth. Overall- good album. 3.5/5
I do have something of a soft spot for new wave, I heard a lot of 80s synth pop on the radio growing up. That being said, this is really nothing special. When it's doing a synth pop type thing it's a lot of fun, but it has a couple tracks that really slow the momentum of the album. And a lot of the fun tracks kind of overstay their welcome, there's really no need for any song from the 80s to be 8 minutes long (except for Money for Nothing). It was still a good time, it just drags on a little. Favorites: I Don't Believe In You, Living In Another World, Time It's Time
Life's what you make it is an achingly beautiful song, as is It's My Life on another album. The rest of the album, I find a little aimless. Mark Hollis passed too soon, and his plaintiff voice was unique, but sometimes he delved too far into the feeling and forgot the song.
Meh
1st track is smooth new wave with some world music influence. It's nice but I could use a hook or a groove. Something approaching this at the end of the last track, but otherwise it's quite inaccessible. Best track - Happiness is Easy 3 stars - it's fine but it feels self-indulgent. It doesn't give much easily
actually a few nice songs
Definitely good. However I listened twice all the way through and I can't recall it at all. Then I looked it up and listened again to everyone's favourite and most lauded tracks again. And I didn't didn't QUITE get the hype.
Number: 146 Date: 05/26/2026 Artist: Talk Talk Album: The Colour Of Spring Year: 1986 Style: New Wave Pop Familiarity: Familiar (3) Rating: 3 Before: ======= I have one song by them on my favorites by years lists but it's not from this album. I'm sure I've at least skimmed this album before but apparently didn't find anything I really liked. During: ======= I rated all songs a 3 except for one 2. After : ======= Seems like it's technically good but overall pretty lame, imo. It would be OK as background music. I'm not sure it deserves a place on this list but 1000 albums is a lot of albums so maybe one could make a case for squeezing it in somewhere near the bottom. 3 my personal rating 4 suitability for this list 1 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2.7 composite rating
Going to give this one a three but I almost tapped out much earlier. I found the sound annoying and then I came back to it a day later and I kinda get the appeal now. It’s so aggressively 80s.
I thought I would hate it, turns out it's not too bad
It's not for me, musically, but just reading how passionate some of the reviewers are about this album's greatness, makes me wonder if maybe I'm just not ready for it. It wasn't bad and I enjoyed a few songs.
I’m pretty sure I was suckered into taking a liking to these guys when I first heard them. Suckered may not be the correct word. More like fooled. I found a choice cut out of this almost complete mess so positives can be had. It’s barely a mid album but I will say, the first song really knocks a brother down . Stay strong my friends Choice cut: I Don’t Believe You
I don’t know this band except for the name. I like this opening groove. I really liked track 4
Never heard of this band or album before and I have absolutely no idea of what to expect from the cover. It doesn't look like a synthpop, a punk or a sophisti-pop album and the 1986 release date seems a little late for new wave, so I'm just about out of choices. Fuck it, I'm hedging my bets on a new wave album. Here goooooes. I am a fucking genieyoos. My prediction was correct once again. Anyways, this was pretty alright. I enjoyed the snappy percussion, warm synths and mild bass guitars which comprise a majority of this album's sound. I also enjoyed some of the more unorthodox instruments, notably the flutes, harmonica, organs, harp and choral backing vocals. The minimal, hushed sound of this album is quite neat as well, though I'd be lying if I said it didn't undercut my enjoyment just a little. While the diverse sounds are blended together well thanks to how mild the performances of this album are, there are more than a few moments where I thought there was too little going on, either due to the instruments not intermingling with one another or the music just sounding empty. I'm also split down the middle on the vocals. They can be a bit much at points, though they generally get the job done and suit this style of music well. Overall, this was a respectable listen. I appreciated having something relaxed to listen to, though it's a gamble as to if I'll ever return to this. No way - I've heard "Life's What You Make It" through the Weezer cover from the deluxe version of the Red Album. Very strange song for them to cover. Anyways, this song is quite interesting as a new wave offering. Certainly a more pensive sound than what I traditionally associate with the genre. It works, fortunately. The piano chords guiding the lead melody are gratifying in how steady and grounded they are, and the backing effects are quite interesting. The rough, gritty electric guitar is also a welcome addition, further adding to the heavy atmosphere of the music. The lyrics and songwriting are a little eyebrow-raising, though their strangeness meshes with the established feel and is pleasing enough. Overall, a solid tune. Book time. Talk Talk led the charge for synth-based 80s rock and were among the first to dismantle it. The band lost their keyboardist, hired an experimental producer and brought in a few musicians to collaborate on the album. That's about it, however. Wikipedia says this album was their most successful release, having lingered on the UK charts for half a year. The album garnered a respectable reaction from critics and usually peaked at No. 10 - 20 in the handful of Western and European countries where it charted. It notably topped the Netherlands charts, was the 79th best-selling album of the year in the UK and was also the 22nd best-selling album of the year in all of Europe. Not as much fanfare behind this album as I was expecting, but commendable enough. I cosign this inclusion.
I instantly said "wrong album by Talk Talk, if you're only including one" as it misses both their biggest hit and the invention of post-rock - however I could see an argument based on my enjoyment of this. I do think Laughing Stock or Colour of Spring are more worthy, and would've had a higher rating from me
🎧This is pretty good and not the kind of sound I expected from Talk Talk. Best track: Give It Up. Worst track: Happiness Is Easy
Found this to be pretty decent. I misread 1986 as 1996 and was very confused for a bit why the production sounded so out of date for the time. Once that cleared up, this is a great mid 80s offering.
I thought it was okay
Fine background music
this genre of music do not meet my taste.
I bet this hit differently in the 80s. Mind blowing perhaps.
Weird album
What? No thanks
Very moody, but definitely not whiny. The singer’s got a really cool voice! 3.5/5.
I like this, and there's some solid songs on it, but I don't always love the timbre of Hollis' voice.
Kind of interesting. This would be more my wife's thing.
Completely fine, didn’t really think it was anything special.
Cool! all new for me!
Ok. I painted along to this one and thought I enjoyed the listen I don't know that I'd seek this out again
this feels like something I'd like but I just find it dry and drowsy
Posilla kasarimeininki. Pari hyvää biisiä, pari paskaa
Pari ihan kivaa biisiä, mutta muuten jää köyhäksi.
3.5 I liked this, despite the repetition and soft vocals. The clean production was reminiscent of The War On Drugs and some of My Morning Jacket in the vocal stylings.
Quite nice but not really my cup of tea.
Trevligt men inget som stod ut nåt värst
mmmmmmn medio dudoso un par de temas me gustaron y los demas me resultaron aburridos, tampoco tan mal pero ueno un solido 3
Notables - Life's What You Make It
It had its moments but nothing that makes me want to return to it occurred, Giving it a 3 for effort,
This is just some classic 80's synth-pop. It is nothing special to me and overall it is a bit muddy and simplistic to me. I think it comes down more to my preferred style of music than this just being a bad album. I can see how some people would like it. It's boring to me, but not bad so I think I'll give it a 3.
3.3
Pretty good
It was fine I guess.
Kind of mid
I'm not sure if I really liked this or not. I think the first song was fantastic; interesting layers, great chord progression, instrument stabs, it was great listening. After that it sort of fell off a cliff and I wondered if it actually would have been better if they had used synths in the production. I get the desire to not use them at all but I think they lost some of their really signature sound without them. The songwriting unfortunately doesn't really make up for it. It was fine to listen to and I didn't want to turn it off at any point but it got stale after that first track.
Not their best work.
6/10
Groupe connu par quelques tubes que j'ai apprécié à l'époque ('Such a Shame' en particulier). C'est donc la première fois que j'écoute un album entier. Les morceaux sont plus travaillés que la plupart des morceaux pop/rock standards : ils prennent leur temps pour se développer, et ils sont parfois agrémentés de chorus intéressants. J'apprécie aussi l'ambiance et le chant. Par contre il manque un peu de dynamisme, certains morceaux sont un peu trop lents et deviennent un peu ennuyeux. Je l'écouterais donc de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection. =>3/5
Spring is a short season in Arizona; as I listen to this album, the Yellow Palo Verdes have already lost most of their blooms, but last night's rain has cooled the temperature down closer to the warmth of spring rather than the heat of summer. It feels fitting to be hearing this album so early into Spring, as it gives off a very bright and energetic vibe which matches the season (with some slow and somber exceptions). There is an off-kilter sense of momentum throughout The Colour of Spring which sends the album careening into new melodies and structures, and I mean this as a compliment. It is always satisfying to hear a couple seemingly disparate elements get introduced early on, only for them to be suddenly united with the introduction of one more instrument, like the final piece being slotted into a jigsaw puzzle. I also enjoy the balance of vocals from Talk Talk, managing to being a lot of power while maintaining a very wispy and dream-like delivery. Even if this album doesn't keep me coming back, it is still a beautiful piece of music which feels very fitting of the season. Highlights: Happiness Is Easy, I Don't Believe in You, Chameleon Day
Gets better as it goes. Some real good stuff at the end. 3.5/5
The Colour of Spring has a clear 80s atmosphere and a polished sound, but it didn’t really connect with me. I could appreciate it, but it mostly passed by without leaving a strong impression.
3 stars
3,7/5
Okay but not memorable
This is fine. I don’t have any strong feelings, good or bad, about it, and no personal history or connection. Glad to give it a spin.
Not big on Talk Talk. There are a few tracks I've enjoyed from this repertoire, maybe a couple from this album. Overall I found it a bit over produced, the sound was over complicated at points and generally a bit samey. Vocals a tad monotone in many cases.
This seems like something I should like more than I did today, and probably would enjoy more with a more attentive deeper listen. Was nice background music today so rating 3/5, I will be looking into their catalog more
I like some good new wave music. Maybe it's a bit ridiculous with all of the synths. It can sound cringeworthily 80s, but I don't care. I'm a sucker for it. But it feels weird to than take the synths out of it... Somehow it just doesn't work as well. It's like seeing a rainbow in black and white. You can see clearly see what it is, but it doesn't quite feel complete, does it? I have a strong feeling that this album appeals most to people who were already fans of Talk Talk, but that it doesn't work as well as an introduction to the band. I didn't hate it and it could possibly grow on me, but first impressions were a bit bland.
Not one of my favourite bands. But I did actually enjoy this overall.
Album 10 3/12/26 I knew absolutely nothing of Talk Talk besides the one hit song not on here. I've heard them discussed as mu-core post rock, never taken that dive though, and it's easily apparent that's not the genre of this album. Right off the bat, Happiness is Easy didn't do anything for me. Whatever drum machines were used on this album were not my favorite. The synthesized drums and the percussion on top sounded like bad new age, especially because the textures didn't vary much track to track. I did like the analog instruments used throughout the album, especially the organ swells. My favorite moment of the album was the guitar solo on I Don't Believe in You, it was kind of Fripp/Belew-ish. Life's What You Make It was vaguely familiar, so maybe I did hear it on the FM at some point. Give It Up was alright too but by this point my attention was running low and the songs were running together in my mind a good deal. All this to say, I did not really care for the album. Getting through these new wave albums is going to be tough. I'm still curious about the post rock stuff from Talk Talk but not very. Two stars Edit: I made a tier list after 55 albums and this was the most egregious placing since I moved up Sheer Heart Attack. This is actually a 3 on my scale because it was not a bad listen and I don't think calling this album inessential is fair compared to the rest of the book. 3 stars
Fine, inoffensive
Meh
Was hoping this would make a larger impression based on its timeframe, but it did not. Neutral.
Don’t love the vocals, but I do love the album art! The music is fine.
An above-average pop album, Very good, tho' I can't see myself listening again.
My rating 2.8. Nope not for me. Worst version of 80s music.
Super okay!
*Slow paced rock album *Not bad but also not too exciting
Pop rock sympa mais un peu toujours pareil, vibe ah-ha un peu j'ai trouvé
J’adore la voix du chanteur ! Je ne connaissais pas cet album, un peu tristoune
3.5/5
I go mental whenever I hear 'It's My Life', which is the only song I actually knew by Talk Talk until listening to this record. I was expecting 80's new wave poppy stuff on the same level as Tears for Fears. Boy was I wrong. I can't fault the songwriting or atmosphere on here, but I just found this to be super bland and a tad uninspired. Maybe I was coming into this expecting an exciting pop album rather than the moody expression of instrumentals and dreary vocals that it is, but I still think this doesn't quite hit the mark that I'm after. It's a shame, because the hits like 'Life's What You Make It' and 'Living in Another World' were quite engaging, but everything else was just a bit stale in my eyes. I didn't hate this or dislike it, I just expected more if I'm honest.
Het klinkt als iets dat ik erg tof zou vinden en het heeft zo z'n momenten, maar toch is het eigenlijk best wel saai
Beetje Phil Collins coded