Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Not all tracks are great. One track is amazing (life’s what’s you make it).
Pop progresivo. Un tostón.
Interesting album. I’ve always thought of Talk Talk as a synth pop band. This album, while it employs synths, seems to have more emphasis on guitars, bass and non-synth keyboards. Favorite song: “Life’s What You Make It”.
No. Just no
never heard of this band before
Never listened an album from them, only singles. They're pretty similar.
Fine
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.
Bleh.
Amazing! I loved every song on here. The vocals and instrumentals were ethereal.
This was just tedious to me. I don't hate it, but...
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
Nah
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
Middle of the road. Nice enough but also totally forgettable.
Talk shite
why is the first minute of the first song, which is 6 and half minutes, basically just a drum? Otherwise, it's ok. good even. Not an album that I'd personally listen to over and over again.
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.
Blegh. Lots that I don't like about the 80's. The worst of New Wave. Long drawn out slow autotuned singing.
No sir I don't like it
Mid. Not sure why it's on the list.
cool album, jammy 80s fun
Decent album in a genre I don’t really like.
If it hadn't been early morning some of this album would possibly have put me to sleep. Not a terrible album by any means, just not for me.
This is a gorgeous and lush album. I’m quite familiar with Talk Talk’s heavily synth reliant pop hits, but this is a surprising and honestly very pleasing shift in their sound. I listened to it play through several times throughout the day and it got progressively more enjoyable with each listen. The album cover is stunning too, putting the art in cover art for real. A truly compelling album in a multitude of ways.
Everyone working their way through this project loves music. And everyone who loves music has an album that means more to them than the rest. And this one is mine. I got into Talk Talk when I heard their single 'Life's What you Make It', which reached Number 16 in the UK charts in November 1985. The two singles vying for the Number 1 spot at the time were the theme to Miami Vice by Jan Hammer and 'We Built this City' by Starship. No offence to Jan Hammer and Starship, but those fun tunes never left 1985. Thirty-eight years later Talk Talk's Colour of Spring still feels as fresh as, well, spring I suppose. When I first heard it I didn't fully understand it - and I still don't fully understand it. It feels different with each listen. A true work of art.
Not my day. Not the album’s fault *necessarily*
Didn’t excite me.
Hey it wasn't that bad Nat
I didn't hate it!
I like this. It's a strong album by a band that was maturing. At that point in time (1986), this was a good step forward for Talk Talk. But in the grand scheme of modern music (c. 1950 - today), this is not a 4 star album. I would give this a 3.5, and I hate to round down -- I don't feel that this belongs with a lot of 3 star albums, but it doesn't belong with the 4 stars either. Sorry, Talk Talk. It's a very solid album, and I suspect I will listen to it again, which I can't say for most of the 3 star albums on here.
Este me ha gustado mucho. Give it Up and Living in Another World son muy buenas.
Album 114 of 1001 Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring Favorite Track : Life's What You Make It Rating : 3 / 5 Good album. Nothing that stands out greatly as a "hit" but it kept my attention. Nice melodies, good musicianship...some nice organ. Nothing I can complain about. I would put it on again.
Eh, ok
It’s got a great back half but I find it starts a little boring 3/5
I remember this album. It was released whilst I was at university and I heard some of the tracks here and there. I remember really liking "Life's What You Make It" because of that memorable piano (I think it's a piano?) bass line that's repeated through most of the song. I don't recall hearing their music in the decades after this was popular so I'm glad I got to listen to it again today. I was curious to see how I'd react to it all these years later in such a different time and context in my life. Still holds up quite well and I very much enjoyed "Life's What You Make It" -- the piano still drives it very well and the short lead lines the piano adds give it really nice color. I like the guitar work in that song, too. There's a maturity and sophistication to this album that still works well. I remember their earlier music not being as appealing to me because it was too synth-poppy for my tastes, but the compositions and performances here are impressive.
Something interesting for sure. Lots of cool influences coming together to form just a mash of sounds that is a decent listen. 6/10
Doesn't look even contain the one song we're all familiar with, and even that one is a bit of a drag. So it would have fit right in here.
2.4/5
Their best new wave album. Doesn't compare to Spirit of Eden or Laughing Stock though. Pretty good. 7/10
I use to love new wave.....but hearing all these new wave albums on the list has made me realize how mediocre the genre is
Favourite song: I Don't Believe in You
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.
Highlights: I Don't Believe in You, Living in Another World Leave Em's: Chameleon Day, August 5th Overall Thoughts: This album has an interesting sound and some of the faster paced song actually sound decent. I am not a fan of the slower more spacey sounding ones, and I find it a bit too experimental. As a project, I found the variety between slow and fast distracting, which is contrary to my typical opinion. I think they could have tried to focus on doing one thing well. The music on this album is decent for what it is but I can't imagine ever listening to these songs outside the context of this project. Perhaps for someone on psychedelics this is the kind of background music they would like while staring at the butterflies on the album cover, but it is not for me. Score Breakdown: 2.550 & 2 -> 2.275
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But it's not great.
On the fence about this one. Somewhat turned off by the vocals at the outset. Some of the music stood out favorably though but I was distracted while listening to it. My estimation might rise with a more attentive listen.
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.
I like the way Talk Talk went about things, and I think Mark Hollis’s voice is great. When it clicks (i.e. Give It Up; Life’s what You Make It; when those those flutes/recorders come in towards the end of Time It’s Time) it’s higher-plane sorta stuff. I want to like the rest just as much, but I can’t get into it. Maybe that would change with more listens, but at the moment I’m finding the weaker tracks quite hard work. 3.5
Excellent album start to finish.
Swappin’ the synth for the B3. Solid 3+
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!
Seems nice, but don't know any of it before now. 2.5
Ye I liked it but probably wouldn't listen again just because of the sheer amount of music that I like more
An intriguing band with an intriguing sound. Will definitely follow this rabbit hole to further listens and their other albums.
Mediocre at best.
Meh. På ingen måte ubehagelig, men jeg skjønner ikke helt hva som skal gjøre det spennende heller. Hvorfor må jeg høre dette før jeg dør?
Настоящий, добротный музон. 10/10.
Ok when this came up I was like, oh yeah Talk Talk they're okay I guess. I was NOT prepared for how excellent this is. A lot of Tears For Fears vibes. Consistently great top to bottom. Living In Another World is a banger!!
very experimental, a lil boring
Very good
The only songs that had any feeling to it at all was Living in Another World and Time It's Time. Would have been a good album of the other songs were more like them, but alas...
Om een album zo te laten beginnen, tjemig dan moet je wel heel graag verder willen luisteren. Poe poe
Wat een prachtige plaat! Werd eigenlijk alleen maar beter naarmate ik beter ging luisteren
Mooie plaat hor!
Prachtig album!
Ik hoorde Arjan in het voorbijgaan zeggen: ‘wat een goede plaat is dit toch’. Ik ben iets minder enthousiast. Ik vind de stem te neuzig.
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.
Wow That was a long painful 45 mins.. I haven't clue on how I made it all the way to the end.
Ugh. The very first track has children singing. That’s almost never a good idea (exception: The Wall). The album does not improve. While the production is very good, it’s mostly just not interesting.
Lack luster. I was bored by it.
I kept waiting for it to get ANY better. And it never does. When the children’s choir is one of the better points, you have a dud of an album.
Very cool 80s pop album. It kinda sounds like Duran Duran or Tears for Fears to me.
Only heard ‘it’s my life’ before by talk talk. Maximum 80’s vine but I liked it.
Some good songs
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.
Ironically in spite of the name, the 1st track of this album was miserable, however the rest of the album was, well, serviceable... It was good but nothing overly special to me...
80s adult contemporary, oddly enjoyable, a bit yuppie but it has a nice groove generally. Layered harmonies, a touch of subtle synth, just a bit of guitar distortion. Just feels a bit American Psycho that's all
En saanut tästä oikein minkäänlaista otetta. Unohdin koko levyn saman tien. 2/5
Uuh kasarin suosikkibändejä. Niin chill. Toivottavasti tätä seuraava levy myös listalla.
Aika geneeriseksi jäi omasta mielestä tää levy, en tiedä miksi on listalla. 2/5
It was ok. Can’t really remember the detail but it didn’t grate when listening
Frábært gáfumannapopp!
2,5/5
Ditching the synths was a smart move to get away from the dark valley of new-wave. Unfortunately, that grating voice drags it back down. Doesn't sound like spring at all, it would've been a perfect album for this time if it was.
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. 🦎🦎🦎🦎
Dear 80s bands (and everyone else), please stop including children who can't sing in your songs. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Best track: Give it Up
Some interesting soundscapes here, but no real standout track. The singer’s voice is incredibly unique, but it gets kind of tiring after a while. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
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.
It was fine. Good production and easy to listen
Weak
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
A mix of art rock and pure pop. Though it's 80's the sound isn't. This could pretty much have been made now - who would've thought they'd become smack addicts and then produce even more brilliant records? Best Tracks: Life's What You Make It; Living In Another World; Give It Up
5/5, kannte ich nicht, fand ich super! Ich glaube Maynard James Keenan hat sich von dem Gesang inspirieren lassen.
Incredibly boring
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.
Me semble un peu monotone, on dirait que ça ne décolle jamais malgré des efforts manifestes.
It's okay, not my jam but I guess I get it.
Nope
Patty thought it was just random Spotify autoplay and said we could just turn it off 😂 It's like smooth rock elevator muzak The song give it up was solid though.
I prefer TT here, during their poppy era, more than during their more feted later albums, which I find flat and overproduced.
Perfettoooo
It's very polished and well produced, and definitely better to listen to than their synthesizer-based music, but it's a bit too melodramatic for my tastes. 3 stars.
Oh my lord is this ever dull.
Not bad
Not a fan
Alright. Probably won't listen ever again
A but forgettable
Very 80s
quite close to a 4 but felt a bit forgettable
Sucessão de músicas que simbolizam bem o pop dos anos 80. Vocal incomoda como se fora o Phil Collins.
Mjög hrifinn af lokalaginu, svolítið hrifinn af sumu öðru, en ég er ekki hrifinn af röddinni hans Hollis. Þessi má samt alveg renna í bakgrunni.
Not as brilliant as their moody magnum opus that followed. When they hit their muso peak, they lost their audience, but this has hints of the magic to come.
Good album with easy listening songs, very 80 style. Not completely my taste of music though
Of course I’m more than familiar with Life’s What You Make It. I love the vocals, but I’m less particular to the build up of the record. Maybe if I had listened to it earlier in my life, at a more impressionable age, I would have thought more of the album.
Love this.
It was OK but not remarkable
In theory I should love this band. That's lot to like and admire and yet however much I've tried, they've just never clicked. Maybe one day?
Everything is at least twice as long as it should be.
Oh man I find this album so boring and droney. It's really irritating me. I listened already last week and zoned out so having to listen again before I can rate it now. There are some cool elements I guess like a sax and some jazzier parts but mostly this is cringe and boring and conjures up the image of an almost empty dance floor in an unpopular club at 1am haha. I think I prefer their other albums from what I remember where they have synths and go full 80s!
Talk Talk are a funny one - I've either really loved their songs and think they're really interesting and creative, or they're really quite aggravating. This album didn't do much for me I have to say, could probably benefit from another listen. I think the second half did improve
Occasionally I thought 'oh that bit was good', but those times were few and far between.
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
Some of the songs were a bit weird but I liked it okay.
Really started off beautifully, then kinda turns into nice background music.
5/10
Very good, very evocative of the 1980s. An underrated band.
I’m a bit bummed this wasn’t the album with “It’s My Life” on it, but this was pretty good!
This one really blew me away and is apparently the absolute best Talk Talk have ever made, there's something new to hear in every song every time I put it on. Definitely an album to keep revisiting
Baby, life's what you make it Don't backdate it Baby, don't try to shade it Beauty's naked 3/5
Easily forgettable able for me and feels like the kind of thing that would be background music at a grocery store.
Schwierig. Nicht so uninteressant, wie ich befürchtet hatte, trägt aber kein ganzes Album.
Nice. Not outstanding but I’d like to listen again.
Boring
Easy listening. I really like the sound of this album. It didn't move me too much overall though.
I liked it but not enough to buy it.
I don't know exactly how to rate this after a single listen. This could be a grower but for now it's just a 3.
Things I really like about this but vocals don't resonate with me.
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.
Pretty good art-pop, but pretty forgettable too, and my god is it slathered in 80's production tropes.
EIGHTIES
Pop. Un poco a aburrido.
Doesn’t not hold up, or stand out of the time it was released, forgettable and boring
Damn, what a unique and full-sounding album. Not every song works, but the sheer diversity of instrumentation in a lot of these songs just blew me away. The singing is top-notch and the hooks just take you in, can't stop listening to Living in Another World. Great underrated album.
I enjoyed it. I don't think it's a genre defining or outstanding album but it's a quality album. 3.5 stars.
Apparently Talk Talk invented trip hop in 1986, but no one noticed until DJ Shadow ten years later. Like the sparseness and the jazz elements, and 'Life's What You Make It' is wonderful, but doesn't really feel great as an album. Might have to put a bit more time into it myself, but right now it's a high 3.
Ehhhh wasn’t in the mood and found it boring. Maybe just caught me on a bad day.
Couldn't get through it. Cool guitars. 1/5
Boring
I had this on in the background while I was focusing on work, so I don't have many nuanced things to say about it. Regardless, I enjoyed it simply because I like this type of 80s music and the general sound of it. The guitars on the second half of the second track stood out to me.
They didn't talk that much
Good vibe album, but pretty 1 dimensional. A lot of the songs sound alike, with very slow breaks.
pretty cover but god I hate whiny 80s music
yeah okay
I dig it, but not absolutely hooked - 3.5?
Carino, godibile.
its hard to point to anything from this album as noteworthy it has interesting parts and not but it all blends together
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
Very interesting album, I'll be listening to it again
Nothing interesting
I listened through twice but it was just a very plain rock album from what I could tell. Some songs were especially slow. Debated between 2 and 3, but I'm just giving it a 3 because I don't want to have to listen through again to see where the moderately interesting parts are to justify 3 stars.
pretty standard new wave album i feel like it just goes on where "it's my life" left
Not for me. Didn’t really connect with it. Very positive vibes tho.
Great album. Great find.
chill background music
I really want to like Talk Talk - and do love their eponymous Mod-ish single, as it’s quite upbeat. This started off okay but started to feel same-y and sombre after a few songs. I get that there is a bit of musical invention here but for me it all feels too mannered and too polished. No rough edges to contrast with the sheen. And Hollis’ voice is distinctive, but not in a way I like for a whole album. Maybe this mood works better at night, but I was a tad disappointed.
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.
Didnt do it for me
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
So so album. Okay background music, doesn't do much otherwise.
Sort of moody and ominous, and interesting to hear the transition from their earlier synth-pop albums towards the experimental post-rock sound they apparently have on the next two albums. I enjoyed it, but 80s stuff is rarely a favourite for me.
Definitely one of the more interesting New Romantic bands. This album had a lot more shades than others of the era.
Another album I really wanted to like more than I do... Life's What You Make It obviously a crowd pleaser and Time It's Time is interesting if not long...but overall this was really the listen I had hoped it would be... that's the problem of wanting more It's My Life type songs.
I'm confused, the album is called 'The Colour Of Spring' but the cover looks autumnal. Likewise, traditionally spring is light and airy, yet the music is dark and foreboding. The music is quite good, creating a moody soundscape which sounds both organic and synthetic. I especially enjoyed "April 5th", which has mellow vocals and a great organ sound. On the downside, I struggled to understand any of the lyrics and overall, although it tries hard, something didn't quite gel for me.
Boring, don't get why this band is so rated.
Pleasant enough in the background, occasionally something will lift it into my consciousness but it's never sustained
Eminently pleasant as background music; full of hits; I didn't really notice when it went on to Spotify autoplay and kept on churning out 80s synthpop, though, so I wasn't gripped.
I vaguely recall Talk Talk from various Now! albums, but I guess these days they are more known for their broadband internet services. "Life's What You Make It" is the one I recall, boring, repetitive, but in a good way. I like the album artwork, reminds me of that Twitter account, Faces In Things.
Largely bored
When these tracks are at their best they remind me of Peter Gabriel. When they're at their worst they remind be of BORING PETER GABRIEL. Listen, guys, no one is forcing you to make an album. If you're this bored and listless about the concept of recording music you could just go and do a new career.
This album is one song chopped up into separate tracks. Leaves no impression. Good or bad, tomorrow forgotten.
A rather boring and unspectacular album. No song stood out and everything on this album has been heard many times from other artists
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!
Slow new wave, kind of boring
the backtracks behind many of the songs were getting obnoxiously repetitive so the point it outshined the actual music part. but other than that it was okay.
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
Some fun new wave, probably wont come back to it though
4.5
Outside of a few good melodies, I got nothing out of this one.
Красиво ❤️
Most songs on the album lack progression both in melody and lyrics. The only track that fought my attention was "Living in Another World".
7/10 Best Song - Life’s what you make it
Приятный и красивый альбом, побольше бы таких.
This is the muzak you heard when you were at the doctor's office as a kid and all the chairs/decor were weirdly stuck between 90s and 2000s trends and it overall felt like a very liminal experience that doesn't seem quite real in hindsight.
It's just so one dimensional
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
New wave, art pop, rimelig let, organisk
This album made me quit this journey
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.
The first song was fantastic but the rest didn't really grab me. Hints of greatness here and there, and it marks a big transitional period to their next two (far superior, yet somehow not on this list???) albums
Icky
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.
Very interesting - the production is 80’s pop but the style is art rock. Kinda sounds like Bowie mixed with Tears for Fears and The Smiths. On paper that sounds good but I’m not sure about the vocals. His voice is so dramatic and warbly. I’m not totally into it but the music is definitely grabbing my attention. Great album cover.
Very cool! I especially like all of the choir parts, which really add to the epic, echoey, new wave 80's sound. They were certainly experimenting here, and I appreciate that.
This really surprised me, I didn't know what to expect as it's my first time hearing this band and this album. I do have a penchant for 80s acts that write somewhat "cheesy" music but take it really seriously and they appear to fit that bill. Pros: - Great mood shifts in the music. The first song really is blowing my mind with the incredibly interesting layers. The piano starts to shift a pretty "grey" sounding track into happy and sad areas by just changing a few chords- then meandering- then going back to the "grey" and neutral mood. When the children come in in the chorus and sing the callback I was really impressed! Really unique all around. The name of the album is The Colour of Spring, and it's got me thinking about how true they have stuck to that idea and theme. Spring is of course the idea of awakening / rebirth / beauty / change. Across the album I can hear ideas that to me sound like "a fresh start", but I can also hear the rainy days that you get randomly scattered throughout Spring. If I have any critique it's that the vocals are a little low in volume in the tracks across the album. This might be purposeful as there is definitely a focus on the wide instruments. My standout tracks were: "Happiness is Easy", "April 5th" and "Living in Another World". Ultimately I really enjoyed this album. There wasn't a single track that I was bored with, and having a first song that starts out with some really cool mood changes along with instrumentation/voice changes made me have this feeling of "anything can happen" which continued throughout the album listen. Even their more jam-y songs, like "Life's What You Make It" was still interesting throughout. I LOVE the piano that comes in around 2:20.
Oh c'est vraiment une belle surprise cet album. Superbe production. Quelque part entre Peter Gabriel et Kate Bush. Avec des écouteurs c'est merveilleux.
ágætis plata, var einhvernvegin öðruvísi en ég átti von á. Las að þetta hafi verið millibils plata í einhverri experimental þróun.
Solid Þröstur.
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
Pop suave. Facilongo. Sin grandes alardes. No me ha aportado mucho.
Production très léchée, musique recherchée. Ce qui me titillait au départ a cependant éprouvé ma patience après les premières pièces : question de goût j'en conviens, j'aurais voulu que ça grafigne un peu. Mais non : Spic & Span. À ranger du côté des belles découvertes."
The Colour Of Spring is something of a bridge album for Talk Talk. The prior two albums would feature a distinct synthpop sound; not especially notable but still fitting for the 80's. It would be this album, their third, that would indicate a pivot in sound. We start to see more acoustic instrumentation and a concise focus on songwriting, utilizing these instruments to layer sounds in such a way that it feels like a moving collage (imagine the album cover, but animated). In doing go, Talk Talk creates more delicate, refined sonic textures that are well-crafted. Just superb. These new songwriting skills would carry over into their following two album, in which we would see the beginnings of post-rock as a genre. As such, we should regard The Colour Of Spring as an important stepping stone for Talk Talk as they explore more sonic pallets.
i enjoyed this album! it was a nice listen. i was expecting more synth in their new wave, though. i wouldn't call myself a huge fan of this album as a result. it was very beautiful and wonderfully crafted, don't get me wrong. but i couldn't get super into it. i did realize, after i saw steve winwood played the organ on several songs, that this album has some real winwood vibes.
This album was really interesting. It had a lot of the typical 80s new wave qualities, but they really seemed to experiment here, playing around with the "limits" of what typically defines new wave. Particularly of note, there was a lot less synth and a lot more complex instrumentation. For whatever reason, new-to-me song Living In Another World particularly stood out; I went back to listen to it multiple times. It is just so masterfully composed with various layers of instrumentation, genres, effects, and vocals.
decent new wave type album with a great vocals and melodies
Fair
A fine piece of 80’s new wave pop. Not the strongest entry by a very good band. Still worth a listen.
Some interesting and enjoyable parts mixed in with elevator music. 2/5
boring
I'm going to create another list called "1001 Mediocre New Wave Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". That would reduce the current list by about 700, and it might be hard work to replace those, but I think it's worth it.
Nothing particularly awful about this album. Also completely forgettable. Generic 80s album.
Not alot to say about this one, one good track the rest meh
Boring, the epitome of the bland, formulaic, guitar-less nonsense being produced in the UK in the 80s. Instantly forgettable - and I mean *literally* instantly: it must have been (based on the length of the album and how long I had had it on) at least the fourth play through before I recognised any of the songs that I had just heard 45 minutes ago! Also, after listening 4 or 5 times to this record, I still only know one Talk Talk song (it's my life), and it's not on this album! One extra star for being able to sing well (i.e. not being Nico).
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.
need to re-listen to get it more
They have the sound that use to be really cool back in the day. As far as aging well goes, this is neither the best nor the worst. When the album finished, Spotify’s algo flipped me to Wang Chung’s Dance Hall Days. There’s a band I would have never thought about again. I could probably say the same about Talk Talk but it was a fun listen in a nostalgic way.
I'm in the process of packing so I didn't have much time to listen to this. I like the guys voice and they're definitely a Roxy Music influence.
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.
1.5
I don't always know what to think about art pop bands. This album is good, and there's clearly a lot of craftsmanship involved, but it also leaves me feeling a little flat. 3/5
Popcito ochentero, mucho sintentizador. Entiendo por qué está en esta lista pero no me despertó admiración o interés en general. 2.5 que sube a 3.
Muy meh aburrido y plano disco de cosa ochentera. No le encontré mucha gracia, aunque tampoco llego a disgustarme.
This esoteric, sometimes challenging record from Talk Talk bears a lot of rewards worth reaping, as it marked their divergence from straight-lace new wave into something a little more sprawling. I should start by saying how much I adore “Life’s What You Make It”. An absolute killer groove, constructed by drum machines (I think?), a live kit (possibly?) and shakers (definitely). That glorious four-note piano bass figure (you know the one)! The keyboards and soaring guitar lines layering over it are transcendental, and the lyrics (even if a bit Hallmark) are given such significance and weight by the power of the arrangement. It’s the all time great track on here and has long been a favourite of mine, earning at least two and a half of these stars on its own. Nothing else can quite match up to its power, but then it seems apparent that the band weren’t aiming for chart appeal on the same level for most of these songs. “April 5th” and “Chameleon Day” are both very sparse and take time to unfold over subtly shifting chord progressions, very tasteful woodwind or acoustic guitar ornamentations and drip-fed vocals. They’re soothing but don’t always hit me in the right place. More reliable is the gentle closer “Time It’s Time” and the urgent propulsion of “Living In Another World”, both suitably epic and dense in their scope and arrangements. While the rest of the songs aren’t constantly gripping, they’re at least flavoured by intriguing elements: “Happiness is Easy” with its jazz chords and a children’s choir backing the chorus, and “I Don’t Believe In You” for its sublime guitar solo in the second half. This has the feel of assured, intelligent and ambitious musicianship. It’s a bit lofty, at times even suggesting a new flavour of prog-rock excess in the mid 80s, but much more palatable than Talk Talk’s later work (which has yet to work its magic on me completely). Give me that opening of “Life’s What You Make It”, any day.
I liked the mix of acoustic and electric guitar. At times it seemed like the bass, guitar and drums were playing different genres. Favorite songs - I don't believe in you, Life's what you make it
Certainly an 80’s synth pop album. It was fine. Nothing bad about this album but nothing really stood out either. Tbh I didn’t know Talk Talk had anything else noteworthy besides Its My Life but here we are.
A piece of art
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.
Average, this should stay in the 80s.
p551, 1986. 1 star. Poor man's Tears For Fears. Mark Hollis always sounds like he is straining, and not in a good way. It's all 80s synth and sax, long meandering tracks, and that ain't aged well. Soulless and dull. Not essential listening.
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
I've had this one already, so here is a copy paste of my 2 star review... Very 80s production, always a worry. Some interesting stuff going on in Happiness is Easy though. Instruments jumping in and out quite forcefully. Not keen on the vocalist though. Second track was moody but barely registered. Obviously I know Life's What You Make It. Fond of it, but that may be down to Grand Theft Auto (Vice City). April 5th is very gloomy in a good way. However, everything on this album is feeling over long. By Living in Another World I kind of get it, taking the production and tropes of 80s AOR pop but writing edgier, more deep songs within this is an interesting, if not terribly exciting idea. Unfortunately it just sounds like Paul Young but emo to me, and isn't holding my attention. Chameleon Day is horrible, like a saxophone jazz fart with whining over the top, and given there are few tracks on this album, has certainly cost it a point in the final reckoning.
I don't love this, but I'd much rather listen to this again than either of the albums that followed it.
It was alright, don’t need to hear it again though I bet my parents would like some of this
Okay.
Pop progresivo. Un tostón.
Son los de It's my life, y otras canciones conocidas. Le puse un 4 la primera vez, pero esta vez me está aburriendo un poco. Le voy a dar un 3.
Good but not as good as Spirit of Eden
Prima, maar niks bijzonders
Elegant.
This is ok, mostly sounds like a b-grade Icehouse to me though. Has a few moments where it gets up, but also lots of mopey introspective stuff. I think this deserves a 3 overall - 1 for sounding like Icehouse, 1 for the occasional song that rocks, 1 for being new wave that doesn't piss me off. 3/5.
Nothing special but pleasant enough.
Def not a fan!
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.
Očekivo sam da će mi bit super, a ono 🤧 nit smrdi nit miriši
idk yet
Nice to hear this band outside of "It's my life". Overall it didn't register that strongly with me, but it showed a little more breadth to them and their sound was overall pleasant and not too dated.
Based on the description I thought I would like this much more than I did but its boring.
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.
Some songs were 4/5. Overall album was just kind of on in background though.
3.5
I am not familiar with the TALK TALK’s THE COLOUR OF SPRING; however, I do have TALK TALK’s previous album, IT'S MY LIFE (1984) and it did not make a strong impression upon me when I got it, like around 2.5 or 3.0 After listening to THE COLOUR OF SPRING and reading about the band, I realize now how and why TALK TALK are considered important. I wasn’t aware of its significance upon the post-rock genre. Now I can see the band in a different perspective and appreciate what THE COLOUR OF SPRING brings to the table, but it took multiple listens to get there. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, THE COLOUR OF SPRING is the only album included. Rate Artist: TALK TALK (0.0) Rate Album (Year): THE COLOUR OF SPRING (1986 Original) (0.0) Ranking of TALK TALK - THE COLOUR OF SPRING songs 01) "Happiness Is Easy" 6:30 09.5/10 02) "I Don't Believe in You" 5:02 09.5/10 03) "Life's What You Make It" 4:29 10.0/10 04) "April 5th" 5:51 09.0/10 05) "Living in Another World" 6:58 10.0/10 06) "Give It Up" 5:17 10.0/10 07) "Chameleon Day" 3:20 08.5/10 08) "Time It's Time" 8:14 09.5/10 Original 1986 Release 76.0/80 = 95.0 / 2 = 4.75
None of these songs stood out for me. Decent overall. Liked the last 2 minutes of the finale song with the recorders coming in, that was unexpected
Dug this a lot. Cool 80’s vibes without being too heavy on the synthesizer & electronic drums.
20th January 2022 Listened throughout the day before watching Liverpool beat Arsenal to get to the league cup final. Not my bag, a bit all over the shop.
If this album were a punctuation mark in the history of albums it would be a single comma, not all commas, just one - but a very pretty one at that. It's not game changing but it's a lovely listen - it's unique and it does have one transcendentally beautiful song in it's listing - 'Life is What you make it'. Enjoyed this one, enjoyed the space in mix in each of the songs - enjoyed the arrangements - and it does lend itself to multiple listens. But it's not a seminal album.
The Colour Of Spring is the third album of new wave band Talk Talk. It contains the hit singles "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World". I must say the rest of the album is not that interesting and the nasal voice of Mark Hollis gets on my nerves after half an album.
80s soft pop rock. Very soft
3/5
This feels like the most generic 80s music ever.
Un début très agréable jusqu'à ce que le chanteur devienne totalement incontrôlable au début de la cinquième piste. On se retrouve alors en tant qu'auditeur plongé au milieu d'une scène de négociation entre ledit chanteur et les forces de police rapidement arrivées sur les lieux. Les discussions aboutissent finalement après quelques minutes, le chanteur acceptant de terminer l'album vêtu d'une camisole et attaché à son siège.
J'ai adoré cet album, je suis en revanche un peu déçu par l'attitude du chanteur sur la 5ème piste de cet album. En effet, apres de solides prestations sur les 4 premières pistes, ce dernier s'est senti poussé des ailes. Il est en effet devenu absolument intenable. Les efforts des autres membres du groupe pour tenter de le ramener a la raison furent vain, il était absolument déchainé, et ne revint dans un calme relatif qu'a la fin de la chanson. Une belle frayeur pour tous les auditeurs du générateur, qui n'entâche en rien la qualité exceptionnelle de cet album.
They have a unique sound, I will give them that. It is just a bit blah as a whole though. Intrigued, but not yet impressed. Interested in their larger discography as it sounds like they made some significant shifts in their sound between albums.
I like Talk Talk's final two albums: "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock," but I am largely underwhelmed by this one. It's a transition point for them, only hinting at the nearly genreless direction they were about to go in. This one's just kind of there and doesn't really grab me even after repeated listens.
I really kinda hate this cheesy 80s soft-rock stuff. It's musically competent but is so vapid to me that it's nothing to me. Apparently their next album is prog/experimental? I'd be curious if it gets any better.
very generic 80's sound to me, not too terribly distinctive.
its a cool yet very different sound for sure
6/10
Some pleasantness here, nothing jumped out.
Solid album. Nothing particularly noteworthy track wise. If I didn't know this was Talk Talk, I probably still would have guessed based on the vocals.
It started of good but then I heard brad scream and I was upset for the rest of the album
Really clean sound but can lead to tedium
It was fine. It didn't really catch my attention too much, but there were some good tracks on it. It was a pretty reasonable 3. Favourite Tracks: April 5th, Give It Up
This album was fine, nothing I didn't like but it didn't stand out to me. Nothing I would save and listen to again, and but I wouldn't turn it off if it was on.
I only knew one song, It's My Life, by Talk Talk prior to listening. This album is much more jazz-infused Pink Floyd than the 80's synth pop I was expecting. The songs drag on in a way I don't find very interesting.
Easy listening but not very inspired
Good tunes
A really solid album. There’s some great melodies here and a sombre, contemplative mood throughout, which feels perfect for autumn. There’s a couple of stand out tracks (Life’s What You Make It, Give It Up) which somewhat define the British new wave sound.
What a snoozer of an album. Every song sounds the same and isn't really unique in any way. 3/10.
Not bad, a few weird choices in the name of being experimental, like kids singing background vocals but overall enjoyable.
3.7 - Peak 80s adult contemporary. Reminds me of high end stereo equipment of that era. I could imagine a fancier showroom having this in the CD player to show off audio performance. It also would’ve been playing in my friend’s divorced dad’s car stereo - a nice convertible coupe with bucket leather seats, maybe a car phone.
Strong Crowded House vibes, and a bit of a jolt when Life's What You Make It popped up out of nowhere. Overall, inoffensive and pleasant enough. Fav new track: Happiness Is Easy
Wie stark die Zurückhaltung, das gepresste in der Stimme, als müsste man die Gewalt & Kraft einhegen, die dieser Musik innewohnt. Alle scheint maximal kontrolliert übers minimal geöffnete Ventil in die Welt hinausgelassen. Das Tempo entsprechend - ein nahezu tantrischer Akt der Hingabe. Und in dieser großen Qualität wohnt leider auch eine Schwäche inne: zu häufig und selbst beim 2. und 3. Durchgang geht die Konzentration etwas auf Wanderschaft, mehrfach und immer wieder im Nachhinein fragen: wo bin ich grad? 3.4