WCSMark Hollis, the singer of Talk Talk, has died, so I'm making this post as an homage.
You probably haven't heard much about Talk Talk, but they started as an 80's synth pop band and went on to create the genre of post-rock, which became incredibly popular in the early 2000s.
Without Talk Talk, there would be no Radiohead.
Mark Hollis was a visionary and an underrated musical genius.
I'm going to start with the catchiest Talk Talk song - 'Living in Another World'. This is, for me, the pinnacle of early style Talk Talk.
At first listen it sounds like standard 80s synthy pop music, but the details and the arrangement are perfect. I've never heard a harmonica sound that blends in so effortlessly with the music. The song seems to change key at every chorus, but its just clever chord structuring. Those backing vocals are so simple but so perfect:
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Now it gets interesting. After making some great pop albums Hollis decided to try something new. The result was the amazing 1988 album 'The Spirit of Eden'.
This album isn't very well known outside of music nerd circles, but its incredibly influential. You can hear the influence in a wide range of music from Coldplay to Mogwai. It brings in a jazz influence and epic, fluid song structures.
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The next one is from my favourite Talk Talk album, their final effort 'Laughing Stock'.
Somehow even more sparse and ambient than Eden, this album is a revelation for people who think that post rock started in the 90s or with Slint.
There's a fragility and a beauty to these songs that has rarely been matched since. The arrangements, which were already brilliant in their early work, are so cleverly detailed and show such a massive range of influences. These song tend to focus heavily on small sounds and musical 'negative space'(ie the silence between notes that emphasizes the musicality).
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I hope you give these songs a listen and I hope someone new finds Talk Talk as a result of this post. Hollis deserves a lasting legacy for his talent.
My favourite Mark Hollis quote:
“Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note, y’know. And that, it’s as simple as that really. And don’t play one note unless you’ve got a reason to play it.”
<3
