COLOUR OF SPRING: THE POLL

I spent a lot of time with this album last Autumn. It's perfect for that time of year. Nice to be revisiting it now. I should buy a hard copy of it.
Man, those piano chords and the various instruments that chime in and out of the mix at the start of Happiness Is Easy - it's got that stormy, 'come in for a mug of cocoa' vibe that's shared with other songs of around that time, like 'Running Up That Hill'.

Do love this album so much. It would be their best album by far if they had stopped here. Somehow, they managed to get better.

This single has one of their best songs of the era on the b-side.

I did have this on an old external drive that crashed. I haven't heard it in a long time, but it's a fantastic document of the band in this era.

All of the b-sides from this era are outstanding... It's Getting Late in the Evening, For What It's Worth, and apparently John Cope is a Colour of Spring-era track as well. Add April 5th and Chameleon Day and you end up with an transitional-period EP that's as good as Spirit of Eden or Laughing Stock.

otm (but I did not know that about john cope -- makes sense!)

Yeah, I used to have that Asides Besides compilation, but somehow foolishly got rid of it for some no doubt idiotic reason. It was good, but the ratio of how much the last five tracks on disc two were played in comparison to the rest of the collection was totally lopsided.

i generally play the whole of disc 2. Sadly, 'John Cope' on my copy has a bad scratch

"John Cope" is such a great b-side. Paul Webb's bass rules. And the a-side is one of their best songs, probably their richest one. On the 33 series thread someone wrote about writing a book just on that one song. I totally get that idea. "I believe in you" is a miracle. I think it deserves a thread on its own.

there's never been a decent documentary on these guys has there?

"time it's time" is completely astonishing

i listen to more and more talk talk every year. "i don't believe in you" and "i believe in you" are an incredible pair of songs

haha yeah i was just contemplating those.

"i don't believe in you" is very cathartic. the weeping guitar solo ;_;. the album as a whole has a definite trajectory. when it gets to "time it's time" it cracks open into nirvana. that song is a miracle. my jaw drops in disbelief every time.

when the boys choir in "happiness" shows up i just completely lose it. what band had a thing for boys choirs, harmonicas and free jazz? talk talk, that's who.

i'm making some mix cds for no real reason, a boy who probably won't listen to them (he means well). "i believe in you" is on it.

i was reading the wiki entry on "i believe in you" the other day - about mark's brother who overdosed on heroin? which is turned into a meditation on being and eternity. as one does.

my only quibble with this album, and probably my least favorite track though it's still quite good, is when mark tries to sing a bit of a blues lick on "living in another world". his angelic voice doesn't quite match the blues there imo! he got much better at it later though.

I love it but yeah that harmonica barrels in from another song

I love the harp!

Overall, just the most extraordinary album and yes yes yes to all the 'Time It's Time' praise.

The harp adds to the tremendous propulsiveness of the track. It's constantly trying to keep up with itself.

Living In Another World makes more sense if you think of it as a (really good) Steve Winwood song (and his organ on it is absolutely killer and thats coming from someone who normally detests organ)

Anyone think the previous album's "Tomorrow Started" (which kills me) might've fit in here?

I hear that, but also that song and 'Renee' are so fucking wintery, just completely desolate

Never really thought before that CoS starts with a children's choir and ends with an adult one

the album as a whole has a definite trajectory. when it gets to "time it's time" it cracks open into nirvana.

Exactly. It's a cliche to say it, but this album is truly a "journey" in a way the following two aren't. Much as I love LS and SoE (and do think they are objectively some of the "best" albums ever made), I've probably listened to CoS at least twice as many times as either (or Mark Hollis s/t) over the years. Of course, what followed CoS is not exactly every day listening...

Living In Another World makes more sense if you think of it as a (really good) Steve Winwood song

always thought this! There's even a similar vocal quality

The two little Variophon tone poems at the center are the liqueur of this record for me.

Also let’s not forget the three B-Sides - one of the best album-cycle’s worth of B-sides by anyone ever imo

The gentleness of Mark's vocal at the beginning of "Time It's Time" really makes how epic the tune gets even more startling. The balance of the songs on the album (with the partial exception of "I Don't Believe In You" I guess) tend to simmer at roughly the same level from start to finish (though obviously the different songs are at very different levels) whereas "Time It's Time" feels very invested in stretching its own dynamic range to the maximum extent feasible.

The results of this poll are baffling to me

Never really thought before that CoS starts with a children's choir and ends with an adult one

There's a similar contrast, maybe a reversal, between the hymnal choir on "I Believe in You" and then children singing a threnody in "A Life (1895-1915)".

let’s not forget the three B-Sides

This is the only Talk Talk album I feel like messing with:

Side 1
Happiness is Easy
Life's What You Make It
Pictures of Bernadette
It's Getting Late in the Evening

Side 2
Living in Another World
Give It Up
For What It's Worth
Time It's Time

"I Don't Believe in You" is too MOR (I wince when the horn section comes in at the final prechorus), and the "gauzy, downbeat" tracks are outclassed by their subsequent work (as well as the tracks that I've replaced them with).

Needs more April 5th

Yeah I can see thinking “Chameleon Day” as a practice run for what came next, but “April 5th” is its own little sound world, a really singular piece of music.

I find the programmed percussion on that song aggravating, "It's Getting Late in the Evening" does something similar, better.

LOL I feel the other way around: I love the programmed percussion and think it distinguishes/prevents the song from being a Spirit of Eden practice run like “It’s Getting Late In The Evening” (though I adore the weightless midsection of the latter).