TALK TALK レコード& CD

Review: To mark the 40th anniversary of Talk Talk's landmark album It's My Life, this special edition reissue is cut at half-speed by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, with oversight from Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris and Charlie Hollis, son of the late Mark Hollis. Originally released in February 1984, It's My Life followed the band's debut with a more refined sound and greater international success. Tracks like 'Such a Shame' and the title track became staples, achieving top ten hits across Europe and entering the US Top 40. The reissue has been meticulously crafted, utilising an extensively modified Neumann VMS-80 lathe with an upgraded SX74 cutterhead, improved magnetics and a new pitch control system. Enhanced filtering and correction circuitry designed by James Kedwards ensure that this anniversary edition delivers unprecedented depth and clarity. Fans of the band and audiophiles alike will appreciate this expertly produced celebration of Talk Talk's influential second album.

Review: The legendary Talk Talk was one of a kind. Not only did they craft exceptional studio albums rich in melodic details but they were top in the live arena too. This sublime broadcast from 1984 finds them in Utrecht in the Netherlands playing for a live FM Broadcast recorded at the Muziekcentrum Vredenburg on 27th May. The group formed by Mark Hollis is in dynamic form and they worked through all their hits to date alongside cuts from the two albums which they had already put out at that time. Experimental rock, jazz and free improv all defined this most artful band.

Review: Despite emerging as a synth-pop outfit, Talk Talk's sound evolved considerably in a short space of time. By 1986, when their third album The Colour of Spring hit record stores, they'd ditched the synth-pop of their debut and the free-jazz-influenced post-rock of its sequel in favour of a more traditional indie sound - albeit one still infused with some electronics and bags of aural invention. The performance captured on this CD (originally recorded for a radio broadcast) dates from 86 and mixes interpretations of tracks from The Colour of the Spring with new takes on earlier singles and classic cuts. Highlights include a rushing version of 'It's My Life', the concert-opening 'Talk Talk' and a decidedly Balearic, harmonica-sporting 'Living In Another World'.