Customer Reviews

It's My Life

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No Doubt may have re-recorded the classic It's My Life with their own up-to-date take on it; But this is still the original and only memorable version. It's My Life was very reminiscent of the new romantic style established a few years earlier by Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry with their smash album Avalon.Like Roxy Music Talk Talk created not just a musical soundscape but a rich dramatic atmosphere. The similarities are somewhat uncanny between Bryan Ferry and Mark Hollis' crooning and mystic quality---sometimes the untrained ear can't understand what they are crooning about but you get the meaning. Likewise, some of the instrumentation. However, Talk Talk was very unique, distinct, and original. Some tracks contained such a melancholy and moody atmosphere but not to the extreme to make this a somber affair. Other tracks have a mid-tempo pop-rock feel for the time. After It's My Life, Talk Talk released The Colour Of Spring which sported a more mature and introspective sound. Both of these titles showcased the band at it's artistic pinnacle.

For those too young to remember, Talk Talk, a band of musicians in the 1980's emerged during the Reagan years with a fresh, unique New Wave sound, played often on video shows with the hit,"It's My Life". I've seen the video for this song, which features various wildlife running about in slow motion, and have always loved it. Just listening to this album is proof positive that the 80's was'nt such a bad decade for music. Best songs on the Cassette/CD include the unforgetable "It's My Life", "Dum Dum Girl", "Such A Shame," "Tomorrow Started", and "Call In The Night Boy". If you like New Wave, reminiscent of soundtracks to movies like the Breakfast Club and 9 and 1/2 Weeks, Talk Talk's sound will take you where you want to be!

Talk Talk singer Mark Hollis has the most expressively emotional voice to have emerged from the "New Wave" (or whatever pigeonhole you need..) singers. Just hearing the sorrow, the pleading in "Renee" is enough to send you off if you like emotional singers - and I do. This is a fantastic album, atmospheric and yet claustrophobic. Talk Talk were one of the rare groups that really didn't set out to be BS rock stars, and one might say they accomplished that. It is a shame that Mark's voice was destined not to be what the music programmers wanted, so you got Simon Le Bon (and tinny-voiced Gwen Steponme) instead. Hope you're happy about that - I'm not.
And I didn't add the line about "voting buttons" either. Buy this CD.

This album isn't as experimental as some of their others, but it's a great 80s pop album (thoughtful, intelligent, alternapop--not of corporate manufacture and control). There are at least 3 or 4 songs that are completely brilliant. How many albums can you say that about?

The Insanely Great Songs songs are Renee, Such a Shame, It's My Life, Tomorrow Started.

The good songs are The Last Time, It's You, Does Caroline Know?

The rest of the songs are still listenable and sometimes enjoyable, but I'll skip them as often as not.

Things to love about the good songs on this album: the slurred, moody vocals, the lyrical fretless bass playing (the bass becomes an instrument you want to listen to--not just a supporting one), nice synth sounds, strong arrangements. Very emotional pop, distinctive and personal. No one else could have created these songs since they have personality to spare--not formless and bland like a lot of corporate pop/rock that is only trying to sell records or be the flavor of the moment.

You could probably pick up a few of these songs on the greatest hits album, but you may not get all of them by only getting it.

Looking at the liner notes and pictures I'm struck by how young the band looks on this album. I would guess that some weren't much more than 18 from the pictures (they have the baby face look). The kind of songs they put out show much more musical maturity and sensitivity than most people of that age. Yes, this is pop--but is showcases the kinds of original (yet accessible and listenable) things that can be put into a pop framework.

Talk Talk's debut "the party's over" was nothing but well crafted synth-pop,performed by a lot of bands like Duran Duran (notice that these two bands have simmilar nonsense names...).Debut of course had some gems but it didn't holded up to call it something great.but "It's my life" did, and it stands quite close to their opus magnum "spirit of eden" eventhough these are two completetly different pieces of music.

"dum dum girl" is nice synth driven pop songs that gets you in eighties atmosphere.Mark Hollis lyrics are interesting as well as the melody.You might catch yourself singing this one.
The songs fades onto "such a shame" - one of their best tracks ever.after long dark ambient beginning Mark's voice comes in along with acoustic guitar...the songs grow up to memorable awesome chorus...Powerfull drums,amazing bass line (Paul Webb is anyway one of the best eighties bass player) and Hollis creepy voice.anyone who heard it knows what i mean.
"reenee" is slower and mellower piece about complicated relationship.quite melancholic but holds up very well.
here comes the powerfull title track.No Doubt covered "It's my life" making it their major hit but the original sounds...more professional.i mean Gwen Stefani sounds wierd on Mark Hollis place,especially for all those who used to like to real version.what can i say,judge for yourself.
"Tomorrow started" is creepy songs that will haunt you many times.propably the best track from here,very dark and mysterious.Some excellent guitar work from Robbie McIntosh.Mark sounds really desperate here.
"The last time" and "call in the nightboy" are weaker spots on the album.the first is nothing more than average pop track (although it has good verses with overdiven guitar) and the second sounds a bit pretensious,but the piano solo in hte middle part sounds intriguing.
"does caroline knows" is a wierd part of album.Funny synth,groovy bass line and psychedelic atmosphere.i don't know who is Caroline but this track stands as most intriguing part of "It's my life".
"It's you" is very good ending,powerfull pop-rock track about personal demons.it's a shame that it ends up here but you can always swith repeat switch on your cd player and listen to the album again.

talk talk's second album "It's my life" still has an opinion of eighties gem,eventhough it is not as popular as "colour of spring" between their fans i agree with other revewers that this is a great album.why not try it? even if you do not like eighteis music,this is more ambitious and interesting than let's say some cheesy pop manufactured moderns stars.

not much to add to everything said, yes, it is synthy, but no doubting (pun unintended) the maturity of the songs, Renee is for anyone who has experienced unrequieted love, and Tommorow Started, the way Hollis's voice hangs onto the stretched bass note beofre the trumpet solo, it symbolises everything wonderful about Talk Talk. Get a copy of Its MY life, add Lexicon of Love by ABC and New Gold Dream by Simple Minds and take back the airwaves from the Stefanis of this world.....

I too am from that gerneration! Its my life was a fav of mine, so beautiful and mystical!! Good music is so hard to come by but this album and group will forever be etched in my mind and heart! Wish we could hear more from this talented group. This cd is a must for any serious music lover, its a keeper!!!

This is a great album. The two-star rating is for the fact that this is the 1990 CD release, not the recent remastered version. I have no idea why the remastered version of this album is not available on a domestic label, but It's A Shame. The remaster sounds noticeably better. There is much cleaner separation of the instruments. And it's not that expensive. Buy it instead at this link: It's My Life

The most evocative music we will ever hear is that which we fall in love to. This is the music that never leaves you. When It's My Life came out I was practising this very thing. For mine, it actually sounds better now than it did then. On the surface it is simply great 80's pop - strangely beautiful original melodies, understated synthesized instrumentation and Mark Hollis' lost, yearning voice. After more plays, so much more is revealed - idiosyncratic touches are everywhere and the incredible production that ensured that no band would sound remotely like this and no band has since. I reckon there are 4 outstanding tracks here - the other 5 are merely excellent. If you seek beautiful, reluctant pop music do NOT die without hearing this.

Former members of Talk Talk include:
Mark Hollis
Paul Webb
Lee Harris
Simon Brenner

Its My Life is a collection of exciting classics! Talk Talk remains a unique and influential band many years after the band ended.

Mark Hollis retired from music shortly afterward the groups break up, and little has been heard from him since. He is believed to be living in Suffolk, in the east of England.

This is a five star album