Customer Reviews

Spirit of Eden

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mark Hollis, like David Sylvian of Japan, Bjork of The Sugarcubes and David Byrne of the Talking Heads, always seemed to be peeking over the horizon and onto the next thing even while his band was appearing on 'Top of the Pops' or pandering to record label execs.

SPIRIT OF EDEN is that moment when he finally realized that walking away from the safety of the pop charts was far more satisfying than making an album full of compromises.

SPIRIT OF EDEN isn't really a pop record or a new wave record or a jazz record. It defies classification and yet captures the heart of many pop, new wave and jazz fans alike. That is because this is a collection of timeless music made all the more memorable by Mark Hollis' frail and delicate musings on life, love and the heartbreak of heroin.

There aren't synthesizer hooks or an overkill of fretless bass as on previous Talk Talk efforts.. instead you'll find passionately played harmonica and carefully orchestrated horns and strings. This isn't your typical orchestral syrup poured over pop tunes masquerading as art. These are gorgeous freeform songs played with love and passion and held together by the thrill of hearing a band performing at its creative peak.

I don't want to explain what each of the six songs do for me personally because I think discovering that for oneself is the real gift of SPIRIT OF EDEN. My only wish in writing is that someone, somewhere, will read this and seek out a copy for themselves. It has been two months now and I haven't taken it out of my CD player.

I lied, I have another wish. That Mark Hollis will read enough of these and be forced to consider making more music. True, LAUGHING STOCK and MARK HOLLIS solo are wonderful too. It's hard to imagine, however, what lovely music Hollis lives with in his mind that might not see the light of day.

I don't expect that I'll be without SPIRIT OF EDEN anytime soon. It has become a part of my nightly ritual. Headphones on. Lights out. And the story begins...

The refernce to Eden in the title is very appropriate. There is something primal about the music on this Cd, a kind of stripped down beauty only hinting at the power it possesses, the power of nature itself. Talk Talk discarded almost everything that made them recognisable as a band, eschewing programmed synths and predictable song structures, in fact all the trappings of the lacklustre new romantic movement, and forged ahead into new, organic territory. The record is warm and extremely spacious, with a plethora of instruments sprinkled throughout the lengthy pieces, each player neglecting virtuoso performances and instead contributing to the overall dynamic, the massive group sound the album is geared towards. Its hardly surprising that this album took 14 months to record, that it was done in a deserted church or that, of course, the record label dropped them after being unable to find anything even approximating to a single on here. The six songs conatined here essentially defy any kind of description, as there is little ground for comparison with any music I've heard yet. They are pften long, often seem to meander into each other and rarely include the same type of instrumentation. Each piece is mellow and relaxing, with guitar used very sparingly, a strategy that is most effective on the second track, 'Eden'. Hollise's plaintive vocals retain some of the new wave incompetence and general incoherence, but he has an extremely powerful voice which fits the delicate, rambling nature of the dongs perfectly. Not that the songs are directionless though, as repeated lisrens reveal structure but very little that is predictable. The epic opener 'The Rainbow' starts out with some careful jamming and descends into a miniscule verse and a chorus that leaves one drained as it fades away. 'Desire' has a jaw dropping percusive section right in the middle, which melts back into the chorus so easily its hard to comprehend how clever what youv'e just heard really is. 'Wealth' the closer, is almst too plaintive, with Hollis baring his heart over hardly any instrumentation.
This is progressive, forward thinking music in its most raw, pure form, done exactly as it should be done: without a hint of pretension, with skill used effectively, creating music that is challenging but ultimately very accessible and never boring. This Cd is utterly unique and that seems reason enough to recommend it to everyone to me. It will reward careful repeated listens by open minded people who are willing to give a chance to something new and pretty. Powerful, cathartic, raw, pure emotional, experimental, relaxing, essential. An incomparable experince, and simply one of the best albums yet recorded.

For eight years, in the Eighties, I was a rock critic corresponding from Los Angeles for several European magazines. Before that, perhaps unusually, I had acquired, in Italy, a thorough and hands-on education in classical music. Jazz also featured prominently in my formative years. I must admit I missed "Spirit of Eden" when it was released, and found out about it only years later. Many of the reviews spoke of a music that made demands on the listener, and that would pay one back only after several listens. Nonsense: I expected something as abstruse as Anthony Braxton, I was delighted to chance upon a work which is great from the first note, and at the first listen. Yes, it will leave some listeners guessing, if they are not used to slightly more rarefied music. But even those who are, will continue to enjoy it after many listens. The thing that is most surprising is how quickly Mark Hollis learnt about "cultured" music and how tastefully he managed to incorporate his new finds, as if he had been jamming with Miles Davis or conducting music by Arvo Pärt. He had obviously metabolized all the great composers and musicians he had been avidly listening to, yet forging a very personal style. In conclusion, this is one of the best albums in the Eighties and indeed one of the best ever recorded. By not belonging to any specific genre, and yet by being so knowing and profoundly satisfying, it is a work for all listeners who want the most from music.

My story with this CD begins with my friend and I going to a high-end audio store pretending that we were going to actually buy something. My friend had worked in a recording studio for a couple years, so he knew the ins and outs of what the guy was saying, but I just stood there drooling over all the pretty things I could neither understand nor afford. Near the end of the tour, the two of us and the saleman went into a room with a couple chairs, a recliner, a couple amazing looking turntables, and a set of speakers in the front of the room. Of all the CDs, my friend pulls this one out. After making sure the speakers were perfectly balanced (of course I couldn't tell the difference) we popped in the CD. I nearly fell off my seat. Then my friend offered the recliner to me, which was situated directly in front center of the speakers. I had NEVER heard anything so beautful in my life. It made me tear up right there in the store.

I love this whole CD, from that amazing harmonica to the percussion spectacle in the middle of "Desire". My friend was right in saying that he's ruined me for life. The production and emotion of this album can only be truly appreciated blasted on decent headphones or speakers. One part of me wants to buy a bazillion copies of this and air-drop it over the world so everyone can hear it, but another part of me likes having it as my own personal gem. An incredible piece of work.

It must be admitted; I had for the longest time a rather negative view on Talk Talk. I first discovered Talk Talk via their first singles - Talk Talk and Today - that became moderate hits. Despite being decent songs, the group was an obvious Duran Duran light outfit, with Duran's same producer on the helm and the name in the same vein as Duran.

Some respect was added when It's My Life, Dum Dum Girl and Such a Shame were released. All 3 remain pop classics. I even became tempted buying their Colour of Spring album based on very favorable reviews and the hits Living in Another World and Life's What You Make It. Like so many other people, I settled for their Natural History collection which I have listened to regularly for many years.

That collection included 2 of the songs on Spirit of Eden. They did not, however, fit in any way with the rest of the collection so I most often simply stopped listening at that point. Having, however, read rave reviews about the album for many years, I became curious to hear how it actually is. Could it be that as a whole, it sounds better than the fragments I had heard on the Natural History collection? I finally gave in and bought it a couple of years ago. In most cases, such shots in the dark lead to nowhere (Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens are recent examples). This time I struck, however, gold.

This is a demanding album and really unlike almost everything else. Yet, I became instantly hooked on it. I have been constantly playing it since I bought it, always discovering new dimensions. Being such a unique album, it is difficult describing the music. The songs are long (only six of them) and in most cases relatively mellow. Comparisons that come to mind are David Sylvian, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Of course, these artists differ widely in styles but that simply underlines how difficult it is to pinpoint this album.

I have now bought Talk Talk's other great albums, The Colour of Spring and Laughing Stock. Both are fantastic in different ways. For me, though, Spirit of Eden is their best album and is part of my short desert island music list.

April 24th, 2008

After listening to Spirit of Eden constantly for over a couple of years, I finally came about experiencing it via the use of headphones. Usually that is a different experience; obviously one hears subtle sounds that are not heard when listening with speakers in addition to the added depth and clearer image. This album, however, blows practically all other albums away. It is almost as if one gains an added dimension using good headphones. The sound is not crystal clear - this being an analog recording - but the care and feel of the whole set in a way embraces the listener and yet sets the sound stage wide open. I am really at a loss for words, but strongly recommend not limiting listening to Spirit of Eden through load speakers but also using headphones, most preferably better ones than the typical small sets included with iPods.

This is one a handfull of albums that changed the way I percieve music. The others are DARK SIDE OF THE MOON(Pink Floyd),REVOLVER(Beatles),PINK MOON(Nick Drake),GONE TO EARTH,SECRETS OF THE BEEHIVE(David Sylvian),LED ZEPPELIN IV,FOXTROT(Genesis),ELTON JOHN'S GREATEST HITS VOL.1,LOW(Bowie)and FRAGILE(Yes). Words can't describe to beauty and mystery to this wonderful work.And to think they started off as a synth pop band!??!

The only other album that compares to this one is the follow up 1991 effort 'Laughing Stock'.

1986's 'The Colour of Spring' widened Talk Talk's appeal to a larger audience with the singles 'Life's What You Make It' and 'Give It Up'. It would seem natural to capitalise on that success. Talk Talk had morphed into a very introspective group by the time 1986 rolled around. The only contemporaries I can think of around that time that Talk Talk shares affinity with are Hothouse Flowers, The Waterboys and World Party.

But they left them all behind with 1988's Spirit of Eden. This album shoved aside all previous notions of what Talk Talk were about. It made The Colour of Spring sound outright mainstream and commercial. Dissonant horns and strings, growling harmonicas, feedback guitar, spare instrumentation, church organs, and as always the beautiful vocals of Mark Hollis, became Talk Talk's sound for Eden.

To try and describe what goes on lyrically, musically and compositionally in the Spirit of Eden would ruin it for the person who has never heard this album and the 1991 Laughing Stock album, their last and best. I actually have to rewrite my review of Laughing Stock because I just didn't say what I thought I could or should've said. Both share a very common ground lyrically. Seemingly about redemption.

These are truly two beautiful albums, and they changed the way I thought about what music could or can sound like. My record collection is quite varied, different styles, different cultures, no race distinction, different decades, but I have to say that Talk Talk definitely was an inspiration to me.

DESIRE remains one of my favourite songs ever. And in reference to a Top Reviewer's comment about The Beatles. Lennon & McCartney WISHED they could have written music like this. To make that kind of comparison was a strange one, since the four writers (Lennon & McCartney and Hollis & Friese-Greene) are so far apart stylistically and in lyrical content, that its a moot point. Lennon & McCartney wrote pop music. Simple as that, no more no less. Any attempts to go deeper than escapism by either writer was never fully realised or marred by the genre in which it was always molded for. Hollis & Friese-Greene are two totally separate entities. There is something underlying in their work that is slightly disturbing, but in the end hopeful and with a promise of redemption. There are some seriously 'heavy' tones throughout 'Eden', that Lennon & McCartney would never dare approach. And musically, I've never heard anyone approach music in this way before or since 88's Eden and 91's Stock. It basically killed Talk Talk's career these two albums. They are innovative, adventurous, free of restriction to form, and the subtext will keep the listener guessing as to what is going on.

If I may quote
'' Summer bled of Eden
Easter's heir uncrowns
Another destiny lies leeched upon the ground''

You can tell me 'Obla-Di Obla-Da' is better and a greater song, but I might not believe you.

I was introduced to this album back in 88 as a 16 year old at my friends house next door. His brother was a massive Talk Talk fan and we would just chill in the sitting room taking in this awesome music for hours and days. I got a copy of it and my brother and I would have this bedtime routine of putting on the first track "The Rainbow" while we lay in our bunk beds in the dark, waiting for that incredible Harmonica piece to start (big up Mark Feltham!). It's hard to describe what this music does to you when you open to it but the effect feels as close to spritual as I'm likely to get.

When you open your heart to this album, it will make the rest of your album collection pale and seem very insignificant in comparison because no other album can move you in the deepest and most emotional ways that this one can. This is the album that first anticipated the term "post-rock" but unlike the countless artists and albums that followed in its wake, none can match the grace, power, beauty, and majesty (the textures, mood, and atmosphere, the light/shade, silence/sounds, and catharsis) of this album. From the seamless three-song suite which encompasses abstract jazz ("The Rainbow"), delicate ambience ("Eden"), and earthy, visceral blues/rock ("Desire") on the first side to the second side where quieter yet even more captivating drifting passages of complexity ("Inheritance") share space with one of the greatest songs ever written ("I Believe in You") and a closer with closure and redemption ("Wealth"), Spirit of Eden is, quite simply, a record that stands out because it actually speaks to and becomes part of your most interior and emotional moments--it is one of those rare albums that actually deserves to be called a "soundtrack to life".

Talk Talk to many are remembered as a sort of Fixx-like new wave synth rock band with their big hit Its my life and a few others. What many people dont realize is that TAlk TAlk ditched their "new wave" sound and dove headfirst into ambient freeform art rock with classical overtones and produced two of the best albums of the last 20 years- and in the case of Spirit of Eden the best sounding and most uncommercial pop record of the eighties. THe first song or piece here is over 20 minutes- moving from hushed ambient rock into almost jazzlike like moodiness(think Miles Davis ala In a silent way). The music weaves in a dark underbelly of despair and redemption with Singer Mark Hollis's odd mixed low voice rising and falling at the right times. The effect is stunning- but dont expect instant satisfaction. This is an album that needs to be listened to in the darkness or a sunday morning with ears and mind wide open. The whole mood is downtempo- sometimes bleak but always uplifting. Its littered with guest musicians and exotic and classical instruments- great fretless bass and brush drums. Sprit of Eden is TAlk Talk's masterwork which is just slightly better than the very similiar Laughingstock- another excellent album and the bands swansong. Seriously- you wont even think this is the same band and in many ways they no longer wore. A desert island disc without a doubt.