Even the title means more than meets the eye. Alas in France nobody has heard of this magnificient album which I bought when released, aged 20...since that time, I ve come to like Radiohead, acid jazz, trip hop...Really Talk Talk and Bowie pierced my soul, mind and mind and I keep fighting each Day them to them...Good report..greetings to Mark s admirers from a perfectible English speaker. Without translator Mark helped me learn metaphysics, poetry , experience abyssal emotions, grasp the essence of religion, faith and dévotion...RIP
The solo! It's haunting, painful and beautiful. I always thought the solo represented the flood (or war) itself, then the second half of the song has the same structure as the first, signifying that things never really change and life goes on, just like after a war.
one times some co-workers walked into my office just as that song hit the wild electronic screeching in the middle of the song. They were like "whats wrong with your radio?"
I'm late but I was just introduced to this album by a friend. When I listen to Laughing Stock, I feel like I have to be completely still. I like to sit outside with my headphones on and I imagine my head as being completely empty with all the sounds echoing around inside it. I can often hear the birds alongside the music. New Grass is also my favourite track on the album. When he says 'welling up inside me', I get exactly what he means. That descending chord sequence makes me feel like I'm about to cry, but it also makes me feel a strong sense of love. You know when you look at someone you love just going about their business and you get a warm feeling under your ribcage, kind of like a tugging feeling? That's how I feel listening to New Grass. The album as a whole reminds me of the times I've experienced a moment I wish would never end. You're so happy in that moment, perhaps doing something you thought you'd never get to do, or being with people you love and feeling like they love you back just as much, and you're not worrying about anything. The outside world becomes irrelavent. But at the same time there's an underlying sense of sadness that this moment must end, it can't go on forever. And then under *that* is the slight guilt you feel for not being able to just 'live in the moment', instead feeling as if you've tainted it with your awareness of impermenance. I'm aware that some people feel like this record is incredibly sad, devastating eve, and although I can empathise with that, I feel like it's impossible to feel unhappy while listening to it, because every note is in the right place. Hopefully this gets lost in the comments section... just felt like I had to get those thoughts written down :-)
Thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts.... Mark could connect so many things in us and in the world. His work is all about oneness. Just beautiful, touching.... He was, is and will stay the love of my life.... The person/man you wouldlove to have arond you 24/7...who can fell you and the world without talking. Such a beautiful soul and he could touch ours very deeply indeed. 😍😇
I remember discovering their albums in reverse order; first Laughing Stock, then Spirit of Eden and lastly Colour of Spring. I enjoy them all and listen to them a great deal, but Laughing Stock is probably my favourite. The first track made a big impression on me and it's probably one of my most listened tracks of all time. A few years since I last listened to it though.
With Mark's passing... I've been reflecting on some things. I was good friends with Holger Czukay of CAN. I remember shooting him an e-mail once after I had read where Mark and Talk Talk were highly interested in Can's music. Holger responded with, "Ah!! The fellow with the high pitched voice!" But seeing what Mark said in this video reminded me of something Holger told me once after I had asked him how the remixes he was working on at the time were going. He said, "Very good.... more empty". I think Mark and Talk Talk were on this same path.... Some people are great at it. Holger could be. Brian Eno could be. Mark and Talk Talk found it as well.
weird, just saw another guy reference these two bands on a radiohead tune (saying, until radiohead makes music as good as CAN or Talk Talk, to not bother him). are these two groups connected or just a coincidence?
Easily my favorite album of all time. I think its use of silence is the most important aspect of what makes it great and unique. When all of the instruments fall away, which happens frequently throughout the album, there is never the crystalline, digital silence we've come to expect on modern records, but always subtle white noise that conveys a sense of the music being performed in a real place and not just disembodied instruments floating in nothingness. As a result it recreates the tension, serenity, or loneliness that often accompany silence in real life. People usually compare this album to "Spirit of Eden", which I like less because it feels like it still has one foot in their previous record, "The Colour of Spring". "Spirit of Eden" is a tad more traditionalist than "Laughing Stock" and, for me, isn't as distinctive. Anecdotally, I've noticed "Spirit of Eden" tends to be the favorite of older Talk Talk fans who were blown away by it when it came out, while many fans hearing these records for the first time years later devoid of the chronological context, like myself, prefer "Laughing Stock". For those who really love this album, I would recommend lead singer/songwriter Mark Hollis' follow up to this album, his debut solo album, simply titled "Mark Hollis" which I think is the most similar album to this one.
Talk Talk also wrote a song called "John Cope" during The Colour of Spring but it didn't make the final album. They revisited it during Spirit of Eden and released it as the b-side to the Single "I Believe In You". Many consider John Cope to be a perfect bridge between The Colour of Spring and Spirit of Eden. It really fuses the two distinct sounds of both those albums together and it's a brilliant track.
"Many consider John Cope to be a perfect bridge between The Colour of Spring and Spirit of Eden." I get what you mean, however "Chameleon Day" does this part for me.
Personally I think 'It's Getting Late In The Evening' (the B side to Life's What You Make It) is the track that changed their path. For me it was like a lightbulb turning on.
The Mark Hollis solo album is also so fucking good, an extension of the sound Talk Talk was experimenting with on Laughing Stock. It has a real emotional heaviness, not an easy listen, but definitely a rewarding one. The rhythm section of Talk Talk went on to form 'O' Rang who put out a couple pretty cool dubby experimental albums that are hard to find, but worth seeking out.
As a huge fan of late Talk Talk, I do love some moments on Mark Hollis solo album, especially "A Life" and "The Gift". But as a whole the album remains a though listen. It's so sparse and tenuous that by moments you wish it would be just a bit richer or "thicker"... Also, some ideas form and then just crash down... something that is typical of Laughing Stock too and is certainly a way to avoid easiness... but it can be somewhat frustrating especially on "Mark Hollis". What I try to say is though I really admire Mark Hollis, and really appreciate his solo album (and hoped so much for any new relase by him until his death)... people tend to quickly call it a masterpiece without mentioning its flaws. Without insult please, what do you personnaly think?
Talk Talk is one of those bands that, upon discovering them, (specially the last two albums) you feel disappointed in yourself somewhat that it's taken so long. They fill a void you didn't even know you had, and there's a "before and after hearing Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock". I get similar feelings from both, reaching for the divine in a way, but they go about it differently. Spirit of Eden feels almost perfect in its composition - there doesn't seem to be a misplaced note. Laughing Stock is undoubtedly crafted in as exact a way, but there is an improvisational sense to it. While Spirit of Eden may be looking to the heavens for divinity, to find God, Laughing Stock instead looks to Earth and humanity itself to find the same thing. They are both impossibly beautiful albums. 'Wealth' brought me to tears the first time I heard it, a sort of culmination of one of the most exhilarating listening experiences I had had up until that point. Even Hollis's self titled solo album, to me, seeks the divine as well, perhaps in a third way - in one's self.
OH MY GOD YOU DID LAUGHING STOCK ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES OF ALL TIME You definitely hit the hammer on the head with your descriptions of the music being "biblical" and "pastoral" in tone -- I mean, you look at the cover art with the tree and the birds on it shaping out the outlines of the Earth's continents, over a bare Earth and a sky tinged with the first moments of reddish sunrise; it's like it's telling us, "this is the beginning, the dawn." And then you read the song titles: Ascension Day, After The Flood, New Grass, et cetera -- it's as if they're all thematically centered around a flood, or some kind of natural catastrophe. What I love about this album is the masterful understanding and use of dynamics. The sheer, stark contrasts between loudness and softness. The first notes of Myrrhman wander in so quietly, like a passing whisper, and the rest of the song continues in that same fashion: gentle, brooding, earthy sounds with Mark Hollis's voice more an accompaniment rather than the focus. So, when the first guitar hits in Ascension Day come in, they're absolutely massive. Like an uncontrollable force of nature, they sweep in like a torrential rainstorm, and the drums begin to pick up, and the momentum of the track is just so powerful and mesmerizing. I absolutely love it. People like to talk about specific "sequences" of songs in albums that work excellently together, like the famous Airbag-Paranoid Android-Subterranean triplet at the start of OK Computer. And in my opinion, the first three tracks of Laughing Stock is one of those special sequences. You've already got a 5 Albums Post Rock video, but if you ever do a "Five Albums To Get You Into 1st Wave Post Rock," I think this album would be a definitive Number One for that video, along with possibly Hex by Bark Psychosis and TNT by Tortoise.
Excellent summation and analysis. Thank you for being one of a kind and examining this work of genius on TH-cam. It truly is one of the greatest albums ever recorded! Subscribed!
I waited patiently for this masterpiece to come out and had it on pre-order from Virgin megastore, i'd followed the journey from pop synth to the grand post rock epic Spirit of Eden which is still one of the finest albums ever made. In fact the trio of albums, Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are probably up there as absolute classics, fortunately I have all three on vinyl and the Mark Hollis solo album which at the time was a disappointment but has grown on me as well. He was a genius which is often overused but there are no other adjectives to describe him, RIP.
This video started me on a deep dive into Talk Talk and I've had their final three albums on repeat all day. I'm amazed. thanks for this video! Laughing Stock so far is my favorite, particularly "Taphead" and "New Grass."
I love this band (and the video of course)! They're absolutely brilliant and so interesting to read about and discover more about, however I feel a bit alone in my opinion that the album "It's My Life" is bloody great! It has some brilliant pop songs like Such a Shame, It's My Life, Call in the Night Boy and Dum Dum Girl but also a couple of slower and really beautiful songs in Renée and Tomorrow Started. I kind of feel like the sheer perfection of the last three albums overshadows it despite it having a number of great songs on it. As always brilliant video, really loved it!
Oliver Harper I might like that album more than Colour Of Spring, perfect pop album. Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock are on another level though of course
I agree with your opinion about their early albums as well. They don't represent the same complexity as their later efforts, but as pop records and as post-punk/new wave I think they are far better quality than some of their contemporaries. I say "post-punk" because the band actually was a "punk" band, prior to changing their name to Talk Talk. Even their "title" song, Talk Talk is a carryover, and you can find (somewhere) the original non-synth version they did under their old name - which I can't remember off the top of my head. I think I heard it as a bonus cut on some remastered and reissued cd version I had years ago. Ah, I just remembered (and no, I didn't google it lol) they were called "The Reaction." At least I think that is what it was. My memory isn't quite what it used to be. Pre-internet I used to be a walking music encyclopedia, but I've lost a lot of it in the intervening years simply because I don't actually have to recall it anymore. Can just go to Allmusic or Discogs. Incidentally, over a number of years, I did spend literally months worth of hours, pouring over the allmusic guide as it first went up online and began to fill out - to supplement what I had already learned. It was a joy for a music obsessive like myself, and I'm glad that folks your age have all this at your fingertips. Cheers
You are not alone...the whole world liked it.....Although beautiful, Talk Talk definitively elevated to a higher level with their last 2 records.....it is probably something they wanted to do from the start. So It's my life is just the epiloqe even how weird that sounds. Does Caroline know is my favorite of that record.
The first time I listened to this album I couldn't stand it. I was looking for something like Godspeed, and just found this to be annoying and pretentious. But on the second listen or third listen, the opening of Myrrhman touched me so deeply and the trumpet ringing out just plastered a smile across my face and I felt completely at peace. It's one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard.
I'm really glad you chose this album. I only just came across your Deep Cuts project, and I've listened appreciatively to a dozen or so. I think you're doing an exceptional job, at an extremely difficult task to do well: thoughtfully and meaningfully putting into words how you experience the essence of the music you enjoy. I'm a historian by trade, and a musical historian by obsession. :-) At 37, I've therefore read/heard an awful lot of music critiquing and synopsis creating over the years, even before the ubiquity of it on the internet, and I still think you are one of the best I've come across thus far. So cheers to that. Again, I'm very glad you chose this album and I'm even happier to hear that it sounds like it is finally getting its due acknowledgment, given that you said it is now accepted as an important work. When I first heard it, back in the mid 90's, it was still almost unknown outside of "post-rock" circles. Those that had heard it, understood how great it was (and I know "great" is a pathetic adjective, but I'm not writing for flair here :-)) and hoped it would some day receive its due. Mark Hollis finally released a semi-followup to this album, in the form of his his self-titled solo outing in 1998, and I remember being excited just to hear that it was coming out. It didn't disappoint either. I'm guessing by the breadth of your musical knowledge/exposure that you've also heard it, but in the rare event that you have not, I would highly recommend it. I have to say, it is a bit weird hearing someone so much younger than me, talk effectively and with such authority on music, but I suppose it is the legacy of the internet and music streaming etc. When I first developed my unhealthy obsession with music, and worked in music stores in the late 90's and early 2000's - converting my paychecks into store credit essentially (lol), napster had just come along, and before that I was pretty much limited to what I could financially afford and what cd's I could temporarily borrow from friends. For a number of years, my internet connection wasn't really good enough for downloading, and music streaming didn't exist for all intents and purposes, and so music was still a word of mouth affair - with the exception of some UK music magazines like MOJO that were hard to come by over here in the USA. The world is so much different now and it is hard to grasp at times - a la your piece on music overload (I can't think off hand of the descriptor you used). When I was your age it took decades to get a similar grasp and perspective of music to what you've accomplished - and I'm in no way intending that to sound like a knock or anything. I'm glad that music is so accessible now that something like your Deep Cuts project is even possible. So, once again - cheers on your success so far and keep up the good work. (if its even going to allow me to post something this long here in the comments - I've not posted a youtube comment before - I know this is probably not the typical forum for writing something of this length, but as someone who came up before all this, I tend to ignore what one is or is not "supposed" to do. :-)
Thank you for the history lesson on the band in this era.. I've always cherished this MASSIVELY underrated album. "The utilization of space and silence" and the beautiful fragility, ethereal, triumphant.. spot on my friend.
Enjoyed your review more than I expected to. Very good understanding of a complex record, and great to see people of your age discovering this great music
Ah yes Talk Talk, one the most unknowingly influential and criminally underrated bands ever. People forget that before Mogwai, Godspeed, Mono and the countless other post-rock bands out there now, there was post synth-pop Talk Talk. Mark Hollis's solo album is pretty blinding too.
enjoyed this very much! i've introduced many friends to this album and the centerpiece (the one everyone seems to respond to without me having to coerce them) is "after the flood." i've even described that track as possibly the best song ever created and i haven't had anyone call me crazy yet :-)
Great review of an outstanding Album, there’s no album like it. Spirit of Eden might be the most similar album to it.. another unique masterpiece. Talk Talk and especially Mark Hollis really outdid themselves with their last two records.
I love your articulate descriptions, your serene voice, your British accent, and your very handsome face. Listening to you talk about albums I love is validating, cathartic and almost as enjoyable as listening to the albums themselves. No homo tho, for reals
Jolly good vid Oliver! I love Hollis' second quote because the idea of simplicity was never something I thought about in terms of music. I've been a musician for 9 years and my mindset for songwriting was: "ADD PLENTY OF CHORDS, MA BOY! ONE OR TWO WON"T FLY!" I have many influences but Talk Talk never came to mind until your video! First tried Spirit of Eden with context in my head, and was floating in the air next to the tree on the album cover, or in other words, I loved it! Laughing Stock did the same and not only got me into the band, but made me change the way I think about music in a positive way! And it was all thanks to your video! I just want to let you know that your channel works, at least for one random kid xD I love your never-ending passion for music because it encourages me to be more open to different things! And it's fun to connect with people of same interests! Hope you love doing the channel, keep on enlightening! Cheers from Iowa!
spirit and laughing stock are 2 of my all time top 5. Absolutely beautiful. (spirit being just a tad higher because of the track "I believe in you") along with the next selection of Radiohead achieving the same creative energy in the release Moon Shaped Pool.
@William Magee That would be hard to do. My top 5 does change but these consistently stay up there. Currently I would consider interchangeably positioned top 5 to be these two as well as Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones, Boards of Canada -Tomorrow's Harvest, XTC skylarking. It is becoming harder and harder though to keep them consistent. Every once in a while I feel compelled to listen to Grant Lee Buffalo's Copperopolis or Wilco's Being There. The pure imagination behind albums like Skinny Puppy's Cleanse Fold and Manipulate. The craftwork behind ALan PArson's Turn of a friendly card.
A laudable and touching attempt to describe such a masterpiece which can hardly be put in words. I cannot think of a band who evolved in such as way. The whole world should be quite and listen to Mark Hollis and his spiritual musical poetry. I hope he found new grass.
Incredible in looking at these comments, which are very good, how individually every track on the record has been singled out as someone’s all-time favorite.
I had heard a lot about how different this album was, but still remember being totally stunned on my first listen. It still has that effect on me now. Incredible record
Great here I am sitting here now having listened to this very interesting record for the very first time based purely on your recommendation Oliver and now I am going to have to listen to some more of the bands back catalog just to see if it is in any way shape or form as captivating and interesting as this record - i am 49 this year and had ignored this band up until approx 43 minutes ago !! thanks mate seriously thanks! ( oh and now Spirit of Eden has just started on You tube based on my last listen on line - again thanks mate this time seriously thanks)
Loved The Colour of Spring and am excited to listen to this as well. Keep making these essentials videos, need some more records to add to my collection. Thanks for the recommendation!
Of course I knew Talk Talk from the 80s and I had this record on my PC hard drive for over 20 years without ever listening to it. But two years ago I rediscovered Talk Talk and finally listened to this album: it blew me away! David Sylvian is my favorite musician and there were so many parallels to his music. Since then, the songs from this album and "Spirit of Eden" have been part of my everyday life.
This record is pivotal in my life: definitely a "before & after" game changer to how I even considered Music as an artform. I wish you discussed the stunning Taphead, a song so powerful I named my internet radio show after it.
The Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock together form possibly the greatest work’s of art, whichever your chosen medium, from Joyce’s Ulysses to Michelngelo’s Sistine chapel.
i love this band and have for many years, always differant, this album and Mark Hollis solo album should be listened to with headphone on, its the only way, you hear every note, i love it all so much.
Just found this channel and after watching your Eno overview discovered you'd covered my favourite album of all time. Subbed and excited to check out the rest of your content.
I love the cover for this album, they're birds covering the tree to form Earth's continents. It's also the most atmospheric album I've ever listened to.
Nice review. This album has haunted me since I first heard it back in the early ‘90’s and I’ve never actually heard it so perfectly captured in words before.
Hi Oliver, its great to see this album get the credit it deserves.Your videos are very interesting and informative.i was a young man when this came out.Im off to listen to it now. keep up the great vids
Excellent review, I agree completely. Absolute masterpiece. New Grass is also one of my favourite songs ever. Never want for it to end, I well up every time it does.
Would you consider doing a 'Guided by Voices' guide? You videos are so informative, even for works I'm familiar with. I'd love to see you tackle a catalogue as immense as theirs.
Awesome take on this record and a great review! This record, along with "The Spirit Of Eden" takes many listens to digest. Clearly, both are masterpieces way ahead of their time. Why has it taken me over 30 years to love this band?
Living in central Mexico at the time, I bought this damn album on cassette when it came out, I already had It's My Life and Color Of Spring on vinyl, Spirit Of Eden was hard to find at the time. This damn album was the finest album I'd ever heard in my life, and I've been telling this to anyone within earshot for nearly the last 30 years.
Also, I don' t know if you've heard about no-man. It's actually on of my favorite bands and i think you'd like some of their material. Returning Jesus and Together we're stranger are similar to some of Talk Talk or David Sylvian work when it comes to creating atmosphere.
Please do a guide to "Oxbow"! They're one of my favorite bands who are criminally under appreciated and you would be the perfect connoisseur to break them down.
I was listening to the album before i see this presentation and for part of it i was fixating on the drums and how i could almost feel a distance of them (in a good way), thanks for your explanation of the mic set up, it all makes sense now. It really is an album of musical genius, for want of better words.
Talk Talk was once a Synthpop band like Depeche Mode but then in their third album it was more of an emotional trip through spring with harmonicas and other stuff but in their last two albums it was the warning that Talk Talk might break up and after this album they did break up. I really like listening to Talk Talk since December 2014 and I still do listen to some of their albums, But most importantly their final album was truly a masterpiece.
Hearing those viola scrapes on New Grass for the first time changed the way I listen to music from the ground up. And, not joking or exaggerating in the least, my single religious experience happened while listening to Taphead.
Yes it was worth it . Yes, the Vocals of MH are unique. Love your Analysis. It gives the necessary respect and recognition to this masterpiece and the genius of Mark Hollis! This Album and Spirit of Eden are divine. Just love Laughing Stock more. Thanks Oliver. Well said!
I found Spirit of Eden through, of all things, a thread of Imgur and it was a wonderful musical awakening. I, of course, listened to Laughing Stock and for me these 2 records are some of the most underrated and underappreciated records from the late 80s/early 90s. The calm tension they achieve is immensely unique, a feeling I've only ever also found on 'Ki' by Devin Townsend. But that album does eventually unleash that tension into a grand finale. And I think their influence on the 1st wave of Post-Rock is undeniable. They've really left a legacy.
my only experience with Talk Talk outside of the singles we heard here in the states was mark hollis colour of spring ( if im remembering that title right). was amazed by that album. the quietness beauty. really looking forward to checking this out.
You are referring to Hollis self titled solo-album from 1998. The opening song on there is titled The Colour Of Spring. It's a very spacious and minimal beauty yes. Like he is stripping away all the layers until he is left with that which is only essential - it's his farewell. He has been silent ever since.
thanks for this. you exactly speak my mind! funny comimf from such a young lad. i will now check out your other recommendations - hopefully you will introduce me to something equally as strong that i haven't heard, yet...
So thrilled to see this! One of my all time favourites. I strongly recommend listening to the song Ljudett Innan by Storm Corrosion. Most of the album has a fragile atmosphere akin to Laughing Stock. Thanks so much for your thoughts Oliver and I look forward to your Radiohead guide.
I always thought Ljudett Innan had a strong Talk Talk influence. Best song on that album for sure. Wish Wilson and Akerfeldt would do another Storm Corrosion album.
Anthony has the best teeth in the game.
Oliver has the best taste in the game.
I'll settle for that!
Still I'd like to hear a podcast of Oliver and Anthony. Dat Brit/American shit would be cool.
woah thats a big claim
best hair
Ghoulish o
If New Grass was 25 minutes long, it’d still be too short.
No other combination of words could be more true
I wanted to write something like this, I envy that you discovered "Laughing Stock" earlier than myself
Even the title means more than meets the eye. Alas in France nobody has heard of this magnificient album which I bought when released, aged 20...since that time, I ve come to like Radiohead, acid jazz, trip hop...Really Talk Talk and Bowie pierced my soul, mind and mind and I keep fighting each Day them to them...Good report..greetings to Mark s admirers from a perfectible English speaker. Without translator Mark helped me learn metaphysics, poetry , experience abyssal emotions, grasp the essence of religion, faith and dévotion...RIP
God it's good!
RIP Mark Hollis (1955-2019)
This album is a masterpiece. After the Flood is unmatched.
Memo Pinzon exactly! I love that song.
The solo! It's haunting, painful and beautiful. I always thought the solo represented the flood (or war) itself, then the second half of the song has the same structure as the first, signifying that things never really change and life goes on, just like after a war.
one times some co-workers walked into my office just as that song hit the wild electronic screeching in the middle of the song. They were like "whats wrong with your radio?"
@@andrewluciana8942 Classic.... lol.🤣
Yes!
I'm late but I was just introduced to this album by a friend. When I listen to Laughing Stock, I feel like I have to be completely still. I like to sit outside with my headphones on and I imagine my head as being completely empty with all the sounds echoing around inside it. I can often hear the birds alongside the music.
New Grass is also my favourite track on the album. When he says 'welling up inside me', I get exactly what he means. That descending chord sequence makes me feel like I'm about to cry, but it also makes me feel a strong sense of love. You know when you look at someone you love just going about their business and you get a warm feeling under your ribcage, kind of like a tugging feeling? That's how I feel listening to New Grass.
The album as a whole reminds me of the times I've experienced a moment I wish would never end. You're so happy in that moment, perhaps doing something you thought you'd never get to do, or being with people you love and feeling like they love you back just as much, and you're not worrying about anything. The outside world becomes irrelavent. But at the same time there's an underlying sense of sadness that this moment must end, it can't go on forever. And then under *that* is the slight guilt you feel for not being able to just 'live in the moment', instead feeling as if you've tainted it with your awareness of impermenance.
I'm aware that some people feel like this record is incredibly sad, devastating eve, and although I can empathise with that, I feel like it's impossible to feel unhappy while listening to it, because every note is in the right place.
Hopefully this gets lost in the comments section... just felt like I had to get those thoughts written down :-)
So beautifully put into words...thank you
It's so important to me to know what other Talk Talk fans think. It feels like the band is alive again. Missing Mark so much these days...
Thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts.... Mark could connect so many things in us and in the world. His work is all about oneness. Just beautiful, touching.... He was, is and will stay the love of my life.... The person/man you wouldlove to have arond you 24/7...who can fell you and the world without talking. Such a beautiful soul and he could touch ours very deeply indeed.
😍😇
Personally prefer Spirit Of Eden but any appreciation of Talk Talk's later efforts sounds perfect to me
For me they are on par, both fantastic records
I love Colour of spring. Maybe its because of the times ive been listening to it
I remember discovering their albums in reverse order; first Laughing Stock, then Spirit of Eden and lastly Colour of Spring. I enjoy them all and listen to them a great deal, but Laughing Stock is probably my favourite. The first track made a big impression on me and it's probably one of my most listened tracks of all time. A few years since I last listened to it though.
washaa they had five albums .
The only way that 'The Spirit Of Eden' is better is if you play it before 'Laughing Stock' and 'Mark Hollis' after!
With Mark's passing... I've been reflecting on some things. I was good friends with Holger Czukay of CAN. I remember shooting him an e-mail once after I had read where Mark and Talk Talk were highly interested in Can's music. Holger responded with, "Ah!! The fellow with the high pitched voice!" But seeing what Mark said in this video reminded me of something Holger told me once after I had asked him how the remixes he was working on at the time were going. He said, "Very good.... more empty". I think Mark and Talk Talk were on this same path.... Some people are great at it. Holger could be. Brian Eno could be. Mark and Talk Talk found it as well.
Wow.... that’s so great.
weird, just saw another guy reference these two bands on a radiohead tune (saying, until radiohead makes music as good as CAN or Talk Talk, to not bother him). are these two groups connected or just a coincidence?
Easily my favorite album of all time. I think its use of silence is the most important aspect of what makes it great and unique. When all of the instruments fall away, which happens frequently throughout the album, there is never the crystalline, digital silence we've come to expect on modern records, but always subtle white noise that conveys a sense of the music being performed in a real place and not just disembodied instruments floating in nothingness. As a result it recreates the tension, serenity, or loneliness that often accompany silence in real life. People usually compare this album to "Spirit of Eden", which I like less because it feels like it still has one foot in their previous record, "The Colour of Spring". "Spirit of Eden" is a tad more traditionalist than "Laughing Stock" and, for me, isn't as distinctive. Anecdotally, I've noticed "Spirit of Eden" tends to be the favorite of older Talk Talk fans who were blown away by it when it came out, while many fans hearing these records for the first time years later devoid of the chronological context, like myself, prefer "Laughing Stock". For those who really love this album, I would recommend lead singer/songwriter Mark Hollis' follow up to this album, his debut solo album, simply titled "Mark Hollis" which I think is the most similar album to this one.
New Grass actually made me cry on my first playthrough
As it did me!
every track made me cry
You deconstructed this album beautifully. You're definitely one of the best music channels on TH-cam.
Ah thanks a lot Kyle, much appreciated!
Mark Feltham's harmonica is so key to the sound.
Talk Talk also wrote a song called "John Cope" during The Colour of Spring but it didn't make the final album. They revisited it during Spirit of Eden and released it as the b-side to the Single "I Believe In You". Many consider John Cope to be a perfect bridge between The Colour of Spring and Spirit of Eden. It really fuses the two distinct sounds of both those albums together and it's a brilliant track.
"Many consider John Cope to be a perfect bridge between The Colour of Spring and Spirit of Eden."
I get what you mean, however "Chameleon Day" does this part for me.
I still own that disc and hadn’t listened to it that way. Underrated nonetheless.
Personally I think 'It's Getting Late In The Evening' (the B side to Life's What You Make It) is the track that changed their path. For me it was like a lightbulb turning on.
@@MrMurcutio The awesomeness started with Tomorrow Started
I absolutely love everything Mark Hollis and Talk Talk has ever done. Such a visionary band
The Mark Hollis solo album is also so fucking good, an extension of the sound Talk Talk was experimenting with on Laughing Stock. It has a real emotional heaviness, not an easy listen, but definitely a rewarding one.
The rhythm section of Talk Talk went on to form 'O' Rang who put out a couple pretty cool dubby experimental albums that are hard to find, but worth seeking out.
Paul Webb is also the "Rustin Man" of Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man. You can hear a Talk Talk influence all over that too.
'O' Rang is quite good, I would second that recommendation.
I was just about to mention Orang, also essential on this journey.
@@shroom2ma Another album that went for ridiculous prices until it was re-released recently as a 20th anniversary 180gm pressing.
As a huge fan of late Talk Talk, I do love some moments on Mark Hollis solo album, especially "A Life" and "The Gift". But as a whole the album remains a though listen. It's so sparse and tenuous that by moments you wish it would be just a bit richer or "thicker"... Also, some ideas form and then just crash down... something that is typical of Laughing Stock too and is certainly a way to avoid easiness... but it can be somewhat frustrating especially on "Mark Hollis".
What I try to say is though I really admire Mark Hollis, and really appreciate his solo album (and hoped so much for any new relase by him until his death)... people tend to quickly call it a masterpiece without mentioning its flaws.
Without insult please, what do you personnaly think?
Talk Talk is one of those bands that, upon discovering them, (specially the last two albums) you feel disappointed in yourself somewhat that it's taken so long. They fill a void you didn't even know you had, and there's a "before and after hearing Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock". I get similar feelings from both, reaching for the divine in a way, but they go about it differently. Spirit of Eden feels almost perfect in its composition - there doesn't seem to be a misplaced note. Laughing Stock is undoubtedly crafted in as exact a way, but there is an improvisational sense to it. While Spirit of Eden may be looking to the heavens for divinity, to find God, Laughing Stock instead looks to Earth and humanity itself to find the same thing. They are both impossibly beautiful albums. 'Wealth' brought me to tears the first time I heard it, a sort of culmination of one of the most exhilarating listening experiences I had had up until that point. Even Hollis's self titled solo album, to me, seeks the divine as well, perhaps in a third way - in one's self.
OH MY GOD YOU DID LAUGHING STOCK ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES OF ALL TIME
You definitely hit the hammer on the head with your descriptions of the music being "biblical" and "pastoral" in tone -- I mean, you look at the cover art with the tree and the birds on it shaping out the outlines of the Earth's continents, over a bare Earth and a sky tinged with the first moments of reddish sunrise; it's like it's telling us, "this is the beginning, the dawn." And then you read the song titles: Ascension Day, After The Flood, New Grass, et cetera -- it's as if they're all thematically centered around a flood, or some kind of natural catastrophe.
What I love about this album is the masterful understanding and use of dynamics. The sheer, stark contrasts between loudness and softness. The first notes of Myrrhman wander in so quietly, like a passing whisper, and the rest of the song continues in that same fashion: gentle, brooding, earthy sounds with Mark Hollis's voice more an accompaniment rather than the focus. So, when the first guitar hits in Ascension Day come in, they're absolutely massive. Like an uncontrollable force of nature, they sweep in like a torrential rainstorm, and the drums begin to pick up, and the momentum of the track is just so powerful and mesmerizing. I absolutely love it. People like to talk about specific "sequences" of songs in albums that work excellently together, like the famous Airbag-Paranoid Android-Subterranean triplet at the start of OK Computer. And in my opinion, the first three tracks of Laughing Stock is one of those special sequences.
You've already got a 5 Albums Post Rock video, but if you ever do a "Five Albums To Get You Into 1st Wave Post Rock," I think this album would be a definitive Number One for that video, along with possibly Hex by Bark Psychosis and TNT by Tortoise.
Wow Oliver, great moves, keep it up. Proud of you!
Radiohead wouldn't be Radiohead without Talk Talk. Nice Review
It’s a masterpiece!
After the flood is one of the greatest tracks ever.
Excellent summation and analysis. Thank you for being one of a kind and examining this work of genius on TH-cam. It truly is one of the greatest albums ever recorded! Subscribed!
I waited patiently for this masterpiece to come out and had it on pre-order from Virgin megastore, i'd followed the journey from pop synth to the grand post rock epic Spirit of Eden which is still one of the finest albums ever made. In fact the trio of albums, Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are probably up there as absolute classics, fortunately I have all three on vinyl and the Mark Hollis solo album which at the time was a disappointment but has grown on me as well. He was a genius which is often overused but there are no other adjectives to describe him, RIP.
This video started me on a deep dive into Talk Talk and I've had their final three albums on repeat all day. I'm amazed. thanks for this video! Laughing Stock so far is my favorite, particularly "Taphead" and "New Grass."
Hopefully at some point in the last 2 years, you've discovered Mark Hollis' self titled solo album that came out in 1998
I always say Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are The Godfather I and II of music. They're pioneers in craftsmanship for their respective mediums.
I love this band (and the video of course)! They're absolutely brilliant and so interesting to read about and discover more about, however I feel a bit alone in my opinion that the album "It's My Life" is bloody great! It has some brilliant pop songs like Such a Shame, It's My Life, Call in the Night Boy and Dum Dum Girl but also a couple of slower and really beautiful songs in Renée and Tomorrow Started. I kind of feel like the sheer perfection of the last three albums overshadows it despite it having a number of great songs on it. As always brilliant video, really loved it!
Oliver Harper I might like that album more than Colour Of Spring, perfect pop album. Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock are on another level though of course
I agree with your opinion about their early albums as well. They don't represent the same complexity as their later efforts, but as pop records and as post-punk/new wave I think they are far better quality than some of their contemporaries. I say "post-punk" because the band actually was a "punk" band, prior to changing their name to Talk Talk. Even their "title" song, Talk Talk is a carryover, and you can find (somewhere) the original non-synth version they did under their old name - which I can't remember off the top of my head. I think I heard it as a bonus cut on some remastered and reissued cd version I had years ago. Ah, I just remembered (and no, I didn't google it lol) they were called "The Reaction." At least I think that is what it was. My memory isn't quite what it used to be. Pre-internet I used to be a walking music encyclopedia, but I've lost a lot of it in the intervening years simply because I don't actually have to recall it anymore. Can just go to Allmusic or Discogs. Incidentally, over a number of years, I did spend literally months worth of hours, pouring over the allmusic guide as it first went up online and began to fill out - to supplement what I had already learned. It was a joy for a music obsessive like myself, and I'm glad that folks your age have all this at your fingertips. Cheers
You are not alone...the whole world liked it.....Although beautiful, Talk Talk definitively elevated to a higher level with their last 2 records.....it is probably something they wanted to do from the start. So It's my life is just the epiloqe even how weird that sounds. Does Caroline know is my favorite of that record.
The first time I listened to this album I couldn't stand it. I was looking for something like Godspeed, and just found this to be annoying and pretentious. But on the second listen or third listen, the opening of Myrrhman touched me so deeply and the trumpet ringing out just plastered a smile across my face and I felt completely at peace. It's one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard.
The song Ascension blew me away on first listen!
fantastic track
It's been like 3 years since I first heard Laughing Stock. And to this day this album is still a huge enigma to me
I'm really glad you chose this album. I only just came across your Deep Cuts project, and I've listened appreciatively to a dozen or so. I think you're doing an exceptional job, at an extremely difficult task to do well: thoughtfully and meaningfully putting into words how you experience the essence of the music you enjoy. I'm a historian by trade, and a musical historian by obsession. :-) At 37, I've therefore read/heard an awful lot of music critiquing and synopsis creating over the years, even before the ubiquity of it on the internet, and I still think you are one of the best I've come across thus far. So cheers to that. Again, I'm very glad you chose this album and I'm even happier to hear that it sounds like it is finally getting its due acknowledgment, given that you said it is now accepted as an important work. When I first heard it, back in the mid 90's, it was still almost unknown outside of "post-rock" circles. Those that had heard it, understood how great it was (and I know "great" is a pathetic adjective, but I'm not writing for flair here :-)) and hoped it would some day receive its due. Mark Hollis finally released a semi-followup to this album, in the form of his his self-titled solo outing in 1998, and I remember being excited just to hear that it was coming out. It didn't disappoint either. I'm guessing by the breadth of your musical knowledge/exposure that you've also heard it, but in the rare event that you have not, I would highly recommend it. I have to say, it is a bit weird hearing someone so much younger than me, talk effectively and with such authority on music, but I suppose it is the legacy of the internet and music streaming etc. When I first developed my unhealthy obsession with music, and worked in music stores in the late 90's and early 2000's - converting my paychecks into store credit essentially (lol), napster had just come along, and before that I was pretty much limited to what I could financially afford and what cd's I could temporarily borrow from friends. For a number of years, my internet connection wasn't really good enough for downloading, and music streaming didn't exist for all intents and purposes, and so music was still a word of mouth affair - with the exception of some UK music magazines like MOJO that were hard to come by over here in the USA. The world is so much different now and it is hard to grasp at times - a la your piece on music overload (I can't think off hand of the descriptor you used). When I was your age it took decades to get a similar grasp and perspective of music to what you've accomplished - and I'm in no way intending that to sound like a knock or anything. I'm glad that music is so accessible now that something like your Deep Cuts project is even possible. So, once again - cheers on your success so far and keep up the good work. (if its even going to allow me to post something this long here in the comments - I've not posted a youtube comment before - I know this is probably not the typical forum for writing something of this length, but as someone who came up before all this, I tend to ignore what one is or is not "supposed" to do. :-)
Thank you for the history lesson on the band in this era.. I've always cherished this MASSIVELY underrated album. "The utilization of space and silence" and the beautiful fragility, ethereal, triumphant.. spot on my friend.
This may sound strange, but I wish Radiohead would try to make an album like this.
Who knows, maybe they have a record like this in them
Amnesiac might be the closest they ever got to this IMO, but even that's a long shot.
Agreed. Reckoner also came to mind!
I had that exact same thought when I first listened to Laughing Stock.
Thom Yorke once said in the interview that Spirit of Eden was very influential for Radiohead during they work on OK Computer
A work of art suspended in its own space and time. Best ever.
Enjoyed your review more than I expected to. Very good understanding of a complex record, and great to see people of your age discovering this great music
It's so warm and inviting. Sooo prettyyyyyyyyyyyy.
RIP Mark Hollis. Been a fan for 35 years. Still discovering new sounds and meaning to the songs. Thanks for the review.
Ah yes Talk Talk, one the most unknowingly influential and criminally underrated bands ever. People forget that before Mogwai, Godspeed, Mono and the countless other post-rock bands out there now, there was post synth-pop Talk Talk. Mark Hollis's solo album is pretty blinding too.
enjoyed this very much! i've introduced many friends to this album and the centerpiece (the one everyone seems to respond to without me having to coerce them) is "after the flood." i've even described that track as possibly the best song ever created and i haven't had anyone call me crazy yet :-)
And are 2 versions of After the Flood. One starts like in the middle is a genius.
Great review of an outstanding Album, there’s no album like it. Spirit of Eden might be the most similar album to it.. another unique masterpiece. Talk Talk and especially Mark Hollis really outdid themselves with their last two records.
I love your articulate descriptions, your serene voice, your British accent, and your very handsome face. Listening to you talk about albums I love is validating, cathartic and almost as enjoyable as listening to the albums themselves. No homo tho, for reals
New Grass is probably the most beautiful song ever made. Thank you for all the music, Mark.
Jolly good vid Oliver! I love Hollis' second quote because the idea of simplicity was never something I thought about in terms of music. I've been a musician for 9 years and my mindset for songwriting was: "ADD PLENTY OF CHORDS, MA BOY! ONE OR TWO WON"T FLY!" I have many influences but Talk Talk never came to mind until your video! First tried Spirit of Eden with context in my head, and was floating in the air next to the tree on the album cover, or in other words, I loved it! Laughing Stock did the same and not only got me into the band, but made me change the way I think about music in a positive way! And it was all thanks to your video! I just want to let you know that your channel works, at least for one random kid xD I love your never-ending passion for music because it encourages me to be more open to different things! And it's fun to connect with people of same interests! Hope you love doing the channel, keep on enlightening! Cheers from Iowa!
When I first heard "Inheritance" off Spirit of Eden I was blown away. The chorus hook is so good. I couldn't help but listening to it over and over.
"spirit of eden" and "laughing stock" are masterpieces of modern music
spirit and laughing stock are 2 of my all time top 5. Absolutely beautiful. (spirit being just a tad higher because of the track "I believe in you") along with the next selection of Radiohead achieving the same creative energy in the release Moon Shaped Pool.
Same here! Laughing Stock at #2 & Spirit of Eden at #5
@William Magee That would be hard to do. My top 5 does change but these consistently stay up there. Currently I would consider interchangeably positioned top 5 to be these two as well as Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones, Boards of Canada -Tomorrow's Harvest, XTC skylarking. It is becoming harder and harder though to keep them consistent. Every once in a while I feel compelled to listen to Grant Lee Buffalo's Copperopolis or Wilco's Being There. The pure imagination behind albums like Skinny Puppy's Cleanse Fold and Manipulate. The craftwork behind ALan PArson's Turn of a friendly card.
The transition from Ascension Day into After the Flood was the single best listening experience I've ever had listening to music.
A laudable and touching attempt to describe such a masterpiece which can hardly be put in words. I cannot think of a band who evolved in such as way. The whole world should be quite and listen to Mark Hollis and his spiritual musical poetry. I hope he found new grass.
Couldn’t agree more! After the Flood is my personal favorite song of all time! Such a hidden gem of an album!
Incredible in looking at these comments, which are very good, how individually every track on the record has been singled out as someone’s all-time favorite.
This is such a fantastic record. Ascension Day is one of my all-time favourite tracks.
I had heard a lot about how different this album was, but still remember being totally stunned on my first listen. It still has that effect on me now. Incredible record
Great here I am sitting here now having listened to this very interesting record for the very first time based purely on your recommendation Oliver and now I am going to have to listen to some more of the bands back catalog just to see if it is in any way shape or form as captivating and interesting as this record - i am 49 this year and had ignored this band up until approx 43 minutes ago !! thanks mate seriously thanks! ( oh and now Spirit of Eden has just started on You tube based on my last listen on line - again thanks mate this time seriously thanks)
Loved The Colour of Spring and am excited to listen to this as well. Keep making these essentials videos, need some more records to add to my collection. Thanks for the recommendation!
find out about this album thanks to this video, bought the vinyl two days later. Thanks Oliver, incredible experience
Fantastic review.
Thanks for this!! One of my favorite bands of all time
Of course I knew Talk Talk from the 80s and I had this record on my PC hard drive for over 20 years without ever listening to it. But two years ago I rediscovered Talk Talk and finally listened to this album: it blew me away! David Sylvian is my favorite musician and there were so many parallels to his music. Since then, the songs from this album and "Spirit of Eden" have been part of my everyday life.
Glad to see you talk about this one, my favourite album.
Thanks for watching mate!
Your taste blows my mind man. Love this album
You definitely deserve more subscribers and views. You seem to put a lot of time and effort into your content. Keep it up.
This is easily one of my all time favorite albums. When I first heard after the flood I wanted to cry it was so beautiful
My favourite TH-cam channel about music. Can't wait for more
You've convinced me to give this a go; saw the album around and have seen it being reviewed quite well so I think now is the time to give it a go. ✌️
You won't regret it mate
It might take more than one go, but once your in... your in...
Another reason '91 is a contender for best year in music.
? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Stock_(album)
Loveless, Achtung Baby, Laughing Stock, Nevermind, Ten, Out Of Time. It's the best
Spiderland
Blue lines.....
You nailed it with every single word you said - Nothing more to add - You`re awesome.
This record is pivotal in my life: definitely a "before & after" game changer to how I even considered Music as an artform. I wish you discussed the stunning Taphead, a song so powerful I named my internet radio show after it.
Laughing Stock is my favorite album of all time.
The Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock together form possibly the greatest work’s of art, whichever your chosen medium, from Joyce’s Ulysses to Michelngelo’s Sistine chapel.
i love this band and have for many years, always differant, this album and Mark Hollis solo album should be listened to with headphone on, its the only way, you hear every note, i love it all so much.
what a video. "A heat in a jar" man you really enjoy using words!
Just found this channel and after watching your Eno overview discovered you'd covered my favourite album of all time. Subbed and excited to check out the rest of your content.
I will check this, 'Spirit of eden' is one of my all time faves but some reason I've not really checked out much of their other stuff.
I love the cover for this album, they're birds covering the tree to form Earth's continents. It's also the most atmospheric album I've ever listened to.
Crazy how I had never heard of this record or band before. New Grass is just...fucking beautiful, man.
Nice review. This album has haunted me since I first heard it back in the early ‘90’s and I’ve never actually heard it so perfectly captured in words before.
Hi Oliver, its great to see this album get the credit it deserves.Your videos are very interesting and informative.i was a young man when this came out.Im off to listen to it now.
keep up the great vids
Excellent review, I agree completely. Absolute masterpiece. New Grass is also one of my favourite songs ever. Never want for it to end, I well up every time it does.
Would you consider doing a 'Guided by Voices' guide? You videos are so informative, even for works I'm familiar with. I'd love to see you tackle a catalogue as immense as theirs.
Awesome take on this record and a great review! This record, along with "The Spirit Of Eden" takes many listens to digest. Clearly, both are masterpieces way ahead of their time. Why has it taken me over 30 years to love this band?
definitely going to give this one a spin
do it!
YES!!!! Brilliant man. This is tied with Kid A for my second favorite album ever (Public Strain by Women is my number 1) Great video man!
Living in central Mexico at the time, I bought this damn album on cassette when it came out, I already had It's My Life and Color Of Spring on vinyl, Spirit Of Eden was hard to find at the time.
This damn album was the finest album I'd ever heard in my life, and I've been telling this to anyone within earshot for nearly the last 30 years.
This albums changed my the way I look at music. Instantly clicked as soon as I saw this lol
It's a one of a kind Juan
Also, I don' t know if you've heard about no-man. It's actually on of my favorite bands and i think you'd like some of their material. Returning Jesus and Together we're stranger are similar to some of Talk Talk or David Sylvian work when it comes to creating atmosphere.
There's music and there's Laughing Stock... RIP MARK.
Please do a guide to "Oxbow"! They're one of my favorite bands who are criminally under appreciated and you would be the perfect connoisseur to break them down.
I was listening to the album before i see this presentation and for part of it i was fixating on the drums and how i could almost feel a distance of them (in a good way), thanks for your explanation of the mic set up, it all makes sense now.
It really is an album of musical genius, for want of better words.
Talk Talk was once a Synthpop band like Depeche Mode but then in their third album it was more of an emotional trip through spring with harmonicas and other stuff but in their last two albums it was the warning that Talk Talk might break up and after this album they did break up. I really like listening to Talk Talk since December 2014 and I still do listen to some of their albums, But most importantly their final album was truly a masterpiece.
Hearing those viola scrapes on New Grass for the first time changed the way I listen to music from the ground up. And, not joking or exaggerating in the least, my single religious experience happened while listening to Taphead.
Excellent critique of this timeless classic. Any chance of a crack at The Stranglers 'Black and White'? A dark Psychedelic masterpiece from '78!
Some of the most beautiful music ever created.
Yes it was worth it . Yes, the Vocals of MH are unique. Love your Analysis. It gives the necessary respect
and recognition to this masterpiece and the genius of Mark Hollis! This Album and Spirit of Eden are divine. Just love Laughing Stock more. Thanks Oliver. Well said!
Great passion, great understanding, menschlichkeit is deep in this one, subbed!
this is the best channel on youtube
I found Spirit of Eden through, of all things, a thread of Imgur and it was a wonderful musical awakening. I, of course, listened to Laughing Stock and for me these 2 records are some of the most underrated and underappreciated records from the late 80s/early 90s. The calm tension they achieve is immensely unique, a feeling I've only ever also found on 'Ki' by Devin Townsend. But that album does eventually unleash that tension into a grand finale.
And I think their influence on the 1st wave of Post-Rock is undeniable. They've really left a legacy.
So well said!
my only experience with Talk Talk outside of the singles we heard here in the states was mark hollis colour of spring ( if im remembering that title right). was amazed by that album. the quietness beauty. really looking forward to checking this out.
You are referring to Hollis self titled solo-album from 1998. The opening song on there is titled The Colour Of Spring. It's a very spacious and minimal beauty yes. Like he is stripping away all the layers until he is left with that which is only essential - it's his farewell. He has been silent ever since.
Spirit of Eden is still my favorite but both are fantastic.
thanks for this. you exactly speak my mind! funny comimf from such a young lad. i will now check out your other recommendations - hopefully you will introduce me to something equally as strong that i haven't heard, yet...
One of my all time favorite records, timeless masterpiece.
Would you ever do a guide to New Order or Talking Heads? I would love to know your take on these highly influential artists!
+Miguel Hernandez most definitely, both are planned!
So thrilled to see this! One of my all time favourites. I strongly recommend listening to the song Ljudett Innan by Storm Corrosion. Most of the album has a fragile atmosphere akin to Laughing Stock.
Thanks so much for your thoughts Oliver and I look forward to your Radiohead guide.
I always thought Ljudett Innan had a strong Talk Talk influence. Best song on that album for sure. Wish Wilson and Akerfeldt would do another Storm Corrosion album.
Re-watching this after Mark Hollis' passing. RIP Mark.