I've already discussed at length how much I love Talk Talk. They evolved from bittersweet synthpop to gorgeous jazzy post-rock, all within ten years, managing to invent a genre along the way. They are arguably one of the most important bands of the 80s, which makes their earliest work even funnier in retrospect. They started out like Duran Duran in sound, and though they never matched Duran Duran's commercial success, they became immortalised either way.
And yet their first two albums:
- The Party's Over, from 1982, and;
- It's My Life, from 1984
are both great in their own ways. Maybe I'm biased - I love synthpop, for all its glossy, overproduced vices - but these albums are filled with lovely pop songs, and perhaps best demonstrate just how talented Mark Hollis and the rest of the band were. Anyone could listen to Debussy for hours on end and be inspired by Clair de Lune - going the roundabout way via pop is rather different. (That isn't diminishing Debussy, of course, and I do agree that Talk Talk's final albums are their best. In fact, I'd also state their synthpop albums aren't particularly the best of the genre anyways, but more on that in a bit.)
The Party's Over (1982)
Album art wise, this is by far the weakest for Talk Talk - it's not all that appealing, and there's something about having lips for eyes which disconcerts me.
If you want more Duran Duran comparisons, Colin Thurston, who worked with them on Rio, is the producer here. And yeah, I can hear some sonic similarities - Paul Webb's bass is reminiscent of John Taylor's at times - but Talk Talk's brand of synthpop is more melancholic. There are the bubbly synths, played by Simon Brenner, but Hollis plays piano on opener Talk Talk and closer Candy. The latter in particular is a slow, moody track, with lyrics about a narrator who appears to feel disillusioned having been cheated on. Webb's bass on Candy is fantastic, and it's a remarkable way to close out the album.
Talk Talk - the song, not the band - is high tempo yet similar lyrically, with a delightful piano amidst Lee Harris's artificial disco drumming. Distrustful lovers and feeling out of place seem to come up a lot in the album, and when you compare the lyrics to those on Laughing Stock ("Stair by idle stair, faith one path and the second in fear"), there's a clear step up in Hollis's writing. It's quite obvious to me that, if not for these earlier albums, and Talk Talk made Laughing Stock off the bat, it wouldn't be as good.
Other tracks I love include the self-titled song, with a wonderful bass line and synth riff. The track truly opens up in the chorus, and come the outro explodes into yearning, with empassioned vocals by Hollis. Another Word, the only song by the band to have no writing credit for Hollis, was written by Paul Webb, and I really like it too - it's a fun song, with energetic synths and addictive vocals. The lyrics, meanwhile, are distrustful of powerful institutions - I don't think Duran Duran were into that, no, they preferred singing about...girls on film. And rivers.
Have You Heard The News?, a slow-paced track with a terrific bass line, similarly discusses the effects of the media on people and how it so easily disregards how people actually feel. Hate is a fun pop track, though not a favourite of mine, that has surprisingly cryptic lyrics - according to some, it might be about the effects of a gambling addiction. Either way, having read the lyrics and relistened to the album, I'm surprised by just how dark Talk Talk were at this point; compare them to other contemporaries at the time, like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell, and there's more pessimism here.
Commercially, the album did well - 21st on the album charts, and single Today reached 14th. The single Talk Talk was initially 52nd, but was later re-released and ended up in 23rd. The band were thus a success, even if Record Mirror quipped "gee, is virginity making a comeback?" - I mean, even if it was, at least it wasn't Duran Duran. "If only they'd cheered up, the party might have been much more enjoyable", said Neil Tennant of Smash Hits - as we all know, Neil was all sunshine and rainbows as one half of the Pet Shop Boys.
It's My Life (1984)
Simon Brenner was gone by the time It's My Life came out, for "musical differences", according to Hollis. Long-term collaborator Tim Friese-Greene joined as producer, and slowly everything starts to fall into place for the band. Sonically, the music remains melancholic, but there is greater experimentation present - synths are slowly faded out, and there's trumpet on two tracks. The album art is also more creative; who wouldn't want to be one of the men on the cover, floating on bubbles as the sun sets?
Side A is wonderful - the poppy Dum Dum Girl, with its soaring synths; the foreboding but ultimately epic Such a Shame; the withdrawn, spacious piano ballad Renée; the fantastic, danceable It's My Life, which has a brilliant bass line. Every song is unique in its own way, and showcases the early stages of the band at their best. Such a Shame is particularly brilliant, how it builds up in each verse, before eventually exploding into an energetic chorus, ending with a lonely outro - just a few drum hits and piano notes, before fading into silence. And everyone knows It's My Life, it's by far their biggest song, and it's a well-written synthpop track and up there as one of the band's best.
Side B is more mixed for me. Tomorrow Started is a great opener to the side, with wonderful drumming and synths in the intro, which fades out before Hollis starts singing. It's wistful, Hollis crooning amidst a wailing guitar, the song almost like a slow dance. It's possibly their most ambitious song to this point, and could be the best indication of what was to come next, although even then Spirit of Eden is still far from here.
The rest of the side isn't as interesting - you have three synthpop tracks in The Last Time, Call in the Night Boy, and It's You: all serviceable, catchy pop, but otherwise unremarkable. I like the quirky Does Caroline Know?, which is possibly the most unusual on the album. There's lovely drumming, with a slightly funky bass, and it makes for an oddballish pop song - it's pleasant, and I don't have much more to say.
Curiously, though, It's My Life wasn't as commercially successful. None of the singles were hits in the UK, though Such a Shame did perform well in Europe, which seemed to be where Talk Talk were more appreciated. The title track did eventually succeed in the charts, and even got a cover by No Doubt, so clearly it's had an impact. And now it regularly gets played on 80s radio, which is where I first heard of Talk Talk.
Conclusion
Overall, It's My Life has the better tracks, but The Party's Over almost feels more cohesive in the end. Both have fantastic songs, but I'm not sure whether either could be described as one of the best synthpop records of the decade, which is...fine, I suppose. Honestly, if not for the Colour of Spring and the success that album had, we'd have likely forgotten completely about Talk Talk - their post-rock albums only managed to brighten and solidify their legacy in amber.
There's nothing wrong with starting out somewhere, it just so happens Talk Talk weren't really, at heart, a synthpop band. But they did a great job, that can't be denied, even if Record Mirror disagrees.
You should definitely check out Snow in Berlin if you want to read various articles about Talk Talk!
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