Label: EMI Records
Release year: 1986
Production: Tim Friese-Greene
Album length: 45.40 min
Genre: Art Pop / Post Rock
By the time the cult British new wave/art rock outfit Talk Talk were recording their third album, »The Colour of Spring«, they were enjoying the biggest popularity of their career thanks to hits like »Such a Shame« and »It’s My Life«. But their charismatic creative leader, multi-instrumentalist and singer Mark Hollis, was dead set on steering them as far as possible from synthpop and the eighties new wave scene with the sonic direction that was already more than obvious on that third studio effort, even if it meant slamming the door on any further mass success for good. Success never meant much to Hollis anyway. In fact, with his uncompromising approach to sound, he was ready after the 1986 outing to give up live shows and any kind of promotion altogether, so his band came to be seen, especially by the labels, as mysterious oddballs who cared only about their own musical growth and their own creativity, which of course was always a worry for the corporate heads of the music industry.
From this album on, then, Talk Talk became a band for the select taste of a handful of music gourmets. That means they get mentioned far too rarely these days and remain widely overlooked whenever someone looks back at the best acts that left their mark on the eighties. With every album since their debut »The Party’s Over« (1982), Hollis’s crew of uncompromising music fanatics dug deeper into progressive rock elements in their sound and drifted further and further from the synthpop that was popular at the time. What’s most surprising (or maybe not) is that, unlike most bands that came out of new wave, their albums passed the test of time with flying colors. For the ‘chosen few’ they’re even more appreciated today than they were on release, and that’s the best proof of their sonic vision.
»The Colour of Spring« was an almost completely different record from its otherwise excellent predecessor »It’s My Life« (1984). It served as a kind of sonic bridge between two different musical worlds: the innovative new wave typical of their first two albums, and progressive rock with touches of jazz fusion and ambient music. It was also the overture and a preview of the even more experimental approach on Talk Talk’s next two records. It was precisely this stylistic crossroads between the old and the new, along with a much more ‘organic’ sound than on the previous efforts, that made »The Colour of Spring« the most balanced album, and so perhaps even the best one, in this cult band’s whole discography. On this record Talk Talk flung the doors wide open to ambient, jazz fusion and classical elements, so it’s easy to say they also played an important part in reviving the progressive rock movement, which had been all but written off.
Hollis’s key songwriting partner remained keyboardist and producer Tim Friese-Greene. Even though he never became an official member of the band, he started using the mellotron and piano heavily on this album, while Hollis, the great vocal oddball, showed off his multi-instrumental skills for the first time in his career. He played a good chunk of the keyboards, including organ and mellotron, and added a few guitar contributions too. Talk Talk picking up the ‘ancient’ prog rock keyboard that is the mellotron was a genuine rarity in the eighties, when most musicians turned up their noses at anything that happened to smell of the seventies. Using it let them lay down individual symphonic arrangements with a much more layered, orchestral sound. Once again there was a whole host of guest musicians besides Friese-Greene, and the most prized name among them has to be the legendary Steve Winwood (ex-Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith) on organ.
How big a leap forward Talk Talk made in less than two years is clear from the opening track »Happiness Is Easy«, which opens with minimalist rhythmic nuances, delicate guitar chords and shy but effective sax touches. Bassist Paul Webb really stretches out right from the start with complex yet subtle bass lines, while Lee Harris gets a nice chance to show off his jazzy approach to the drum kit. Not long after Hollis’s unique vocal comes in, ethereal mellotron curtains start to flow in the background and create a magical atmosphere, and the addition of children’s choir vocals is an interesting experiment. The level of subtlety, minimalism and cunning in building these mighty arrangements, with several kinds of keyboards weaving in and out of each other, is still enviable today.
»I Don’t Believe In You« is a complex power ballad built on gentle guitar passages and a subtle organ backdrop, with a wealth of witty sound effects packed in. Hollis’s heart-wrenchingly melancholic vocal gets even more room to shine this time, especially on the mighty chorus, which is accompanied by melodramatic guitar chords. With the evergreen »Life’s What You Make It«, the first single from the album, which was also promoted with an unforgettable video of the band out in the early morning among assorted woodland ‘friends’, Talk Talk created their last big hit on both sides of the Atlantic and one of the most picturesque pieces of their short career. Minimalist rhythmic nuances, with an emphasis on spirited bass lines, are interwoven with rolling synth layers and clever guitar phrases that crank up the enigmatic atmosphere, while Hollis’s singing simply ‘isn’t of this world’ and is full of conflicting emotions. Piano improvisations add even more spice to the incredible atmosphere, which doesn’t let up until the very end. As a fun fact about this classic, »Life’s What You Make It« was used in 2002 in the popular video game »Grand Theft Auto: Vice City«.
»April 5th« features lovely symphonic arrangements on organ and mellotron, along with jazz-leaning embellishments on sax and percussion, which sound even more minimalist than usual this time. Such subtlety in the use of the mellotron, which serves as the ideal bed for Hollis’s vocal approach, markedly experimental here, hadn’t been heard since pretty much the end of the seventies. »Living in Another World«, the second single from the album, was a minor hit and is among the best-known creations of their career. It’s one of the few pieces on »The Colour of Spring« where you can still catch a bit of new wave charm, though we’re already talking about rhythmically complex art rock with a distinctly melodic chorus. Hollis’s vocal is wonderfully complemented by backing harmonies, while the richness of the individual arrangements also comes from the occasional harmonica and above all the generous layers of organ.
»Give It Up« was picked as the third single, which is somehow no surprise, given that it’s the most commercially minded track on the album, with a distinctly catchy, melodic chorus, while mighty symphonic arrangements, led by massive organ layers, are generously backed by a fusion-style rhythmic seasoning. A tasteful guitar solo in the middle section nicely brightens up a mood that is melancholic yet also fairly optimistic for Talk Talk, and that same mood radiates from Hollis’s singing too. »Chameleon Day«, on the other hand, is a thoroughly melancholic piece that opens with interesting woodwind improvisations and jazzy piano passages. This time Hollis sounds like a thousand arrows have pierced his heart, while gentle mellotron waves keep the sad message of this unhappy testament alive throughout. On the closing ambient treat »Time It’s Time«, Talk Talk blend gorgeous symphonic arrangements, jazzy rhythmic nuances and Hollis’s versatile vocal into an ideal mix, and the band wraps it all up in a serene mood, with dramatic backing harmonies that together create an almost cosmic atmosphere.
With »The Colour of Spring«, Talk Talk created one of the rare art rock masterpieces of the eighties, one that passed the test of the decades with flying colors, which says a lot about how far ahead of their time their sonic vision was. Incredible stylistic balance, depth in the individual arrangements and a knack for building magical ambient ‘switch-offs’ are still its main strengths today. »The Colour of Spring« was their last big commercial success, since Hollis’s crew, as mentioned, started to fence themselves off from the commercial needs and designs of the label EMI. The next two records delivered even bolder sonic vision and a level of experimentation that nobody could really have imagined after »The Colour of Spring«, and by then it was already kind of clear that the band’s ‘days were numbered’, even though it was precisely in the closing stage of their career that they secured cult status for all eternity.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
rating: 10 / 10
Tracklist:
1. Happiness Is Easy (6:30)
2. I Don’t Believe in You (5:02)
3. Life’s What You Make It (4:28)
4. April 5th (5:51)
5. Living in Another World (6:58)
6. Give It Up (5:17)
7. Chameleon Day (3:20)
8. Time It’s Time (8:14)
Lineup:
Mark Hollis – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, melodica, mellotron
Paul Webb – bass guitar, backing vocals
Lee Harris – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Tim Friese-Greene – producer, piano, mellotron, synthesizer
Ian Curnow – keyboards
Martin Ditcham – percussion
Mark Feltham – harmonica, hornAlan Gorrie – bass guitar
Robbie McIntosh – guitar, dobro guitar
Morris Pert – percussion
Phil Reis – percussion
David Rhodes – guitar
David Roach – saxophone
Gaynor Sadler – harp, horn
Danny Thompson – double bass
Steve Winwood – organ
