Dreamfield (London, UK)
www.dreamfield.co.uk
For more information, visit www.dreamfield.co.uk where it's also possible to listen to different tracks in MP3/Real Audio.
Thoughts on Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock
by Poppy Gonzalez
Spirit Of Eden
This album is of another dimension.
A place where some of us dare to go.
Complicated yet understated..and definately underrated.
There's a risk in putting down too many words of what 'Spirit of Eden' means to me...
But the great thing is...it never bores me...there are still suprises, after all this time.
I first heard it,lying on a roof-top in Spain...staring at the stars, (they were all that I could see....)and with a speaker by each ear, it was the perfect combination, of dark and light.
This album lures me to those places that I can only whisper about... and makes me feel very small in the space of things.
Touching raw emotions, that play hide and seek, This album can recall them in an instant.
From the inquisitive beginnings of 'The Rainbow', the voice and drums perfectly balanced, drum sounds that stand the test of time...and a vocal that you can picture... the rawness of the instruments tease you through temptation, fear, heartache, pleasure, and hope... until the completion of 'Wealth'.
I was slightly reluctant to watch the video of 'I believe in you' in case of disappointment, but it looked exactly as it sounds.
Listening to this album is like going on a trip, without the need for drugs. To me, 'Spirit of Eden' is perfectly named.
I really don't know what I'd do without it in my music collection. In fact, I'm listening to it right now!Laughing Stock
I have recently read many of the interviews, thoughts and reviews, that you have on your site dedicated to Talk Talk, related bands, and their music.
It is so hard for me, (having experienced certain emotions, and dare I say, 'tuned in'to the spiritual or 'otherworldliness' while listening to their music), to put into words, how I feel when I listen to 'Spirit of Eden'and'Laughing Stock'; ...the first thing that springs to mind, is Mark Hollis' reluctance to speak of the music, as I also find hard to describe, those magical moments you can experience from that combination of harmony, rhythm and heartfelt performance.
My decision to attempt this, came from realizing that in reading others' words, that there was some comfort fromfeeling somewhat isolated,in the sense of joy I can experience from a single note, rhythm or phrase... and the pleasure of recognition...of that sensation, by 'others'.
I decided to start, by playing the album, over and over, in a darkend room... hoping that inspiration would arrive, and deciding that, if inspiration didn't arrive naturally, there would be no words; but this was tricky, as I couldn't listen, and write at the same time!
A musician myself, I was interested to hear that they recorded Laughing Stock in a darkened studio...For me,if a studio 'boasts' of natural light, I will either look for another studio, or check out the availability of thick curtains! I do not see the need for constantly ringing phones etc., in a room designed for creative purposes, supposedly to escape from the realities of every day life... and I think, Laughing Stock, escapes the 'rush-hour', perfectly.
I do not think we can sepparate ourselves from true spirit... It is such a personal thing, and yet Talk Talk somehow managed to capture, that very personal, and immaterial essence in us all, with this album; embracing not only the light, but also the dark, of subliminal territories. I feel that they have done this not only by the recording techniques used, which create an atmosphere of closeness AND space... but by a genuine desire to create an honest and soulful work, which connects to, the spirit.
There are some 'perfect' chord changes,..(After the Flood)... simple, but their 'timing', immaculate; and 'organic' drum sounds (cymbals of perfection?) that can make you feel like you are sitting right next to the kit. Although the pace is slow, there is always the groove, however subtle, for the other instruments to play around. I love the purity of the sounds, and the fact the vocal, is treated as an instrument, rather than a solo part, and yet, I'm sure, is capable of sounding 'whole' on it's own.
The intense energy needed to make this album, must have been exhausting, and I for one, am grateful for Talk Talk's huge dedication, in making an album of vision and perception, that stands the test of time.
