THE COLOUR OF SPRING

The Colour of Spring is the third album from Talk Talk. It´s with The Colour of Spring that people into experimental rock music should be able to get something out of Talk Talk´s music. There is a big change from the synth based pop music from the previous two album to this much more mature experimental rock music.

The music is still commercial and the singles from The Colour of Spring were on heavy rotation on MTV which of course led to a major sales number of the album. The Colour of Spring was a commercial succes as well as an artistic statement from Mark Hollis and co. The Colour of Spring was also my introduction to the band even though I had been trying out Laughing Stock which I found a bit too experimental at the time ( this has since changed). I have always enjoyed commercial music that had one foot in progressive music and that is just what The Colour of Spring represents.

The most known songs from The Colour of Spring are Happiness Is Easy, Life's What You Make It, Living in Another World and they are very strong compositions with lots of intriguing sounds and small parts that you wouldn´t normally hear in commercial music. The more quit and introvert songs April 5th and Chameleon Day points towards their future albums which are closer to this style than the more commercially sounding songs on The Colour of Spring.

One of the most exciting features on The Colour of Spring is the many guest musicians playing everything from percussion to horns, harps and saxes. They really add a lot to the soundscape. The music still has lots of synth but organ is the most used keyboard on the album. Talk Talk is moving towards a more organic sound. This is also the album where main composer and lead singer Mark Hollis begins to emphasise his philosophy that silence is just as important as notes in music. The music is generally very dynamic and during the most elaborate parts there are multible layers of instruments and sounds while the more quiet parts are more simple.

The musicianship is outstanding for a pop album and we´re treated to some really nice interplay and strange ideas.

The production is just as outstanding as the musicians. One of the best productions from the eighties no doubt.

The Colour of Spring has always intrigued me as it is both commercial and challenging which is a rarety. Allthough I like their even more experimental albums Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock more than The Colour of Spring today The Colour of Spring is still one of the best experimental pop/ rock albums from the eighties and well worth the 4 stars that I will rate it. Highly recommendable to those of you who like commercial music with a twist.