release date: Feb. 17, 1986
format: vinyl / cd (2003 remaster)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,52]
producer: Tim Friese-Greene
label: EMI Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: 1. "Happiness Is Easy" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "I Don't Believe in You" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Life's What You Make It" (5 / 5) - 4. "April 5th" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Living in Another World" (4 / 5) - 6. "Give It Up" - 7. "Chameleon Day" - 8. "Time It's Time" (5 / 5)
3rd studio album by Talk Talk and the band's major commercial breakthrough as well as critically acclaimed album. The trio remains the same, only with the fourth unofficial member, Tim Friese-Greene in a more dominant role as the band's (unaccredited) keyboardist, who has co-written all tracks together with Mark Hollis. The sound and style has changed to an undefinable mix of art pop, chamber pop, and synthpop albeit with less focus on synths and a tentative addition of 'progressiveness' without being traditional progressive pop or pop / rock but basically foreshadowing what would later be labelled post rock - something that should materialise even further on the band's fourth album Spirit of Eden (1988) - an album many misinterpreted as a bit odd at first, but something that wasn't understood and fully recognised until after Sigur Rós, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Mogwai had distilled that style about a decade later.
The Colour of Spring is quite naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", although, it remains the only by Talk Talk on that list.
The album was the first that I purchased by Talk Talk, and at the time I found it fine and a bit complex for my liking at the age of 21, but I have always enjoyed it, and over the years, only increasingly more. The single release of "Life's What You Make It" became an international hit, and it is a great track, however, throughout the years, I have always loved the end-track "Time It's Time" the most, and I have never felt that its playing time of 8:15 mins. ever was one second too long. In fact, I've always thought and wished that it should be longer.
Nowadays, I consider this album a modern masterpiece that I shall never tire of. Some day it may even replace The Smiths and their masterpiece on my personal year-best-album-list. But really, this isn't even the best album from Talk Talk, imho.
My vinyl pressing is by French Pathé Marconi (sub-label of EMI), and the cd is a 2003 remaster released by EMI.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]
1986 Favourite releases: 1. The Smiths The Queen Is Dead - 2. Talk Talk The Colour of Spring - 3. R.E.M. Lifes Rich Pageant
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| 2003 remaster |
