Track Listing

1. Talk Talk
2. It's So Serious
3. Today
4. Party's Over
5. Hate
6. Have You Heard The News
7. Mirror Man
8. Another Word
9. Candy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27094 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Customer Reviews

Their first ... and their best
Talk Talk fans seem to be divided into two camps. Those that like the first album and a few of the later single tracks, or those who just like the later album tracks and ignore the early stuff. I fall into the former category, as I find the "soundscapes" - you can hardly call them songs - of the later albums to be just so much pretentious rubbish.

This then, is their debut album - retitled, remastered and on CD - but with no extra tracks. Each track is a catchy synthpop song, and particularly worthy of note are "Talk Talk" and "Today". I'm only giving this a four star review rather than five, because I'm sure there must be a few outtakes in the archives that could have made this a more worthwhile CD release.

After this came the fairly memorable second album, then the dismal muso nonsense of the later albums.

80's at its very best
Classic 80's music at its very best. Ok, it hasn't the sophistication of later Talk Talk's albums (not to mention the cover) but the melodies are beautiful and have all the energy of youth. The production is already excellent, the sound incredible. If you need something to help you when getting up in the morning (as I do), this is it !

And now the hangover begins
To begin with, I would like to state that I am one of Talk Talk's biggest fans and the gig I attended at Hammersmith Odeon in 1986 remains the best concert I have ever been to. However, there is no point in writing a favourable review for an LP simply because you like the band that recorded it. I don't recall Talk Talk playing any tracks from this album at Hammersmith - they had already recorded 'It's My Life' and 'The Colour of Spring' by this time, and the omission of any debut album material tells you all you need to know...the band had moved on in terms of maturity and depth. I really liked 'The Party's Over' when it first came out, but it just hasn't stood the test of time like their later material. The album starts with the eponymous 'Talk Talk' which is the best track. This is followed by It's So Serious which is the b-side of their third single 'Today'. It's not a bad b-side but it marks the start of an irritating and recurring theme on this album which is vocal lines that go 'Ohhhhhohowohhhwo'. The song' Today' is typical of its era - not bad, slight overtones of Bronski Beat with a lower voice. 'The Party's Over' is an electronic ballad - a bit of passion in the execution of the line 'name the crime I'm guilty of' but otherwise quite forgettable. 'Hate' is certainly one of the better tracks...if the tempo was slightly faster and the production more full-on it could be a standout. 'Another Word' was actually released as a single in Europe but it's difficult to understand why. The chorus line is "Woooor---oor---oor---oor--or-or--d'. I guess it's quite catchy but it is also very shallow. I almost forgot to mention the debut single 'Mirror Man'. It is quite well executed but somewhat contrived with its quaint little violin tweaks...and the 'oh-ho-ho-oh' vocal lines are back with a vengeance! The album finishes with another electro-ballad 'Candy' - the drum sequence is OK but it's a largely forgettable song which conveniently takes up quite a bit of playing time. Frankly, there were many worse debut albums recorded in this period, but given the heights that Talk Talk rose to, it is probably best forgotten. If you're really into Talk Talk, it's worth having but otherwise you might as well buy a remix compilation containing an extended version of 'Talk Talk'. At their best, this band can produce music that is both original and elegantly crafted - sadly this is neither! The party is over and in the morning you will struggle to remember the highlights.