Talk Talk's career began in 1981, with a line-up of the main songwriter and vocalist Mark Hollis, as well as Lee Harris, Paul Webb and Simon Bremner. Their first single was entitled "Mirror Man", but the subsequent release, the track "Talk Talk" brought them more publicity, with a hit single following in the form of "Today". Their debut album "The Party's Over" mixed this typical early-eighties Duran Duran-inspired synthpop with the more mature sound of songs such as "Candy" and the title track. It was the presence of songs such as these last two which convinced many fans that there was much more to Talk Talk than the average early eighties band. These fans were to be proven correct, as Talk Talk's sound evolved and matured, more than any other artist's has ever done before.

Their second album, "It's My Life", is generally seen as being stronger all round. It was produced without Simon Bremner and was the start of Mark Hollis' hugely successful collaborations with Tim Friese-Greene. The title track still gets played frequently on the radio today, whilst "Dum Dum Girl" and "Such A Shame" were also hits for the British group, led by Mark Hollis. Benefitting from better production, Talk Talk's "It's My Life" LP went gold in several European countries, although it did not fare so well in Britain. However, what was noticeable about the band at this stage was that the level of songwriting was consistent throughout their second album. Even the b-sides for the singles were all good songs in their own right. "Again A Game . . . Again" is viewed by many to be better than most of the album tracks!

However, despite huge sales over Europe, Talk Talk's second album only peaked at Number 35 in the UK. All that would change in 1986, however, with their "Colour Of Spring" project. With the synthesisers discarded, Talk Talk produced one of the most mature sounding albums of the decade. Tracks were generally around six minutes long, with the epic "Time It's Time" not being far off nine minutes in length. The classic hit was provided by "Life's What You Make It", with "Give It Up", "I Don't Believe In You" and "Living In Another World" all reaching the upper reaches of the chart too. Reaching Number 8 in Britain, and going gold or platinum in every country in Europe, Talk Talk seemed to have established themselves as one of Britain's biggest bands.

However, "Chameleon Day" on their third album hinted at future direction. With a piano and a variophon being the only instruments used, it had a much more minimal and freeform sound than the other tracks on the album. This was to prove to be a signpost to future direction. Their next release, in 1988, "Spirit Of Eden", was a total masterpiece. Released to thunderous critical acclaim, it is a brilliantly composed album, and it is very difficult to describe how truly amazing it is. Not one note is out of place, the songs change gear or drop away into silence and it sounds perfect. Sounds magazine observed how "Spirit Of Eden's first three songs blend into a continuum, propelled by a relentlessly gentle drive. But the whole thing is pulled taut by the continual melancholy tension - this bursts through on The Rainbow's staggering chorus. Beneath "Eden's" surface there's often a glimmer of meshed feedback-riven guitar, whilst "Desire" comes alive with another guitar glisten, before breaking up in bona fide axe-wielding mayhem. Quiet returns with a closing Satie-esque tinkle." The three remaining songs on the album did not fall short of this magnificence. Notably, the haunting "I Believe In You", which featured the choir of Chelmsford Cathedral. This is my personal favourite track of all time, with the best moment being the last minute or so with Hollis singing "Spirit . . . . How long?" several times. This album is personally my favourite of the five Talk Talk recorded. Just beating "Colour Of Spring" and "Laughing Stock" on either side of it, this has to be one of the most stunningly beautiful albums ever recorded. Every note is important, every sound is perfection. This is a record which still sounds as innovative today as it did when released ten years ago.

A greatest hits package in 1990 proved to be very successful, although the commercial nature of the songs on this "Natural History" compilation, was not to be matched by the group's final album, 1991's "Laughing Stock" album. With this release, it was tempting to wonder how the band could refine their vision any further. The musical press rejoiced that somebody was still capable of writing songs this adventerous, particularly when it was considered the potential commercial success that Mark Hollis and company were still capable of acheiving. Indeed, four singles re-released by EMI records in 1990-91 to promote "Natural History" all made the Top 40 once again. Of "Laughing Stock", Melody Maker commented how "Talk Talk are certainly the most original, possibly the most important group we have".

"Laughing Stock" starts with 18 seconds of amplifier hiss, with the opening track "Myrrhman" far removed from "Ascension Day" which follows. Whilst "Myrrhman" takes up were "Wealth" on "Spirit Of Eden" concluded, "Ascension Day" uses a burning guitar sound, distorted organ and some splashy percussion. It erupts and ascends but then, with no warning, ends at precisely six minutes. It's a startling moment. "After The Flood" is tremendously brooding, whilst "Taphead" is one of the most tense and extraordinary songs I have ever heard. "New Grass" is the album's longest and most beautiful piece, possibly closer to jazz than anything else, and this is another track which would not have been out of place on the "Spirit Of Eden" project. "Runeii", the closing song, provides an excellent finish to an outstanding album.

This album was released with a bitter legal row with EMI Records having just taken place. The record company had been appalled when they had given the group an open budget for their "Spirit Of Eden" project, only to be given an album amazingly freeform, and with no obvious hit singles at all. Indeed, Hollis told the label that there would be no singles, videos or a tour to promote it. EMI had been forced to re-release previous Talk Talk singles, to try and get their money back. This done, and with the "Natural History" compilation to complement them, they decided to release a remix compilation without the bands consent. Although many of the mixes were not that far removed from the original tracks, the band still regarded the songs on the release as going completely against the type of music they were trying to create, Hollis took the record company to court. He succeeded in getting the album banned, even though it had been placed in the UK top ten.

"Laughing Stock" was to be Talk Talk's last studio album. With the exception of a handful of common threads - chief among them the plaintive vocals and haunting lyrics of frontman Mark Hollis - there is little to suggest that the five studio LP's which make up the Talk Talk oeuvre are indeed the work of the same band throughout. The British group made significant strides with each successive album on their way to discovering a wholly unique and uncategorizable sound, informed by elements of jazz, classical and ambient music. One musical magazine observed how "Their masterful final recordings possess a timelessness rare among music of any genre, and in retrospect they seem the perfect starting point for the post-rock movement of the 1990's. A work of staggering beauty and complexity, "Laughing Stock" remains an under-recognised masterpiece, and its echoes can be heard throughout much of the finest experimental music in its wake." The musical press were united in their thunderous acclaim for the band and their work.

Eight years on, the Talk Talk flame is still burning strongly. "The Very Best Of Talk Talk" was released in January 1997, and with no promotion from the band, still managed to reach Number 12 in the charts, staying in the Top 40 for four months. This contained a selection of tracks off the first four Talk Talk albums, as well as a couple of b-sides. Then, in February 1998, Mark Hollis made a most welcome return with his first solo album. Strange and beautiful music, unrecognisable from the later work of Talk Talk, and yet also completely different from the music in the charts today. Purely acoustic, "Watershed" and "The Gift", are faintly jazzy, but as Uncut Magazine observed, "this is jazz as might have been performed by 19th century folk musicians." Released, once again, to huge critical acclaim, "Mark Hollis" represented the return of a most talented man, and it is to be hoped it won't be another seven years before he provides a follow-up! "A Life (1895-1915)" is another track to marvel at, with Hollis' vocals blending into fragments of a chant, hovering in the background. "The Daily Planet" is probably the closest the band have come to making another "Life's What You Make It", although this track is more minimal in nature.

Meanwhile, Talk Talk fans have also been treated to another remix compilation by EMI, although this time the label went for remixes the band had actually approved. A B-sides package was released with this, with virtually all the tracks matching the quality of the songs from the respective albums from which they were taken. The three from the Colour Of Spring era were probably the best, with "It's Getting Late In The Evening" being a nod towards the future back in 1986, and not a million miles away from "I Believe In You". Finally, in February 1999, and not on the EMI label, a live album "London 86" was released. This highlighted even further the musical brilliance of this band, with the live versions of "Living In Another World" and "Give It Up" being quite staggering. Even with tracks which on albums had been good but not outstanding, they were turned into classics when performed live. This is most noticeable with "Renee" and "Tomorrow Started". If you only ever by one live CD, then make sure that it is this one.

And we should not forget about .O.rang. Paul Webb and Lee Harris, the other members of Talk Talk, went on to form this experimental group in the early nineties. Their debut album, "Herds Of Instinct", was released in 1994 and followed on from "Laughing Stock" perfectly, Indeed, from the opening notes of the "Orang" track, it is apparent just how important an influence Lee and Paul had been in Talk Talk changing their musical sound towards the end of the 1980's. However, the best results of this partnership were probably saved for the 1997 follow-up, "Fields And Waves". More vocally orientated than their debut, "Seizure" and "Moratorium" compare well with Talk Talk's later work, with "Barren", "Jalap" and "P.53".

The Talk Talk story is certainly a very interesting one. Their last two albums are quite simply amazing. What makes the two recordings even more remarkable is the fact that a greatest hits compilation stormed the charts in between them.