Artist of the Day: Talk Talk

The talk of, er, Talk Talk always seems to be split into two conversations: old and new.  The old Talk Talk was a very successful pop band from the 1980's, who through a lack of funds, turned to cheaper synths to create music.  While this venture happened to be lucrative, it wasn't to the band's liking.  Thus, half way through their career, Talk Talk changed a bit into the act music fans now know as legendary.

To be fair, the band didn't do a complete 180.  The band's third album, The Colour of Spring was a transition of sorts, blending the pop eccentricities of the prior two, whilst pointing towards something grander.  Thus the band's penultimate album, The Spirit of Eden, was born.  Featuring bigger compositions with more featured instrumentalists, the album was a much bolder venture than the band's trite beginnings.  Yet despite the excellence of that album, it was their final record, Laughing Stock, that helped change music forever.

Laughing Stock is partially credited with the creation of the genre we now know as post-rock.  Featuring longer songs with a heavy emphasis on instrumentation, it is easy to see why so many people believe this.  It was an amazing display of creativity, with dynamic shifts occurring left and right, and genre conventions being torn to pieces.  20 years later it is still held in high esteem, with a recent vinyl re-release further stoking its brilliant legacy.