Thursday 9 January 2014

Talk Talk

A quick musical diversion - last night we randomly dug out the 1977 'Streets' punk compilation and I had completely forgotten just how excellent this song by Mark Hollis' band The Reaction is....



I love it!  I love the rhythmic guitar and the song in general makes me think of the mod revival sound that was to follow soon after, before Mark's new band revisited it in 1982...


But before that we had the Music Machine and a totally different, but still brilliant, song with the same name:


And now it's just a telecoms company...

8 comments:

  1. The second video brings back memories of my college days watching MTV endlessly for days while stoned.

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  2. This listener throughly enjoyed the first take by The Reaction, which I've not heard before as I never did get around to buying that compilation, but I must say that I think what they did to it for the 80's Talk Talk version is an object lesson in how that era did its level best to suck all the soul out of a tune. Having said that, the video is such a larf that it almost makes up for it - you couldn't satirize the 80's in any better way. Loved what Hollis went on to do later. As for The Music Machine - great!

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    Replies
    1. Glad you like first version, SB - I think it's a corker. How well you describe the Eighties Effect for being able to "suck all the soul out of a tune", I'd never thought of like that before, but it's true. Having said that I quite like the way there is such a distinct '80s pop sound, one that's so recognisable, and that seems to represent that era to me better than any text could.
      - I must check out what Hollis went on to do later out of curiosity now!

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    2. ...and following my curiosity to find out more about him, I have unexpectedly become a huge Mark Hollis fan now. Just been reading about him and watching interviews. Might have to post something!

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  3. Haha, yes '80s dancing did all seem very serious and earnest, what a strange time it was... although I look back at it now with a strange mixture of embarrassment and fondness!
    I just looked up Howard Wolowitz, bloody hell, he's the spit!
    The only other Talk Talk song I knowingly know (if you see what I mean) is It's My Life. Quite like it in a weird kind of way, must be the misty pink haze of nostalgia!

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  4. That was great, loved the first one, not heard it before....always loved TT but was great to hear where they came from...I am also interested now to find what he went on to do!

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