Sold Date: March 22, 2015
Start Date: March 22, 2015
Final Price: £39.99 £35.00 (GBP)
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Spirit of Eden is the fourth album by the English band Talk Talk, released in 1988. Critical reception on release was mixed, and it was not a commercial success; still, its reputation has improved over the years, and it is now seen by some critics as influential to post-rock, a music genre that developed in Britain and North America in the 1990s. Numerous publications have retrospectively named it one of the best albums of the 1980s. The songs were written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, and performed by numerous musicians using a diverse combination of instruments. The album developed from a lengthy recording process at Wessex Studios, London during 1987 and 1988: often working in darkness, the band recorded many hours of improvised performances, edited them down heavily, then arranged the remaining pieces into an album using digital equipment. The end product includes elements of rock, jazz, classical, and ambient music. The album, the fourth by the band, was released on the Parlophone record label, an imprint of EMI. In 2008, Alan McGee of the Guardian wrote: "Spirit of Eden has not dated; it's remarkable how contemporary it sounds, anticipating post-rock, The Verve and Radiohead. It's the sound of an artist being given the keys to the kingdom and returning with art." Critics often view Spirit of Eden as a departure from Talk Talk's previous albums. Compared to their 1986 hit The Colour of Spring, it was commercially unsuccessful. While upon release it received mostly mixed to negative reviews, it has been acknowledged as being an influence in the musical development of a number of later alternative rock musicians and subgenres. 
Laughing Stock is the fifth and final studio album by Talk Talk. Released in 1991, it was the only album the band released on the jazz-based Verve Records, after acrimoniously leaving EMI. Like its predecessor, Spirit of Eden, the album featured improvised instrumentation from a large ensemble of musicians, including as many as seven violists on occasion, and the lyrical themes are often religious. The recording sessions have attained near-mythical status among underground music fans;Tape Op magazine ran an extensive article detailing the demanding recording sessions, marked by Mark Hollis' perfectionist tendencies, and his use of candles and incense to set the mood. Engineer Phill Brown stated that the album, like its predecessor, was "recorded by chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea." However, compared to prior Talk Talk albums, he goes on to note that "Laughing Stock is a different beast. I am very proud of the album, it's probably one of my best projects.... but I find it dark and claustrophobic." Original bass guitarist Paul Webb had left the band prior to recording, reducing Talk Talk to the duo of Lee Harris and Mark Hollis.