Contemporary Bands that use traditional instruments? - P2P-Zone

Ramona_A_Stone · 12-03-02, 11:18 PM

Been listening to Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock by Talk Talk (in a fit, you might say) for the last couple of days. These last two albums by this band are almost sacred to me, definitely at the top of my all time recordings list. Perusing the liner notes earlier, I realized they belonged in your thread, Mr. Knife.

Spirit of Eden's potently eerie but beautiful aural textures is worlds apart from the bubbly synth-pop hits— Talk Talk and It's My Life (their first two albums)—that typified Talk Talk's early '80s new wave sound. After scoring a bestseller in 1986's The Colour of Spring, EMI gave the band (Hollis, Friese-Greene, Webb, and Harris) a hefty recording budget for their next effort. Moving into an abandoned church, Talk Talk embarked on a lengthy 14-month recording session. When the group finally delivered Spirit of Eden, EMI execs—who had been refused advance access to the recordings—were shocked: The album's classical and freeform jazz influences and art-rock leanings broke from traditional pop expectations, resulting in something utterly uncategorizable! This record label nightmare elicited nary a commercial whimper, but quickly garnered huge critical accolades, nevertheless. Even more than a decade after the album's release, the organic, often stark, arrangements decorated by singer Mark Hollis' nasal and hauntingly plaintive vocals still command immediate attention. Listed as individual tracks, "The Rainbow," "Eden," "Desire" are really three parts to a single brooding 23-minute piece reminiscent of the more melancholy sections on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. As "The Rainbow" and "Eden" unfold as contemplative lilts with moments of soft atonality, "Desire" percolates to an aggressive and percussive climax. Fans of late-'90s electronic music also take note: Spirit of Eden's transcendent ambience practically paved the way for later innovators such as Massive Attack, making this a truly forward-thinking album.

(from a review by Bryan Yates at musthear.com, with whom I agree on every account, although I would probably gush a lot more like a complete groupie)

Players and instrumentation on Spirit of Eden:

Mark Hollis: vocal, piano, organ, guitar
Tim Friese-Greene: harmonium, piano, organ, guitar
Paul Webb: electric bass
Lee Harris: drums
Martin Ditcham: percussion
Robbie Mcintosh: dobro, 12-string guitar
Mark Feltham: harmonica
Simon Edwards: Mexican bass
Danny Thompson: double bass
Henry Lowther: trumpet
Nigel Kennedy: violin†
Hugh Davies: shozygs*
Andrew Stowell: bassoon
Michael Jeans: oboe
Andrew Mariner: clarinet
Christopher Hooker: cor anglais
Choir of Chelmsford Cathedral

†: Which also reminds one that Kronos Quartet belongs here.
*: I have no idea what that is.

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12-03-02, 11:18 PM	#21
Ramona_A_Stone Formal Ball Proof Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 2,948	Been listening to Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock by Talk Talk (in a fit, you might say) for the last couple of days. These last two albums by this band are almost sacred to me, definitely at the top of my all time recordings list. Perusing the liner notes earlier, I realized they belonged in your thread, Mr. Knife. Spirit of Eden's potently eerie but beautiful aural textures is worlds apart from the bubbly synth-pop hits— Talk Talk and It's My Life (their first two albums)—that typified Talk Talk's early '80s new wave sound. After scoring a bestseller in 1986's The Colour of Spring, EMI gave the band (Hollis, Friese-Greene, Webb, and Harris) a hefty recording budget for their next effort. Moving into an abandoned church, Talk Talk embarked on a lengthy 14-month recording session. When the group finally delivered Spirit of Eden, EMI execs—who had been refused advance access to the recordings—were shocked: The album's classical and freeform jazz influences and art-rock leanings broke from traditional pop expectations, resulting in something utterly uncategorizable! This record label nightmare elicited nary a commercial whimper, but quickly garnered huge critical accolades, nevertheless. Even more than a decade after the album's release, the organic, often stark, arrangements decorated by singer Mark Hollis' nasal and hauntingly plaintive vocals still command immediate attention. Listed as individual tracks, "The Rainbow," "Eden," "Desire" are really three parts to a single brooding 23-minute piece reminiscent of the more melancholy sections on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. As "The Rainbow" and "Eden" unfold as contemplative lilts with moments of soft atonality, "Desire" percolates to an aggressive and percussive climax. Fans of late-'90s electronic music also take note: Spirit of Eden's transcendent ambience practically paved the way for later innovators such as Massive Attack, making this a truly forward-thinking album. (from a review by Bryan Yates at musthear.com, with whom I agree on every account, although I would probably gush a lot more like a complete groupie) Players and instrumentation on Spirit of Eden: Mark Hollis: vocal, piano, organ, guitar Tim Friese-Greene: harmonium, piano, organ, guitar Paul Webb: electric bass Lee Harris: drums Martin Ditcham: percussion Robbie Mcintosh: dobro, 12-string guitar Mark Feltham: harmonica Simon Edwards: Mexican bass Danny Thompson: double bass Henry Lowther: trumpet Nigel Kennedy: violin† Hugh Davies: shozygs* Andrew Stowell: bassoon Michael Jeans: oboe Andrew Mariner: clarinet Christopher Hooker: cor anglais Choir of Chelmsford Cathedral †: Which also reminds one that Kronos Quartet belongs here. *: I have no idea what that is. Within Without