The reunion that inspired this collection was of debatable wisdom--the title of the rather limp comeback single, "Tell Me When", couldn't help but prompt the response "About a decade ago, you daft old buggers"--but the collection itself is, almost by definition, unimpeachable. The Human League at their best performed that rarest of feats--defined a moment, and transcended it. Any reputation that can survive a shocker like "The Lebanon"--it of the oft-quoted, rarely bettered and, frankly, still hilarious "And where there used to be some shops / Is where the snipers sometimes hide" lyrical own goal is built on sturdy foundations indeed. The songs on Greatest Hits are, simply put, as good as pop gets: "Don't You Want Me", "Mirror Man", "Fascination" and, well, all of them, amount to the definitive exercise in storming the charts entirely on one's own terms. Before The Human League, bands were supposed to choose between being cool and being successful: the indie underachiever ethic was beginning to exert its clammy grip on the alternative sector. The Human League, like ABC at around the same time, were too smart to fall for any such nonsense--what was the point of pop if it wasn't popular? And this is why people still love the songs on this album and nobody talks all that much about The Close Lobsters. The history of popular music is a history of cheap, disposable pop music for kids triumphing over serious, intelligent rock music for grown-ups (The Jacksons' "I Want You Back" still fills dance floors; Genesis's "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" reliably empties rooms). The Human League joined the winning side, and taught it to play better than ever. --Andrew Mueller

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

As the title suggest, this is Duran's greatest work, 09 Nov 2008
Featuring all of Duran's mega 80's hits, and a few 90's ones you may not be familiar with, this collection of hits is an excellent compiliation of the bands best work.
Almost timeless hits on here which quite rightly get their due, a Duran Duran greatest hits had been long overdue, and in 1998 with their commercial success at an all time low, this release was a timely reminder of how good they are.
Re-released in 2004 to even better commerical success during a sell out UK tour, Duran Duran proved that chart success may only be temporary, but class is permenant.


Duran's Big Hits, 01 Apr 2008
The CD has all the main hits (pre Astronaut) plus a few lesser known hits. Some songs are edited versions so if that is an issue, beware. This is especially evident on the Rio tracks and Ordinary World. For most people, though, these are the versions they know having heard them on the radio for 20+ years. I could say that such and such song should have been included (OK, Violence of Summer) but can not find any real fault in the selection. The sound quality is fine which should not be a surprise; the sound quality of DD was always top class.



BOYS ON FORM, 07 Aug 2007
DURAN DURAN have earned their place as icons of 80's pop culture. Live, they still deliver today.

Of course, with a back catalogue of many excellent songs, any 19 track compilation is going to be as subjective as the person responsible for its content but, fortunately, this is a fine effort with only the occasional turkey (i.e. Wild Boy) in sight.

Looking back, it sends a considerable shiver up the old donkey jacket when I think of the term NEW ROMANTIC - Post-Punk was my formative era - but DURAN DURAN immediately impressed with the classic PLANET EARTH, and carried on impressing right up to ORDINARY WORLD (one of the most beautifully judged pop songs you'll ever hear and, in my opinion, the climax to a sixteen-year high).

All of which adds up to a pretty impressive career - most of which you'll find on this worthy CD. Check it out.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

duran duran's greatest moments, 03 May 2006
I have always been a fan of Duran Duran, I thought they were great. It took me years to get hold of their greatest hits album but now I have. Its a good album which lists all of their hits way back to the early '80s. From the likes of 'is there something i should know' with its catchy beat and memorable chorus all the way to the '90s with underrated 'come undone' this album will take you on a trip down memory lane. My favourites are 'Girls on film', 'Save a prayer' and 'Hungry like the wolf' but theres not a bad track on the album. The lyrics are genuine unlike some of the rubbish thats been in the charts. I feel duran duran's greatest rounds off their finest hits quite nicely. Outstanding cd.

greatest, 04 Jul 2004
the greatest band of the 8o's, this cd will keep you going on the longest journey and everyone must know all the words..... trust me they will go on and on greatest 2 on the way hopefully!

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

As the title suggest, this is Duran's greatest work, 09 Nov 2008
Featuring all of Duran's mega 80's hits, and a few 90's ones you may not be familiar with, this collection of hits is an excellent compiliation of the bands best work.
Almost timeless hits on here which quite rightly get their due, a Duran Duran greatest hits had been long overdue, and in 1998 with their commercial success at an all time low, this release was a timely reminder of how good they are.
Re-released in 2004 to even better commerical success during a sell out UK tour, Duran Duran proved that chart success may only be temporary, but class is permenant.


Duran's Big Hits, 01 Apr 2008
The CD has all the main hits (pre Astronaut) plus a few lesser known hits. Some songs are edited versions so if that is an issue, beware. This is especially evident on the Rio tracks and Ordinary World. For most people, though, these are the versions they know having heard them on the radio for 20+ years. I could say that such and such song should have been included (OK, Violence of Summer) but can not find any real fault in the selection. The sound quality is fine which should not be a surprise; the sound quality of DD was always top class.



BOYS ON FORM, 07 Aug 2007
DURAN DURAN have earned their place as icons of 80's pop culture. Live, they still deliver today.

Of course, with a back catalogue of many excellent songs, any 19 track compilation is going to be as subjective as the person responsible for its content but, fortunately, this is a fine effort with only the occasional turkey (i.e. Wild Boy) in sight.

Looking back, it sends a considerable shiver up the old donkey jacket when I think of the term NEW ROMANTIC - Post-Punk was my formative era - but DURAN DURAN immediately impressed with the classic PLANET EARTH, and carried on impressing right up to ORDINARY WORLD (one of the most beautifully judged pop songs you'll ever hear and, in my opinion, the climax to a sixteen-year high).

All of which adds up to a pretty impressive career - most of which you'll find on this worthy CD. Check it out.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

duran duran's greatest moments, 03 May 2006
I have always been a fan of Duran Duran, I thought they were great. It took me years to get hold of their greatest hits album but now I have. Its a good album which lists all of their hits way back to the early '80s. From the likes of 'is there something i should know' with its catchy beat and memorable chorus all the way to the '90s with underrated 'come undone' this album will take you on a trip down memory lane. My favourites are 'Girls on film', 'Save a prayer' and 'Hungry like the wolf' but theres not a bad track on the album. The lyrics are genuine unlike some of the rubbish thats been in the charts. I feel duran duran's greatest rounds off their finest hits quite nicely. Outstanding cd.

greatest, 04 Jul 2004
the greatest band of the 8o's, this cd will keep you going on the longest journey and everyone must know all the words..... trust me they will go on and on greatest 2 on the way hopefully!

buy it!, 21 Dec 2007
buy it.

its a great cd.... if you like soft cell but dont have all their cds this is a great addition to your cd collection.

again, buy it.

tell you what, why dont you buy it?

An almost perfect compilation!, 19 Jan 2004
Great to hear all these tracks again now that they've been remastered. The sound is much improved but, I only wish they had included the tracks from their very first single "Mutant Moments E.P.".

I'm not a big fan of remixes of old records.
But, an exception must be made for the 2XS remix of "Tainted Love". Which somehow manages to update but, not spoil the original magic. Whereas Marilyn Manson's take on the song is slow. This (Electronic Drum & Bass-styled) version is faster than the original! I read in a Dave Ball interview that they personally asked them to remix this and loved the results. Always nice to know whether the artist approves i think. Buy without doubt.

DECADENT ELECTRONIC CABARET, 26 May 2003
The early 1980s saw the emergence of the synth duo in the form of Yazoo, OMD, Eurythmics and Soft Cell amongst others. Yazoo had soulful vocals, OMD made spacious, almost classical music, Eurythmics changed with every album and Soft Cell had a certain air of dramatic decadence. (It's not hard to picture Marc Almond as a latterday Joel Grey in a synth cabaret)This superb collection of melodic songs includes two versions of their stunning hits Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye. My other favourites are the catchy What?, Memorabilia and their lovely interpretation of Where Did Our Love Go? Marc Almond's voice doesn't have the widest range but the interplay between the vocals and the synths are always innovative. This hits collection is consistently enjoyable while some of their individual albums had lots of filler material, so this is truly the best and a fantastic listening experience.

innovative electro pioneers back with avengeance, 05 Apr 2002
Having heard all of the tracks when they were originally released in the early 80's, these songs were, and still are innovative.
The new material on here, still have an up to date sound in their own unique way, and though the new songs on this collection are not to be released as singles, i believe the new album due out in the summer, will once again spawn chart success for the pioneering synth elecro punk /pop/soul duo,
and not before time.
Chemical Bros etc... move over


The Definitive Synth Pop Duo, 02 Apr 2002
Respect is definitely due for this often overlooked synth act who together with the Human League, were very much ahead of the game.
On the surface, this may look like another thoughtless compilation with memories of 1991's cash in on Marc Almond's successful solo career, but a lot of love and attention has gone into this new release.
The sound quality is crisp and delightful. Tainted Love still sounds years ahead of the pretenders whilst the perennial classic 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' still has that ability to send shivers down the neck. Almond's vocal delivery ranks along side Phil Oakey, Matt Johnson (The The) and Neil Tennant who all manage to convey masses of high emotion and wit (something that lacks from 'technically gifted' Pop Idol moppets that now litter the UK charts).
Almond has always sang from the heart bringing an extra dimension to the more sleazy tracks such as the irresistible Sex Dwarf included here in full glory.
Dave Ball's unique ability at pushing the electronics to their limits whilst never forgetting the importance of toe-tapping, melodic brilliance - should also be worshipped here after listening to this compilation. It simply hasn't dated.
Other gems include the new mixes of Numbers whilst two long awaited new tracks have been included. Dead Souls and Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime are worthy to stand along side the old classic, proving that Soft Cell have rediscovered their electro heights of yesterday. Both tracks are impressive (with superb production from Ball) and they leave a mark raising hopes that the new album will be one to watch out for.
Praise must also go to the new mixes of Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye - both updated here but never straying from the original appeal of these classics.
Ironic how this was released on the same day as the PSB's new but somewhat lacklustre album, but if you have to make a choice, this Soft Cell compilation will remain in your CD player for longer. Shame they couldn't add a new mix of Secret Life (it still deserves a single release after 20 years!) but the track listing here is near enough perfect.

The definitive synth 'pop' duo are back!

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

As the title suggest, this is Duran's greatest work, 09 Nov 2008
Featuring all of Duran's mega 80's hits, and a few 90's ones you may not be familiar with, this collection of hits is an excellent compiliation of the bands best work.
Almost timeless hits on here which quite rightly get their due, a Duran Duran greatest hits had been long overdue, and in 1998 with their commercial success at an all time low, this release was a timely reminder of how good they are.
Re-released in 2004 to even better commerical success during a sell out UK tour, Duran Duran proved that chart success may only be temporary, but class is permenant.


Duran's Big Hits, 01 Apr 2008
The CD has all the main hits (pre Astronaut) plus a few lesser known hits. Some songs are edited versions so if that is an issue, beware. This is especially evident on the Rio tracks and Ordinary World. For most people, though, these are the versions they know having heard them on the radio for 20+ years. I could say that such and such song should have been included (OK, Violence of Summer) but can not find any real fault in the selection. The sound quality is fine which should not be a surprise; the sound quality of DD was always top class.



BOYS ON FORM, 07 Aug 2007
DURAN DURAN have earned their place as icons of 80's pop culture. Live, they still deliver today.

Of course, with a back catalogue of many excellent songs, any 19 track compilation is going to be as subjective as the person responsible for its content but, fortunately, this is a fine effort with only the occasional turkey (i.e. Wild Boy) in sight.

Looking back, it sends a considerable shiver up the old donkey jacket when I think of the term NEW ROMANTIC - Post-Punk was my formative era - but DURAN DURAN immediately impressed with the classic PLANET EARTH, and carried on impressing right up to ORDINARY WORLD (one of the most beautifully judged pop songs you'll ever hear and, in my opinion, the climax to a sixteen-year high).

All of which adds up to a pretty impressive career - most of which you'll find on this worthy CD. Check it out.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

duran duran's greatest moments, 03 May 2006
I have always been a fan of Duran Duran, I thought they were great. It took me years to get hold of their greatest hits album but now I have. Its a good album which lists all of their hits way back to the early '80s. From the likes of 'is there something i should know' with its catchy beat and memorable chorus all the way to the '90s with underrated 'come undone' this album will take you on a trip down memory lane. My favourites are 'Girls on film', 'Save a prayer' and 'Hungry like the wolf' but theres not a bad track on the album. The lyrics are genuine unlike some of the rubbish thats been in the charts. I feel duran duran's greatest rounds off their finest hits quite nicely. Outstanding cd.

greatest, 04 Jul 2004
the greatest band of the 8o's, this cd will keep you going on the longest journey and everyone must know all the words..... trust me they will go on and on greatest 2 on the way hopefully!

buy it!, 21 Dec 2007
buy it.

its a great cd.... if you like soft cell but dont have all their cds this is a great addition to your cd collection.

again, buy it.

tell you what, why dont you buy it?

An almost perfect compilation!, 19 Jan 2004
Great to hear all these tracks again now that they've been remastered. The sound is much improved but, I only wish they had included the tracks from their very first single "Mutant Moments E.P.".

I'm not a big fan of remixes of old records.
But, an exception must be made for the 2XS remix of "Tainted Love". Which somehow manages to update but, not spoil the original magic. Whereas Marilyn Manson's take on the song is slow. This (Electronic Drum & Bass-styled) version is faster than the original! I read in a Dave Ball interview that they personally asked them to remix this and loved the results. Always nice to know whether the artist approves i think. Buy without doubt.

DECADENT ELECTRONIC CABARET, 26 May 2003
The early 1980s saw the emergence of the synth duo in the form of Yazoo, OMD, Eurythmics and Soft Cell amongst others. Yazoo had soulful vocals, OMD made spacious, almost classical music, Eurythmics changed with every album and Soft Cell had a certain air of dramatic decadence. (It's not hard to picture Marc Almond as a latterday Joel Grey in a synth cabaret)This superb collection of melodic songs includes two versions of their stunning hits Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye. My other favourites are the catchy What?, Memorabilia and their lovely interpretation of Where Did Our Love Go? Marc Almond's voice doesn't have the widest range but the interplay between the vocals and the synths are always innovative. This hits collection is consistently enjoyable while some of their individual albums had lots of filler material, so this is truly the best and a fantastic listening experience.

innovative electro pioneers back with avengeance, 05 Apr 2002
Having heard all of the tracks when they were originally released in the early 80's, these songs were, and still are innovative.
The new material on here, still have an up to date sound in their own unique way, and though the new songs on this collection are not to be released as singles, i believe the new album due out in the summer, will once again spawn chart success for the pioneering synth elecro punk /pop/soul duo,
and not before time.
Chemical Bros etc... move over


The Definitive Synth Pop Duo, 02 Apr 2002
Respect is definitely due for this often overlooked synth act who together with the Human League, were very much ahead of the game.
On the surface, this may look like another thoughtless compilation with memories of 1991's cash in on Marc Almond's successful solo career, but a lot of love and attention has gone into this new release.
The sound quality is crisp and delightful. Tainted Love still sounds years ahead of the pretenders whilst the perennial classic 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' still has that ability to send shivers down the neck. Almond's vocal delivery ranks along side Phil Oakey, Matt Johnson (The The) and Neil Tennant who all manage to convey masses of high emotion and wit (something that lacks from 'technically gifted' Pop Idol moppets that now litter the UK charts).
Almond has always sang from the heart bringing an extra dimension to the more sleazy tracks such as the irresistible Sex Dwarf included here in full glory.
Dave Ball's unique ability at pushing the electronics to their limits whilst never forgetting the importance of toe-tapping, melodic brilliance - should also be worshipped here after listening to this compilation. It simply hasn't dated.
Other gems include the new mixes of Numbers whilst two long awaited new tracks have been included. Dead Souls and Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime are worthy to stand along side the old classic, proving that Soft Cell have rediscovered their electro heights of yesterday. Both tracks are impressive (with superb production from Ball) and they leave a mark raising hopes that the new album will be one to watch out for.
Praise must also go to the new mixes of Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye - both updated here but never straying from the original appeal of these classics.
Ironic how this was released on the same day as the PSB's new but somewhat lacklustre album, but if you have to make a choice, this Soft Cell compilation will remain in your CD player for longer. Shame they couldn't add a new mix of Secret Life (it still deserves a single release after 20 years!) but the track listing here is near enough perfect.

The definitive synth 'pop' duo are back!

DRIFT AWAY WITH THIS FORGOTTEN PASTORAL GEM, 18 Jul 2008
Talk Talk started out in the early 80's as left field alternatives to the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet before eventually evolving into something far more interesting. Frontman and songwriter Mark Hollis always had his sights set higher than the synth pop of early hits 'Talk Talk' and 'It's My Life' and with this, the bands third album, he finally managed to achieve the critical success he sought.
The Colour Of Spring is a very English, dense, pastoral record where jazzy passages are followed by stomping piano driven singles, startling melodic invention is everyhere and whispered vocals slip in and out of the mix.
The big hit from the record was 'Life's What You Make It' - a pounding piano and drums lead single with keening vocals - still a staple of day time radio over 20 years later. 'Living In Another World' is perhaps the most immediately accesible track and 'I Don't Believe In You' is simply gorgeous.
The Colour Of Spring must have seemed completely alien to the Smash Hits reading teens of the time but it still sold respectably in the UK and wowed the music press. It's not dissimilar in it's themes and ambitions to XTC's stunning Skylarking, which came out around the same time - ironically a record also adored by the critics and ignored by the public.
This is Talk Talk's most consistent long player by miles and is always criminally overlooked when the list of great and good albums of the 1980's is compiled. Much like Talk Talk themselves.
Patience and repeated listening rewards in spades.

Perfection, 17 Mar 2008
Talk Talk went on to produce 2 more sublime records but this was their absolute pinnacle. The Colour of Spring still sounds as fresh and innovative in 2008 as it did back in the 1980's. From the beautifully crafted "Happiness is Easy" all the way through to the uplifting "Time is Time", you are on a very special journey here. No doubt everyone remembers the wonderful "Life's what you make It", but everything here is that good. Whenever I despair at the lack of depth, energy and innovation of modern music, I always put this cd on and feel so much better. Like the Blue Nile, Talk Talk were one of Britains finest cultural moments.

Dense, rhythmic, and transcendent., 11 Sep 2005
The Colour of Spring is one of those great records of the 80's that most people seem to forget... too busy trying to reunite the members of Berlin or gearing up for a new release from Duran Duran, and so on. It sounds like nothing else, or at least, it sounds like nothing else in comparison to the majority of mid-eighties rock... with Mark Hollis creating a sublime fusion of ambient guitar-pop, rhythmic folk, free-form jazz and even elements of opera and reagee. The compositions are dense and multi-layered, creating a bed of noise that is both bulging and minimalist (if such a thing is possible), as the evocative textures created by Hollis, Paul Webb, Lee Harris and producer Tim Fries-Green - not to mention their army of session-players, child choirs and backing vocalists - act as a bed for those arcane, transcendent, life-altering lyrics.

This is a world away from their previous album, the multi-selling It's My Life, and it shows the kind of progression away from synthesised new-romanticism, to something more akin to their classic records Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock... a brief period when the band could really be described as the Radiohead of their day!! With this record, we find a transitional style - if it has to be compared to the modern-day spectacle, then it's this band's The Bends - with Hollis and Fries-Green creating some gorgeous melancholic melodies, with a sound that alternates between slow moody ambience and heavier other-worldly rock. Opening track Happiness is Easy finds Hollis singing his mumbled poems with the detached intensity of a recently broken man, as percussion, tinkling bells and a throbbing bass-line alternate between verse, bridge and chorus, in a way not too dissimilar to that later joy The Rainbow, from ...Eden, though with the aforementioned child choir coming in on the title line to make obvious what Hollis's lush vocal can only hint at.

It's a strange way to open the album, but so audacious in its studio engineering and its evocative structure that we are carried away in its intoxicating mood and languid pace... It leads us perfectly into next track, I Don't Believe in You, which is probably my favourite song on the entire album. It's sound is more traditional than track one, though the emotions conveyed by Hollis's words are nerve-shattering... a fact that has unsurprisingly led some fans (myself included) to view the Colour of Spring as a semi-song cycle dealing with the disintegration of a long-term love affair. It makes sense... even from reading the album track listing (with suggestive couplets like Life's What You Make It, Give It Up, Time its Time and the ones aforementioned) we get a sense of the despair that is woven in between the sublime lyrical textures that the band so effortlessly create.

The big single of the time was Life's What You Make It, which remains the band's biggest hit to date (or perhaps a close second to the earlier It's My Life - as murdered by No Doubt) and has a sound that fuses elements of pop, rock and jazz (with Steve Winwood's piano loop brining to mind some of the hypnotic musical arrangements on some of Miles Davis's best recordings, particularly In A Silent Way and Kind of Blue). The band performance here is fantastic, with Fries-Green allowing the group room to improvise and manoeuvre around the arrangements, without letting the whole thing fall into the trap of self-indulgence. When listening to something as spectacular as Life's What You Make It, or other tracks like April 5th and the excellent Living In Another World (the most rock-like song on the album) you start to see the kind of bold, intelligent musical progression that infinitely more successful bands like Coldplay and Oasis seems absolutely incapable of making. And, if you think the music on this record pushes the boundaries of popular rock music into the stratosphere, then you should progress onto their masterpiece album Spirit of Eden... a towering record that still sounds twenty-years ahead of it's time.

The final set of songs push the ambient-jazz influences further, with saxophones, harps, a collection of organs and a wide variety of different percussion based instruments all finding their way into the compositions between the core elements of bass, guitars, piano, drums and vocals. Hollis's vocal style of delivery here was already starting to make less sense than on the previous albums, with his voice really maturing into something much more evocative... as he uses his voice just like another instrument, stretching words until they reach a completely different note, utilising the silences in between words, and so on. Penultimate track, Chameleon Day, sounds like a precursor to the sound and style of Hollis' eventual self-titled solo-album from 1998, with the track employing a more minimal sound, drawing primarily on Hollis's tortured vocals and glacial piano chords.

Although it's dated somewhat in the nineteen years since it was first released, The Colour of Spring still holds up exceedingly well. Some of the instrumental flourishes do have a hint of the 80's about them, but, on the whole, the album is elevated through the potency of Hollis's song writing, the arrangements and production of Tim Fries-Green and the virtuoso musicianship of Hollis, Webb and Harris, and the assistance of people like Martin Ditcham, Robbie McIntosh, Steve Winwood, David Rhoads and Mark Feltham. Though it's less experimental (and, to be honest, less essential) than the two albums that would follow, The Colour of Spring is still an enjoyable and admirable piece of work and, could very well be the best place to start for those interested in discovering the music of Talk Talk.

The best all-round Talk Talk album there is., 27 Jun 2005
It is safe to say that Talk Talk remain, to this day, my favorite band in the world and The Colour of Spring is the album that reminds me why. Slap bang in the middle of their five album lifespan, Colour of Spring contains elements of all Talk Talk's best work. There is a reminder of their early effervescence in 'Living in Another World', as well as some stadium swelling numbers like 'Life's What You Make It', 'Happiness Is Easy' and 'Give It Up'. This is Talk Talk at their commercial, if not artistic, best. Hints of the eclectic music that would follow with the final two albums are also there, in 'April 5th' and the haunting 'Chameleon Day'. The final track leaves you with a gorgeous upbeat melody that lingers in the mind long afterwards.
A truly awesome album and probably the best for any newcomer to this band to try on for size.

Spring, Death, and the birth of Belief...., 18 Nov 2004
This is a work of incredible bravery and genius, and yet it is as still and peaceful as it is unsettling. Oddly, the queitest moments here will prompt many to give up and (hopefully) try again when they are more ready, while the most raucous ("living in another world" and "life's what you make it") will prove comforting and downright soothing. Much like the collected moths that adorn the album (and it's single releases at the time), there is an incredibly diverse range of emotional life within this "collection", yet it very much belongs together, sharing a similar basic starting point and giving witness to the evolution of a musical (and emotional) perspective that struggles to survive. This album was the beginning of the end of Talk Talk, (though to the band's credit, they convinced the A&R at Verve/Polydor to sign them even after EMI couldn't be rid of them soon enough). Those in the musical know will tell you why: this band possessed a rare genious and a musical bravery which is unmatched amongst their contemporaries. The only real precedent for this release is the 1984 Blue Nile release "A Walk Across the Rooftops". The key distinction is that the Blue Nile was a lark, and those assembled had nothing to lose. Talk Talk was at the height of their career and decided to test it's worth for the benefit of "popular" music. I highly recommend this album, but be warned that many of you will be challenged on the way to it's worship. It's only music, folks. What is really unsettling here is the exact reason you need to hear this haunting, beautiful and enlightening masterpeice. A band died for your sins....

Homegrown soul produced by Trevor Horn and including the pop hit "Look of Love", The Lexicon of Love is bursting with hooks, clever lyrics and synthetic funk-inspired grooves that hold up better than most others from the early 1980s. ABC leader Martin Frey sings with a histrionic despair, at once naive and cynical, and all dressed up by horn and string sections that feel positively overwhelming. Such larger-than-life arrangements may seem over-the-top to some listeners, but as the soundtrack to a lexicon of love--how else would you expect it to sound? --David Cantwell

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

As the title suggest, this is Duran's greatest work, 09 Nov 2008
Featuring all of Duran's mega 80's hits, and a few 90's ones you may not be familiar with, this collection of hits is an excellent compiliation of the bands best work.
Almost timeless hits on here which quite rightly get their due, a Duran Duran greatest hits had been long overdue, and in 1998 with their commercial success at an all time low, this release was a timely reminder of how good they are.
Re-released in 2004 to even better commerical success during a sell out UK tour, Duran Duran proved that chart success may only be temporary, but class is permenant.


Duran's Big Hits, 01 Apr 2008
The CD has all the main hits (pre Astronaut) plus a few lesser known hits. Some songs are edited versions so if that is an issue, beware. This is especially evident on the Rio tracks and Ordinary World. For most people, though, these are the versions they know having heard them on the radio for 20+ years. I could say that such and such song should have been included (OK, Violence of Summer) but can not find any real fault in the selection. The sound quality is fine which should not be a surprise; the sound quality of DD was always top class.



BOYS ON FORM, 07 Aug 2007
DURAN DURAN have earned their place as icons of 80's pop culture. Live, they still deliver today.

Of course, with a back catalogue of many excellent songs, any 19 track compilation is going to be as subjective as the person responsible for its content but, fortunately, this is a fine effort with only the occasional turkey (i.e. Wild Boy) in sight.

Looking back, it sends a considerable shiver up the old donkey jacket when I think of the term NEW ROMANTIC - Post-Punk was my formative era - but DURAN DURAN immediately impressed with the classic PLANET EARTH, and carried on impressing right up to ORDINARY WORLD (one of the most beautifully judged pop songs you'll ever hear and, in my opinion, the climax to a sixteen-year high).

All of which adds up to a pretty impressive career - most of which you'll find on this worthy CD. Check it out.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

duran duran's greatest moments, 03 May 2006
I have always been a fan of Duran Duran, I thought they were great. It took me years to get hold of their greatest hits album but now I have. Its a good album which lists all of their hits way back to the early '80s. From the likes of 'is there something i should know' with its catchy beat and memorable chorus all the way to the '90s with underrated 'come undone' this album will take you on a trip down memory lane. My favourites are 'Girls on film', 'Save a prayer' and 'Hungry like the wolf' but theres not a bad track on the album. The lyrics are genuine unlike some of the rubbish thats been in the charts. I feel duran duran's greatest rounds off their finest hits quite nicely. Outstanding cd.

greatest, 04 Jul 2004
the greatest band of the 8o's, this cd will keep you going on the longest journey and everyone must know all the words..... trust me they will go on and on greatest 2 on the way hopefully!

buy it!, 21 Dec 2007
buy it.

its a great cd.... if you like soft cell but dont have all their cds this is a great addition to your cd collection.

again, buy it.

tell you what, why dont you buy it?

An almost perfect compilation!, 19 Jan 2004
Great to hear all these tracks again now that they've been remastered. The sound is much improved but, I only wish they had included the tracks from their very first single "Mutant Moments E.P.".

I'm not a big fan of remixes of old records.
But, an exception must be made for the 2XS remix of "Tainted Love". Which somehow manages to update but, not spoil the original magic. Whereas Marilyn Manson's take on the song is slow. This (Electronic Drum & Bass-styled) version is faster than the original! I read in a Dave Ball interview that they personally asked them to remix this and loved the results. Always nice to know whether the artist approves i think. Buy without doubt.

DECADENT ELECTRONIC CABARET, 26 May 2003
The early 1980s saw the emergence of the synth duo in the form of Yazoo, OMD, Eurythmics and Soft Cell amongst others. Yazoo had soulful vocals, OMD made spacious, almost classical music, Eurythmics changed with every album and Soft Cell had a certain air of dramatic decadence. (It's not hard to picture Marc Almond as a latterday Joel Grey in a synth cabaret)This superb collection of melodic songs includes two versions of their stunning hits Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye. My other favourites are the catchy What?, Memorabilia and their lovely interpretation of Where Did Our Love Go? Marc Almond's voice doesn't have the widest range but the interplay between the vocals and the synths are always innovative. This hits collection is consistently enjoyable while some of their individual albums had lots of filler material, so this is truly the best and a fantastic listening experience.

innovative electro pioneers back with avengeance, 05 Apr 2002
Having heard all of the tracks when they were originally released in the early 80's, these songs were, and still are innovative.
The new material on here, still have an up to date sound in their own unique way, and though the new songs on this collection are not to be released as singles, i believe the new album due out in the summer, will once again spawn chart success for the pioneering synth elecro punk /pop/soul duo,
and not before time.
Chemical Bros etc... move over


The Definitive Synth Pop Duo, 02 Apr 2002
Respect is definitely due for this often overlooked synth act who together with the Human League, were very much ahead of the game.
On the surface, this may look like another thoughtless compilation with memories of 1991's cash in on Marc Almond's successful solo career, but a lot of love and attention has gone into this new release.
The sound quality is crisp and delightful. Tainted Love still sounds years ahead of the pretenders whilst the perennial classic 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' still has that ability to send shivers down the neck. Almond's vocal delivery ranks along side Phil Oakey, Matt Johnson (The The) and Neil Tennant who all manage to convey masses of high emotion and wit (something that lacks from 'technically gifted' Pop Idol moppets that now litter the UK charts).
Almond has always sang from the heart bringing an extra dimension to the more sleazy tracks such as the irresistible Sex Dwarf included here in full glory.
Dave Ball's unique ability at pushing the electronics to their limits whilst never forgetting the importance of toe-tapping, melodic brilliance - should also be worshipped here after listening to this compilation. It simply hasn't dated.
Other gems include the new mixes of Numbers whilst two long awaited new tracks have been included. Dead Souls and Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime are worthy to stand along side the old classic, proving that Soft Cell have rediscovered their electro heights of yesterday. Both tracks are impressive (with superb production from Ball) and they leave a mark raising hopes that the new album will be one to watch out for.
Praise must also go to the new mixes of Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye - both updated here but never straying from the original appeal of these classics.
Ironic how this was released on the same day as the PSB's new but somewhat lacklustre album, but if you have to make a choice, this Soft Cell compilation will remain in your CD player for longer. Shame they couldn't add a new mix of Secret Life (it still deserves a single release after 20 years!) but the track listing here is near enough perfect.

The definitive synth 'pop' duo are back!

DRIFT AWAY WITH THIS FORGOTTEN PASTORAL GEM, 18 Jul 2008
Talk Talk started out in the early 80's as left field alternatives to the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet before eventually evolving into something far more interesting. Frontman and songwriter Mark Hollis always had his sights set higher than the synth pop of early hits 'Talk Talk' and 'It's My Life' and with this, the bands third album, he finally managed to achieve the critical success he sought.
The Colour Of Spring is a very English, dense, pastoral record where jazzy passages are followed by stomping piano driven singles, startling melodic invention is everyhere and whispered vocals slip in and out of the mix.
The big hit from the record was 'Life's What You Make It' - a pounding piano and drums lead single with keening vocals - still a staple of day time radio over 20 years later. 'Living In Another World' is perhaps the most immediately accesible track and 'I Don't Believe In You' is simply gorgeous.
The Colour Of Spring must have seemed completely alien to the Smash Hits reading teens of the time but it still sold respectably in the UK and wowed the music press. It's not dissimilar in it's themes and ambitions to XTC's stunning Skylarking, which came out around the same time - ironically a record also adored by the critics and ignored by the public.
This is Talk Talk's most consistent long player by miles and is always criminally overlooked when the list of great and good albums of the 1980's is compiled. Much like Talk Talk themselves.
Patience and repeated listening rewards in spades.

Perfection, 17 Mar 2008
Talk Talk went on to produce 2 more sublime records but this was their absolute pinnacle. The Colour of Spring still sounds as fresh and innovative in 2008 as it did back in the 1980's. From the beautifully crafted "Happiness is Easy" all the way through to the uplifting "Time is Time", you are on a very special journey here. No doubt everyone remembers the wonderful "Life's what you make It", but everything here is that good. Whenever I despair at the lack of depth, energy and innovation of modern music, I always put this cd on and feel so much better. Like the Blue Nile, Talk Talk were one of Britains finest cultural moments.

Dense, rhythmic, and transcendent., 11 Sep 2005
The Colour of Spring is one of those great records of the 80's that most people seem to forget... too busy trying to reunite the members of Berlin or gearing up for a new release from Duran Duran, and so on. It sounds like nothing else, or at least, it sounds like nothing else in comparison to the majority of mid-eighties rock... with Mark Hollis creating a sublime fusion of ambient guitar-pop, rhythmic folk, free-form jazz and even elements of opera and reagee. The compositions are dense and multi-layered, creating a bed of noise that is both bulging and minimalist (if such a thing is possible), as the evocative textures created by Hollis, Paul Webb, Lee Harris and producer Tim Fries-Green - not to mention their army of session-players, child choirs and backing vocalists - act as a bed for those arcane, transcendent, life-altering lyrics.

This is a world away from their previous album, the multi-selling It's My Life, and it shows the kind of progression away from synthesised new-romanticism, to something more akin to their classic records Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock... a brief period when the band could really be described as the Radiohead of their day!! With this record, we find a transitional style - if it has to be compared to the modern-day spectacle, then it's this band's The Bends - with Hollis and Fries-Green creating some gorgeous melancholic melodies, with a sound that alternates between slow moody ambience and heavier other-worldly rock. Opening track Happiness is Easy finds Hollis singing his mumbled poems with the detached intensity of a recently broken man, as percussion, tinkling bells and a throbbing bass-line alternate between verse, bridge and chorus, in a way not too dissimilar to that later joy The Rainbow, from ...Eden, though with the aforementioned child choir coming in on the title line to make obvious what Hollis's lush vocal can only hint at.

It's a strange way to open the album, but so audacious in its studio engineering and its evocative structure that we are carried away in its intoxicating mood and languid pace... It leads us perfectly into next track, I Don't Believe in You, which is probably my favourite song on the entire album. It's sound is more traditional than track one, though the emotions conveyed by Hollis's words are nerve-shattering... a fact that has unsurprisingly led some fans (myself included) to view the Colour of Spring as a semi-song cycle dealing with the disintegration of a long-term love affair. It makes sense... even from reading the album track listing (with suggestive couplets like Life's What You Make It, Give It Up, Time its Time and the ones aforementioned) we get a sense of the despair that is woven in between the sublime lyrical textures that the band so effortlessly create.

The big single of the time was Life's What You Make It, which remains the band's biggest hit to date (or perhaps a close second to the earlier It's My Life - as murdered by No Doubt) and has a sound that fuses elements of pop, rock and jazz (with Steve Winwood's piano loop brining to mind some of the hypnotic musical arrangements on some of Miles Davis's best recordings, particularly In A Silent Way and Kind of Blue). The band performance here is fantastic, with Fries-Green allowing the group room to improvise and manoeuvre around the arrangements, without letting the whole thing fall into the trap of self-indulgence. When listening to something as spectacular as Life's What You Make It, or other tracks like April 5th and the excellent Living In Another World (the most rock-like song on the album) you start to see the kind of bold, intelligent musical progression that infinitely more successful bands like Coldplay and Oasis seems absolutely incapable of making. And, if you think the music on this record pushes the boundaries of popular rock music into the stratosphere, then you should progress onto their masterpiece album Spirit of Eden... a towering record that still sounds twenty-years ahead of it's time.

The final set of songs push the ambient-jazz influences further, with saxophones, harps, a collection of organs and a wide variety of different percussion based instruments all finding their way into the compositions between the core elements of bass, guitars, piano, drums and vocals. Hollis's vocal style of delivery here was already starting to make less sense than on the previous albums, with his voice really maturing into something much more evocative... as he uses his voice just like another instrument, stretching words until they reach a completely different note, utilising the silences in between words, and so on. Penultimate track, Chameleon Day, sounds like a precursor to the sound and style of Hollis' eventual self-titled solo-album from 1998, with the track employing a more minimal sound, drawing primarily on Hollis's tortured vocals and glacial piano chords.

Although it's dated somewhat in the nineteen years since it was first released, The Colour of Spring still holds up exceedingly well. Some of the instrumental flourishes do have a hint of the 80's about them, but, on the whole, the album is elevated through the potency of Hollis's song writing, the arrangements and production of Tim Fries-Green and the virtuoso musicianship of Hollis, Webb and Harris, and the assistance of people like Martin Ditcham, Robbie McIntosh, Steve Winwood, David Rhoads and Mark Feltham. Though it's less experimental (and, to be honest, less essential) than the two albums that would follow, The Colour of Spring is still an enjoyable and admirable piece of work and, could very well be the best place to start for those interested in discovering the music of Talk Talk.

The best all-round Talk Talk album there is., 27 Jun 2005
It is safe to say that Talk Talk remain, to this day, my favorite band in the world and The Colour of Spring is the album that reminds me why. Slap bang in the middle of their five album lifespan, Colour of Spring contains elements of all Talk Talk's best work. There is a reminder of their early effervescence in 'Living in Another World', as well as some stadium swelling numbers like 'Life's What You Make It', 'Happiness Is Easy' and 'Give It Up'. This is Talk Talk at their commercial, if not artistic, best. Hints of the eclectic music that would follow with the final two albums are also there, in 'April 5th' and the haunting 'Chameleon Day'. The final track leaves you with a gorgeous upbeat melody that lingers in the mind long afterwards.
A truly awesome album and probably the best for any newcomer to this band to try on for size.

Spring, Death, and the birth of Belief...., 18 Nov 2004
This is a work of incredible bravery and genius, and yet it is as still and peaceful as it is unsettling. Oddly, the queitest moments here will prompt many to give up and (hopefully) try again when they are more ready, while the most raucous ("living in another world" and "life's what you make it") will prove comforting and downright soothing. Much like the collected moths that adorn the album (and it's single releases at the time), there is an incredibly diverse range of emotional life within this "collection", yet it very much belongs together, sharing a similar basic starting point and giving witness to the evolution of a musical (and emotional) perspective that struggles to survive. This album was the beginning of the end of Talk Talk, (though to the band's credit, they convinced the A&R at Verve/Polydor to sign them even after EMI couldn't be rid of them soon enough). Those in the musical know will tell you why: this band possessed a rare genious and a musical bravery which is unmatched amongst their contemporaries. The only real precedent for this release is the 1984 Blue Nile release "A Walk Across the Rooftops". The key distinction is that the Blue Nile was a lark, and those assembled had nothing to lose. Talk Talk was at the height of their career and decided to test it's worth for the benefit of "popular" music. I highly recommend this album, but be warned that many of you will be challenged on the way to it's worship. It's only music, folks. What is really unsettling here is the exact reason you need to hear this haunting, beautiful and enlightening masterpeice. A band died for your sins....

ABC 'classic'!, 18 Dec 2008

'ABC' were certainly one of the most unique sounds to come out of the 80s. Martin Fry's voice being certainly unique and immediately recognisable.

A string of hits ensued from: 'The Lexicon Of Love' between 1981 and 1982 - including the classic epic 'All Of My Heart' which always reminds me of when we got our first Video Recorder and captured the fabulous Video to this song from TOTOP. This album features only two parts from the collection of the four of 'The Look Of Love' (parts 1 & 4) and so if you want to hear the other two, then you'll have to buy the 12" Single where all four parts were brought together as a Collectors' Item!

Great sounding band with a great debut album - still sounds great today!

ABC Classic Still Stands out , 13 Jul 2008
I have like previous reviewers of this album finally got around to replacing it on C D . My wife and I listened to it in the car on a long journey and it is still as good if not better now as it was more than a quarter of a century ago. It really has all been said from the vocals to the production even the cover of the album. I must agree that it is possibly the best album of the 1980`s. I guess Michael Jacksons Thriller and Fleetwood Macs Tango in the night would also be contenders but Lexicon of love truly is a timeless album and blows your mind everytime you hear it. That is the true test of any album if you are still enjoying it as much all these years later. A truly awesome album a must buy for any collection.

One Of The Finest Albums Of The `80`s, 28 Feb 2008
Of all the albums representing the early 80`s this is simply along for me with "Songs From The Big Chair" - Tears For Fears not only the finest albums of the 80`s but still in many ways unsurpassed even in the modern era. This is a Trevor Horn production. You can hear here how he was developing that very distinctive Bass guitar sound that would come to prominence with Frankie Goes To Hollywood. The production is very crisp & clean. The real eye opener at the time was that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were used, not really having been done before certainly to this extent. Now of course we here synthesized orchestra sounds all over the place but this is were that really started. The amazing thing is how well Horn was able to get such a great blend between them and the band. Not one part of the band or orchestra intrudes on the other instead they compliment each other perfectly creating a light whimsical sound to the whole proceeding. The band raise there game here with some great playing themselves.

But of course as with all music it will come down to the songs. It`s here that this album scores even higher. Every track is rememberal and singable. A great lead vocal far better than most of his contemporaries by Martin Fry, knocks spots of the very over hyped Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. The Bass player also deserves a mention as his performance in many respects makes this album with some great modern pop bass playing full of danceable funk pump that positively bounces along. The Guitar and Keyboards hold down the melodic quota of chords and punctuations that enable the band as a whole to simply shine. A great band effort rightly acknowledged at the time and as this review is doing acknowledging now. If you want to no why today's pop music is faceless ,bland,banal, unimaginative rubbish that`s helped to kill not only pop music but also the charts and has taken many radio stations down with it as well then this album shows you how inspiring and fun and imaginative pop can really be, and why people like me miss the 80`s so much.

It`s also worth noting as those of you that have read some of my other reviews that i`m basically a Rock/Metal fan. The truth is i like GOOD music with GOOD songs and believe credit should be given were it`s deserved, and this album really does deserve it. Even back in the day this album had a lot of crossover with Rock fans and still does, which tells you everything you need to no doesn`t it. You can`t keep quality down and quality always shines through. Like TFF- Songs From.....this album is not only one of the best of the 80`s but is still one of the best today. No one who thinks they have a serious record collection should be without this. This is simply a must buy.

"Kerrr-ching", 15 Feb 2008
From the sound of ancient cash registers, through the syrup of a symphony string section, to Martin's melodrama and Mark's on-the-button riffs, this is, was, and will always be an 80's, 90's, Naughties , and eternities perfection piece, if you're looking for high kitsch, high drama, high camp, and unbeatable effervescent pop.

I find that I have to play the whole (concept, to pinch a "Yes"ism)album. I just know this SO well; not just which track is next, or the lyric, but the key its in, and the length of gap (if any)'tween tracks.

It has never been bettered, by anyone, let alone "ABC" , and no, Sir, "Beauty Stab" isn't even in the same league.

This is becoming a little excessive and effusive for a 45+, over-weight, Father of two,boring CEO, but once upon a time, Children, Daddy was......

Eighties masterpiece, 19 Feb 2007
In a list of the top 10 albums of the Eighties, this would certainly be included in mine. When released it was seen as a masterpiece and it still sounds slick today. Trevor Horn's production flows from start to finish. I think ABC had a hard job trying to follow up this first album and never managed to top this.

Were you expecting this?, 01 Oct 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings not only about this album but also about the Human League who are one of my favourite bands and an inspiration, not only for their music but their togetherness as a band.

Firstly, the Greatest Hits album. The only track I'm not too keen on is the remix of 'Don't You Want Me' at the end, which I find a bit tacky (couldn't Virgin have put 'Heart Like A Wheel' on instead?). The other tracks on the album are of at least a good standard, with my favourites being 'Love Is All That Matters', 'Together In Electric Dreams', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Tell Me When' which was the song that introduced me to the band. Overall it is a superb collection of fine electronic music.

Secondly, the Band. Despite a turbulent and troubled past during their 25 year history (30 if you go back to the original line-up of Phil, Martin Ware & Ian Craig Marsh), the trio of Phil, Joanne & Susan deserve credit for sticking together & keeping themselves going (at times against the odds) and have every right to be proud of what they have achieved. For me, they are the original masters of electronic pop and having seen them at the Manchester Apollo last year, they proved they can still do the business. I feel they will be seen as an influence by many others in the electronic music world for many years to come and I must admit that if it wasn't for the Human League, I probably wouldn't have got into electronic music.


A Greatest Hits Ever Done by H.L, 13 Feb 2006
If you love 80's Music Especially New Waves Buy this Collection,

Human League One of the Best 80's Bands in the UK and U.S.

Don't You Want The Human League ?, 26 Nov 2001
This Greatest Hits package is basically an update of their 1988 compilation which I already own on tape, with their 1989-1995 material thrown in for good measure... not that's there much of it. As the previous reviewer stated, they had their wilderness years in the late-80's and into the mid-90's (producing a lot of dross), with a return to form on their 1995 album Octopus.

However, the compilers really should have included their only decent single from this era, the highly-catchy Heart Like A Wheel, together with the Top 20 single from Octopus, One Man In My Heart. Moreover, they could have payed slightly more attention to their late-70's experimental phase aside from including the 1982 re-release of Being Boiled (originally a 1978 indie-release), with the inclusion of their unworldly single Empire State Human. A chronologically-correct song-list would have also allowed non-fans to track the interesting development of the band through from 1978 to 1995. The shoddy Snap-remix of Don't You Want Me? is also surplus to requirements and thoroughly unneccesary.

However, gripes aside, this is probably the best compilation of the League's material out there, and as such comes recommended to the as yet uninitiated, quite simply because it contains a multitude of classic pop tunes (note that I did'nt mention the lyrics !) I've just seen them at a 1,000 sell-out concert in Basingstoke (of all places !) and they can still do it live !

A great album!, 14 Feb 2001
This is the only Human League album you'll ever need! Out of all of their albums only Dare, which houses 'Don't You Want Me', gets any real critical acclaim, but the best tracks from that are on this album!

As this collection proves, The Human League, made great music throughout their whole career. Even during the 'wilderness years' (in the U.K. anyway) from '85-'94. This album also includes the best track of all, Together In Electric Dreams, a solo track by Phil Oakey.

There are two or three weak tracks, such as the terrible Snap Remix and 'Stay With Me Tonight'. But the rest are classics! Every home should have a Human League album, and this is the one!

Great CD ý really takes you back to the 80ýs, 14 Nov 1999
Wow, try to pick one favourite record from this lot - mine would have to be 'Don't You Want Me' closely followed by all the rest. A really good collection of nostalgic tracks - especially if you were a teenager in the early eighties.

As the title suggest, this is Duran's greatest work, 09 Nov 2008
Featuring all of Duran's mega 80's hits, and a few 90's ones you may not be familiar with, this collection of hits is an excellent compiliation of the bands best work.
Almost timeless hits on here which quite rightly get their due, a Duran Duran greatest hits had been long overdue, and in 1998 with their commercial success at an all time low, this release was a timely reminder of how good they are.
Re-released in 2004 to even better commerical success during a sell out UK tour, Duran Duran proved that chart success may only be temporary, but class is permenant.


Duran's Big Hits, 01 Apr 2008
The CD has all the main hits (pre Astronaut) plus a few lesser known hits. Some songs are edited versions so if that is an issue, beware. This is especially evident on the Rio tracks and Ordinary World. For most people, though, these are the versions they know having heard them on the radio for 20+ years. I could say that such and such song should have been included (OK, Violence of Summer) but can not find any real fault in the selection. The sound quality is fine which should not be a surprise; the sound quality of DD was always top class.



BOYS ON FORM, 07 Aug 2007
DURAN DURAN have earned their place as icons of 80's pop culture. Live, they still deliver today.

Of course, with a back catalogue of many excellent songs, any 19 track compilation is going to be as subjective as the person responsible for its content but, fortunately, this is a fine effort with only the occasional turkey (i.e. Wild Boy) in sight.

Looking back, it sends a considerable shiver up the old donkey jacket when I think of the term NEW ROMANTIC - Post-Punk was my formative era - but DURAN DURAN immediately impressed with the classic PLANET EARTH, and carried on impressing right up to ORDINARY WORLD (one of the most beautifully judged pop songs you'll ever hear and, in my opinion, the climax to a sixteen-year high).

All of which adds up to a pretty impressive career - most of which you'll find on this worthy CD. Check it out.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

duran duran's greatest moments, 03 May 2006
I have always been a fan of Duran Duran, I thought they were great. It took me years to get hold of their greatest hits album but now I have. Its a good album which lists all of their hits way back to the early '80s. From the likes of 'is there something i should know' with its catchy beat and memorable chorus all the way to the '90s with underrated 'come undone' this album will take you on a trip down memory lane. My favourites are 'Girls on film', 'Save a prayer' and 'Hungry like the wolf' but theres not a bad track on the album. The lyrics are genuine unlike some of the rubbish thats been in the charts. I feel duran duran's greatest rounds off their finest hits quite nicely. Outstanding cd.

greatest, 04 Jul 2004
the greatest band of the 8o's, this cd will keep you going on the longest journey and everyone must know all the words..... trust me they will go on and on greatest 2 on the way hopefully!

buy it!, 21 Dec 2007
buy it.

its a great cd.... if you like soft cell but dont have all their cds this is a great addition to your cd collection.

again, buy it.

tell you what, why dont you buy it?

An almost perfect compilation!, 19 Jan 2004
Great to hear all these tracks again now that they've been remastered. The sound is much improved but, I only wish they had included the tracks from their very first single "Mutant Moments E.P.".

I'm not a big fan of remixes of old records.
But, an exception must be made for the 2XS remix of "Tainted Love". Which somehow manages to update but, not spoil the original magic. Whereas Marilyn Manson's take on the song is slow. This (Electronic Drum & Bass-styled) version is faster than the original! I read in a Dave Ball interview that they personally asked them to remix this and loved the results. Always nice to know whether the artist approves i think. Buy without doubt.

DECADENT ELECTRONIC CABARET, 26 May 2003
The early 1980s saw the emergence of the synth duo in the form of Yazoo, OMD, Eurythmics and Soft Cell amongst others. Yazoo had soulful vocals, OMD made spacious, almost classical music, Eurythmics changed with every album and Soft Cell had a certain air of dramatic decadence. (It's not hard to picture Marc Almond as a latterday Joel Grey in a synth cabaret)This superb collection of melodic songs includes two versions of their stunning hits Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye. My other favourites are the catchy What?, Memorabilia and their lovely interpretation of Where Did Our Love Go? Marc Almond's voice doesn't have the widest range but the interplay between the vocals and the synths are always innovative. This hits collection is consistently enjoyable while some of their individual albums had lots of filler material, so this is truly the best and a fantastic listening experience.

innovative electro pioneers back with avengeance, 05 Apr 2002
Having heard all of the tracks when they were originally released in the early 80's, these songs were, and still are innovative.
The new material on here, still have an up to date sound in their own unique way, and though the new songs on this collection are not to be released as singles, i believe the new album due out in the summer, will once again spawn chart success for the pioneering synth elecro punk /pop/soul duo,
and not before time.
Chemical Bros etc... move over


The Definitive Synth Pop Duo, 02 Apr 2002
Respect is definitely due for this often overlooked synth act who together with the Human League, were very much ahead of the game.
On the surface, this may look like another thoughtless compilation with memories of 1991's cash in on Marc Almond's successful solo career, but a lot of love and attention has gone into this new release.
The sound quality is crisp and delightful. Tainted Love still sounds years ahead of the pretenders whilst the perennial classic 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' still has that ability to send shivers down the neck. Almond's vocal delivery ranks along side Phil Oakey, Matt Johnson (The The) and Neil Tennant who all manage to convey masses of high emotion and wit (something that lacks from 'technically gifted' Pop Idol moppets that now litter the UK charts).
Almond has always sang from the heart bringing an extra dimension to the more sleazy tracks such as the irresistible Sex Dwarf included here in full glory.
Dave Ball's unique ability at pushing the electronics to their limits whilst never forgetting the importance of toe-tapping, melodic brilliance - should also be worshipped here after listening to this compilation. It simply hasn't dated.
Other gems include the new mixes of Numbers whilst two long awaited new tracks have been included. Dead Souls and Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime are worthy to stand along side the old classic, proving that Soft Cell have rediscovered their electro heights of yesterday. Both tracks are impressive (with superb production from Ball) and they leave a mark raising hopes that the new album will be one to watch out for.
Praise must also go to the new mixes of Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye - both updated here but never straying from the original appeal of these classics.
Ironic how this was released on the same day as the PSB's new but somewhat lacklustre album, but if you have to make a choice, this Soft Cell compilation will remain in your CD player for longer. Shame they couldn't add a new mix of Secret Life (it still deserves a single release after 20 years!) but the track listing here is near enough perfect.

The definitive synth 'pop' duo are back!

DRIFT AWAY WITH THIS FORGOTTEN PASTORAL GEM, 18 Jul 2008
Talk Talk started out in the early 80's as left field alternatives to the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet before eventually evolving into something far more interesting. Frontman and songwriter Mark Hollis always had his sights set higher than the synth pop of early hits 'Talk Talk' and 'It's My Life' and with this, the bands third album, he finally managed to achieve the critical success he sought.
The Colour Of Spring is a very English, dense, pastoral record where jazzy passages are followed by stomping piano driven singles, startling melodic invention is everyhere and whispered vocals slip in and out of the mix.
The big hit from the record was 'Life's What You Make It' - a pounding piano and drums lead single with keening vocals - still a staple of day time radio over 20 years later. 'Living In Another World' is perhaps the most immediately accesible track and 'I Don't Believe In You' is simply gorgeous.
The Colour Of Spring must have seemed completely alien to the Smash Hits reading teens of the time but it still sold respectably in the UK and wowed the music press. It's not dissimilar in it's themes and ambitions to XTC's stunning Skylarking, which came out around the same time - ironically a record also adored by the critics and ignored by the public.
This is Talk Talk's most consistent long player by miles and is always criminally overlooked when the list of great and good albums of the 1980's is compiled. Much like Talk Talk themselves.
Patience and repeated listening rewards in spades.

Perfection, 17 Mar 2008
Talk Talk went on to produce 2 more sublime records but this was their absolute pinnacle. The Colour of Spring still sounds as fresh and innovative in 2008 as it did back in the 1980's. From the beautifully crafted "Happiness is Easy" all the way through to the uplifting "Time is Time", you are on a very special journey here. No doubt everyone remembers the wonderful "Life's what you make It", but everything here is that good. Whenever I despair at the lack of depth, energy and innovation of modern music, I always put this cd on and feel so much better. Like the Blue Nile, Talk Talk were one of Britains finest cultural moments.

Dense, rhythmic, and transcendent., 11 Sep 2005
The Colour of Spring is one of those great records of the 80's that most people seem to forget... too busy trying to reunite the members of Berlin or gearing up for a new release from Duran Duran, and so on. It sounds like nothing else, or at least, it sounds like nothing else in comparison to the majority of mid-eighties rock... with Mark Hollis creating a sublime fusion of ambient guitar-pop, rhythmic folk, free-form jazz and even elements of opera and reagee. The compositions are dense and multi-layered, creating a bed of noise that is both bulging and minimalist (if such a thing is possible), as the evocative textures created by Hollis, Paul Webb, Lee Harris and producer Tim Fries-Green - not to mention their army of session-players, child choirs and backing vocalists - act as a bed for those arcane, transcendent, life-altering lyrics.

This is a world away from their previous album, the multi-selling It's My Life, and it shows the kind of progression away from synthesised new-romanticism, to something more akin to their classic records Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock... a brief period when the band could really be described as the Radiohead of their day!! With this record, we find a transitional style - if it has to be compared to the modern-day spectacle, then it's this band's The Bends - with Hollis and Fries-Green creating some gorgeous melancholic melodies, with a sound that alternates between slow moody ambience and heavier other-worldly rock. Opening track Happiness is Easy finds Hollis singing his mumbled poems with the detached intensity of a recently broken man, as percussion, tinkling bells and a throbbing bass-line alternate between verse, bridge and chorus, in a way not too dissimilar to that later joy The Rainbow, from ...Eden, though with the aforementioned child choir coming in on the title line to make obvious what Hollis's lush vocal can only hint at.

It's a strange way to open the album, but so audacious in its studio engineering and its evocative structure that we are carried away in its intoxicating mood and languid pace... It leads us perfectly into next track, I Don't Believe in You, which is probably my favourite song on the entire album. It's sound is more traditional than track one, though the emotions conveyed by Hollis's words are nerve-shattering... a fact that has unsurprisingly led some fans (myself included) to view the Colour of Spring as a semi-song cycle dealing with the disintegration of a long-term love affair. It makes sense... even from reading the album track listing (with suggestive couplets like Life's What You Make It, Give It Up, Time its Time and the ones aforementioned) we get a sense of the despair that is woven in between the sublime lyrical textures that the band so effortlessly create.

The big single of the time was Life's What You Make It, which remains the band's biggest hit to date (or perhaps a close second to the earlier It's My Life - as murdered by No Doubt) and has a sound that fuses elements of pop, rock and jazz (with Steve Winwood's piano loop brining to mind some of the hypnotic musical arrangements on some of Miles Davis's best recordings, particularly In A Silent Way and Kind of Blue). The band performance here is fantastic, with Fries-Green allowing the group room to improvise and manoeuvre around the arrangements, without letting the whole thing fall into the trap of self-indulgence. When listening to something as spectacular as Life's What You Make It, or other tracks like April 5th and the excellent Living In Another World (the most rock-like song on the album) you start to see the kind of bold, intelligent musical progression that infinitely more successful bands like Coldplay and Oasis seems absolutely incapable of making. And, if you think the music on this record pushes the boundaries of popular rock music into the stratosphere, then you should progress onto their masterpiece album Spirit of Eden... a towering record that still sounds twenty-years ahead of it's time.

The final set of songs push the ambient-jazz influences further, with saxophones, harps, a collection of organs and a wide variety of different percussion based instruments all finding their way into the compositions between the core elements of bass, guitars, piano, drums and vocals. Hollis's vocal style of delivery here was already starting to make less sense than on the previous albums, with his voice really maturing into something much more evocative... as he uses his voice just like another instrument, stretching words until they reach a completely different note, utilising the silences in between words, and so on. Penultimate track, Chameleon Day, sounds like a precursor to the sound and style of Hollis' eventual self-titled solo-album from 1998, with the track employing a more minimal sound, drawing primarily on Hollis's tortured vocals and glacial piano chords.

Although it's dated somewhat in the nineteen years since it was first released, The Colour of Spring still holds up exceedingly well. Some of the instrumental flourishes do have a hint of the 80's about them, but, on the whole, the album is elevated through the potency of Hollis's song writing, the arrangements and production of Tim Fries-Green and the virtuoso musicianship of Hollis, Webb and Harris, and the assistance of people like Martin Ditcham, Robbie McIntosh, Steve Winwood, David Rhoads and Mark Feltham. Though it's less experimental (and, to be honest, less essential) than the two albums that would follow, The Colour of Spring is still an enjoyable and admirable piece of work and, could very well be the best place to start for those interested in discovering the music of Talk Talk.

The best all-round Talk Talk album there is., 27 Jun 2005
It is safe to say that Talk Talk remain, to this day, my favorite band in the world and The Colour of Spring is the album that reminds me why. Slap bang in the middle of their five album lifespan, Colour of Spring contains elements of all Talk Talk's best work. There is a reminder of their early effervescence in 'Living in Another World', as well as some stadium swelling numbers like 'Life's What You Make It', 'Happiness Is Easy' and 'Give It Up'. This is Talk Talk at their commercial, if not artistic, best. Hints of the eclectic music that would follow with the final two albums are also there, in 'April 5th' and the haunting 'Chameleon Day'. The final track leaves you with a gorgeous upbeat melody that lingers in the mind long afterwards.
A truly awesome album and probably the best for any newcomer to this band to try on for size.

Spring, Death, and the birth of Belief...., 18 Nov 2004
This is a work of incredible bravery and genius, and yet it is as still and peaceful as it is unsettling. Oddly, the queitest moments here will prompt many to give up and (hopefully) try again when they are more ready, while the most raucous ("living in another world" and "life's what you make it") will prove comforting and downright soothing. Much like the collected moths that adorn the album (and it's single releases at the time), there is an incredibly diverse range of emotional life within this "collection", yet it very much belongs together, sharing a similar basic starting point and giving witness to the evolution of a musical (and emotional) perspective that struggles to survive. This album was the beginning of the end of Talk Talk, (though to the band's credit, they convinced the A&R at Verve/Polydor to sign them even after EMI couldn't be rid of them soon enough). Those in the musical know will tell you why: this band possessed a rare genious and a musical bravery which is unmatched amongst their contemporaries. The only real precedent for this release is the 1984 Blue Nile release "A Walk Across the Rooftops". The key distinction is that the Blue Nile was a lark, and those assembled had nothing to lose. Talk Talk was at the height of their career and decided to test it's worth for the benefit of "popular" music. I highly recommend this album, but be warned that many of you will be challenged on the way to it's worship. It's only music, folks. What is really unsettling here is the exact reason you need to hear this haunting, beautiful and enlightening masterpeice. A band died for your sins....

ABC 'classic'!, 18 Dec 2008

'ABC' were certainly one of the most unique sounds to come out of the 80s. Martin Fry's voice being certainly unique and immediately