It’s the perfect time of year to resurrect this perennial classic. For an artistic expression of the peculiar kind of magic that unfolds in nature at this seasonal juncture there is nothing to match it. It’s imbued with the same freshness that’s springing from the ground beneath us right now.
In musical terms, The Colour of Spring represented a giant leap of faith for Talk Talk. There was a sea change in their sound and approach. Clearly the success they achieved with the first two records gave them cause to reevaluate the nature of their game before attempting to make a third. When presented with the means go forth and conquer in commercial terms, they chose to turn around and make art.
The visionary who orchestrated their brave volte-face in the eye of the hurricane was Mark Hollis. His contribution to music has been cruelly underestimated but his motivation was never to seek recognition. The catalyst for change was driven by a creative desire to transcend the limitations of the business he found himself in.
His response was profound. This was the beginning of a trilogy of masterpieces that took the art of production to a whole new level.
The man at the controls, Tim Freise-Greene, can take some credit but it was Hollis who was at the helm of their audacious voyage into sound. That tremulous voice of his was the perfect instrument to fashion a brave new sonic world around. Layers of experimentation reach down deep.
The foundations for the opening track, Happiness is Easy, are laid by such master builders as Danny Thompson on bass and Stevie Windwood on the organ.
A rhapsodic hymn to nature unravels atop. Sweeping strings elevate Hollis’ croon to new heights. He glides on the uplift all the way home to the glorious coda sung by a children’s choir. It’s a breathtaking start and a portent of the alchemy to come.
