Tosh's Favorite Vinyl Albums in the Year 2019

Tosh’s Top Vinyl:

Sparks - “Gratuitous Sax & Seseless Violins”  (BMG) 2019 reissue

Mortimer - “Mortimer”  (Philips) 1968

Kenny Graham and his Satellites - “Moondog and Suncat (Trunk Records) 2010 reissue

Twice as Much - “Own Up” (Outline Records) 1982 reissue

Mark Hollis - “Mark Hollis” (Universal) 2011, Reissue

The Graham Bond Organization - “The Sound of 65” b/w “There’s A Bond Between Us” (Edsel Records) Reissue, 1988

Extended Organ - “Vibe” (Important Records) 2019

Henry Cowell - “The Piano Music of Henry Cowell” (Folkways Records) 1963

Talk Talk - “Spirit of Eden” (Parlophone) Reissue, 2012

Manfred Mann - “Soul of Mann (Instrumentals) - (Umbrella) 2018

David Bowie - “Mercury Demos” (Parlophone) 2019

The Soft Machine “Jet-Propelled Photographs” (Replay) Reissue, 2018

Daevid Allen - “Banana Moon” (Get Back) Reissue, 1999

Giles, Giles and Fripp - “The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp” (Cherry Red)

 Reissue, 2013

Lesley Gore - “Boys, Boys, Boys” (Mercury) 1964

Annette Peacock - “I’m The One” (Future Days Recordings) Reissue, 2016

Jean-Pierre Melville - “Bandes Originales 1956-1963” (Jeanne Dielman) 2018

Matthew Edwards and The Unfortunates - “The Birmingham Poets” (December Square) 2019

Talk Talk - "Spirit of Eden" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1988/2012

My favorite music these days are the ones that I missed when they were initially released. Talk Talk is such a band that I ignored for decades, even though I did see them at the Reseda Country Club in the early 1980s when their first big hit "Talk Talk" (not to be confused with the band's name) hit the KROQ airwaves. They had no lasting impression on me whatsoever. Still, as the years go on, people have told me that this band is excellent. "Spirit of Eden" is a unique album and a perfect one at that.

It's natural to compare something you haven't heard, with other artists. Listening to "Spirit of Eden," it reminds me a bit of early David Sylvian, with a touch of classic "John Barleycorn Must Die" Traffic, and then a presence of Miles Davis "Silent Way." Of course, that is just the entrance to the world of Talk Talk. For a band that started with a very 80s production style, ends with all acoustic or un-machine-like instrumentation, such as Double Bass (the great Danny Thompson), Guitarrón, Oboe, violin (Nigel Kennedy), and various horns. Mark Hollis is the figurehead and is very much in the style of a minimalist, who makes maximum music. One never knows what's around the corner, because something unusual and adventuresome comes out of nowhere. In that sense, there is the late Scott Walker approach to arrangements.

The sound is dense, murky, and then almost silence. For, however, many minutes this album is, it doesn't allow the listener to remove themselves from the speakers. "Inheritance" has a classical oboe and strings interlude that comes in like a wave hitting the beach. There are sonic surprises that are borderline ambient, but the mixing is brilliant. Not an album to categorize but to accept on its worth by the superb sounds and touches of melody that is haunting. The silence is just as important as the instrumentation. It should be its instrumental credit: silence — a beautiful piece of delicate work.

Talk Talk - "Laughing Stock" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2016/1991 (Polydor)

Friends of mine who have taste always recommended Talk Talk to me.  For years I have avoided hearing their music, not due to being put-off by the band, but just totally absorb into the music of my choice at the time.  It wasn't until Mark Hollis passed away this past month that I decided to make the leap and I purchased "Laughing Stock," which is I think was the last Talk Talk album.  

I was first introduced to Talk Talk in Reseda California when I worked at Licorice Pizza.  We got free tickets to see Talk Talk at a nightclub in the San Fernando Valley.  At the time, they had a hit song "Talk Talk" which I thought was strange that it was the name of the band as well.  At the time, it bothered me that they both had a song and a band name that was the same.  In my psyche, I felt that this wasn't right.  I have a faint memory of seeing them, and I think it was Holley singing lead, and then there was a bass player, keyboard, and drums.  Very minimal in that fashion.  They didn't leave a strong impression on me at the time.  What impressed me later is that they abandoned the new wave world into the moody jazz planet. Or I was told that by numerous acquaintances.

I like "Laughing Stock." I like it a lot.  My first impression is always to make a comparison of what you hear, and try to match it with another artist. In this case, it reminds me of a bit of  Steve Winwood / Traffic meeting David Sylvian solo recordings.  Talk Talk is more abstract than those two. It's hard to define their sound, which is dreamy and also free of electronics but use the recording studio in a manner that is like an additional musician in the band.  Which sounds like Eno, but Talk Talk work on a different type of canvas than Brian Eno.   

Six songs but it are easy to drift from one track to the next.  The appearance of the songs seems laid back, but there is actually bits of noise or extreme electric guitar sounds which for sure, does not make this music ambient by any means.  There's an electric Miles Davis vibe attached to the aural landscape as well.  The beauty of the music is that it's not easy to put into words, but as music, as one listens to it, the album makes excellent sense.