April 2026
Parlophone 5021732635679
Format: LP
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
The English band Talk Talk started as a synth-driven pop group in 1982 with The Party’s Over, but grew restless and moved into more layered, complex, and emotionally stirring music with its second LP, It’s My Life (1984). Two years later, The Colour of Spring was an even bolder step forward, with fewer synths and even greater lyrical and musical ambitions.
Talk Talk had gone from being a mildly interesting band with sales potential to one that surprised and challenged listeners with each album. Even by that standard, the group’s fourth LP, Spirit of Eden (1988), was astonishing. The band’s leader, Mark Hollis, and producer, Tim Friese-Greene, brought in additional musicians and invited them to improvise. The resulting album has elements of jazz, ambient music, prog rock, blues, and many other styles. It was so hard to peg that critics struggled to describe it.
Parlophone Records has reissued Spirit of Eden on vinyl from a half-speed master by Matt Colton, of Metropolis Mastering in London, England. Optimal Media in Germany pressed the vinyl. The sash on the left side of the LP cover contains technical information about the gear used to create the new master:
This record was cut on an extensively modified Neumann VMS‑80 consisting of an improved SX74 cutterhead with ceramic feedback coils and new magnetics, and an upgraded pitch control system. Making use of custom made current amplifiers with transistors built to our specification, paired with voltage amplifiers from Crispin Murray. Fed by new filtering and correction circuitry created by James Kedwards.
Spirit of Eden moved beyond pop-song structure, instead building tunes with different sections to evoke shifting moods. Layers of instrumentation change in density and volume to contribute to the overall impact of each track. “The Rainbow” is the longest song on Spirit of Eden. A lot happens in the opening moments: A single trumpet note leads to a swelling chord on an electronic keyboard, and other effects seep in. A bowed note on contrabass sounds out.
I compared that opening section on the new LP with the 2003 SACD release of the album (EMI 7243 591455 2 5). The SACD had a slightly higher output on my system, which necessitated a small volume increase for the LP. The trumpet sounded more textured on the SACD, but rounder-toned on the LP. The bowed bass note hit with more force on the SACD, but it was larger and more impressive on the LP.
Roughly a minute and a half in, rainfall and other nature sounds that linger in the background become more prominent. They were brighter-sounding on the SACD, but more expansive on the LP. A slightly distorted keyboard, some strange swirling effects, and other sounds continue as “The Rainbow” develops.
The SACD was stunningly clean and detailed, but the soundstage was deeper and more spacious on the LP. Hollis’s guitar enters a little more than two minutes in, followed by a blues harp, played by veteran blues artist Mark Feltham. Drums and bass follow. Hollis sings during this section of the song.
At this point I thought the LP had a clear edge over the SACD. The harmonic overtones of the guitar were more audible and the sustain of each note was more natural. The bass had a firmer and more impressive thump. The blues harp was grittier on the SACD but more tonally pleasing on the LP. On the SACD, it was sometimes too aggressive. Hollis’s voice was more emotionally involving on the LP, and more expressive.
“The Rainbow” moves directly into the next track, “Eden,” although the three songs on side 1 of the LP are essentially movements in a single composition. “Eden” begins a little over nine minutes into side 1, when Hollis strums the guitar, accompanied by piano and drums.
The guitar was sharply presented on the SACD, but richer on the LP. Drums were clearly defined on the SACD, but had a more satisfying and realistic tone on vinyl. Once again, the bass had more oomph and resonance on the LP. At the points where Hollis’s guitar becomes more aggressive, the SACD was edgy; on the LP, it sounded more natural while retaining its impact.
“Inheritance” opens side 2, with drummer Lee Harris tapping a cymbal behind Hollis’s guitar strums. The cymbal sounded more open and less bright on the LP, giving it a more supportive role than on the SACD, where in comparison it was too forward. On the LP, Danny Thompson’s acoustic bass had greater attack and a more organic, woody sound. During the more intense sections of the song, where the volume rises and Hollis’s vocals increase in force, the LP was more balanced and allowed me to hear each instrument more clearly.
The acoustic piano on “I Believe in You” had more sonority on the LP. Layered guitars, keys, and effects had more space to play out and register. The few seconds of silence at the end of the track made me happy that the vinyl was well pressed and quiet. The final track, “Wealth,” begins with Hollis’s voice and an acoustic piano, with a few other instruments joining as the song builds. It’s the sparest song on the album, dominated by an organ that sounded warmer on the LP.
I borrowed a copy of the 1988 CD release of Spirit of Eden (Parlophone CDP 74 6977 2) and compared it to the SACD. The SACD playback was more sharply focused, had more low-frequency presence, and a more impressive soundstage. Moving to the new LP, I found the music to be more striking in dynamics and depth than on the CD. The LP and SACD were more involving than the CD and gave me a much more vivid presentation of Spirit of Eden.
I could happily listen to the SACD of Spirit of Eden and enjoy it. Instruments on the SACD were more textured than on the LP, but I preferred their tone and timbre on the LP. I also thought the LP presented the music in a way that gave instruments and Hollis’s voice more space.
Optimal Media has done a very good job on the pressing. My copy was, as I noted earlier, very quiet. The cover is standard-weight cardboard, and the colors on the cover art are vivid and clear. The inner sleeve is medium-weight cardboard and includes the lyrics and musician credits. I protected the LP in my copy with an antistatic sleeve.
Some critics liked Spirit of Eden wholeheartedly, while others were just as strong in their panning of it. The album defies description, although the term “post-rock” has been attached to it. Critics claim that Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós and Canada’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor owe something to the album’s groundbreaking sound. As with so many judgments made after the fact, it’s probably best to enjoy Spirit of Eden on its own terms. To my ears, the best way to do that is on this vinyl reissue.
. . . Joseph Taylor
josepht@soundstagenetwork.com
