London 1986

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London 1986
Talk Talk - London 1986.png
Live album by
Released19 February 1999
Recorded8 May 1986
Venue Hammersmith Odeon, London
Genre
Length56:13
Label Pond Life
Talk Talk chronology
Asides Besides
(1998)
London 1986
(1999)
12x12 Original Remixes
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
NME(7/10) [2]

London 1986 is a live album by the English group Talk Talk, released in Europe by Pond Life Records on compact disc in 1999. It was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 8 May 1986 near the end of their European tour to promote their 1986 studio album The Colour of Spring . The tour was the band's last, and the show was the band's last live performance in the UK, although they released two more studio albums in 1988 and 1991. Promotional copies released in 1998 were titled Hammersmith. [3]

Contents

The album was met with moderately positive reviews upon its release. It is notable for capturing the band's transition period, when their sound was moving away from their earlier pop phase, from which the performances are mostly drawn, into their later experimental music. [2] Another live release from 2022 contains four songs from the same live show.[ citation needed ]

The album is included in The Quietus' 2013 list of its writers' "40 Favourite Live Albums". [4]

Cover art

The cover artwork, by longtime collaborating artist James Marsh, was originally meant for a video documenting the same tour, [1] and stills from the concert film, directed by Noel Oliver, are included in the album's liner notes. The international release was abandoned, [1] however, and the video package only appeared in Italy. [5] In 1990, one clip from the film, of the band performing "Give It Up", was included in the video album that accompanied the greatest-hits compilation Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk , and this was rereleased on DVD in 2007. The Hammersmith film has never been rereleased in its entirety. In 2008, the DVD Live at Montreux 1986 was released, consisting of the complete Montreux show from the same tour.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Studio albumLength
1."Tomorrow Started" Mark Hollis It's My Life 7:52
2."Life's What You Make It"Mark Hollis, Tim Friese-Greene The Colour of Spring 4:31
3."Does Caroline Know?"Mark HollisIt's My Life7:36
4."Living in Another World"Mark Hollis, Tim Friese-GreeneThe Colour of Spring7:06
5."Give It Up"Mark Hollis, Tim Friese-GreeneThe Colour of Spring5:55
6."It's My Life"Mark Hollis, Tim Friese-GreeneIt's My Life6:29
7."Such a Shame"Mark HollisIt's My Life9:02
8."Renée"Mark HollisIt's My Life7:45

Personnel

Talk Talk
Additional personnel
Production

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Badgley, Aaron. "Talk Talk: London 1986". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 "London 1986". NME . 26 January 1999. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. "Talk Talk Hammersmith – Withdrawn UK Promo CD album (CDLP) (135221)". eli.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  4. "The Quietus | Features | the Quietus Writers' 40 Favourite Live Albums".
  5. Asides Besides (booklet). Talk Talk. EMI Records. 1998.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)