Spirit of Eden

by Talk Talk

Spirit of Eden cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 12 September 1988
  • Label: Parlophone, EMI
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 40:56
  • Community rating: 4.54/5 from 29 ratings

Artists on this release: Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'Spirit of Eden' represents a stark departure from Talk Talk's synth-pop origins, created by meticulously editing lengthy studio improvisations into compositions blending jazz, classical, and ambient textures. The album's pastoral soundscapes, notable for their use of silence and dramatic dynamic shifts, are paired with Mark Hollis's spiritual lyrics and distinctively plaintive vocal delivery. Though a commercial failure upon release that led to a legal battle with the band's label, the album's stature has grown immensely, and it is now widely cited as a foundational work of the post-rock genre.

Genres

Descriptors: complex, atmospheric, organic, minimal, experimental

Tracklist

  1. The Rainbow (09:09)
  2. Eden (06:34)
  3. Desire (06:57)
  4. Inheritance (05:23)
  5. I Believe in You (06:10)
  6. Wealth (06:43)

Credits

  • Mark Hollis - vocals, electric guitar, organ, melodica, piano, variophon, composed by, lyrics by
  • Lee Harris - drums
  • Paul Webb - electric bass guitar
  • Tim Friese-Greene - harmonium, piano, organ, guitar, production, music by, composed by
  • Martin Ditcham - percussion
  • Robbie McIntosh - dobro, twelve-string guitar
  • Mark Feltham - harmonica
  • Simon Edwards - mexican bass, guitarrón [mexican bass]
  • Danny Thompson - double bass
  • Henry Lowther - trumpet
  • Nigel Kennedy - violin
  • Hugh Davies - shozygs
  • Andrew Stowell - bassoon
  • Michael Jeans - oboe
  • Andrew Marriner - clarinet
  • Christopher Hooker - cor anglais
  • Choir of Chelmsford Cathedral - choir
  • Phill Brown - engineering, bowed guitar, engineer
  • James Marsh - cover art, illustration [cover illustration]
  • Keith Aspden - management

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