Slog - Comments on A Very Brief History of Clearings http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings This is Mark Hollis: Let's begin with the birth of architecture. One old theory goes that architecture was born when a clearing was made for a god to appear. In the 20th century, another theory (this time ontological, rather than architectural) proposed that for being to be disclosed to the self a clearing needed to be made. The clearing at this point of history was for a human being and not a supreme being. But deep in the 20th century, long after the death of god (Schopenhauer) and the death of man (Foucault), the band Talk Talk made a clearing... Copyright 2008 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:59:23 -0800 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:25:19 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by pgreyy Put the brownies down, Charles.

Talk Talk was never better than on the song "Talk Talk." No blue orbs of spirit, but a good syn-drum heavy song to dance to back in the day.

pg

]]> pgreyy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694774 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694774 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:07:16 -0800 Comment by Sally Struthers Lawnchair God I wish I could smoke dope while I work like some people do.

]]> Sally Struthers Lawnchair http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694789 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694789 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:21:28 -0800 Comment by DCM Come on, Charles. No YouTube link to the video? Jeez.

"I Believe In You"

]]> DCM http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694795 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694795 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:28:14 -0800 Comment by jackie treehorn Ignore the haters, Chuck; they couldn't recognize brilliance if it woke them up in the middle of the night, broke their teeth on a prison cell sink, and made aggressive love to their sexy gums.

]]> jackie treehorn http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694803 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694803 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:44:51 -0800 Comment by Xilip You are on a roll today, Charles.

]]> Xilip http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694809 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694809 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:52:43 -0800 Comment by snacky Mark Hollis and Talk Talk are one of the most underrated bands of all time. The Colour of Spring was a fantastic album - I wish Hollis would come out with more solo records.

That tart Gwen Stefani had to go ruin It's My Life with her whiny bitchass voice and I am reminded of it every time I go to the gym.

Damn.

]]> snacky http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694821 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694821 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:01:33 -0800 Comment by A-Train #1: You could not possibly be more wrong. Laughing Stock and Spirit of Eden are criminally under-appreciated masterpieces.

]]> A-Train http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694826 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694826 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:05:37 -0800 Comment by Amy Kate Horn Numbers 1 and 2: You are totally wrong as well. Charles is one of the few of us who doesn't have a drug habit.

]]> Amy Kate Horn http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694842 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694842 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:23:41 -0800 Comment by Matthew What A-Train said.

Please, #1, go listen to those two records immediately.

Please.

]]> Matthew http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694844 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694844 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:24:06 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale That's as good a way to describe it, Charles. I sat around listening to Spirit of Eden in a special head space a million times in a row.

To think that Talk Talk got to that kind of expansiveness from a wee little toe-tappin' "all you do to me is talk talk" is a road richly travelled indeed. Most bands have just enough gumption for a trajectory of flash, crash, resign and burn.

So I guess I'm agreeing with you, that TT's spirit took flight, whereas most bands spirits end up spit out and squelched - a jaded pile of ashes.

Both Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock were pretty amazing acheivements after TT's sitting on the bucking music industry bronco for the three mostly forgettable albums by them prior.

Neither of the latter two were real big impacts at the time, but you can tell that a shitload of the 2000's kids listened to them a bunch. Records that got handed down.

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694853 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c694853 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:36:18 -0800 Comment by -B- "prepubescent purity"?? Harmonium?
Well I do not have "prepubescent purity" anymore (don't think I ever did) but I do own a harmonium and I did not hear one in that song. In fact I could hardly understand a word sung.
The song was totally uneventful.

]]> -B- http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695033 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695033 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:19:41 -0800 Comment by Tom Harpel Yes, Mark Hollis should make more solo records. The one, it is a masterpiece, one of the best ever made.

]]> Tom Harpel http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695066 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695066 Music Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:03:01 -0800 Comment by pgreyy Don't get me wrong--I'm not unfamiliar with either "Laughing Stock" or "Spirit of Eden."

I know that we sold a ton of 'em (especially "Laughing Stock") at Orpheum back in the day--and Lloyd's right (#10) when he suggests that their overall impact is stronger than their low sales level might indicate. Much like the classic comment about Velvet Underground ("not many people bought their albums, but everyone did started a band.")

It just didn't speak to me. I already had The Blue Nile.

I've got so many better memories dancing to "Talk Talk" and the admittedly overplayed "It's My Life" and even "Life's What You Make It"...so my first post in this thread might be an exaggeration for comedic effect, it rings true enough to me.

pg--Of course, I still think the best album by Ministry is "With Sympathy."

]]> pgreyy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695119 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695119 Music Wed, 18 Apr 2007 03:03:20 -0800 Comment by Daniel K One word describes Mark Hollis: brilliant!

]]> Daniel K http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695867 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/a_very_brief_history_of_clearings#c695867 Music Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:25:19 -0800