However, what makes this book worth reading is the insight Wardle gives us into the economics, politics and legalities of record company contracts and negotiations. Hollis died from cancer [50] in February 2019, [a] aged 64. [6] Initial reports of his death included a tweet from his cousin-in-law, the paediatrician Anthony Costello, [51] and a tribute by Talk Talk's bassist Paul Webb, [6] before his former manager, Keith Aspden, confirmed Hollis's death to the media on 26 February. [52] In Breës’ documentary, meanwhile, Ian Curnow recalls having his fingers tied together and being forced to play keyboards for hours in considerable discomfort, and it’s clear that, though this indignity is usually cast as ingenious by Hollis’ fans, the memory is far from welcome, and that this fate’s sometimes attributed to Nigel Kennedy instead probably hasn’t helped. I know the album feels like seven guys playing live in a room, but every note is ‘placed’ where it is,” Brown told me, recalling Hollis’ quest for perfection. “The album is an illusion!” Both it and Spirit Of Eden are, of course, now deemed pinnacles of artistic achievement which put music beyond any other consideration, but it’s not that this came without pain. Young, Rob (January 1998). "Return from Eden". The Wire. No.167. pp.26–29 . Retrieved 1 March 2019– via Exact Editions. (subscription required)

When I began the feature I wrote about Mark Hollis for The Wire 167 in 1998 with the words, “Thrill is gone”, it was not just that a case of the November blues had appeared to hang like a pall over our encounter. It was also intended to capture something of the sense of enervation and despair I thought I heard in the solo album he was there unwillingly to promote; a feeling that much of his music occupied a numb emotional lacuna between – to use the prelapsarian imagery he also favoured – the Fall and the expulsion from the Garden. Ben Wardle’s Mark Hollis: A Perfect Silence is the first full-length biography about the reclusive figure, while Breës’ aforementioned documentary explores the Belgian director’s relationship with Hollis’ records – he calls later ones “life companions” – as well as their making. Gilbert, Ruth (23 January 1989). "Hotline: Music ( Spirit of Eden)". New York . Retrieved 27 June 2009.

Mark Hollis: A Perfect Silence

I can’t tell you how much Mark influenced and changed my perceptions on art and music,” he said. “I’m grateful for the time I spent with him and for the gentle beauty he shared with us.” Wyndham Wallace, "Living In Another World: Remembering Mark Hollis", The Quietus, 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019 Talk Talk I Believe In You https://t.co/NZ2pRmNDkf Mark Hollis, one of my most favourite songs ever. The most enigmatic, elusive and brilliant songwriter, singer and musician. A huge loss ?

Still, after Hollis had met keyboardist Simon Brenner, Webb and Harris – the latter two joining from ska band Eskalator, who’d caught Ed’s ear while he produced their demo – Talk Talk launched themselves in spotless white suits with songs that arguably sat comfortably under the New Romantic banner.

Transition and transformation are crucial elements of the Talk Talk and Hollis stories. Often in an artist’s oeuvre, a transformation takes place: sensibilities mature, and abilities crystalize. We call it the transitional album, where the artistic metamorphosis occurs. However, in the case of Talk Talk, you could argue that all five albums were transitional. The progression from the naïve charm of the New Wave debut The Party’s Over (1982), the sophistication in the songwriting craft of the sophomore It’s My Life (1984), to the rhythmic exploration that found its way on their third album, The Color of Spring (1986), each album was a natural evolutionary step – a refinement of vision – not a revolutionary leap.

In 2004, Hollis resurfaced briefly to receive a Broadcast Music Inc. Award for having written "It's My Life". [40] In 2012, a piece of specially commissioned music by Hollis titled "ARB Section 1", was used in the television series Boss. [41] Collaborations [ edit ] He took his own advice, embracing silence. Everything he struggled to communicate verbally was there, is there, in the music. Happiness, desire, hope, belief. He walked away to a quiet(er) life in South-West London because “I choose my family.” The family of musicians remains indebted to his short but stunning period of industry. He was once asked his favourite musician. “Kate Bush,” he said. Kate Bush was then asked hers. "Mark Hollis," she said. Minimalism was now manna to Hollis, and after the (by then notional) band’s split, his self-titled 1998 solo album (originally mooted for release under the band name) inched towards intimacy. That year he came close to describing his ethos: “Before you play two notes, learn how to play one. And don’t play one unless you’ve got a reason to play it.” A record that floors me each time." Parkes, Jason A. (12 May 2007). "Rev. of Mark Hollis, Mark Hollis". Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage . Retrieved 27 June 2009.As a fan of Talk Talk, admittedly in their (his?!) earlier, less experimental form, I was eager to read this. I knew so little of Mark Hollis, and that was how he liked it, it seems. Based around the chronology of the band's releases, beginning before Talk Talk was their name, it walks a path that deviates here and there to shine light on many of the other people involved with Hollis over the years. There's a little personal information, but upon reading the whole book you'll realise why it's scant. As documentary evidence of the process of recording their albums, this book is invaluable. It goes into just enough nerdy detail to explain events, but not too much that you wish you'd been born a sound engineer. I don't want to spoil anything, but for me personally, at least, I wasn't sure of who Mark was when I began reading, but I felt by the end of it I saw large pieces of his character, his 'way', and how he interacted with others. I could understand many parts of that, and empathised, yet others I couldn't rationalise with expectation. The book is well written, and aside from a few typos in this first edition that were not caught at proofreading stage, the presentation is excellent. My only wish was that there were a few more photos included, particularly ones that are explicitly mentioned in the text. I know at least some could be found from their original sources in the references, but it felt like a missed opportunity. His cousin-in-law tweeted: “RIP Mark Hollis. Cousin-in-law. Wonderful husband and father. Fascinating and principled man. Retired from the music business 20 years ago but an indefinable musical icon.” Later, he thanked what he described as a “lovely response” from Hollis’“many fans” on social media.

In the silence Hollis left behind, devotion to his achievements has grown. He gave his last interviews around his eponymous album, and Paul ‘Rustin Man’ Webb (bass), Lee Harris (drums) and Tim Friese-Greene (sometime producer and multi-disciplined, unofficial Talk Talk band member) have also refused to discuss their work together ever since, apparently out of respect. Lees, Alasdair (19 September 2008). "Shearwater, Bush Hall, London". The Independent . Retrieved 27 June 2009. Consciously lo-fi, it sees Breës unstitching some of the myths behind the band’s transformation and transformative recordings, with talking heads ranging from youthful acquaintances like Eddie & The Hot Rods’ singer Barrie Masters, who recalls Hollis’ work as a roadie, to musicians, engineers and even random strangers, including, bizarrely, Frank Bruno’s former sparring partner. Talk Talk – and, in particular, Hollis – were always enigmatic figures, not least for what Depeche Mode’s Alan Wilder once called “a career in reverse”, with the distinct schism between the band’s first hit albums and final neglected two bridged by The Colour Of Spring’s international accomplishments.Beaumont, Mark (26 February 2019). "Talk Talk's Mark Hollis: 2019 is full of the notes he isn't playing". NME . Retrieved 1 March 2019. The other way is to stop when you’ve achieved everything you set out to do, never again reappearing. No interviews. No reunions. No explanations. No lap of honour. No further communication. Nothing. The way Mark Hollis did it. (2/2) In the end, the mysteries remain. Hollis willingly disappeared, leaving his music to do the talking, and though we now know a lot more, its mystique remains unblemished. If his methods were occasionally disagreeable – and, let’s be honest, they were – his artistry, not to mention his unforgettable hits, will outlast them. a b c d "Mark Hollis, lead singer of Talk Talk, dies at age 64". The Guardian. 25 February 2019 . Retrieved 26 February 2019.