Mark Hollis, frontman for Talk Talk, one of my favorite bands to emerge from the new romantic genre of UK rock, has died, age 64. Though he retired from the music biz twenty years ago, he left a lasting mark by releasing some of the most dynamic post-rock music ever recorded. Moreover, even though the band scored chart success with the synth pop-rock single "It's My Life" (1984), no one could have predicated, especially the critics, that the experimental minimal realistic sound on Spirit of Eden (1988), their masterpiece, and Laughing Stock (1991) would leave such a last mark. Both of those albums, as well as his lone solo effort entitled Mark Hollis (1998), are essential for any music fan/collector. In my opinion, without Hollis and Talk Talk there is no Radiohead, no Elbow; melodic art rock created with minimal chords and notes that still created dynamic tension in a profoundly soulful manner. Listen to the celestial track "Eden" above.
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