Talk Talk - Natural Order 1982 - 1991 (2013)

The material on this Talk Talk compilation is in chronological order, but it's not exactly natural. Released in 2013 to complement an expanded edition of Natural History, Natural Order features none of the band's A-sides and sticks strictly to album cuts, B-sides, and a track from the 2001 archival release Missing Pieces. If one wants to go deeper than the well-known singles, this is a fine way to do it; the selections, made by the band's Mark Hollis, are smart, while the Spirit of Eden-era B-side "John Cope" is essential. However, Talk Talk's phenomenal last three albums -- The Colour of Spring (1986), Spirit of Eden (1988), and Laughing Stock (1991) -- deserve uninterrupted, front-to-back play, and any reconfiguring of their contents seems peculiar.© Andy Kellman /TiVo