Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Natural History
| type = greatest
| artist = Talk Talk
| cover = Natural History.jpg
| alt =
| recorded = 1982–1988
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{flatlist|
|}}
| length = 71:47
| label = Parlophone/EMI
| producer = Colin Thurston
Tim Friese-Greene
Rhett Davies
| prev_title = Spirit of Eden
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = History Revisited: The Remixes
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Natural History
| type = compilation
| single1 = It's My Life
| single1date = 7 May 1990{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=5 May 1990}}
| single2 = Life's What You Make It
| single2date = 20 August 1990{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=40|date=18 August 1990}}
| single3 = Such a Shame
| single3date = 19 November 1990{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=17 November 1990}}
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}[https://www.allmusic.com/album/natural-history-1982-1988-mw0000309082 Allmusic review]
|rev2 = New Musical Express
|rev2score = 8/10{{cite magazine |last=Page |first=Betty |date=9 June 1990 |title=Long Play |magazine=New Musical Express |page=31}}
| rev3 = Select
| rev3Score = 4/5{{Cite magazine|title=Talk Talk: Natural History|last=Rice|first=Glenn|date=July 1990|magazine=Select|page=111}}
}}
Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk is a 1990 greatest hits album by Talk Talk. It collects songs that the band released under EMI between 1982 and 1988.
Reception
The compilation spent 21 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at #3,Tim Rice, Paul Gambaccini, and Jonathan Rice, The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, 7th ed. (Guinness World Records Limited, 1996). and went on to sell over one million copies worldwide.James Neiss, "[http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/BioRC1291.html Talk Talk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303222847/http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/BioRC1291.html |date=2000-03-03 }}," Record Collector, December 1991. The North American version appended two live bonus tracks. A companion collection of the band's music videos was released in July 1990.
Production and re-releases
EMI released the compilation without the band's supervision. Talk Talk leader Mark Hollis said, "A compilation album is not my idea of an album. I don't like compilation albums and I didn't like that one. It certainly wasn't the selection of tracks I would have liked even if there had to be one. But, at the end of the day, they had every right to do it so . . ."Steve Sutherland, "[http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/IntMM070991.htm Talk Talk: Silencing the Scams] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011123343/http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/IntMM070991.htm |date=2006-10-11 }}," Melody Maker, September 1991. In light of Natural History
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, except where noted
| extra_column = Original album
| title1 = Today
| writer1 = {{hlist|Simon Brenner|Lee Harris|Hollis|Paul Webb}}
| extra1 = The Party's Over
| length1 = 3:30
| title2 = Talk Talk
| writer2 = {{hlist|Hollis|Ed Hollis}}
| extra2 = The Party's Over
| length2 = 3:18
| title3 = My Foolish Friend
| writer3 = {{hlist|Brenner|Hollis}}
| extra3 = Non-album single
| length3 = 3:21
| title4 = Such a Shame
| writer4 = {{hlist|Hollis}}
| extra4 = It's My Life
| length4 = 5:43
| title5 = Dum Dum Girl
| extra5 = It's My Life
| length5 = 3:49
| title6 = It's My Life
| extra6 = It's My Life
| length6 = 3:55
| title7 = Give It Up
| extra7 = The Colour of Spring
| length7 = 5:19
| title8 = Living in Another World
| extra8 = The Colour of Spring
| length8 = 6:57
| title9 = Life's What You Make It
| extra9 = The Colour of Spring
| length9 = 4:29
| title10 = Happiness Is Easy
| extra10 = The Colour of Spring
| length10 = 6:33
| title11 = I Believe in You
| extra11 = Spirit of Eden
| length11 = 6:04
| title12 = Desire
| extra12 = Spirit of Eden
| length12 = 7:00
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Bonus tracks on the CD release
| title13 = Life's What You Make It (Live @ the Hammersmith Odeon)
| length13 = 4:40
| title14 = Tomorrow's Started (Live @ the Hammersmith Odeon)
| writer14 = {{hlist|Hollis}}
| length14 = 7:45
}}
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Germany|artist=Talk Talk|title=Natural History|award=Gold|certyear=1991|relyear=1990|accessdate=24 August 2019}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Netherlands|artist=Talk Talk|title=Natural History|award=Gold|certyear=1991|relyear=1990|accessdate=24 August 2019}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Talk Talk|title=natural History|award=Gold|certyear=1990|relyear=1990|accessdate=24 August 2019|refname=BPI|id=4488-1381-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
Credits
- James Marsh – cover art