Album of the Day

With their second album, 1984's IT'S MY LIFE, British band Talk Talk continued to grow beyond their synth-pop roots, successfully incorporating live instruments and world music grooves. With the departure of their original keyboardist, the group was technically a trio, but the arrival of Tim Friese-Greene, who produced the set and co-wrote three of its 9 songs, more than compensates. Highlights include “Dum Dum Girl,” “Such a Shame,” “Does Caroline Know?” and the title track, which would eventually become the group's most successful U.K. single (and would famously be covered by No Doubt years later). Hinting at Talk Talk's future experimentation while remaining accessible, IT'S MY LIFE was a Top Ten hit in much of Europe upon release, and we’ll give it another spin to wish bassist Paul Webb a happy birthday.