Simple Minds, classic or dud?

Anyway so I went home and played the real "Changeling" and realised that it sounds a lot like Tiefschwarz! "Thirty Frames A Second" too, though to a lesser extent.

To be more specific about "Changeling", it sounds like what the Tiefschwarz remix of The Rapture's "Sister Saviour" should have been (I should cross-reference this post to an electro-house thread so that Ronan would have to track it down). I'd love to hear a DJ play it in a set.

But even in the midst of all this, my favourite album remains

http://www.earthwaverecords.com/Pictures/AlbumImg/S/A0042107.jpg

Every few years I simply must hear "East At Easter", or "Waterfront" or "C Moon Cry Like A Baby" (that one has especially been vexing my brain over the last few weeks from time to time for no apparent reason - also remember Kirsty MacColl sang on it). And yes the first song I heard from that album was "Up On The Catwalk" and that was when I was basically a musical virgin because that song was on one of the first tapes I ever made off of college radio - the first time I realized that the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen and The Smiths even existed. Some people don't like the production on Sparkle In The Rain, but it never bothered me. Remember: Kirsty MacColl was married to him and he produced U2's "War": Steve Lillywhite.

Phew! I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw a connection with "Sister Saviour" and "Changeling"...in fact, I'd even venture to say the production for Echoes owes a ton to Real to Real Cacophony.

Up on the wall
Going up on the wall
Up on the wall
Naked Eye Naked Eye
What do you see
And what's there to learn
Reading your books
Third diagram
Someone's in the room down below
Someone someone
Someone below
Insects
Cherries
To the cherries
On the wall
Spider

If there is one Simple Minds album where they ditched all of their New Romantics roots and tried to become U3, then "Sparkle In The Rain" is it. After that they would at least gradually use synths to a somewhat larger extent again.

I realized in the past few days that New Gold Dream is probably one of the albums I've had the longest and still listen to regualarly. I recently got the DVD audio thing and it's great. It's got different mixes of some tracks, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

I'm not sure they had New Romantic roots. It all seemed a bit more Punk/Genesis/Teutonic to me up until New Gold Dream, which sounds unlike any other New Romantic band. I suppose they did stick a bit of slap on, though, so that might count.

Oh man TELL US MORE (please).

Years later, i finally got E&D and it seemed a bit dull to me, though i like the intensity of the synth textures. As though the album lacks the something-different-next charm and pace of S&F. I only got R2R a year ago and i think it's extraordinary. I'd hoped to save E&D til later in life (ie now) and have some new discoveries waiting and that didn't quite happen, so it was nice to go further back and find R2R, though i love the brooding trance-ish NGD too.

I have a friend who's equally sentimental about S&F/SFC. We didn't seem to have much in common until we "bonded" over our shared love of that lp. It seems there are others fond of this stuff; a nice thread.

I sort of feel like these albums are a bit underrated in terms of the UK post-punk canon, but that may simply be because I love them so much.

There was this comp that came out quite a few years back:

http://simpleminds.com/mediaLibrary/images/english/240.jpg

1. 18-18
2. Tonight
3. Little Bitch
4. Pablo Picasso
5. Subway Sex
6. Lies
7. Wasteland
8. Act Of Love
9. European Son
10. Cocteau Twins
11. Chelsea Girl
12. Did You Ever?
13. Pleasantly Disturbed

Mr. Snrub -- uh, everything?

'Scuse me while I play "I Travel".

Ahem.

They had a song called "Cocteau Twins" ????!?!??

Thus, indeed, where said band got its name.

Yes, isn't it the coolest thing? I read about that track for years and years before I ever heard it. I think everyone should hear that.

You know, I STILL haven't got into Reel To Reel Cacophony, yet. That's the mystery one, still. I used to have it on tape. Guess it didn't make much of an impression. Yeah, up through Once Upon A Time (which I really don't have a feeling about either way) they were the bee's knees and the only thing wrong with Don't You Forget About Me is it's been played too many times. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the band were really reluctant about doing that one. Kerr doubted it at first, etc.

Themes for Great Cities [Stiff, 1982]
Dance sources assure me that I heard all or most of this "Definitive Collection 79-81" in clubs during the years indicated, and it must be, since even today it makes me want to sit down on the spot. English DOR at its intricately ambient Eurodisco-cum-art-rock nadir, replete with steps for subtle metronomes and computerized sound effects that avoid vulgar sensationalism at all costs. Somebody take a good look at that singer's eyes and ask him whether he loves his mother. C-

New Gold Dreams (81-82-83-84) [A&M, 1983]
With more effort than hedonism should ever require, I make out three or maybe four full-fledged melodies on this self-important, mysteriously prestigious essay in romantic escape. Though the textures are richer than in ordinary Anglodisco, they arouse nary a spiritual frisson in your faithful synesthetician. Auteur Jim Kerr is Bowie sans stance, Ferry sans pop, Morrison sans rock and roll. He says simple, I say empty and we both go home. C+

Once Upon a Time [A&M, 1985]
Pittsburgh DJ in Billboard: "The term `superstar' is used too loosely. Simple Minds are a superstar to [A&M's] Charlie Minor, but a lot of my listeners have never heard of them." That's how bad things are, and that's not the half of it. Because you know damn well Charlie Minor thinks Simple Minds are "artists," too. B-

Even the groovy drum fill before the "La la-la-la laaaa" part???

Great Cthulhu these are great! There's a 10 minute run through of "Speed Your Love To Me / Book Of Brilliant Things" that's the great long-lost electro-motorik for 1982-era disaffected club kids. Only with guitar!

It was only a matter of time...

The original members of Simple Minds are due to work together for the first time in 27 years when they enter a recording studio in the middle of June '08. In an event that many never thought would happen again, Brian McGee, Derek Forbes, Mick McNeil, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, have set their aim on producing at least two new tracks that could be released later this year. Regarded by both Jim and Charlie as a 'nice experiment', particularly as it falls within their 30 year anniversary, the week-long reformation is being viewed as one of many 'let's see what happens' ideas that they look forward to working on over the course of the next year.

Jim Kerr said 'Of course I am excited with the prospect of working with the original line - up once more. I had always believed that the day would come when we would get the opportunity to do so. The last time we worked together was on our Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call album, featuring songs like The American, Themes for Great Cities, Love Song etc, and it is still considered by many as among our best ever work. We have a lot to live up to, but we intend to have some fun attempting to do just that.'

You can find out more news regarding the session in June here at simpleminds.com

As I muttered on Idolator, this can only work if they tie Kerr down and gag him.

I continue to feel sorry for them. I mean it's like they just know they jumped the shark.

Holy batman I wanna hear those Sparkle In The Rain demos mentioned upthread.

Nobody seems to give a hoot that Simple Minds are playing "New Gold Dream" in its entirity (sp?) on their forthcoming tour. Someone somewhere (in summertime) must care?