Simple Minds, classic or dud?

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?

I'd care if it was followed by a ceremonious burning of master tapes from 1984 or so forward.

I'd throw some extra petrol onto that particular pyre, Ned.

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?

I would care only if it was the same lineup that recorded New Gold Dream, otherwise it would be like watching Midge Ure perform all of Vienna. Yeah, the songs are great, but...

"Themes For Great Cities" anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FfCxLvV2nc

I mean holy hell. That is only a first place to START with these guys.

Do you think I've fucking forgotten about The American????!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FfCxLvV2nc

WERE THEY BETTER THAN U2????????????///

I fucking think they were better than early U2, yes.

After pulling out some old SM for my Forgotten UK Singles mix, I re-listened to everything. Aside from Andy K's AMG entries, ILM is the only other place with anything interesting to say about their early albums. Great read!

Generally, Simple Minds were at their best until 1982, but after that "Real Life" and "Street Fighting Years" >>>>>>>>> "Sparkle In The Rain".

Last night I read that after both Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry turned down Keith Forsey's offer of "Don't You...," Jim Kerr wasn't keen on the song either. Even though they went ahead and recorded it, Kerr never liked the song. Now I can't find where I read that. I wonder if he also didn't like Once Upon A Time. Street Fighting Years was a valiant attempt at an antidote to the embarrassing 80s bombast, but still sounds like a dud to me.

Street Fighting Years was a valiant attempt at an antidote to the embarrassing 80s bombast

?!? We're talking about a record produced by Trever Horn. It's bombast in excelsis!

Actually "Don't You Forget About Me" is a great song in a lot of ways, but it isn't a Simple Minds song, and it also helped pull them in the wrong direction although they were on the way in that direction on "Sparkle In The Rain" already.

"Street Fighting Years" I see more as a return to the bombast of their 80-82 era. It didn't work out quite as good, but it still had its moment, and I consider it a much better album than the U3,5 stadium rock of "Sparkle In The Rain" and "Once Upon a Time".

I loved SFY as a kid and in a way I thank that album for being some kind of gateway to quality music. I haven't heard it in 20 years and have no real desire to.

Hrm, well it wasn't poppy bombast. It seems like they tried not to be too commercial.

I can see where you're coming from with that, Geir; however, it is a pretty poor album. I do still like a couple of tracks from it - the first one, and This is your land.

On the other hand, I have been very much enjoying the first couple of "Themes" compilations, especially the second one - I like quite a lot of Sparkle in the Rain, and the second themes thing has a a kind of long remix of "Shake off the ghosts"

I saw them last night and, to my surprise, they did Love Song, I Travel and half of the NGD album. I should point out it was a free festival - I doubt I'd have gone if I'd had to go through the effort and expense of getting tickets. Pleasantly surprised, though, as I say.

Speaking of "Love Song" -- from 1981, a pretty amazing TV performance (it's just a mime to the studio cut, but dig, well, everything else!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq96dUQ87jk

LOLs at the satchel. Give us a sandwich, jimbo.

Nice name, called a tape that once.

Yeah, I do love the random satchel. Definitely rocking a proto-Eldritch look too.

That satchel contained all Jim Kerr's artistic integrity. He lost it along the way.

Seriously, does anyone know exactly what happened to this once-great band? Did they consciously choose to just sell out or was it evolutionary? Listening to "New Gold Dream" and "Sparkle In The Rain" yesterday, I've come all the way around in preferring the earlier arty stuff. Given the pop aspirations of those two records, "Don't You Forget About Me" clearly isn't the beginning of the end, though it is the point of no return. So it would seem that the move towards commerciality was gradual, like many of their peers who started off outside the mainstream of early 80s UK rock only to find themselves somehow embraced by it.

Seriously, does anyone know exactly what happened to this once-great band?

Isn't what happened to them the same as what happened to just about every other arty post-punk band that didn't split up, though? I don't think a band-specific explanation is needed.

Isn't what happened to them the same as what happened to just about every other arty post-punk band that didn't split up, though? I don't think a band-specific explanation is needed.

Not exactly. Yes, bands like Psychedelic Furs and Killing Joke put out one awful album, but then returned to their roots. Simple Minds just kept getting worse and worse.

In relistening to the early albums a bit here, I'm a little surprised to realize that a slight unspoken influence on it all was Sparks, because there doesn't seem to be much of them as having such a role. But while Jim Kerr obviously isn't trying for Russell Mael's falsetto or anything, there's a lot of the hyperactive nervous tension at work as well the sense of instrumental stateliness that the Maels also can call up when so inclined, especially given the prominence of keyboards in both bands. Again, not wanting to overstate the carry-over but Life in a Day and Real to Real Cacophony have tangential connections to glam-era Sparks on that front, while Empire and Dance and Sons and Fascination parallel No. 1 in Heaven and Terminal Jive (for Moroder substitute Hillage, I guess). After that divergences were more pronounced.

This fucking band, why the hell did they willingly go from this I'm about to link to where they ended up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p8jYN0qXxc

"I'm a little surprised to realize that a slight unspoken influence on it all was Sparks, because there doesn't seem to be much of them as having such a role. But while Jim Kerr obviously isn't trying for Russell Mael's falsetto or anything"

Yes, he does! Just listen 'No Cure', Ned - pure Maelism. And a few other tracks on 'Life In A Day' too, though not so blatantly.

who here has heard all these albums? you win a prize if you have.

# Live in the City of Light (1987) (2-LP/2-CD) live album
# Street Fighting Years (1989) 8th studio album
# Real Life (1991) 9th studio album
# Good News from the Next World (1995) 10th studio album
# Neapolis (1998) 11th studio album
# Our Secrets are the Same (originally 2000) 12th studio album (finally issued as CD#5 from Silver Box (2004))
# Neon Lights (2001) (covers album)
# Cry (2002) 13th studio album
# Black & White 050505 (2005) 14th studio album
# Sunday Express - Live (Volumes 1 & 2) (2007) (2-CD live album) (promotional exclusive Sunday Express free release)
# Graffiti Soul (2009) 15th studio album
# Searching for the Lost Boys (2009) (bonus covers album included in the "Graffiti Soul" Deluxe edition 2-CD set)