|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: Simple Minds’ debut, although blatantly unlike their well-known efforts, definitely operates as a fitting debut to their genre-bending career. As the history of the music industry professes, breaking through to American market is not as likely as it is for the UK market. Many bands found great success in the UK, but struggled to make a dent in the US’s Billboard 200 chart. Nonetheless, maintaining grounded success in the US market is often a challenge in and of itself. The aforementioned statements are biographically true and unfortunate for the expansive musical catalogue of Scotland’s Simple Minds. Merely the uttering of the band’s name to the general American audience holds little significance. Up until their most successful single, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is mentioned; the American public then proceeds to raise their eyebrows in recognition. However, as for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the selective rest of Europe, the utterance of the band is virtually second nature. This level of fame and recognition in Europe has been apparent since the release of their debut album, Life in a Day in 1979. At this point in the band’s then-embryonic history, the US would have to wait six years before falling head over heels.
Simple Minds, like several of the New Wave giants of the 1980s, started out as a Post-Punk band. Prior to implementing polished production styles, the band initially harnessed the raw sounds of their influences, the Clash, Roxy Music, and even the Doors, to develop their own sound. Their debut record is the best example of this early sound before it was washed away by the pristinely produced Arena sound of their mid to late 80s records. With this notion, Life in a Day and its sister 1979 follow-up, Real to Real Cacophony, would prove to be the most uncharacteristic albums compared to the remainder of the band’s career.
The album’s opener, the early Clash-like punk rocker, “Someone” would immediately introduce the band’s mesh of distorted guitars, dominant bass, driving drums, acoustic piano, and synths that would become staples of the band’s sound. The title track would serve the band as their debut single, reaching number 62 on the UK charts, and aptly so. The album’s Side A continues with two consecutive 3-minute songs, which both highlight distorted guitars in a Pop-oriented feel and a melancholy Doors-influenced drive, respectively. The closing song on Side A, “Pleasantly Disturbed” proves to be the highlight of the Side. Clocking in at 7:59, the song’s dynamic fits a similar mindset of the Doors’ “The End” while also accentuating the band’s morbid and suspenseful songwriting as vocalist, Jim Kerr, unveils lyrics of fright and uncertainty in an ominous voice; only to be hit by a sense of relief when the tempo greatly rises to a driving outro.
Side B holds several punk-inspired songs like the first track, “No Cure,” and the third track, “Wasteland,” which both turn out to lack much memorability. The second song, “Chelsea Girl,” adds guitarist Charlie Burchill’s violin ability to the post-punk record. The song also served as the second single release, although failed to make a dent in any chart. The bass and keyboard driven, “Destiny” mirrors the band’s first attempt at a straight-ahead Rock song, but fails to hold much innovation or specialty to the album. Dissimilar to rest of Side B, the record’s closer, “Murder Story” may be the band’s best song of their early career. The song’s contemplative verses, powerful choruses, and its up-tempo outro single-out the song into one of the band’s earliest non-single successes.
|
I love me some Simple Minds. I only know the three albums covering 1982 to 1985. Will read your review tomorrow.
| | |
Liking the review
The opener has a Stranglers feel to it
| | |
'Sparkle In The Rain' and 'New Gold Dream' are two of my favorite 80s albums, but I've never gone back and listened to their earlier stuff . . . Listening to this now and I have to say I couldn't identify this as the Simple Minds. It's like a different band and Jim Kerr sounds like a different singer--interesting.
| | |
TWIG I'll check NGD as you have that 5'd - this is another band from my childhood so I might recognise some of their stuff
Saw you rated most of the Robert Plant albums too. I quite like his latter day stuff, a little snoozy at times is my only criticism I guess
| | |
going through a Robert Plant revival at the moment, went to see him live the last couple of summers and he is better now than he has been in years--so happy about that . . . but back to the simple minds . . .
I think NGD was big in the UK, so I wouldn't be surprised if you recognize something off it. But like the review says, it made little headway in the US, so it's virtually forgotten here. I love the rhythm section and how it swirls around in a cloud of synths. There isn't much lead guitar, so the bass player is out in front and he really shines--nothing at all like this album, really, lol.
| | |
Before say something about your review, I must say some other things before.
As a prog head, I never liked very much of the punk movement. Of course I know that the punk movement sought to bring the traditional rock spirit, again. However, I always thought that create music isn't for everyone, it's a form of art, and so, it's not acessible for everyone to do. Many of the things made in those times are really bad, despite some others are really good.
Anyway, the punk movement brings to us the new wave, which in general was really very good. The new wave movement brings to us some really great bands, such as, The Stranglers, Simple Minds, Joy Division, Dire Straits, Japan, Talking Heads, Television, Ultravox and Fisher-Z, only to mention some of my favourites.
So, as you can see, Simple Minds always was a beloved band by me. I agree with TWIG. As with him, "Sparkle In The Rain" and "New Gold Dream" are undoubtedly two of my favorite albums from the 80's, too.
About their debut, I always liked it very much. The album had always a very deep feeling in me. In those times, it was very difficult to buy this album in my country. So, it was only possible to me, to get it, through a direct importation circuit through an importer in the UK. So, as you can see, it was bought by me, in those times, in a vinyl version.
About your review, I sincerely liked it. So, have a pos and congratulations to you, because you made the first review of this album.
| | |
Simple Minds!
We've either all completely lost our minds or are just simple. Total fucking shit.
| | |
Simple Minds took their name from a Bowie song--so they can't be total shit ;-)
| | |
I don't knew taht, TWIG. I'm very glad that our beloved Bowie has inspired the name for the band.
And surely, they aren't really shit.
| | |
Digging gold amigo
| | |
Thanks, zakalwe. You're a gold amigo, too.
Cheers.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
e210013, I've been collecting their vinyl records for several years now and somehow, their debut was one of the first I found. Weird and unexpected. But I am a huge fan of the band and my first conversational piece with any citizen of the UK is if they follow the band.
Thank you for your comments on the review, greatly appreciated.
| | |
dude plz review new gold dream
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I'll put New Gold Dream on my list.
| | |
I agree with KILL. "New Gold Dream" is my favourite album from them. Do it man. I really love the album. I've both versions, a vinyl and a CD copy. Go ahead.
| | |
Yeah, out of this album, ''Big Sleep'' gives me shivers.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
New Gold Dream was definitely an important album for me so I'll see if I get it written by the end of the weekend. Thanks again.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Good review, man. This is in generally a forgotten album by them. Have a pos.
| | |
Don't get the low rating(s) for this album. It's different than future albums, yeah, but still a solid debut.
| | |
Absolutely.
| | | |
|
| |
