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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is one album that perhaps isn't as bad as some of the original fans remember. This was the sound of Simple Minds hitting out for the stadiums.
Coming in the same year as U2's big break through (with 'War') it was decided to use their producer, Steve Lillywhite, for the new S.M. album. This will not go down as one of his better production jobs. The sound is blurred and the attack blunted. Forbes' bass is all but lost in the mix for much of the time. Likewise Kirsty MacCol's vocals on Speed Your Love to Me and Street Hassle are wasted. Speaking of the latter track, the Lou Reed song is given a pretty character less reading.
But there is still Waterfront, an genuinely gripping stadium song, Up on the Catwalk, a capable opening number and the closing Shake of the Ghosts, which takes up where Theme From Great Cities left off.
The track that sounds most like War era U2, The Kick Up Inside of Me, is the track with the best sound, having a bit of kick and passion.
This isn't a bad album. It has a decent bunch of songs presented with a reasonable amount of variety. It is, however, let down by the producer, who has blunted the attack and blurred the sound so that individual instruments were frequently lost in the murk.
It is well worth your pennies, but don't expect genius.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Simple Minds and U2 got acquainted during the break between New Gold Dream and War (or Under a Blood Red Sky)respectibely. There seems to have been a bit of musical envy on both sides. However the trade off seems to have been more beneficial to the Irishmen who were away with Eno producing the likes of the(very NGD era Simple Minds)track Unforgettable Fire. They found grace and subtelty to go along with their more raw attributes.
Simple Minds meanwhile recruited U2 producer Steve Lillywhite and mega drummer Mel Gaynor and ditched demos that were shaping up to be New Gold Dream part 2.
I agree with other reviews that have said this is one half a killer album. Side 1 is brilliant, Side 2 not so good. And, while I love Upon the Catwalk to bits, the mere fact that anything even slighlty reminescent of the majesty of New Gold Dream, seems forever beyond them from this point on, well it makes you wonder what would have happened had they gone with their New Gold Dream part 2 demos instead?
Their next release Don't You Forget About Me was reasonably nice, inconsequential, and a massive hit. Derek Forbes then left as the original band began to splinter.
Jim Kerr said at the time of NGD that people would be talking about 2 different bands, pre NGD and after. Very true, literally and subjectively. My favourite Simple Minds were the band on Sons and Fascination, New Gold Dream and side 1 of this record.
Simple Minds meanwhile recruited U2 producer Steve Lillywhite and mega drummer Mel Gaynor and ditched demos that were shaping up to be New Gold Dream part 2.
I agree with other reviews that have said this is one half a killer album. Side 1 is brilliant, Side 2 not so good. And, while I love Upon the Catwalk to bits, the mere fact that anything even slighlty reminescent of the majesty of New Gold Dream, seems forever beyond them from this point on, well it makes you wonder what would have happened had they gone with their New Gold Dream part 2 demos instead?
Their next release Don't You Forget About Me was reasonably nice, inconsequential, and a massive hit. Derek Forbes then left as the original band began to splinter.
Jim Kerr said at the time of NGD that people would be talking about 2 different bands, pre NGD and after. Very true, literally and subjectively. My favourite Simple Minds were the band on Sons and Fascination, New Gold Dream and side 1 of this record.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In interviews around this time, Jim Kerr said that the band had ditched some early demos because "they sounded too much like New Gold Dream part two". The band's subsequent diversion into more conventional rock territory was a surprise to anyone familiar with Simple Minds' previous albums, perhaps most obviously on leading single Waterfront, where Derek Forbes offered a one note, on the beat bassline in lieu of his more typical melodic and rhymically interesting contributions.
In fact, this was to be his last album with the band, until he returned almost invisibly to the fold for Neapolis. In my eyes, his departure marked the end of Simple Minds, who would go on to make only one more album of real artistic merit.
Whatever the band's populist intentions, they appear to have retained enough momentum in terms of quality and artistic endeavour to deliver an album that was not without worth. Mel Gaynor's precision and power at the drum stool were highlighted by Steve Lillywhite's production, temporarily restoring some of the interest lost with Brian McGee's departure, notably on Up On The Catwalk. Elsewhere, though, it emphasised the new, more orthodox sound.
Derek Forbes' alleged dissatisfaction during the sessions for Sparkle In The Rain didn't appear to affect his enjoyment of the subsequent tour, which saw the band on cracking live form. However, their musical confidence led to increasingly extended live versions of their songs, which in some cases, cf The American, worked to great affect, but in retrospect it augurs the overblown and vacuous content of their next album. (Touring Once Upon A Time, they would play a fourteen minute version of (Don't You) Forget About Me, without adding any value over the recorded version.)
In fact, this was to be his last album with the band, until he returned almost invisibly to the fold for Neapolis. In my eyes, his departure marked the end of Simple Minds, who would go on to make only one more album of real artistic merit.
Whatever the band's populist intentions, they appear to have retained enough momentum in terms of quality and artistic endeavour to deliver an album that was not without worth. Mel Gaynor's precision and power at the drum stool were highlighted by Steve Lillywhite's production, temporarily restoring some of the interest lost with Brian McGee's departure, notably on Up On The Catwalk. Elsewhere, though, it emphasised the new, more orthodox sound.
Derek Forbes' alleged dissatisfaction during the sessions for Sparkle In The Rain didn't appear to affect his enjoyment of the subsequent tour, which saw the band on cracking live form. However, their musical confidence led to increasingly extended live versions of their songs, which in some cases, cf The American, worked to great affect, but in retrospect it augurs the overblown and vacuous content of their next album. (Touring Once Upon A Time, they would play a fourteen minute version of (Don't You) Forget About Me, without adding any value over the recorded version.)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
what john on about?
i'm not a fan of Simple Minds but this album is great because of the keyboard sound & playing , once the original keys player left so did their great sound . Read more
Published 16 months ago by robert the dog
Simple Minds' ultimate masterpiece!
What can I say... This is by far the best album by Simple Minds! Period! Every single track is so excellent in every way, that today, almost 20 years later, this album is still... Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. H.
The only Simple minds album worth having
This to me is their best album by far, as for all the rest they just seem to have to have a few listenable tracks and the rest are just, Wait a minuite they've made that much an... Read more
Published on 13 April 2010 by Stephen
A game of two halves
One of those classic LPs where side one was brilliant and side two only got played once. Upfront singles 'Waterfront', 'Speed Your Love' and 'Up on the catwalk' were the... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by T. Hooper
The Closest they came to becoming U2
Whatever Simple Minds will be remembered for it will always be The Stadium Rock years from 1984 to 1989 was there finest years and it gathered them success in America for a brief... Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2009 by T.K
Fantastic, epic, and the last great Simple Minds album...
Rating: 8/10
Best tracks: "Up on the Catwalk", "Shake off the Ghosts", "Speed Your Love to Me", "The Kick Inside of Me". Read more
Best tracks: "Up on the Catwalk", "Shake off the Ghosts", "Speed Your Love to Me", "The Kick Inside of Me". Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2007 by New Gold Dreamer
Simple Minds at their best and worst
The beginning of the end of Simple Minds.
This is probably the last of the great era of Simple Minds albums. Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2005 by Widnes Bob
One million years from today...
This is the best Simple Minds album. At the time New Gold Dreams (another 5 star album) seemed like an impossible album to follow, but this is even better! Read more
Published on 27 Dec 2004 by blueandwhite050505
At their very best
This album captures Simple Minds in the peak of their very best. The middle of the 3 top albums (New Gold Dream, Sparkle in the Rain, Once Upon a Time). Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2004 by S. Haugh
The beginning of the end...
This is where Simple Minds began to consolidate their success follwing 'Glittering Prize' & 'Promised you a miracle'... Read more
Published on 16 July 2001 by Jason Parkes
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