One record at a time: 407. Simple Minds - Street Fighting Years

"Street Fighting Years" served as my introduction to the work of Simple Minds. Back in 1989 I was familiar with some of the band's hit singles, but this was the first time I bought one of their albums and delved a little deeper. 

I can't really tell you why an electronic music obsessed teenager bought an album made by a traditional rock band, but I do remember the release was promoted as quite an occasion; so maybe I just got caught up in the excitement of it all. I also think the involvement of Trevor Horn must have contributed to my initial enthusiasm.

Whilst I bought the compact disc back in 1989, I picked up this record in 2014 from eBay. The disc is in very good condition and boasts the quality you would expect from the EMI pressing plant in Hayes.

The title track that begins proceedings is a slow burner that either builds atmosphere or opens as a damp squib depending on your mood. Another six minute long track "Soul Crying Out" has a little more melody but I can't help but feel Trevor Horn restricted keyboard player Mick MacNeil to using a Hammond organ and, much to its detriment, this album seems to eschew synthesisers.

You really get a feel for Trevor's influence on the next track "This Is Your Land" when after around four minutes it enters into a grand coda that mimics "You're The Voice" by John Farnham. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with "You're The Voice", but I don't see the sense in copying it. There are a few Fairlight derived motifs (which Horn refers to as "gags") thrown around here and there, but "Kick It In" seems to have the most with samples that you may recognise from records by Yes or Art of Noise.

By the time I reach the eighth track I have become tired of the incessant Hammond organ through a Lesley cabinet and I am longing to hear something else. Happily the tracks that made up the "Ballad of the Streets" EP ("Mandela Day", "Biko" and "Belfast Child") are superb productions and such poignant songs ensure we come to a stirring finish. 

I have a soft spot for this album as it was amongst the first I ever bought on compact disc; but I have to acknowledge that much of my regard I have for it is based on nostalgia rather than a love of the actual content. 3/5

One record at a time: 406. Simple Minds - Once Upon a Time

With consummate timing, this record arrived from eBay a few days before I was due to post about it. Whilst my collection contains both a CD and the digital files of "Once Upon a Time", this is the first time I have owned it on vinyl. The record only cost me a few pounds and sounds immaculate.

To me, the highly stylised artwork of this record was a sign of a rather cynical cash in. This album was released on the back of a number one hit in the USA ("Don't (You Forget About Me)") and I can just imagine the A&R team at Virgin Records losing their minds at the thought of Simple Minds working with the same people who had produced U2. No matter what, this record had to look appealing to the American public.

Unfortunately this record isn't nearly as good as the two albums that preceded it. Opening track "Once Upon A Time" is standard AOR fare that has nothing to recommend it. Things don't improve with the dismal U2 pastiche "Ghost Dancing" which is so dull I find it hard to listen to. 

Things pick up with the single "Alive and Kicking", but its constant use in promoting the launch of the Premier League back in 1992 mean it soon becomes tiresome to my ears. The only track I do genuinely like is "All the things She Said" which has a great hook and offers flashes of the real Simple Minds who seem to be hiding behind the sonic veil thrown up by the producers.

Things don't improve much on the b-side as the lyrics of "Oh Jungleland" are amongst the worst I have ever heard from a normally impeccable Jim Kerr. The dull rock of "I Wish You Were Here" and "Come a Long Way" drift over me and only the single "Sanctify Yourself" offers something close to originality.

To my mind this whole record contains nothing but insipid rock designed for American radio. I guess something had to be sacrificed in order to appeal to their new American masters, but for me, the band sold its soul. Derek Forbes's bass is sorely missed and the female backing singers are totally at odds with everything else that is going on. This isn't one for me. 2/5

One record at a time: 405. Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain

Having propelled themselves up the charts with their previous album, Simple Minds decided to go for the jugular with the follow up "Sparkle in the Rain" in 1984.

Whilst received wisdom tells me this album is more 'rock' than previous efforts, it actually sounds pretty 'pop' to me. Steve Lillywhite's production has a radio friendly sheen and the commercial potential of tracks like "Speed Your Love to me" is pretty obvious.

Things kick off with a flourish of Yamaha CP-70 piano and some thunderous drums which propel the single "Up On The Catwalk" along. I wasn't really aware of this track previously as it doesn't seem to appear on many compilations, but it is a really great song with some neat synth work courtesy of Mike MacNeil.

Another single "Waterfront" is instantly recognisable and the metronomic bass of Michael MacNeil is something wonderful to behold. To be truthful, there's not much to this song (I don't think it has a single chord change), but this really doesn't matter. Songs like "East at Easter" and "The Kick Inside of Me" might fly under the radar of casual observers, but I have no doubt devotees must treasure them as the jewels they are. Unfortunately some songs do stray towards the sound of contemporaries U2, but I can forgive such a misstep as there are more than enough original ideas here.

When it comes to acquiring a decent copy of "Sparkle in the Rain", I'd advise aiming for one with intact gilding on the edges of the sleeve. Experience tells me that if a previous owner has looked after the sleeve, they have probably taken care of the record too. 4/5

One record at a time: 404. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

When "New Gold Dream" was released in 1982 the LP was housed in a gold coloured inner, but later pressings were issued in a purple bag. I acquired the newer pressing from eBay a few months ago but, when I stumbled upon an original in a shop last week, I couldn't resist buying it too. 

In truth both records have picked up some scars during their forty three years of existence and they don't sound quite as exciting as they could. Not only is the music reproduction a bit flat, but there is background noise throughout; a situation almost analogous to a modern GZ Media pressing - but for a quarter of the price.

I'm no expert on the history of Simple Minds, but from what I understand, it was the commercial success of this album that propelled the band into superstardom. Listening to the music on this record it is easy to see why it was so successful. There are more hooks than you can shake a stick at and the genius of Charlie Burchill is tangible.

The catchy single "Someone, Somewhere in Summertime" (or "Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)" if you prefer) finds the band in perfect harmony both figuratively and literally. I was expecting the quality to drop of markedly at this point, but the second track "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel" doesn't sound out of place nested between the impressive intro and another single "Promised you a miracle". 

Until I listened to this record I didn't realise that the phrase, "incorporates elements from New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)" is of the biggest understatements I have ever read on a record sleeve. As a fan of dance music back in the early nineties I enjoyed a tune called "Open Your Mind" by U.S.U.R.A. - what I didn't realise at the time was that the track was a wholesale lift of a Simple Minds song. I don't mean, "they used a couple of samples from the song", I mean they stole the whole thing and simply stuck a kick drum under it. At least when Utah Saints had the same idea a little later they were respectful enough to retain the song title (along with some of Jim Kerr's vocals). I can only hope Simple Minds took all of the publishing for the U.S.U.R.A. record.

There's another good single on the flip side called "Glittering Prize" which shows an increasing reliance on synth sounds to drive the music rather than just augment it. Unfortunately the last couple of songs seem to fizzle out a bit - but there's no doubt this is a good album with plenty to recommend it. 4/5 

One record at a time: 403. Simple Minds - Sister Feelings Call

As a newcomer to the Simple Minds back catalogue I was a little confused by this record. After some digging I found that it is a companion piece to the album "Sons and Fasciation" and was released at a budget price.

It seems that on completing their new album in 1981, the band had a large amount of material left over that they felt was too good to discard. What this doesn't explain, is why the lead single from the project is included on this record and not the principal album. All very confusing when you're coming to the party almost forty five years late.

Given its provenance it not unreasonable to describe the music on this record as something of a mixed bag. The single "The American" is a fantastic display of original ideas and catchy grooves that bursts from the speakers. Whilst being b-side material, "20th Century Promised Land" manages to keep its head up and survive the faint disco influences that infiltrate its rock styling. Also worthy of mention is "Wonderful Young Life" which points to the sound the band would adopt in their commercial peak. As with all early Simple Minds records, the golden thread of Derek Forbes's superb bass and the undeniable genius of Charles Burchill remains constant.

Conversely songs like "League of Nations" sound like unfinished ideas that were given a cursory dusting before being paraded before us. Personally I am not a fan of the instrumental "Sound of 70 Cities" as it has a really annoying synth noise that I can't navigate past. So whilst interesting and no doubt essential for fans, this album isn't quite to my taste and I look forward to moving on to the band's more commercial work. 2/5

One record at a time: 402. Simple Minds - Empires and Dance

I haven't yet acquired a copy of Simple Mind's second album "Real to Real Cacophony" so we are forced to skip to their third effort "Empires and Dance" from 1980. I bought this record from eBay quite recently and it sounds good with very little extraneous noise.

The moment this record begins it is clear the sound of the band has moved on from their debut. The synth rhythms of "I Travel" are redolent of sweaty European night clubs where the PA resonates to the sounds of Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk. On this record Jim Kerr's voice has evolved into the baritone we are familiar with and the guitars seems to have taken a step back when compared to earlier efforts. 

Whilst still not matching the band's best, the songs on this record are much 'groovier' and have a distinct studio polish. Much of the groove is provided by bassists Derek Forbes whose superlative work features most prominently on tracks like "Today I Died Again" and "This Fear of Gods". 

Elsewhere there is a good deal of time devoted to experimentation with "Twist/Run/Repulsion" or "Kant Kino" being some of the more prominent examples. For fans of electronic music, the song "Thirty Frames a Second" is probably the most interesting with its Korg 770 bass refrain complimenting Charlie's distinctive guitar sounds. 

The most commercial recordings are the afore mentioned "I Travel" and the only other single taken from the album, "Celebrate". Whilst both are good songs, neither have really chimed outside of the band's fan base and they remain a kind of buried treasure for those of us brave enough to wander into uncharted territory.

Because various styles of music are being thrown into the melting pot, this album doesn't really have a strong identity. Unfortunately I can help but judge "Empires and Dance" alongside more successful entries in the band's back catalogue and unfortunately it suffers from this comparison. Even when I try to look more objectively, I can help but thing this record is just too quirky for anyone other than those with an interest in the history of Simple Minds. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 401. Simple Minds - Life In A Day

I had always been familiar with Simple Minds and their hit singles, yet I considered their music to be somewhat too 'rock and roll' for my liking. Although I acquired an album called "Street Fighting Years" in 1989 and a compilation of their hits a few years later, I never dare delve too deeply into their discography. This changed in 2024 when I watched a documentary titled "Everything Is Possible," which piqued my interest and led me to explore the works of Messrs Kerr and Burchill more thoroughly. In this post, I will be listening to a copy of the band's debut album, "Life In A Day" which was reissued by Virgin Records after they achieved wider commercial success.

The opening chords of "Someone" do not bode well for enthusiasts of electronic music. The combination of acoustic drums and piercing guitar resembles a form of glam rock that could be dismissed as a lesser imitation of Roxy Music. However, after approximately thirty seconds, keyboard sounds begin to surface, hinting that something more intriguing and original may be on the horizon.

In fact, even the instrument that created these sounds is quite intriguing. You can tell the sound has an acoustic element and is clearly polyphonic; so it can't be from a synthesiser of the period. So what is it? Well, after some poking around on the internet it seems group member Derek Forbes played something called a Baldwin Electric Harpsichord on this record. The instrument used was actually owned by Abbey Road studios and had even been used by The Beatles. 

As the record unfolds some typically seventies shrill mono-synth sounds emerge and the guitar work becomes increasingly impressive. Whilst some of the lyrics are a bit cliched and the mix is unbelievably flat and monaural, it doesn't seem to matter. And that's the magic of this album, it is raw and unsophisticated but the hooks are strong enough to carry the day. The most amazing thing to me is that the principal songwriters, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, were only nineteen or twenty when they wrote and recorded these songs. 

Standout tracks are "Pleasantly Disturbed" (which reminds me of ELO), Chelsea Girl (I am told this is a thinly veiled imitation of Velvet Underground but, as I have never knowingly listened to them, I have no idea) and the title track (even if the timing of the various band members does seem to be slightly out of step). Whilst this record has absolutely none of the hallmarks of their later material it serves as a testament to the budding talents of the principal songwriters. 3/5