New Simple Minds album, "Walk Between Worlds", set for release 02/02/2018

Saw the Minds last night. Was worth it for the opening four songs (especially The Earth You Walk Upon), despite Jim screwing up I Travel badly. Could have done without Billy Sloan making an appearance more than once (or indeed at all), I got the impression Jim wanted the second interview segment cut short as he realised how much it didn't work. I'm never going to love the new album, but In Dreams and The Signal And The Noise appear to be the keepers. These two songs were switched for some reason, is the vinyl running order any different? Managed to not go for a pint at all, even during the quite horrible Dirty Old Town, although the story behind why they chose to cover it (previous Manchester show was day after the bombing, learned quickly at soundcheck) made it sort-of understandable. Mercifully, there was nothing from the Belfast Child era, which always manages to make even the seemingly immeasurably earnest and pompous Rattle And Hum sound like a Throbbing Gristle album in comparison.

The biggest problem with the show, of course, not one but three women on stage, who really shouldn't have been recruited to carry out a man's job of music and instead should remained out of sight, perhaps the doing band's knitting while holding several babies under each arm.

 

He does goof the lyrics more than your average Jim, don't he? Would you have expected the place to sell out or maybe the hometown heroes thing isn't as strong as an outsider might think? My family in Falkirk said there was some buzzing about it, I know one cousin made it down there last night but she's one that turns up at every gig, every appearance....etc. Was it just expensive? Ticket prices in the states made for a hard decision to go many times where it would have usually been automatic. Rattle and Hum/Throbbing Gristle.....................

 

Wow. Just wow.

 

Glad you like it, I think they really put a lot of effort into it, everything has an urgency about it and there's quite a bit of emotion throughout. I'm learning I have to listen front to back and concentrate and the parts fall into place for me for a few go I like the album cut of Magic much better than the edit and actually really like the song now.

 

I was hiding my eyes in anticipation of this.

 

I think the new album starts well, loses its way bigtime during the middle and then just when I'm beginning to form thoughts of 'actually this album isn't all that good' it finishes with three barnstorming songs. I didn't bother with the deluxe version and that horrid Dirty Old Town. It's a naff song, a very naff cover of it, and stylistically it doesn't fit the album at all (*or Simple Minds themselves).

 

Dreams and Barrowland definitely have to be heard within the context of the entire album for me, for exactly the reasons you state. Then they work out OK, almost like a transition from the sides for me.

 

Well we all know by now why they included the cover. It's not great but a nice gesture. Blame IS.

 

Where are you getting that information from? I had a look at the off chance of getting tickets about 3 weeks ago and they were all sold out. The only places that were selling them were secondary brokers and each ticket was over £70, so I passed.

I was the Hydro concert in December 2016 and there were over 10,000 there, Barrowlands only holds a fifth of that, not a chance they couldn't shift that, even on a Tuesday in February.

 

My cousin just reported a sellout and queues for brokers, she had people offer her £90 at the train station and she wasn't having it.

 

Just played "Sparkle"'s first side and it's definitely not as bad as I remembered it. It's surely different to "NGD" but there's enough old SM here to make it enjoyable. And one (me?) should never underestimate nostalgia's power.

Unfortunately the production hasn't aged especially well, the sound is almost metallic. Or is that down to the German pressing? "DMM" boasts the hype sticker, a big thing in 1984.

Even if the second side was a turd, I like what I have heard so far well enough to put this next to my two copies of "New Gold Dream"

 

Thanks, I was on my phone and not able to post.

 

I’m not sure where he got that they had to learn it after the Manchester bombing as they released it as a single in 2004, I have 2 copies of it!

A friend managed to get a ticket a week or two ago, to be honest I was surprised when he said it wasn’t sold out.

 

Probably the recording Neon, I have tons of 80's Direct Metals that sound great (or like their compact disc counterpart)

 

Yes, Dirty Old Town was released as a single by Simple Minds on 23/06/2003...so I can now go back to hating it with impunity.

 

Dirty old Town is like a real bad U2 song, and theres plenty of those already from the last few U2 albums.

 

Jim and Charlies?

Such studs they are.
Mel was probably tossed out because of his bigger





drum sound.

 

I don't think anyone noticed though.

 

I woke up, took a peek and OY! I love that, thanks @sunking101

Anyways, are you profiling Mel because the size of his


drum sound?

Some decent vids of the Barrows show up, one really good one where Jim muffs up Signal a couple times. Good show though it seems, the interview stuff seems a bit awkward, you're just not going to get enough people to pipe down. I'm trying to find the source of all the hate for Dirty Old Town, me thinks it's not that bad of a town and that it's just that him wanted to play something instead of light a bunch of candles, color the Eiffel Tower different for a day then move on like a bunch of kids weren't blown up at a concert. Works for me.

I'm going up today and won't be responding for about 10 hours or so, long day. Have fun everyone.

 

Never will a crowd of Simple Minds fans reach consensus. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Isn't change better than churning out the same mediocre album every 5 years like U2?

 

I'm really enjoying WBW. It really holds together as an album and I love the guitar work from Charlie.

 

Good to hear. I think they poured a lot into the album, lots of interesting things happening in the songs. It makes a difference. I had 8 hours of AP/low comms flying and listened to the album when I could and came away liking it that much more.

 

Seeing more vids, Jim had a rough night. I bet his head was just swimming. Still funny to see. Was wondering about @Colin Allstations thoughts on the interview sessions, seemed a little awkward. I do like the stage setup and the women were fine, I guess I'm just getting over it. Charrisse has a very distinct style (lots of shoulder work as opposed to elbow and wrists for sure but she kept it up. I like the stage setup, Gordy has a sort of journeyman presence back there and Catherine looks plenty busy. Might try and see this one now that I'm an honorary European.

Sorry Colin, looked deeper into your post and you answered this very well, without being asked.....pretty impressive.

 

Saw the I Travel muffs, Signal muff and it seemed he was off on Magic as well, chorus was out of time with the guitar unless planned that way? Interviews seemed like some weird intermission that many didn't pay attention to. Very, very odd idea. Still plenty jealous, The Minds at the Barras. Luckeeeeee..........

 

The interview sections were only five minutes each but they are a complete waste of time and I think they realised this at the time. They had to resort to saying the Barrowlands and Glasgow were great to try and hold everyone's interest. Billy Sloan is a veteran local DJ and a bit of a joke to people my age, but I have to admit he didn't do too bad a job, but really it would have been better off without his bits. I can only imagine he's there for the Glasgow date only.

I saw them in Perth on the Big Music tour and thought perhaps it would be the only gig of theirs I need to go to as I only really like the first 5/6 albums, don't mind/tolerate some of the later hits and think a handful of the newer songs are OK, but wanted to see them play the Barrowlands. But mainly kicking myself for not being on board in time for the 5x5 tour so I'm sort of trying to make up for it now that they play a very small smattering of those songs more regularly now. However, I hate both the acoustic and the similar electrified arrangement of The American I've been 'treated' to both times, turning it into one of their bombastic rock songs, so that's no fun. And like many I could like without 'Dirty Old Town' and the horrible version of 'Riders On The Storm' we got last time.