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

That's a fair and reasonable POV from someone there from the beginning. I know Jim admits there's a definite "fault" in the band's history that happened after NGD. My favorite arrangement of The American was from the first leg of the Once Upon A Time tour, it's a bit of bombast but I was mesmerized by it back in the day and listen to it quite a bit now. Will NEVER understand why it was left out of the 2nd leg. I've always held that the best thing they've ever done was the 5x5 tour, more for reasons of introducing many to that battery of albums and gaining the subsequent relevance. Obviously a different animal from when the originals were being pumped out but IMO it saved them from possibly heading off into obscurity again. It's my favorite "thing" of theirs. Why there's no official video release of it is baffling.

Interviews definitely can be tossed IMO. If Jim likes to tell a few anecdotes here and there, I'd be fine with it. I like his style of humor and he does tell pretty good stories. Having someone interview you on stage while half the crowd is chatting away is just plain weird.

Good stuff Colin.

 

I have a funny story about that tour. When the tickets went on sale for 5X5 it was 4 AM here in Ottawa. I was trying to get tickets to Barrowlands and the process kept screwing up. I was getting frantic. Tried several times, kept messing up. Finally I got my tickets! Woohoo, Barrowlands here I come. Looked at my completed order - BIRMINGHAM O2. I'm like !@!@!&^%^^. Woke my wife up and said "You're not going to believe what I just did." Turns out it was a great show and had a wonderful time. Oh and the only other time I've left North America was to see Simple Minds in Glasgow 2009.

 

Have to point out that I was born in 1981 and didn’t start listening to the Minds from a positive perspective (giving the early albums a proper chance) until 2014.... they’re certainly a band I thought I would never end up liking and it’s confusing being someone who has chosen to attend a couple of their live shows, with their dreaded cheesiness and all, though I find it all a bit more endearing on account of respecting them for the good work they once did, despite all the extremity of thieir stadium / MOR years.

 

Wow

 

I just listened to this song earlier today! I have it on the Punk Lost & Found CD that came out in the '90s. The only thing that sucks is that the compiler(s) thought it would be "fun" to add the sound of a needle dropping onto a record to the beginning of this song since it's the first track on the CD.

 

The superior B-side Dead Vandals was included on a Mojo magazine covermount CD recently.

 

Not sure if this has already been posted.

Simple Minds review – a jumbo celebration of past and present glories

 

Very nice of you to share, thank you. Very nice write up. I think I might have been onto something with the "girls" adding a more appealing angle to the band. I don't think that's why they were added, I think it was more organic than that but they seem to have pulled it off. Now, if Jim can remember what song it is they're banging out........maybe they'll have a better show next go.

 

It's OK, I forgive you. I've guided a lot of people through their history and they take the entire body for what it is. Bands change, the music around them changes them. New members will add or subtract from what was there. Brian was a great drummer for that repetitive "German" sound, he left and they got a jazz/Northern Soul drummer who improvised and they were gaining popularity, hanging with the likes of Bono.....it was gonna happen.

 

I won't be seeing them on this tour - I last saw the Minds in 2003 at Hammersmith on the 'Alive and Kicking' tour, where I caught a genuine Mel drum stick, thrown by the great man himself, possibly directly at me because I'd been yelling 'MELLLLL!' at him all night.

Before that, the Gateshead Stadium gig of the Real Life tour in 1991, when I was 14 years old and Minds-mad, and left quite disappointed. Mark Taylor didn't budge an inch and had that bloody Korg M1 synth that would've sounded crap in anyone's hands, Malcolm Foster was mugging away despite getting the bassline to "Someone, Somewhere in Summertime" blatantly wrong and Jim was at his most pompous trying to reach the back of the stadium with songs like "Travelling Man". Urgh. Charlie played a blinder, though.

I'm completely baffled by the interview thing. It's no surprise it's not going down well. Isn't it obvious that it's a naff idea, and that no-one's going to want it? Does Jim think he's Billy Connolly?

 

Are they stopping between songs to be interviewed by someone, like a Live By Request type thing??

 

I also first saw the band on the 1991 tour. The concert was ok but the sound was atrocious. I never liked Foster on bass but Charlie was indeed great. But that band didn't have the chemistry that the latest incarnations have had; session muso feeling. Saw the band on a city square in Switzerland in 2012 or so and that was a fine concert; Manic Street Preachers also on the bill. Charlie's guitar too low in the mix - why do you make a brilliant guitarist who's the heart of the band quieter than anyone else? Weird.

 

In Glasgow DJ Billy Sloan introduced them, then they played four older numbers followed by a five minute interview, then side one of the album, then another brief interview, side two, then hits and encores.

 

That's actually a great interview. I actually never thought about it like that but while they may not be able to sell out stadiums like U2 they don't have to do these weird 80's nostalgia tours either. They can easily sell out medium sized venues and that's definitely not a bad thing for a band of their vintage.


I'm about to consider getting the new album. Damned....

 

Birmingham 5X5: 27 songs from the first 5 (6ish) albums. No interviews. No background singers. Brilliant.

Edit: And no Don't You (Forget About Me)

 

Oh and by the way: I finally saw the new band photos. You guys are definitely exaggerating. Charlie looks like an aging rock star but the thing you are objecting to is the new female presence? Come on! It's like The Fall in 1988, it's great!

 

Listening to Graffiti Soul right now.

 

I think the new line-up photos are great actually. It's no new thing either; the 1985 touring band had two females (Robin Clark and Sue the percussionist), the 1989 band too (Lisa Germano and Annie McCaig).
How much Catherine actually contributes is what's up for debate apparently; there were evil rumours about backing tapes being used on social media .

 

I've seen the band 7 times I think. First at Wembley stadium in 89, then at the Birmingham NEC on the same tour.

Once in Paris at le zenith arena on the real life tour. Transvision vamp in support.

Once at the docklands arena on the good news tour.

Twice at the Bournemouth BIC on hits tours I think and at least once at the Portsmouth guildhall on the big music tour.

At every gig I've found Jim's patter to be utterly dull. It's either 'everybody ok?', 'let's go' or announcing the song title and band members.

 

How could you forget "Let me see your hands."?

 

Oh yes, of course. Another pet hate is pointing the mic at the crowd, but that's not just Jim.

 

I don't like it when they take main vocals though, as in Dirty Old Town. That's the final nail in the coffin for that song. I don't want to hear anyone, male fenale or animal, fronting Simple Minds except Jim Kerr.

 

Yeah. On one hand it's a generous gesture handing over the spotlight. But not one the fans really want. I thought Catherine did a nice version of Rivers of Ice on the last tour though.

 

This Pop Matters article hints that EMI may continue the boxed-reissue series, possibly with Street Fighting Years. Obviously it's up to EMI and not the band, but Jim says they do like to participate to at least preserve their legacy:

Jim Kerr on Simple Minds' New Album and 40-Year Legacy