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

I'm listening to Derek Forbes' Echos (2016). Its new versions of songs from New Gold Dream and earlier in which Derek plays all instruments and sings. I quite enjoy it.

 

It's good but odd. I think at one point he was going to sing DYFAM and that was a part of the reason he was ultimately sacked. He can carry a tune.

 

And play bass

 

I have listened to this several times, and while I like it, I tend to agree with those who say that it's a lesser ghost of "Big Music." I know people say "Big Music" was more like a compilation, but I think it flows well as an album and has a ton of energy.

One thing that REALLY bugs me about "Walk Between Worlds"... the lyrics and songwriting seem kind of forced, even by Jim's bombastic standards. For example, the first three tracks are all single-word titles, and that's essentially the first word we hear Jim sing on each song. Weak sauce.

1. Magic... first thing we hear is Jim shouting "Magic! Magic! Magic!"
2. Summer... "Here comes summer!"
3. Utopia... "Utopia... Utopia!"

It happens again on "In Dreams" (although it's not Jim this time)

Yes, I know there are plenty of great songs that have the title sung at the beginning. In this case though I feel like Jim is just shouting the name of the song at me in order to make an impact. That said, this album gets much better after those first three songs...

 

That's fair enough. I was just listening wondering "Why is he repeating Utopia when the music is actually very good and could have stood on its own until the verse?" I like WBW slightly more as it's a bit more varied where much of what is on Big Music has a very similar synth tone and structure. "Kill or Cure" sounds like Bittersweet......."Imagination" is very similar to "Blindfolded"...."Broken Glass Park" and "Blood Diamonds" .....on it goes..........that's only odd because those songs were recorded over quite a period and they only sound the same, they don't feel like they come out of a point where the band bangs out so many songs over a few months where they set out to make an album. It still was my favorite in 2014 and I play it often. WBW works more as an album, no clunkers for me.....a few great tracks and 2 serious contenders for SM classics. The weaker songs seem better once the album is over, as if they helped the last two make an impact on me. I can't say that Big Music has classics contenders, just a lot of good songs with a few too many "So so".

 

But that beard. Looks like he's getting ready to skulk around the Barras at night and prey upon unsuspecting damsels who find themselves tied to railroad tracks the next day. I'm not superficial, not at all.

 

I like it a lot. Derek is awesome. He was a very important cog in the early machinery. He seems a bit bitter recently though (follow him on fb).

 

They're good songs, I actually forgot I had the disc. It's just weird. "Simple Minds, the band I never left!" His sacking was a colossal mistake, the result of ego, flakiness and all those other bad things. Derek's continuous uncredited involvement with the band has been just plain weird. Toss in the appearance for Neapolis then the subsequent ditching...........odder still. It's like, "Can't you tossers work this ****e out?" My grandma (who's so Scottish she was born in a castle when her mom was looking for stuff to nic for fun or so the legend goes) used to say "I've been round for an eternity and never once did I meet a Scot who didnae think he was always right." Maybe that plays out in this case. Who knows? Shoulda stayed with Big Country, the XSM stuff is just odd. I've always felt the same about the Hooky with The Light touring the JD stuff. That's just me though, I'm sure I'm in the minority but it just strikes me as a bit weird. Not saying they don't have a right to do it, I'd be more interested in newer material from them as they still have a lot to offer.

 

Well we don't know the personality aspect. Maybe Derek is hard to work with? Or he's flighty - he had several options to work with the band but allegedly declined on more than one occasion - he was asked to step in on the Street Fighting Years tour but declined. It's a mysterious relationship.

 

I have not been able to find a complete WBW promo gig yet on YT, but one guy in Belgium caught about half the songs (can only watch song by song though).

 

Can't blame him for opting out of the SFY although it might have been a way back in if he could just tolerate that.........whatever it was I saw that day in Germany. Hard to picture him there.

 

It's up now. Not bad, very small venue. No QA! Just a proper show. Berlin Live: Simple Minds | ARTE Concert

Here's hoping the theory of this being a small promo tour is right. Just couldn't make it to any of the gigs this time around.

 

Watching the Berlin show.
Charlie cooks, man is he good.
The ladies croon sweetly. I do believe they are on board partly to cover for Jim's voice issues. Even Gordie gets a verse! Sounds like he's struggling, hope it's not a permanent issue.
Cherisse the drummer is not that impressive live...she's simplistic and plodding compared to Mel Gaynor and lacks the requisite power for songs like Waterfront. Listen to Sanctify Yourself. Ouch.

 

Album details - Dynamic Range Database

Forget the actual music for a second. This is the problem with all SM releases since Real Life. Compressed and brickwalled to the 7th level of purgotory into unlistenable sonic hell. I have given their recent albums a try - but 2 minutes of ear bleed later they have all been consigned to the charity bins, I am truly sad to say. You can't give the new stuff a chance if you can't get to the music itself without hearing loss. I know for a fact that the actual recording and pre master mix of WBW is exactly the same digitally limited mess, so can't blame the mastering engineer. Those producers perchance? So the vinyl will not be any better. I am truly at a loss as to why the numbers are so bad? Anyone?

As to the album itself, nearly all if it is old stuff from years back, odds and sods...bits n bobs via SM or Lostboy AKA. Not new compositions. Sorry but as a fan from 1979, this simply does not float any boats.

Admittedly, I lost all interest in my once top 3 fave band from SITR onwards. So read this post in that context.

And I keep hoping they have one last album in them. But its not this one.

 

So you can't listen to the album because of the limited dynamic range, but if you could listen to it you wouldn't like it anyway, because they reworked two-three (which is not "nearly all") older songs, which is to be frowned upon for some reason and makes the album less worthy?
Why even bother?

And the hearing loss thing...come on.

 

The DR assault is inexplicable to me but alas..............I trudge forward. I can report that WBW on vinyl seems improved over the downloads but that isn't saying a whole lot. As for the album itself, it works very well for me. Having been in bands, 1 or about 8 years...I've witnessed how ideas for songs keep coming back even 5 years after they first surfaced so it doesn't bother me too too much. I've been there. In their defense, even Geddy Lee doesn't seem to care too much about DR...."Loud but not too loud" was his thinking......OK, what's too loud?

 

Agreed on the drumming, very stiff armed movement and I can definitely sense the difference in whallop. I can see why Jim and Charlie might want her around, she's competent and seems like someone who just lights up the room. Maybe that was enough. Definitely doesn't have the pop or tempo, more like keeping up with it rather than creating it. Good enough though.

 

Even if they brought an album out that suited your tastes, you clearly still wouldn't like if it hurt your ears. I'm so glad I enjoy music for different reasons to you.

 

I have to say that because I like the music on the last two albums so much, I grit and bear it. WBW does kick the hell out of the ears though, been listening to the vinyl at a distance with the volume raised to offset the distance........if that makes any sense whatsoever.....it just works.

 

Spend some time with "Sparkle In The Rain", that album may be many things (including "Not as good as 'NGD'") but it's definitely not the enemy. That would come later. But "Street Hassle" - while competent - sounds plain wrong and out of place on a SM album. It might have been a nice (7"!) b-side curiosity.

 

The band agree with you. They ran out of material, hence the Lou cover. It's one of those albums where the A-side is it, really.
Notjhing on side B measures up to A.

 

But... how do you actually follow an album like "New Gold Dream"?

 

Apparently by stripping back some bloody good demos because they sounded too NGD-ish then undercooking the second side of the follow up. Side one was/is amazing IMO and 2 had just enough for it to just do it for me. My reasons for liking it the way I do go beyond what's etched into the vinyl. In hindsight, it could have been a lot better. The album is their cocaine album, judging by some of the missteps.........it is a helluva drug.

 

KY

Yeah OK my hearing isn"t quite knackered yet. And fair comments in your post. But I'm struggling with your logic? If it wasn't killed sonically, of course I would maybe enjoy the album my friend. I have said I tried lol. To enjoy the songs, surely I need to actually hear the music behind the brickwall of non musical noise. Digital distortion and artefacts aint my cuppa and ruins a more balanced judgement, innit. I love noisy music. By gosh, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is beautiful noise with songs and dynamic range. Its not so difficult to grasp no?