Simple Minds "Acoustic" Upcoming Release (11th Nov 2016)

They're my favorite band. I'll be getting this.

 

Its available in 24/48 at Qobuz and HDtracks (minus the bonus tracks). Hoping the download codes from the vinyl provide the same resolution.

 

The BBC is showing a recent Hackney Empire concert of "acoustic" performances, on the Red button, and iPlayer.
Just search "bbc simple minds hackney"

 

Is it available in the US? I don't know what red button is!

 

Red button is UK only, from the remote control handset.

iPlayer, accessed from the BBC main website page (top and centre), is supposed to be UK only.
I believe it can be accessed by an internet proxy outside the UK, but I don't know how to, because I've never needed to.

These things tend to be recorded and made available, so I'm sure the internet will be awash with torrents of the radio broadcast and the TV broadcast over the weekend.

 

Simple Minds (Acoustic): 90 minutes Live From The Hackney Empire;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b082byrv/radio-2-in-concert-simple-minds

 

I really wanted to like this album as I'm a big fan.
First listen its not for me, I will listen again over the weekend but I just love the 'big' sound of Simple Minds and find this album lacking.
Shame.

 

I ended up listening to the stream 3 times today while doing other things, sadly it is no longer 81, 82, 83 or 84

The Hackney Empire track list;
1 – New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)
2 – See The Lights
3 – Glittering Prize
4 – Stand By Me
5 – Waterfront
6 – Andy Warhol (David Bowie Tribute)
7 – Chelsea Girl
8 – Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)
9 – Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith Cover)
10 – Speed Your Love To Me
11 – Promised You A Miracle
12 – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
13 – Sanctify Yourself
Encore
14 – Long Black Train (Richard Hawley Cover)
15 – Alive And Kicking
Finale, welcome Steve Harley
16 – Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)

Probably burn audio to CD’s which should sound better than listening from the noisy wind-tunnel of a desktop pc.

 

Heard some samples of this, not interested, the only SM album that will never be in my vast collection.
Meanwhile I cant stop listening to the new stunning Mission Album- "Another Fall From Grace", best record of the year.

Simple Minds are starting to look like a crash grab no substance band lately, so sad.

 

I have a hard time imagining an "unplugged" Simple Minds album grabbing that much cash.

 

As one reviewer observed, its the least unplugged Unplugged album ever. Still, there's some finely stripped (i.e subtly electronic programmed) versions of particularly Waterfront, Someone Somewhere (In Summertime), The American and - rather surprisingly, Alive And Kicking. Burchill shines and shimmer of course (its more or less his show), and even Kerr steps up his (reverb) game a bit. As a sideproject - on par with JK's LostBoy - it's decent, if not excactly compulsory. Albeit with a couple of gems buried here and there - at the moment the highlight is arguably Waterfront. An impressive slowburn of ebb and tide. Stripped of thunderous drums and synths, it somehow still manages to be intense and epic.

 

This follows the "substitute electric for acoustic guitars" formula. I prefer acoustic albums where they reimagine their songs, so this isn't for me.

 

As a synth fan since the late 70s I don't know why anyone needs to reimagine their songs acoustically but I do love Simple Minds so whatever

 

I first saw Simple Minds support Magazine at the Manchester Apollo back in 1979, and it was the first (and possibly only) concert I'd been to where the support band were called back to do an encore. Most times you're glad to see the back of the support. I enjoyed there output up to 'New Gold Dream' but lost interest after that. The world loved their new stuff, but it wasn't my thing. I watched the 'acoustic' set on the BBC, and it draws mostly from their post-'82 output, so once again not for me. I liked what Charlie was doing, but the arrangements don't work for me. Too MOR for this listener. If other listeners find joy in it, then good for them.

 

I'll pick this up; obviously a lot of work went into the arrangements and recording. Artistically it's a holding action, not exactly necessary but good fun. The "new" cover song Long Black Train is really nice.

 

My experience is very similar. While others saw Sparkle in the Rain as the beginning of something great, to me it was the end. I saw them 3 times in the 80s in Montreal, the last being the Sparkle in the Rain tour. I found new interest in the band with the release of Neapolis (Coincidence that Derek is on it?)

I've always thought "unplugged" was a gimmick and a boring one at that. I've only heard Promised You a Miracle so far and I wasn't impressed. However, I am curious and don't mind supporting the band.

BTW, if you missed the 5X5 live tour you missed something wonderful. I saw them in Birmingham and it will always be one of my best concert memories.

 

Yes, I was harsh there, I'm a big fan and expecting more . I ask forgiveness Jim.

 

Made me laugh.

 

so we had a cover version album awhile ago from them with mixed
results.

and now much later, we have an acoustic 'cover' version of their
songs, from them now. again with some skepticism.

i'm a huge fan of the band, and have been since 1981, so i've
heard their ups and downs. and seen them live once. i've kept
up with all their albums, singles, and tours up to now.

i think they have settled into a nice pace of having an
album every few years, changing up their style, and releasing
projects as they feel.

there were rumors of an acoustic album awhile back, and then
during their latest tour, a few songs were played that way,
which kind of confirmed it.

i have very low expectations for this album, especially
after hearing the very weak version of 'promised you a miracle'.
fortunately the other songs are much better compared to that.

----------------
luckily the strength of these songs is the lyrics, and some
of the cool arrangements. no, these don't surpass the originals,
and you can hear the lack of the layers in the songs.

however, some are quite beautiful, evocative, and put a whole
new spin on the songs.

i only have the digital version (so i can't comment on the
vinyl extra tracks).

i know the tempo, and key have been changed on most of the
songs, but jim's voice is still very strong.

tracks
-----
01 The American - excellent, and nice strong start, with
great lyrics, a nice beat to it.

02 Promised You A Miracle - horrible, the extra vocals and
backup don't work, and the beat is just the wrong tempo for
this song.

03 Glittering Prize - excellent, taking a nice slow tempo to it,
and building up to the familiar chorus. hummable, and great take
on altering it to fit the guitars. even the backup vocals are
subdued and are a nice contrast and fit with jims lead.

04 See The Lights - very good, sounds very familiar, as the
original had a lot of guitars in it, so it's not really that
much of a stretch to adapt it.

05 New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) - excellent, i didn't recognize
it at first, but once the main chords come in, its a fun take,
with the choruses and verses pretty much matching the original.
the layers of guitars blend well.

06 Someone Somewhere In Summertime - excellent, a nice slowed
down take, but adds some great rhythms and weaves some good
chords around the original tune.

07 Waterfront - good, a somewhat subdued take that brings
everything down a notch from the original. it does pick up
a bit by the middle, but it adds some unnecessary backup
vocals.

08 Sanctify Yourself - very good, a nice upbeat tempo and
throw in some extra guitar chords to match. again, not a fan
of the backup vocals, but they were there in the original too.

09 Chelsea Girl - good, this one is almost a match for the original,
jims vocals aren't as raw as the original. but it's fun to hear
the guitar chords and drums kicking in the way they should.

10 Alive And Kicking - good, another song that doesn't vary
much from the original, brought down by the usual overdone
back up vocalist.

11 Don’t You (Forget About Me) - excellent, bringing their
classic into the present. a lush, and dense version of the
guitars keep the song going, and the hooks are all there.
even if you are tired of hearing it for the millionth time,
there's some life in it still.

12 Long Black Train - excellent, a nice touch for a ballad,
and great at highlighting jims voice. good addition to their
library of songs.

========================

overall, i'm pleasantly surprised by it.

i like the different takes on some of the songs, and the
creativity on altering the songs. i hate the backup vocals,
and how some of the songs don't work.

it's a decent album. nothing groundbreaking, but what do
you expect from an acoustic album.

i would still like to hear the vinyl exclusive tracks at
some point.

later
-1

 

I really liked Neon Lights (the cd). That and Neapolis are the main reasons why I got back into Simple Minds after more or less ignoring them from the late 80s on.

With respect to Acoustic, I haven't heard anything other than Promised You a Miracle and I didn't like it. Admittedly I only listened to it once. I received word that my vinyl shipped this morning so hopefully by the end of next week I'll be able to listen to the rest.

 

Promised you a miracle is the worst song on this album. The others songs are mostly better.
some are much better.

later
-1

 

Picked it up at the weekend, been a long time Simple Minds fan, my first purchase was the Saints and Sinners 7"!

Didn't have high hopes for this, particularly after the hype of over the last album which turned out to be just that, and sadly my fears were realised, I found it painfully dull, the days of Empires and Dance and Sons and Fascination are long gone.

With the exception of the 5x5 live album, which I really enjoyed, its been a law of diminishing returns for a long time now, and Jim get rid of that ridiculous accent, its as bad as bloody Sheena Easton's!

 

Anyone check out the downloads available with the vinyl? Mine hasn't arrived and I'm dying to know if I wasted my money on mp3s.

(I don't have a turntable)

 

The download included with the LP is in the WAV format.

 

Curious to know what @Havoc thinks of this release, since he love the band as much as (or nearly as much as) I do...