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

Personally I think its refreshing and healthy that they're pushing themselves, getting out of the comfort zone. Think of the difference between, say, GNFTNW and NGD, or Cry and SFY. The idiosyncraticies are all still there, their unmistakable sound is there, despite lineup changes and differing music genres.

 

I agree. I like them trying new things. Mel will probably be back eventually.

 

Agreed!

 

I guess. I'm more of an early Minds fan and think everything post OUAT has been pretty scattershot. Just my opinion of course. I think it's great they are still productive.

 

To me 'street fighting years' was way better than once upon a time, and a couple more albums after that have been decent also.

i agree the point is they are still making music, and trying unlike other bands that have given up, and are permanently stuck playing their greatest hits (too many bands to mention).

i applaud all their experiments, even the acoustic one surprised me at how it was done (not all tracks were great though).

more power to them.

later
-1

 

Eventually. Its not the first time Gaynor's been on hiatus. Besides, he's appeared (and quite frankly looked) uninterested for several years now. New blood is vital.

 

Mick, Derek and Mel should get together and make Simple Minds great again. Put Jim and Charlie with that clown show to shame- they should call that Pimpled Minds!!

 

A reunion is what many of us wish for, but in reality....that was over 30 years ago, they are all different people and it's no guarantee the chemistry would be there.

Jim and Charlie are trying to develop and do new things, why give them **** for it?

 

I think any fan who has followed the band over their career expects change. Some changes have been good, others not so much.

 

Wish this was going to be another Good News From The Next World but I doubt it.

 

Indeed. I think Derek's spell with them in 96-98 I think it was, proved that SM is strictly Jim and Charlie's baby, and that has been the case since at least 1990, when Mick left. That is my perception anyway without knowing any details, of course.

The reunion train left the station long ago, I think. It is what it is now, and if they can match the quality of Big Music, I would be happy.

 

I think we already had the reunion tour. However, it was Jim and Charlie's idea of a reunion - play songs from the first 5 albums only but don't invite any of the original members to play with you.

 

Yes it was kind of telling. In 2011 as I recall, there was talk of the classic line-up reuniting in the studio to work on some tracks (Brian McGee on drums I believe), but it seems never to have happened. Anyone's guess why. It sure would have been interesting to hear what they could have come up with.

 

According to community rumours, Jim demoed This Is It for Mick and Derek back in '09, with Mick declaring that the song still had "miles to go". But with the 30 years tour coming up and Graffiti Soul nearing completion, Jim and Charlie reckoned that there simply wasnt enough time. Guess the idea was to record two new songs for the anniversary tour, This It Is being one of them.

 

If I try very hard to forget that the songs on the acoustic album had a prior life then it's not so bad, some of it is quite good but it's a very hard trick to do. This is a puzzling release, basically surrendering any momentum gained with Big Music. It's feeling a lot like another possible misstep but the little clip sounded promising. I just liked the band as it was, I understand how things are but would have liked to see them expand on what they built with Big Music. Not some weird "Sly and the Family Stone" thingy, it doesn't feel right.

 

Other than an occasional song, I haven't much cared for any of their albums since Street Fighting Years, but I'll give this one a listen. Maybe I'll be surprised. The acoustic album was awful.

 

Just watched the Magic video via SDE

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/video/watch-simple-minds-new-video-magic/

Sounds like a track that didn't make it on to Big Music

 

Here's the actual video, without having to go to that site, it's not bad for starters.



later
-1

 

I think "Magic" is OK, but "Signal and the Noise" is a stunner. It was played on BBC 6 today, Steve Lamaqc show.

BBC Radio 6 Music - Steve Lamacq, 04/01/2018

 

Indeed, The Signal And The Noise is all the things Magic as first single should've been.
Enticing, exciting, exhilarating.
Magic isnt awful per se, just ever so underwhelming.
But then again, the Minds have a certain thing for killing their lead singles, i.e. Glitterball (over War Babies) Cry (over uhm Spaceface?), Rockets (over infinitely better Stars Will Lead The Way).
Looking forward to hearing Signal in better quality when it becomes avaliable, (in a couple of weeks) as a digital download.

 

Magic is awful. Coldplay would be proud.

 

I pre ordered the deluxe blue vinyl the day it was announced. I like Magic, the video is pretty but it detracts from the song. I'm going to wait till I get the record to listen to the rest.

 

Never mind another album of bland crap like Big Music, or even worse Acoustic, give us deluxe editions of Reel to Real and Empires and Dance!

 

Big Music may have been their best album in 30 years but it still had loads of cheesy drivel on it. It's a shame that this is the best they manage. New single is OK-ish.

 

So it wasn't just me....