Factory - Simple Minds, New York (1979)
So one day I decided to dive right into Simple Minds’ back catalogue. How about I will freely admit that I was shocked, nay pleasantly surprised, to discover that Simple Minds are more than just (Don’t You) Forget About Me and Sanctify Yourself (two staples of my childhood). I was pleased to discover that their roots aren’t just in radio friendly rock. They started out as a punk/post-punk band. They named themselves after lyrics from David Bowie’s Jean Genie. Their earlier work is reminiscent of many post-punk bands popular around that time. Jim Kerr at times sounds akin to a less theatrical Bryan Ferry or like Wire’s Colin Newman. Their first or second albums, Life in a Day or Real to Real Cacophony respectively, are great starting points to revisit their (maybe to you) lesser known works.
The album’s key was alienation. In ‘Calling Your Name,’ Jim sang of the frustration of trying to get out of Glasgow, while ‘Veldt’ was swamped in the sounds of the jungle, conjuring up pictures of darkness and primitivism. There was a tune, barely, but it wasn’t one you’d want to whistle.
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| — | ‘Jesus, where’s the Chelsea Girl?’, Dave Thomas, Glittering Prize |
Somehow they’ve made the great leap from being raw young impressionables unsure what to make of their vast input of information and influences, into a confident, adventurous band suddenly aware of their potential.
The resulting album ‘Empires And Dance’, is distinctly Simple Minds. They know it and are justifiably proud of it. It is everything Bowie’s ‘Lodger’ could have been if he were younger and more open to life around him.
The album consists of gloriously depicted, desolate cityscapes, but however gloomy the music gets, a strong sense of discomfort prevents the listener cocooning himself in self-pitying melancholy. Simple Minds’ struggle is not easily admired from a distance, but it has to be felt. That is the crucial thing.
The resulting album ‘Empires And Dance’, is distinctly Simple Minds. They know it and are justifiably proud of it. It is everything Bowie’s ‘Lodger’ could have been if he were younger and more open to life around him.
The album consists of gloriously depicted, desolate cityscapes, but however gloomy the music gets, a strong sense of discomfort prevents the listener cocooning himself in self-pitying melancholy. Simple Minds’ struggle is not easily admired from a distance, but it has to be felt. That is the crucial thing.
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| — | NME, 4th October 1980 (UK) |
