Simple Minds - pretty cool IMO.

[twistedAM]

Scotland's answer to U2

yes but in the early days they were scotland's answer to cabaret voltaire

 

[Annierak]

Oh, but it gets worse. Another teacher loved that Mike & The Mechanics song "The Living Years". We all had to listen to that too.

You poor sod. I sympathise

 

[kalidarkone]

Just been listening to them soundcheck for tomorrow's Mandela gig out the window at work.

made me think , though irredeemably untrendy, they have done some damn good songs. Early stuff obviously; Chelsea Girl et al, the absolutely stunning THEME FOR GREAT CITIES and a load of stuff around that period when they basically sounded like A Certain Ratio crossed with Eno, and i would also dare to say some of their later stuff like 'New Gold Dream' and 'speed Your Love To Me'.

Nothing after "don't you forget about me" obviously as Alive & Kicking or any other songs played at the beginning of football games in scotland or used in lager ads are obviously shite.

so, whattya think? Fucking million times better than U2 i reckon anyway.

Nah. The only thing I ever liked, and admittedly I really loved it, was 'Themes to a great city' It was sooooo brilliant to be stoned to when one is 14!!!

 

[pk]

Oh, but it gets worse. Another teacher loved that Mike & The Mechanics song "The Living Years". We all had to listen to that too.

Got that stuck in my head now. Bastard!

 

[cybertect]

I really couldn't stand them in the 80s and I've not mellowed on the topic.

 

[rekil]

A fair bit shitter than INXS.

 

[brianx]

What did Chrissie Hynde ever see in Kerr though? That was so wrong!

I think it might have had something to do with Julie Burchill's Kerr quote "How does Jim Kerr get his cock to be seven inches? Fold it in half".

 

[chico enrico]

They're shit, really shit & Kerr once tried to finger my sister when she'd had one too many special brews, bastard.

weird. whilst they were soundchecking one of the women i work with said he tried to get off with her as well.

 

[Hi-ASL]

...

 

[chico enrico]

Did good things against apartheid and rejected Sun City back in the 80's though, raised awareness, all that stuff, so props for that.

yes. i'd forgotten bout that. pretty much every other morality void was rushing over there to play at the time. didn't Roger Taylor or some other drummer in some big band refuse to play so his band chucked him out?

on second thoughts, couldn't have been Roger Taylor then.

 

[chico enrico]

The haterz on here probably don't realise that Simple Minds had a completely different sound in the early days which was pretty experimental. I used to buy both Simple Minds and Cabaret Voltaire records.

yea, same with me. back when your local rcord shop would have a diminutive 'electronic' section featuring cabs, TG, human league, simple minds, DAF and, erff, Vangelis.

didn't they even play at one of those 'futurama festivals'?

eitherway. i defy anyone not to think this is a cool track:



and as sampled by Corporation of One:

 

[killer b]

other than 'theme...', have they done anything else of note? no-one's drawn our attention to it if they have...

 

[ViolentPanda]

Yup. Up to New Gold Dream, they could be good. After that, rapid descent into toilet.

Totally.
I wore out 2 copies of "Empires and Dance".

Used to love it when people who got into Simple Minds post-"New Gold Dream" would buy the back catalogue and be totally freaked by stuff like "Real to Real Cacophony", though.

 

[pk]

"African Skies" is a top track.

And the LP Live In The City of Light was one of the first big-sound stadium rock albums, sounded good at the time.

 

[bi0boy]

Steve Hillage is cool, Jim Kerr is uncool

 

[chico enrico]

also, their drummer is amazing. I cribbed a lot of my 'licks' from listening to him, and Bill Ward from Black Sabbath, through a personal stereo and playing along to their drum beats on tracks.

all rather wasted on the bands i've been in tho

 

[Big Jim]

What did Chrissie Hynde ever see in Kerr though? That was so wrong!

Apparently he's got a big one.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

i just got the best of. They are a lot better than I thought...

 

[chico enrico]

i'm sure it is. they will just always labour under the stigma of the 'lager commercial stadium rock' they became coupled with jim kerr's hideous white suits and boss-eyed, mongy face.

 

[Annierak]

Apparently he's got a big one.

AND? I don't think that was the reason, pathetic reason if that were the case. I think Chrissie Hynde had a bit more about her than to marry someone for their huge cock

 

[ohmyliver]

damn a Simple Minds thread, just as I had (forgotten about them)

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

What about Patsy Kensit?

 

[Annierak]

What about Patsy Kensit?

The Kensit shagged everyone, he was just another notch for her cos Simple minds were big at the time...then she moved on to the next one

 

[ViolentPanda]

i'm sure it is. they will just always labour under the stigma of the 'lager commercial stadium rock' they became coupled with jim kerr's hideous white suits and boss-eyed, mongy face.

TBF, he only looked mongy when he put on weight and you couldn't see his cheekbones any more.

 

[ViolentPanda]

damn a Simple Minds thread, just as I had (forgotten about them)

As Simple Minds would say, "Don't you forget about me"!

 

[imposs1904]

"Music made by plumbers - listened to by plumbers" - Ian McCulloch.

thing is, the Echo and the Bunnymen were overrated clogged up shite, so what has Blind Mac got against plumbers? He needs them more than most. Definitely one of those bands from that era whose reputation has diminished rather than grown in the intervening years

Simple Minds put out some brilliant stuff up until Sparkle In The Rain, but their downfall was that Jim Kerr switched from wanting to be a Bowie wannabe to a Bono wannabe.

Good move for his bank account. Bad move for his music.

 

[ohmyliver]

As Simple Minds would say, "Don't you forget about me"!

yes, that is why I put the ( and ) as the song's title is 'don't you (forget about me)' it was a lame joke, I'm very sorry.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

yes, that is why I put the ( and ) as the song's title is 'don't you (forget about me)' it was a lame joke, I'm very sorry.

I noticed but wasn't going to say anything...

 

[hipipol]

They have saved me loads on buy get to sleep shit


got a snore spot for em, and no doubt, Guv'nor, arrrrrrr Jim Lad matey!!!!!

 

[imposs1904]

Looking for a Simple Minds thread and landed on this one.

Unlike a lot of the previous posters on this thread, I thought early Simple Minds were top drawer, and that's why I'm intrigued about this project featuring three of the early members of the band - and who don't happen to be Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill.

It looks like a mixture of new music and settling old scores: