simpleminds.org

[Nico Wiersema]

Maybe I missed something, but what ever happened to simpleminds.org? No updates since May I think. 

[Ray Cullen]

I was wondering myself. Hopefully Simon is doing ok and the lack of updates is that he is busy with other aspects of his life. 

Dream giver was one the very first websites I ever explored on my first experience with the internet back in 1995. I was astonished to see such an informative and detailed site to Simple Minds who were beginning to be ignored by media at that time.

[A Plethora Of Piñatas]

How about that new album?

I'm so very disappointed. It's shit.

Really shit. 

In my eyes they haven't put a foot wrong since the release of B&W050505. 

Until now. 

This may beat Cry & Neon Lights to be the worst album. It even makes Our Secrets and Neapolis seem good. 

If this was the follow up to Jim's solo album, it would be a disappointment. As the first Minds album in four years it's a travesty. 

Two songs written by Ged, a cover, a couple of recycled unfinished songs. It shows. 

The production is horrible. It sounds like a really dated remix album by some 90's DJ. 

I'm so very sad. 

Robin. 

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[Kamran Umar]

Robin!

Really glad to read your thoughts on here. I'm genuinely missing the yahoo groups so much, as I absolutely despise Facebook.

I can't comment too much on all the tracks, but right now I absolutely love solstice kiss. Really very very blown away. I feel it's quite a deep song that builds and builds. Maybe just this point in my life it calls to me. When Sarah sings "did I dream..." Absolute spine tingling moment for me.

On some of the other things, production wise I tend to agree, some parts sound a bit muddled. I'm not a sound technician so feel completely out of my depth to comment though!

Some interesting decisions, on solstice kiss the guitar towards the end sound very odd. The decision on human traffic to add the weird stop starts ( I don't know how to describe them!), I'm not sure it helps the song. Although I like the upbeat nature of the song.

Sometimes takes a while to understand why so I'll give it time. I can hear all kinds of SM references.on the album. Real life, SFY, OUAT.

Hope everyone is enjoying, I'm not sure there's many more new album release days left for us. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Kamran 

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[andersd...@telia.com]

I really like the album.

Vision Thing is great and I think it is a solid album.

Anders

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Ämne : Re: simpleminds.org

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[A Plethora Of Piñatas]

Thanks.

Me too. 

I also can't be doing with Facebook. 

I too will persist. These are still early thoughts. My opinion will change. Maybe it's just a grower. 

Next week I'll probably love it all. 

Your thoughts inspire me. I'm in no way saying I'm right and it's bad. I'm just struggling with it. 

But music is for life. 

Robin. 

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[Kamran Umar]

Having listened to the album a lot more, like non stop since Saturday, my thoughts have taken more shape.

I've skipped the first 2 tracks, because I've listened so much pre release, but first you jump is a really cool tune I think. The underlying keyboards I really like.

Human traffic is a cool tune, not my favourite, but it does get stuck in my head a bit.

Who killed truth, massively grown on me. The lyrics, "in the centre there's a place, there's a space, there's a sound". I'm like fuck yeah!

Solstice kiss, big song. I know Belfast child was mentioned, but style wise I hear a bit of swimming towards the sun too. It's slow, but anthemic. 

Act of love again we've all heard a lot, it's just a really fast pace, energetic song...I like it. That last 20 seconds though, the song kicks in even more and they could of pushed that a bit further, I'd be punching the air.

Natural I've barely listened too. It's cool when the beat kicks in around 1:50. But not loving the chorus.

Planet zero is a cool tune. The rift is kinda up and down and yeah it's again a fast paced song.

Walls came down, I've never heard the original, but love SM's version, feels like JK really enjoyed singing it. 

Direction of the heart is up there for me. I loved the B side, I like this finished version a lot. The production is weird, in executions or choices I'm not sure. In the first verse about passion, half of the 'passion' is so far in the background, I guess a choice or style.  I'm happy we get two versions to be honest. The original is so raw, the new version less electronic, more polished. Even then, at the end the drum on 3:45, if it was me I would of stretched that out a lot more before the guitar kicks in. Feels a bit rushed. 

At the moment wondertimes is meh for me, a bonus track that may grow on me. 

It's an upbeat, fast album. Is describe it as quite pop rock...if a description is required? The whole album is full of Charlie's amazing rifts but also the keyboards are a really important part of this album.

 Right now, I'm thinking walk between worlds really comes across as a very tight, defined album. Whereas direction of the heart Is a bit more varied, comparable in that way to big music. Feel a bit like they are a mixture of songs written over longer peiods, which makes the fit different. 

If the production of walk between worlds was lifted to this album I think it would sound way different. 

By the way the intro to DOTH and solstice kiss make me think of all the interesting intros the band do for live Gigs when they are coming on stage. 

The acoustic album has also left a lasting impression on the song writing?

A bit random, so apologies. Looking forward to hearing everyone else's thoughts!

Kamran 

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[A Plethora Of Piñatas]

Just a quick one.

I'm a dick. 

Many people know this. 

I hadn't given it time when I was overly negative. I think it's quite different. That's what I initially reacted against. I've realised I like Simple Minds best when it's more guitar led. My first favourites on this were track two and the last track. They sound something like what could have been in B&W. So I reacted negativly very prematurely. I can't say how much I love it now. The punch vocally of Human Traffic I initially thought I didn't like. Now I love it. I honestly love it all.

As I said, I'm a dick. But that's OK. When I'm wrong I'm wrong. I did what so many people do initially, react negatively against what it isn't. Like in Infinity War I wanted Tony and Cap to be resolved. So I initially disliked it. Many people with The Last Jedi. They need to revisit it because it's the best Star Wars film. But this isn't about that. I'm just saying that we have to take the time to get to know what something new is. When the easiest thing is to dismiss it as bad because it wasn't what we thought it was going to be. 

Who killed truth anyway? 

Tony Blair took a big axe to it. 

Robin. 

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[Colin Neary]

No harm in admitting a mistake.

My first review was very much wrong.

Having listened to it a few more times and, probably more importantly, listening to it through a decent sound system, I very much like it.

The muddied production I referred to sounds a whole lot crisper.

However I stand by what I said about Walls Came Down and genuinely think it’s the worst thing they’ve ever done!

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[Kamran Umar]

Colin, is that because you love the original?;or maybe dislike the song anyway?

I ask only because I really like it. But didn't really enjoy the last covers bonus disc at all, so was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed this!

Thanks.

Kamran 

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[Colin Neary]

I just really dislike it.

It sticks out like a sore thumb on the album.

I didn’t like the ‘lost boys’ covers album either, thought it was a bit bland.

But, and I suspect I’m in the minority here, I really liked neon lights.

Great choice of songs and I liked the electronic sound of them.

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[Oliver Tully]

Hi all, only just checking messages from recent months.

Kamran yes I miss the old yahoo groups too - have tried to get discussions going on various Facebook groups but the attention span of most users doesn't seem to extend beyond liking posted videos.

Robin, interesting thoughts, and I must admit to not having played the album a whole lot beyond its release. It's an enjoyable enough listen, but nothing there that's blowing my socks off. Was expecting Planet Zero to be killer after all that's been written about it by Jim over the years ("Hawkwind meets Prince" from memory), but it's merely ok. Natural is surely a contender for most forgettable SM track of all time, and where Solstice Kiss is the standout, it's probably because they're pushing all the SM touchpoints - celtic vibes, anthemic on overdrive etc etc. If Coldplay released it it'd probably be massive as I'm getting shades of their track 'Paradise'. Very disappointed that valuable album space has been devoted to the usual reheats (Act of love, the title track) and a pointless cover version, all of which would have been fine as b-sides, but on an album are totally baffling in light of all the in-progress tracks that have been spoken of over the decades that could've been included. And speaking of baffling decisions, what's with the choice of album title? Naming it after a song that came out 4 or 5 years ago is questionable at best. "Wondertimes", "Human traffic" of "Who killed truth"  would've done nicely, and had more of a link to the cover art. But far be it from me to sound like I'm complaining - as I've said for what seems like forever now, it's just great to have the band around and active, although perhaps if an inactive SM meant proper archival releases it wouldn't be the end of the world...

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