Simple Minds....underrated bass brilliance?

[FeltTipPen]

Speed Your Love is a great song!

One of my favorites of theirs!

 

[bass12]

A lot of you saying that they didn’t get the recognition they deserve. I’m guessing that you’re either too young or in the USA? Simple Minds were already well known in the UK and Europe long before The Breakfast Club in 1985. They’d had hits since ’82. Don’t you Forget About me was the song that really helped them break America, which is always tough for British bands without years of extensive touring. When we think of the early 80s Simple Minds are as much part of the pop music landscape as Duran Duran, The Police, U2 or Human League.

Over here (in Canada and the U.S.) Simple Minds kind of fits into the same category as Level 42 in that you'll hear them on commercial radio, but you'll only ever hear one of two songs that were hits "locally". The first time I remember hearing SM was in the car at the age of ten, when "Alive And Kicking" was first getting airplay. I'd probably heard "Don't You Forget About Me" before that, but "Alive..." was what piqued my curiosity and inspired me to buy the album. I then got the other albums that were available at the time (Sons/Sister Feelings, NGD, Sparkle) and quickly realized that those albums (as much as I still like Once Upon A Time) were where the real gold was to be found. Thirty-six years later I'm still listening to all of those records.

 

[higain617]

Simple Minds was one of those very musically mature and excellent 80s bands that became defined by a single song that didn't exactly represent what they were trying to do. It probably paid for the rest of their lives, which is no small thing, but I have read before that they didn't write it and have mixed feelings about it.

It is hard to forget about you when you're always on in Walgreen's.

 

[lfmn16]

Good? Yes. Brilliance? Not even close. I'm not sure why "good" doesn't seem to be good enough.

 

[MrClassicMetal]

It is hard to forget about you when you're always on in Walgreen's.

People certainly won't keep forgetting it every time they're near.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Simple Minds was one of those very musically mature and excellent 80s bands that became defined by a single song that didn't exactly represent what they were trying to do. It probably paid for the rest of their lives, which is no small thing, but I have read before that they didn't write it and have mixed feelings about it.

Yes, 'Gold' is dismal. 'To Cut a Long Story Short', 'Instinction', 'Musclebound' are, er, gold.

 

[Peterson]

I love Simpleminds

 

[jmccabe]

Sorry, had to chime in as I'm going to see them on Thursday

Derek Forbes didn't come across as the most technical bass players back in the day, but he has an enormous talent for coming up with grooves that help really define a song. It's one of the reasons Simple Minds appealed to me, and why I was a bit distressed when he left.

They've not really been the same since, IMO, although Eddy Duffy did some good stuff on Graffiti Soul.

Ged Grimes got off to a decent start on Big Music, but the bass on Walk Between Worlds, IMO, is shocking; it lacks imagination and, due to the pretty awful mix, is really hard to hear.

From one of those bands, like Duran Duran and Magazine, where every instrument seemed to have its own slot without any one instrument being dominant, this was unexpected.

 

[FeltTipPen]

New Gold Dream is, for me, one of the defining albums of the '80s, alongside albums such as Songs From The Big Chair and A Secret Wish. It's about as close to perfection as an album can get.

Over here (in Canada and the U.S.) Simple Minds kind of fits into the same category as Level 42 in that you'll hear them on commercial radio, but you'll only ever hear one of two songs that were hits "locally". The first time I remember hearing SM was in the car at the age of ten, when "Alive And Kicking" was first getting airplay. I'd probably heard "Don't You Forget About Me" before that, but "Alive..." was what piqued my curiosity and inspired me to buy the album. I then got the other albums that were available at the time (Sons/Sister Feelings, NGD, Sparkle) and quickly realized that those albums (as much as I still like Once Upon A Time) were where the real gold was to be found. Thirty-six years later I'm still listening to all of those records.

Agreed on those albums. I still enjoy listening to the Once Upon a Time. Yes even though Derek Forbes was no longer part of the band I appreciated what John Giblin brought. Mel Gaynor and Mick MacNeil were still there and they were also big reasons for my love of SM.

 

[jmccabe]

... at the time (Sons/Sister Feelings, NGD, Sparkle) and quickly realized that those albums (as much as I still like Once Upon A Time) were where the real gold was to be found. Thirty-six years later I'm still listening to all of those records.

NGD is something special, although that may be due to it being the one that got me listening to them. It was huge at our school (Renfrew, 5-6 miles, I guess, from Glasgow). Like New Order on the way to Republic (obviously, IMO!), their earlier albums had music that was at least as good, but NGD was where everything just seemed to come together.

Sparkle In The Rain was a bit too 'stadium', although still great at Barrowlands in '84 but, by Mandela Day and Belfast Child they'd got a bit too big for their boots and I stopped paying attention.

Graffiti Soul got me back though, and some of the stuff between those eras is also very, very good.

 

[Yonni]

Yes, 'Gold' is dismal. 'To Cut a Long Story Short', 'Instinction', 'Musclebound' are, er, gold.

Without [IRONIC] and [/IRONIC] tags I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. Or are you just making the comparison with Spandau and Gold as their DYFAM?

 

[bass12]

Agreed on those albums. I still enjoy listening to the Once Upon a Time. Yes even though Derek Forbes was no longer part of the band I appreciated what John Giblin brought. Mel Gaynor and Mick MacNeil were still there and they were also big reasons for my love of SM.

I still really like Once Upon A Time, but I feel like a significant part of the band's personality (though certainly not all of it) was suppressed/absent on that album.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Without [IRONIC] and [/IRONIC] tags I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. Or are you just making the comparison with Spandau and Gold as their DYFAM?

The second use of gold was supposed to be humorous. But those three songs I listed and referred to as gold are great. 'Gold' is awful.

 

[FeltTipPen]

I still really like Once Upon A Time, but I feel like a significant part of the band's personality (though certainly not all of it) was suppressed/absent on that album.

Agreed! There's far more lasting impact and musical legacy pre-Once Upon a Time.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Even in a town as small as Hollywood Shermer, he pulled more than his weight.

Fixed.

 

[DrummerwStrings]

Fixed.

I was referring to Hollywood being a small # of people having a large influence - the thought occurred to me as I was writing the post that maybe I should be more explicit.

 

[Wood and Wire]

I was referring to Hollywood being a small # of people having a large influence - the thought occurred to me as I was writing the post that maybe I should be more explicit.

No, I got what you were saying, I was just making a deepcut fan joke.

 

[nickpc]

From one of those bands, like Duran Duran and Magazine, where every instrument seemed to have its own slot without any one instrument being dominant, this was unexpected.

Well stated - after OUAT SM really became "Jim and Charlie with others" rather than a band of equals, and the music definitely suffered for it.

 

[DrummerwStrings]

No, I got what you were saying, I was just making a deepcut fan joke.

I knew I was tired & didn’t proofread when I was writing, so I could have done a better job of expressing myself. Wouldn’t have been the 1st time I was misunderstood.

Subtle wit scores, again

 

[FeltTipPen]

@jmccabe, how was the show? Simple Minds was one of my regrets not catching live.