Isamu wrote:
Seriously....has there ever been a band that went from shining like a star in the mid 80s to being virtually unknown, the way Simple Minds has? Everyone's heard their anthem, Don't You Forget About Me, but if you ask people today if they've heard of tracks like Up On the Catwalk, The American, New Gold Dream or All the things She Said, they'd gaze at you like a deer in the headlights.
Why has Simple Minds' popularity faded so much since then? They, to me, are the greatest band to ever play music. Seriously....as much as I love New Order, they are nothing compared to Simple Minds.
I started listening to SM way back in 1989. I first heard Alive and Kicking and instantly fell in love. No other band caught my attention the way they did. I was absolutely SPELLBOUNDED by songs like All the Things She Said and Promised You a Miracle. I consider New Gold Dream(the album) absolute perfection, with Street Fighting Years running a very close second.
Yet despite all this, they continue to make music, releasing album after album and go virtually unnoticed except in places like their hometown of Scotland. Why is this? What is wrong with America? Why are Americans listening to shit like the Offspring and Coldplay, when a band like Simple Minds are still out there going unnoticed? Why have Simple Minds' album sales decreased over time, despite them being at least competent if not remarkable, and very valiant efforts?
What is your favorite Simple Minds album? And what kind of sound would you like them to return to/create? What direction would you encourage them to go in, to get umm, noticed again?
your post has a few contradictions , I aint criticising that , it's a trait most people have and lifes a bit more interestin for that, sure most people have heard the anthem has you describe it , but Jim Kerr didn't want it released initialy did he ? Everything they'd worked for was instantly overshadowed by a song they hadn't written , tracks like the american and new gold dream , love song was and is a great bass driven song , it was most often to be heard in places that had a Bowie / Roxy night , it could be heard on the old Temptation night at the Hac , NGD was a perfect pop album , but instead of following for want of a better term , a european muse , they seemed to go after the soundtrack and starship market and I think that was when the original fan base moved on and waited for Bauhaus to fuck up too , which they did when pete murphy decided he didn't want to be an eighties bowie and they covered Ziggy , which was seventies bowie which we'd already had .
so I dont think people my age would stare at you like a deer about to be run over as you mentioned the band , they'd probably think back to love song and theme from great cities and think great dance tracks , didn't the singer turn into a twat .
not sure about their hometown of scotland , it's a country , gorra pricey parliament building too
you answer one of your own questions sales decrease , you say the albums are competent yet not remarkable ... now call me old fashioned but I want remarkable albums every time and if I cant get them I'll settle for a fuckin remarkable track like Turn , but do you want people to buy mediocre out of some sense of loyalty to a band who chased and got the dollar anyway ?
as for fav album at the time NGD , not heard it for a while so I may be rose colured tinged , best song overall, lovesong , in fact I'll play that in a moment along with Duel by propoganda which for me are immune to time
incidentaly I thought the new uk single was billy idol when I heard it last week , thing is I dont like billy idol post Gen-X and I thought fuck me, he aint as bad as usual , then the deejay said it was simpleminds which threw me a bit
