Simple Minds Son And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
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It should be no surprise to many that the early work of Simple Minds has aged far better than the breast-beating rock band they were to be come in the late 80's/early 90's period. Common consensus has it that 'New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)' is the true classic but spare a moment for 1981's ambitious double-set of 'Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call'. It is an 80-minute opus of electronic music with a decidely European sound following on neatly from the early Ultravox albums. 'The American' and 'Love Song' gave the group their first hits since 'I Travel' and although this recording is considering more commercially viable than the first three long players - they had just signed to Virgin Records after all - there is a high standard of artistic merit on show. A cursory listen to '70 Cities As Love Brings The Fall' is like listening to a space-age elevator opening and closing and the first title track brings an unlikely case for marrying together slap bass, Oriental keyboards and Jim Kerr's gothic vocals. 'Seeing Out The Angels' is an indication of the prettier textures incorporated on their next album whilst 'Careful In Career' proves that they had not totaly discarded their post-punk routes. Admittedly the slap bass use becomes wearisome after a while but this is a highly presentable example of what Simple Minds thought the future would sound like from 1982's perspective.
3 comments:
Brilliant album(s) - the best of SM pre-NGD
I have come to appreciate their early work over the past number of years as I grew up listening to the stadium rock. Still managing to sell out large arenas and write the odd good tune.
When I discovered Simple Minds in 1986, I only knew about 'Once Upon A Time', which I still view as a great album. But I went to the store to buy it and I found all their other earlier albums, and I was flabbergasted. I thought they were a new band! The second album I bought was Sons and Fascination, never having heard a single song off of it. I remember listening to the opening of 'In Trance As Mission' and I thought - what a weird strange song. It was, of course nothing like OUAT. It shattered my expectations. But I couldn't stop listening to it. And each time I heard the album, I got to like it more and more. It is a treasure. One of the best instrumentals ever created was 'Theme For Great Cities', the opener on Sister Feelings Call. 'This Earth That You Walk Upon' is such a superb track, so atmospheric. Back when you couldn't really understand what the heck Jim was singing about, but it had gravity. One of my favorite albums of all times.
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