The Best Of Simple Minds

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Product description ------------------- SIMPLE MINDS .co.uk ------ The title of this compilation tells the truth--almost. Although one is moved to question the validity of including the Raven Maize club hit "Real Life"--selected on account of it sampling the tonal poetry of "Theme From Great Cities"(a prime slice of the early Minds' funked-up Eurosynth futurism) and slapped on the end as if to convince a jaded public that Simple Minds really are "contemporary" and have a profound relevance to today's dance scene--this really contains the best of Simple Minds. Which is a very good thing indeed--but where's "Changeling"? These trifling grievances aside, this compilation does Simple Minds' chart-history justice. Sometimes unduly castigated for blustery over-expression and much ado about nothing, re-familiarisation with much of the post-Sparkle In The Rain ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B000025JVY/${0} ) material reveals a band at ease with an astute musical economy--the grand gesturing of "Mandela Day", for example, may well sound monumentally sincere and overwrought but it consists of a measly three chords, while the trotting-horse bass-line to "Waterfront" is one note repeated for over four minutes (and that note was "D" if you're interested). Some great pop singles aside--"She's A River", "Alive And Kicking", "Up On The Catwalk" and "Promised You A Miracle", a song cut from the same tartan cloth as early Spandau Ballet ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Spandau%20Ballet/${0} )--the most interesting thing about Simple Mind's evolution is how they started to get more successful once they'd stopped impersonating Roxy Music ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Roxy%20Music/${0} ) only to hit pay dirt with a song which Bryan Ferry ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Bryan%20Ferry/${0} ) didn't have enough time to record, namely Keith Forsey's "Don't You Forget About Me". --Kevin Maidment