PDA

View Full Version : Album Club, October 2016: Simple Minds - 'New Gold Dream'



Album Club
01-10-2016, 19:02
The Album Club choice for October comes courtesy of Alan (Audio Al) with Simple Minds - 'New Gold Dream'.

As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you reply and vote.




Simple Minds - 'New Gold Dream'

OK Here goes , this has been a Boot Sale find in the past, I now have 3 copies: 2 Booty finds and an Abbey Road half-speed master 180 gram :) In my opinion one of Simple Minds best ever albums.

http://images.junostatic.com/full/CS619928-01A-BIG.jpg

Simple Minds are:
Jim Kerr - lead vocals
Charlie Burchill - guitars and effects
Michael MacNeil - keyboards and effects
Derek Forbes - bass guitar

New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. The album was released in summer 1982 by record label Virgin, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. Released in September 1982, the album made No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart. In the US, A&M issued some limited edition translucent gold with maroon colored marble vinyl pressings of the album.

The record generated a handful of singles: "Promised You a Miracle" (released in April 1982), "Glittering Prize" (August 1982) and "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (November 1982).

Stand out tracks for me are

Someone somewhere in summertime.
Promised you a miracle
Big Sleep
Somebody up there likes you ( Instrumental )
New Gold dream ( Has a banging beat :) )
Glittering prize
Hunter and the hunted
King is white and in the clouds

and remember generous volume when listening :D

c36bOnns2EA&list=PLlri5ad1-kdWFHvhX_zgTNyIda_5L9jbL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c36b...9eaSbKzvyrEO8S

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, its a regular on my play list. :)

Pete The Cat
01-10-2016, 20:15
I'll abide by the rules and listen before voting, but it's a supreme album, so anticipate a high mark... :)

Pete

Audio Al
01-10-2016, 21:18
In my opinion a super Album sounds stunning on the Half speed 180 gm master LP

Its a 10 from me :D

johnB
02-10-2016, 09:11
I really like this LP Al, and in my opinion it marked the high-tide of quality output from Simple Minds. Dug it out and listened again last night.

The run of LPs that culminated in New Gold Dream all felt exciting and innovative at the time (I got the Berlin era Bowie influence but they also opened up earlier 70s Krautrockers like Can, Neu, Faust and New York electro bands like Suicide). I think that the first 5 LPs were reissued a few years ago as a great value cd box-set and all warrant going back to.....great wide soundscapes, lyrics deep in the mix, brilliant music for a long car journey.

I also feel that Simple Minds never approached this output again - whilst they went on to become stadium superstars and tabloid/celebrity fodder in the 1989s and beyond, I think their new music suffered eg Belfast Child etc (see also U2!!).

Anyway cut to the chase....9/10 from me.

Some great tracks including at least 3 classic singles, all of which struggled to break beyond the lower echelons of the Top 20.....

high.spirits
02-10-2016, 13:36
The Album Club choice for October comes courtesy of Alan (Audio Al) with Simple Minds - 'New Gold Dream'.

As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you reply and vote.




Simple Minds - 'New Gold Dream'

OK Here goes , this has been a Boot Sale find in the past, I now have 3 copies: 2 Booty finds and an Abbey Road half-speed master 180 gram :) In my opinion one of Simple Minds best ever albums.

http://images.junostatic.com/full/CS619928-01A-BIG.jpg

Simple Minds are:
Jim Kerr - lead vocals
Charlie Burchill - guitars and effects
Michael MacNeil - keyboards and effects
Derek Forbes - bass guitar

New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. The album was released in summer 1982 by record label Virgin, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. Released in September 1982, the album made No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart. In the US, A&M issued some limited edition translucent gold with maroon colored marble vinyl pressings of the album.

The record generated a handful of singles: "Promised You a Miracle" (released in April 1982), "Glittering Prize" (August 1982) and "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (November 1982).

Stand out tracks for me are

Someone somewhere in summertime.
Promised you a miracle
Big Sleep
Somebody up there likes you ( Instrumental )
New Gold dream ( Has a banging beat :) )
Glittering prize
Hunter and the hunted
King is white and in the clouds

and remember generous volume when listening :D

c36bOnns2EA&list=PLlri5ad1-kdWFHvhX_zgTNyIda_5L9jbL

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, its a regular on my play list. :)

Tried the YouTube link and it says video not available. Any other links. Thanks

Audio Al
02-10-2016, 14:48
Tried the YouTube link and it says video not available. Any other links. Thanks



Try this one it should link all the album tracks , when one ends the next one should start


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c36bOnns2EA&list=PLzg8Wsf2ftw0k3gYn2u9eaSbKzvyrEO8S

martian sunrise
03-10-2016, 13:58
this is not really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. very hifi friendly - does this add to the appeal?

Pixelpopper
03-10-2016, 21:15
Not my cuppa I'm afraid, I wasn't that keen when it was released and nothing has changed. The tunes are more familiar after many years of airplay but still not good for my ears. :(

Barry
06-10-2016, 09:59
I'm not sure if history will look back kindly on '80s pop music, and whilst not 'my decade', I have personal reasons to regard the '80 with some nostalgia. So I was looking forward to listening to this album, since I have very little electro-pop in my collection, and was interested in being reminded of an important period of my life.

Well it is certainly well produced and the first track instantly took me back to that period. And therein lies the problem - this album is very much of its time, and the majority of the pop music then was ephemeral: to be enjoyed and then forgotten. I found the tracks to be too similar and I quickly became bored. But I persevered, sadly though nothing appeared to change my mind.

I'll give it 5/10 as it was a pleasant trip down memory lane, but I won't be looking to listen to anything more by them.

struth
06-10-2016, 10:18
Could be said, the band Gabriel made, Simple Minds had various stages in their development, including alas, this kind of new romantic one. I prefer their rock side personally, but each to their own and can see the attraction Al has to it.
As Barry and others say, its a bit samey. 80's was not my scene music wise after coming through the 60's and 70's. I kinda switched off for most of the decade, but remember some of the tracks as the wife liked them.
So to a vote.. as i say, i preferred them in rock mode, or even in their really early days as an almost punk band, so 4/10 for me... sorry Al

Pete The Cat
08-10-2016, 13:17
Right then, have relistened.

1 cassette, 2 CDs and this year’s Half Speed Master here :)

I’ve commented a few times on AoS in praise of this album. To add something new to the discussion, the older I’ve become the more I appreciate its spiritual undertone (eg Belief is a beauty thing…Shine the Light on me, so that much more I see, in the light of his love…Shooting from the hip about our faith and love…and of course, Somebody up there likes you…). It’s probably as close to a religious record as I’ve got and yet if you didn’t look at the sleeve, which is a bit of a giveaway, you might not notice. I like that it's not in-your-face but that the lyrics and music are mutually complimentary.

Still think MacNeil was their star player.

Oh yes, 9 out of 10. Eternal !

Pete

lovejoy
14-10-2016, 07:34
It's often the case that the album that gets you into a band will always remain your favourite album, even if everyone else thinks that was their worst release. A good example is that my favourite album by The Fall is 'I am kurious Oranj' which rates pretty low in most other Fall fans lists, but so it is here that I have very fond memories of Street Fighting Years by Simple Minds. It was the album that got me into them and one of only a very few pre-recorded tapes I ever bought and it got played to death on holidays in West Wales as a teenager.

Strangely I'd never sat down and listened to New Gold Dream so I'm grateful for the nomination. I'm familiar with Promised you a miracle and Glittering prize which I've always loved. I'm finding the album something of a mixed bag though, but certainly interesting enough that I'll come back for further listening. I love some of the wonky bass playing which I thought might have been David Sylvian at first as it sounds a lot like Japan and bits of the album remind me of Byrne and Eno's 'My life in the bush of ghosts'. What I'm not so fussed on is the vocal recording which is often low down in the mix and has that recorded in the bathroom quality of way too much reverb. For that reason 'Somebody up there likes you' is one of the stand out tracks for me.

I like it, but it's never going to replace Street Fighting Years as my favourite album of theirs. I think 6/10

Mike - H
16-10-2016, 13:19
I've not listened to much by this band, and don't own any of their albums. Apart from Promised you a miracle and Glittering prize, this is not what I was expecting. 6/10 from me

HackneyRF
26-10-2016, 21:58
Gave this a listen this evening and was reminded why I stopped listening to Simple Minds many years ago. I quite liked Simple Minds prior to this record when they were a bit more edgy and dare I say it, experimental. New Gold Dream to my ears sounds lumbering, sludgy and flabby. It rarely gets out of second gear. Jim Kerr, not a bad vocalist it has to be said is way down in the mix. A pity really. Having said that 'Promised you a Miracle' is a cracking single that lifts things it out of the doldrums somewhat. But overall one song on the album sums it up for me, 'Big Sleep'.

I tend to disagree that the 80's was poor decade for music. If one scratched the surface and delved deeper than the Top 40 there was some terrific stuff being made. Simple Minds have clearly made some great records but I hope in the future that 80's music is not judged on this particular one. Sorry, a 5/10 from me.

Cheers

Loz

MikeMusic
29-10-2016, 16:35
7/10 from me but there are some 10/10 tracks there which make it a must buy

webby
23-11-2016, 22:34
This is a great album. A 10 from me, I'm a big fan. I got the half speed vinyl a couple of weeks ago for 12.99 too!

The basslines are just awesome.

User211
23-11-2016, 22:59
Have it on vinyl and SACD. I have listened to Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call more over the years.

I stopped liking the Minds after this album. Beautiful smooth sound all the way through this.

Jim Kerr's lyrics are quite interesting I think. Have a listen - really quite curious thinking going on that has a strange surreal weirdness to it.

Audio Al
24-11-2016, 06:22
I am pleased some folks like it , I think its great

I paid £25 for my copy , opps !