lambchops's Full Review: Glittering Prize by Simple Minds
Scottish pop band Simple Minds had a slew of hits throughout the eighties and lent music to one of the most popular films of the decade--the timeless detention film The Breakfast Club. But the funny thing is that while their music is incredibly recognizable, their name often goes forgotten. Should Simple Minds be lost in the decade of spandex, neon, and bangles? Most definitely not.
Even today, the band formed in 1978, continues to make music. Their extensive discography extends from 1979’s Life in a Day through this month’s Our Secrets Are The Same. And while they indeed have been actively recording for the last decade, it is in decade previous that the band created their most evocative music. The band’s 1992/1993 collection Glittering Prize is aptly titled. The twelve tracks contained on the album are indeed gems. A wonderfully brief, yet wholly invigorating it is most definitely worth checking out for most all fans of music from the 1980’s.
Fortunately for Simple Minds their music as a whole has managed to stand the test of time. There are more comprehensive collections from the band (most notably The Best of Simple Minds), but a good place to start is with the catchy pop-synth act. The two mainstays of Simple Minds have been Charlie Burchill (guitarist) and Jim Kerr (lead vocalist). Their chemistry is clean and concise and clear across the smattering of songs showcased on Glittering Prize. It is the perfect album for a novice fan.
Glittering Prize focuses mainly on the music the band released between the mid 1980’s and 1991’s Real Life. And even if it is admittedly short sighted, it is hard to deny the fact that it is indeed a lovely recording. Most notable of course is the inclusion of Don’t You (Forget About Me) for the first time ever on any Simple Minds album. This immediately recognizable track will lure casual fans to the checkout, but the songs that complete the album are what make it something truly special.
Honestly, I was unaware of how many tracks I knew at least in passing from Simple Minds. Though I did realize that the band is often listed among influences for many current UK pop acts. Beginning on a strong note with Alive And Kicking, the album makes an immediately positive impression. Long for a pop track, it passes in what seems like a blink of an eye. The melody is memorable, as is the chorus. This element is in fact what puts the band head and shoulders above their perceived contemporaries.
The album continues well. See The Lights is a lighter, more evocative track with sweeping and intelligent arrangement. Kerr’s voice is particularly lovely, deep and inviting. But it is with the third track that casual fans will attach themselves to the album. Of course Don’t You (Forget About Me) is one of the biggest classics of the eighties. You know the words, you know the movie, you know the melody. They are ingrained in your psyche just as there are ingrained in mine.
Won't you come see about me
I'll be alone, dancing --- you know it will be me
Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out
Love's strange --- so real in the dark
Think of the tender things
That we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, Baby
Don't you forget about me
It is hard to match that song in my humble, rather undereducated Simple Minds brain. But the band does manage it time and time again with tracks like Sanctify Yourself, Belfast Child, Stand By Love, and All The Things She Said. The band’s sound is very wide a free. At their best they sound like an early U2/Depeche Mode. Certainly that says something positive for Simple Minds.
There are but a few lesser tracks here. I’m not keen on the band’s synthier (that’s a word, right?) selections including Promised You A Miracle and Up On The Catwalk. But that is just a matter of personal preference and my relative inability to relate on the whole to the movement of my childhood.
Glittering Prize is definitely worth having, and the good of the album largely makes up for the bad. Simple Minds deserves more recognition. Not only are they talented, but they’ve managed a very long and prolific career—something that very few of their ilk have accomplished.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Alive And Kicking
02. See The Lights
03. Don't You (Forget About Me)
04. Promised You A Miracle
05. Sanctify Yourself
06. Belfast Child
07. Stand By Love
08. Up On The Catwalk
09. Let There Be Love
10. All The Things She Said
11. Someone, Somewhere In Summertime
12. Waterfront
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