Following the release earlier this year of the acclaimed ‘Sparkle In The Rain’ last year, Universal are continuing their restoration of Simple Minds’ eclectic and pioneering back catalogue with the release of ‘The Vinyl Collection 79-84’.
The Vinyl Collection brings together the band’s first seven albums – ‘Life In A Day’, ‘Real To Real Cacophony’, ‘Empires and Dance’, ‘Sons and Fascination’, ‘Sister Feelings Call’, ‘New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)’ and ‘Sparkle In The Rain’ – in one deluxe box.
All of these albums have been remastered at Abbey Road and will be available on heavyweight 180gm vinyl and will be released on 30th October.
This prolific and pioneering period is seen as one of the greatest in music history, as Simple Minds went from predominately post-punk, glam roots (‘Life In A Day’) through innovative Krautrock and dub-inspired studio experimentation (‘Real To Real Cacophony’– described by Bobby Gillespie as “really hard European disco”), into a fascination with European culture, with the influence of the likes of Neu! And Kraftwerk feeding into their third album, ‘Empires And Dance’, in just a mere two years. Exploring the use of sequencing, more progressive, textured soundscapes, soundtracking a lyrical journey through European culture and politics, ‘Empires And Dance’s’ industrial sound was to prove ahead of its time, pre-empting later works by the likes of Cabaret Voltaire.
1981’s ’Sons And Fascination’ and ‘Sister Feelings Call’ was the band’s first release on Virgin Records. Working with producer Steve Hillage the band created the perfect symmetry between their previous album and elements of prog rock, which, bar fellow imaginative artists such as Magazine and PiL, many of their contemporaries were still wilfully dismissive of.
1982s ‘New Gold Dream 81-82-83-84’ was the album which began the band’s crossover as a major force in the pop music of the decade, reaching no.3 on the UK album chart. Working with producer Peter Walsh, the band was able to realise the sophisticated, accessible pop sound – whilst continuing their quest for experimentation – they were striving for. This achievement was reflected in three incredible and successful singles: ‘Promised You A Miracle’, ‘Glittering Prize’ and ‘Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)’. The album even included a guest appearance from the legendary jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock
Originally released in February 1984, ‘Sparkle In The Rain’ was Simple Minds’ sixth studio album and, the one to cement their commercial success, giving them their first UK number 1 The album went on to be certified double platinum in the UK. The illustrious lyrics and the political and personal love songs were matched by throbbing synth-beats and piano flourishes, dominating new wave guitar chimes and swooning bass lines. The album cemented Simple Minds’ reputation as one of the major bands of the 1980s and prepared the groundwork for the worldwide hit album ‘One Upon A Time’.
There’s no doubting the lasting, cultural impact of these albums, from the time of their release during the birth of the new wave electro scene in the late 1970s, through the dance scene of the ‘80s and ‘90s, to the music of the Manic Street Preachers and the recent sound of The Horrors’ Skying album, making them five of the most vital albums of the post-punk period and the last 35 years.
To win a copy of the The Vinyl Collection, simply fill in the details below and answer the question correctly. One winner will be picked at random and notified by email on Monday 21st September.
Good luck!
