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Sparkle in the Rain vs A Walk Across the Rooftops
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Poll Question: Which do you prefer?
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5 [62.50%]
3 [37.50%]
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 25 2023 at 12:02
Two ground-breaking masterpieces from 1984!

Which of these two do you prefer?
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Cosmiclawnmower View Drop Down
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I like early Simple Minds (up to and including New gold dream) but Walk across the rooftops is a real masterpiece.. 

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Gentle and Giant View Drop Down
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Points: 4360 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentle and Giant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2023 at 14:32
The Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops is one of my favourite albums of all time. An easy choice, but the Simple Minds one is still a good album, just not in the same league as The Blue Nile IMO.
Oh, for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen
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Cristi View Drop Down
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Simple Minds
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mellotronwave View Drop Down
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SM
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Hugh Manatee View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Cosmiclawnmower Cosmiclawnmower wrote:

I like early Simple Minds (up to and including New gold dream) but Walk across the rooftops is a real masterpiece.. 

I agree about your assessment of Simple Minds. "New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)" is an absolute classic album for me, as is "Empires and Dance". "Sparkle in the Rain" is where they start to go wrong, although their last couple of albums ("Graffiti Soul" and "Big Music") have been something of a return to form.
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
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Cristi View Drop Down
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Points: 43502 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2023 at 15:44
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

their last couple of albums ("Graffiti Soul" and "Big Music") have been something of a return to form.

nice to see these two albums getting some love.
Also their 2005 album Black & White is really good IMO. 

Good News from the next World (1995) is another one i enjoy a lot. Smile


 




Edited by Cristi - January 26 2023 at 01:23
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Octopus II View Drop Down
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The Blue Nile - A Walk Across The Rooftops Smile
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richardh View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Originally posted by Cosmiclawnmower Cosmiclawnmower wrote:

I like early Simple Minds (up to and including New gold dream) but Walk across the rooftops is a real masterpiece.. 

I agree about your assessment of Simple Minds. "New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)" is an absolute classic album for me, as is "Empires and Dance". "Sparkle in the Rain" is where they start to go wrong, although their last couple of albums ("Graffiti Soul" and "Big Music") have been something of a return to form.

Whata about Street Fighting Years? I think Belfast Child and Mandela Day are 2 of the best tracks they ever did plus a cover of PG's Biko. I like Sparkle In The Rain especially for the unique Waterfont. They never hid their Genesis influence which was a nice thing as many bands at that time wanted to pretend they had never heard any prog or at least wouldn't even pay it lip service!
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Hugh Manatee View Drop Down
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Points: 1587 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hugh Manatee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2024 at 22:37
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Originally posted by Cosmiclawnmower Cosmiclawnmower wrote:

I like early Simple Minds (up to and including New gold dream) but Walk across the rooftops is a real masterpiece.. 

I agree about your assessment of Simple Minds. "New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)" is an absolute classic album for me, as is "Empires and Dance". "Sparkle in the Rain" is where they start to go wrong, although their last couple of albums ("Graffiti Soul" and "Big Music") have been something of a return to form.

Whata about Street Fighting Years? I think Belfast Child and Mandela Day are 2 of the best tracks they ever did plus a cover of PG's Biko. I like Sparkle In The Rain especially for the unique Waterfont. They never hid their Genesis influence which was a nice thing as many bands at that time wanted to pretend they had never heard any prog or at least wouldn't even pay it lip service!

I didn't particularly follow Simple Minds into their stadium years. Sure, this was where their popularity picked up, particularly after the release of "Don't You (Forget About Me)" but for me they moved too far away from the sound that attracted me to them in the first place. 

My favourite track on "Street Fighting Years" is "Kick it in", as far as I'm concerned, the most "proggy" track on the album.  As laudable as it was, I never really got into their social conscious stuff.

Btw, their cover of "Street Hassle" off "Sparkle in the Rain" has to be one of the biggest mistakes in musical history.



Edited by Hugh Manatee - May 10 2024 at 20:59
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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Points: 2567 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve Wyzard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2024 at 09:56
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Btw, their cover of "Street Hassle" off "Sparkle in the Rain" has to be one of the biggest mistakes in musical history.


When it comes to covers, truer words have never been spoken! It "sort of" fits in with the album's musical atmosphere, but lyrically speaking (gritty and streetwise, rather than incantational and ethereal) it sticks out like a sore thumb. I've always suspected Steve Lilywhite pushed them to do this. Had it been left off, the album would be FLAWLESS!
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