[SFX: Needle rip]
A.K.A. “Not collecting Simple Minds in the 21st Century.” Actually, after today’s announcement of this album, I’ve lost the will to slog through that particular thread. Maybe we’ll finish it at another time. Maybe we won’t. For now, at least, it feels like a door has slammed in my face and I’d be foolish to continue considering Simple Minds as anything vital in my world. Let’s have a new post. Right now.
– 30 –
Post-Punk Monk 
Acoustic? Simple Minds? Haven’t we already determined this IS NOT the road for SM to travel? Let me know when they walk out of the tall weeds…
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Echorich – If I can ever be motivated to care again… maybe.
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The world doesn’t need this. We’ve already had to endure “tasteful” guitar playing from Charlie Burchill in the early ’90s, and it wasn’t pretty. And now he will be strumming away unplugged. Bah. I can’t even begin to contemplate what an acoustic version of “Promised You a Miracle” might sound like. I will admit a morbid curiosity, though…like slowing down for a car crash. And thanks to the Internet, I don’t have to drop any coin to have my ears offended.
BTW, hello Monk. Been a while since I’ve posted.
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zoo – You are always welcome at PPM! I won’t be even sampling on teh interwebs. If ever there was a number defined by production it’s PYAM! I can imagine an acoustic version, with all of the synthetic life force sucked from it… But why?!! That anyone felt that this was a good idea is strictly down to money versus effort.
As for Mr. Burchill, he’s one voice of three with the bass and keys dominating with this band. As you said, when Burchill was handed the reins, what did we get? “Let The Children Speak!”
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come on guys…you know you want to…arrgghhh !!! It’s worse than imagined
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Exactly what I feared…I would have been ok with a set of reimagined songs from SM – something like what they did with New Sunrise, taking the tracks to a minimalst form, but to remove all the synths or atmosphere is just criminal. This is just some already overdone acoustic styling and seems to be more about KT Tunstall than SM really.
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Nick – No I don’t! I am an “ignorance is bliss” kind of person. That cover has really galled me as well. The modern typography that explicitly referenced “Empires + Dance” and “Sons + Fascination” was fantastically dishonest in the face of such a regressive project as this. If the band had any honesty left, here is how the cover should have looked.
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Simply awful. I’m a worse person for sampling 20 seconds of that. I should not have given in to curiosity. It killed the cat, you know.
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zoo – Since I felt “maybe I’m not being fair,” I also gave it a spin. I lasted all of 18 seconds (I win!) before stopping the madness. Yes, it’s even more brain-dead and leaden than I was imagining! So I am tainted as well. The sound of Simple Minds dancing a Highland jig on their own grave!
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look i’m really sorry for providing the facility to the few that have dared to press play here…i shall learn from my mistakes
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nick – We are all adults here. Stop blaming yourself!
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Horrible! I do have a problem with acoustic gigs/versions etc. It works for some, but for most….no. Saw Ian McCulloch on his acoustic tour last year and found it a dull, ‘will this do?’ experience, I was in a minority though.
After some debate I’ve bought a ticket to see Peter Murphy this Friday, supporting the Mission of all people, a band I have zero interest in. I’ve since found its ‘semi acoustic’, not the best news but, having sample via YouTube am reassured he can make it work. The big question will be, do I stay for the Mission to make sure I catch the inevitable guest appearance by Murphy at the end of their set?? First world dilemmas:)
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SimonH – Having seen Murphy’s uninspiring rockist set in 2011, I think you’re getting the better end if the deal. Semi-acoustic is actually pretty daring. That’s where interesting things can happen, as the Visage “Orchestral” album I’m listening to now can fully attest to. As for The Mission, I actually saw them once in a show that was supposed to feature The Wonder Stuff opening in Atlanta. Unfortunately, TWS pulled out of the tour and my friend and I went any way. I met some friendly goth kids there who figured in my circle of acquaintances for a few years there. The Mission were not unbearable. I like “Tower Of Strength,” in spite of its Zepplinisims. “Hands Across The Sea” is just a great pop song. I’ve not heard anything since then.
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Just read your review of that show – you’re right he is hilarious! I saw him in 2011 in front of maybe 80 people, he commented that by rights he should be playing stadiums and that means either we’re privileged and he’s fu*ked or the other way round! I loved what was a rock gig, as you say, but am intrigued by what he has planned for next week.
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After reading PPM’s post the day it was posted, I was tempted to offer a “maybe it might be good” sort of comment given a few of my band favs have acoustic / symphonic offerings that I absolutely love (The Church’s El Momento Descuidado, El Momento Siguiente & A Psychedelic Symphony as well as Visage’s Orchestral mentioned above) plus the fact that I was so pleasantly surprised by Big Music so many years after releasing such drivel after New Gold Dream. But after checking the comments this morning and seeing Nick’s post, PPM was absolutely right (twice this week if you include the flip-flop on the Ure tour as well as addicting me to the kickass 30.5cm mix of Call of the Wild). Based on this sample, I’m not sure any amount of repeat listening to acoustic SM would change my mjnd. Just brutal.
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KeithC – Yeah, boy! That 30.5cm mix of “Call Of The Wild” is a furious belter, yes? Since you used the Metric system, you are most definitely a good Canadian. It’s so strong, that when I finally heard the 7″ mix, back in 1993 when “If I Was: The Best Of Midge Ure + Ultravox” was first released, I was astonished at how sapped of energy [and that would be LOTS of energy] the 7″ mix was in comparison. Walton’s mix completely transformed that tune.
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