Simple Minds - Empires & Dance - C/D?

"Never going BACKWARDS!"

Simple Minds Go 'Black And White' On New CD
http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000972737

"We can honestly say that we are delighted with the results and look forward with a totally revitalized outlook to this next phase of our ongoing creativity," explains Kerr. "We feel with some certainty that people who grew up with Simple Minds will share our enthusiasm for this new work."

We wanted to make an album once again that was full of dramatic and atmospheric pop music," he says. "We felt that we needed an album that proved as much to ourselves as anyone else, that the big beating heart of Simple Minds was very much alive and driving us on once again."

Dream Giver
http://www.simpleminds.org/sm/discog/baw/bawlp1.htm

Though the music is fine, Jim Kerr still sounds like a buffoon to me. I think he sounds like Jim Morrison a lot actually, which might be why I feel that way.

Thanks for the info DJ Martian! I admit, I'm rather intrigued. But then the last thing I heard from them was the fairly dismal Street Fighting Years, which was what...'89? So I have no idea what to expect from them now. Have they actually had any U.K. chart success since then or what?

Erm, that just sounds like they're going to make Dont you Forget About me PTII - for the love of god dont! Please buy our albums! We used to be cool!

# "We have one new tune that is very much in the style of something from our earlier album Empires and Dance. The working title of this dark and dramatic piece is God Save Us From Our Governments - it aptly sums up how we feel regarding Tony Blair's stance towards the notion of disarmament in Iraq. Despite the heavy-handed song title, this is not sloganeering for the sake of it. Throughout our career we have within our music tried to encapsulate the feeling and issues of the times that we live in." - Jim

This album is NOT going to be obvious stadium electronic-rock circa 1985

the first track on he album:

Stay Visible track
http://www.simpleminds.org/sm/songs/baw/sv1.htm

"A song that could have come out of any of the sessions for Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call, and yet here and now it cries out to be the opening track of this new album." - Jim

This Official Press Release: provides an overview of the album:

http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/sanctuary_records/simple_minds.htm

i was wrong...they are citing the mid 80s sound as well in the press release. Plus reference to one track that is similar to New Gold Dream album.

UK release date - Monday September 12, 2005
US release date - Tuesday September 13, 2005

LINE UP:
vocals: Jim Kerr
guitar: Charlie Burchill
drums: Mel Gaynor
bass: Eddy Duffy

Now after a three year hiatus Simple Minds are back with their best CD since 'New Gold Dream,' called 'Black and White 050505.'

Surprised how out of print this cd is.

It's $12 on Amazon. I have the expanded CD as found in the X5 box, which finally opened my eyes to just how brilliant all their early work was.

There is a few left but I thought the remaster would stay in print. I might spring for the set. Dunno yet.

Surprised in 2020 that any CDs get repressed at all, really.

Oh, it isn't included in the set.

Does the early stuff sell? Did it used to be well stocked?

As well-stocked as any remastered reissue CD from the early 2000s. When CD reissues I want come out now, I buy them immediately so I don't have to pay $40 for them on Discogs a year later.

Oh, it isn't included in the set.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 5 January 2020 20:58

this is the X5 set in which Empires is included :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/X5-Simple-Minds/dp/B006GX3ONK/ref=sr_1_37?keywords=simple+minds&qid=1578311499&s=music&sr=1-37

but its out of print of course.

Thankyou very much. I bought it for £60.

enjoy !
its a great boxset - lots of extra 12" versions etc.

O this album is really quite good. Dunno if I'd go quite as far as the honourable member for Nuvvieworld yet but I'm very much in favour

It is an excellent record, Capital City is especially fine. Charlie Burchill must be the most brilliantly diffuse, egoless lead guitarist of all time, even when they were stadium-sized he refused to completely commit to the idea of it.

Yeah Capital City was a serious banger. I really do love how they insist on being to some extent circuitous on these early records

Providing you can make your peace with Kerr's 'European guy' voice, the first few records are gold.

Oh I know! SFC especially. Was wondering what the catch was with this album, turns out it's side B after Capital City lol

Side B is def. weaker but it does have "Thirty Frames A Second" which is a fantastic Gang of Four rip.

There are some good songs on this but it's essentially a set-up for what they do on Sons & Fascination/Sister Feelings Call.
I'll stand up for "Constantinople Line" as a highlight on side 2, as well.

i only knew "don't you" really until i started playing this silly facebook game called songpop in which you guess songs as fast as you can. turns out that game introduced me to a ton of cool songs & artists. including songs from this album.

‘A nuclear reactor of music’: the story of Simple Minds’ classic album Empires and Dance

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/27/a-nuclear-reactor-of-music-the-story-of-simple-minds-classic-album-empires-and-dance

“I Travel” still sounds at least 15 years ahead of its time. The band was truly a miracle between 1980 and 1984