I enjoyed Willa Cather’s My Antonia so much, I immediately started reading her Death Comes For The Archbishop. They are completely unrelated to each other, except they are both concerned with how people lived on the frontier of nineteenth century America. Death Comes For The Archbishop is set in the mid-1800s in the new territory of New Mexico. A young Roman Catholic priest, Jean Marie Latour, has been named bishop to this enormous, wild, and mostly lawless area of the southwest. He sets up his base in the small settlement of Santa Fe.
From the title, one might think this is a mystery novel, but it is not that at all! Rather, it is the story of how two Roman Catholic missionaries from France serve various peoples with grace, sensitivity, and love. Latour’s best friend, Father Joseph Vaillant, accompanies him in his new placement. They first met in seminary in Clermont, France, and became fast friends, even though they are almost polar opposites. Physically, Fr. Vaillant is short, unattractive, and full of restless energy. Fr. Latour is tall, handsome, graceful and intellectual. Where there is a spiritual need, Vaillant wants to rush in to address it, while Latour tends to observe, take stock of the situation, and consider the long game.
Cather makes the point that these two approaches complement each other, and both are necessary for effective ministry (I owe this insight to Joel Miller’s excellent review of Death Comes For The Archbishop on his Substack, Miller’s Book Reviews.) The ministry Latour and Vaillant are assigned is daunting to say the least: a huge territory that encompasses most of what is now Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. There are villages of Catholics that have not seen a priest in years. Men and women have paired up, without being married. Their children have not been baptized.
Another pressing issue is Father Martinez of Taos, a very powerful and corrupt priest who refuses to recognize the authority of Bishop Latour. When Latour visits him, he flaunts his women and children and asserts that celibacy can no longer be enforced. He is also responsible for inciting a raid on the new American authorities where several men and women were brutally slaughtered by natives. As the famous Kit Carson relates to Latour,
Our Padre Martinez at Taos is an old scapegrace, if ever there was one; he’s got children and grandchildren in almost every settlement around here. (Location 855, Standard ebooks edition)
Martinez tries to set up a schismatic church, but rather than force the issue, as Vaillant urges, Latour chooses to let Martinez slowly lose influence and followers as the true Church reasserts itself in the region.
While reading Death Comes For The Archbishop, I was impressed with the efforts these French Catholics take to serve their parishioners. They traveled literally thousands of miles on horseback through some of the most inhospitable land on earth. Often, there were no roads, let alone any maps, and every trip was life-threatening. And yet, Latour’s and Vaillant’s love for their flock enabled them to effectively administer to a diocese that was thousands of square miles in size.
One of Latour’s most impressive qualities is his ability to connect with wildly different groups of people. He relates to the lowliest Mexicans in his diocese, the wealthy landowners, and the various indigenous peoples like the Hopis and the Navajo. He forges deep friendships with members of all these constituencies. As far as the Native Americans go, he respects their traditions and doesn’t try to make them “European”. There is one fascinating chapter where he and his Indian guide, Jacinto, get caught in a deadly snowstorm. Jacinto manages to reach shelter in a cave. There is something about the cave that immediately causes Latour much discomfort. Jacinto tells Latour he must never reveal that he has been in this cave. He sees Jacinto carefully fill in a hole in the wall from which a stench is issuing. Latour is aware of tales that Jacinto’s tribe has offered human sacrifices to a “giant serpent” who lives in the mountain. However, once again, Latour doesn’t press the issue, and we never learn just what it is that causes Latour his distress.
Vaillant feels called to go to believers in Arizona, and there is constant tension between Latour’s desire to have his best friend nearby and allowing him to satisfy his calling. As the novel progresses, both men see the hand of God in the decisions they make. Early on, there’s an interesting conversation between them about the Virgin of Guadalupe:
“Where there is great love there are always miracles,” he [Latour] said at length. “One might almost say that an apparition is human vision corrected by divine love. I do not see you as you really are, Joseph, I see you through my affection for you. The Miracles of the Church seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always.” (Location 572, Standard Ebooks edition)
Just like in My Antonia, Cather does a masterful job of describing the beauty of the southwest desert. She truly is a visual artist whose medium is words:
The sky was as full of motion and change as the desert beneath it was monotonous and still – and there was so much sky, more than at sea, more than anywhere else in the world. The plain was there, under one’s feet, but what one saw when one looked about was that brilliant blue world of stinging air and moving cloud. Even the mountains were mere anthills under it. Elsewhere the sky is the roof of the world; but here the earth was the floor of the sky. The landscape one longed for when one was far away, the thing all about one, the world one actually lived in, was the sky, the sky! (Location 224, Standard Ebooks edition)
As the title says, death does eventually come for Archbishop Latour, but not before we have an opportunity to reflect on a life well-lived. He served God and the Church to the best of his ability, and he left an extraordinary legacy in the wild expanse of southwest America. I’m not a Roman Catholic, but this book made me profoundly grateful for the unsung heroes of that Church who risked everything to bring the Faith to the most inaccessible areas of the world. Cather’s novel is a beautiful tribute to them.
Greetings, Spirit of Cecilia readers! In this post, Brad Birzer and Tad Wert discuss a musical artist that may surprise you: Depeche Mode. These boys from Basildon, England burst on the scene in 1981 with the bouncy synthpop hit, “Just Can’t Get Enough”, and their first album, Speak and Spell, was a big hit. At the time, they seemed to be just one among many British synthpop groups that were popular due to MTV exposure in the US. Vince Clarke was their songwriter and synthplayer, while Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher also handled synths and Dave Gahan provided vocals. They were famous for performing live without any guitars or drums. They also appeared to be doomed to “one-hit wonder” status when leader Vince Clarke left immediately following Speak and Spell. However, they had a secret weapon in Martin Gore, who stepped up and began writing songs. After the tentative album A Broken Frame was released, they added multitalented Alan Wilder to the lineup and released their first really great album, Construction Time Again, which contained the massive hit,“Everything Counts”.
Depeche Mode has ended up outlasting all of their ‘80s synthpop peers, releasing music of surprising depth and beauty despite suffering trials that would end most artists’ careers: Alan Wilder left in frustration after Songs of Faith and Devotion, Dave Gahan survived a near-death experience from a heroin overdose, and Andrew Fletcher passed away in 2022. And yet, Gore and Gahan continue to release new music, and they remain an outstanding live act.
Brad, I think you wanted to focus on later-era Depeche Mode, beginning with Black Celebration. Kick off the discussion!
Brad: Hello, Tad! My friend, my colleague, my writing partner, my fellow progling. Always great to dialogue with you.
Ok, I admit, I’m pretty uninformed when it comes to Depeche Mode. Of course, I’m familiar with them–as any child of the 1980s would be–but I don’t know them, really know them! That is, whereas I knew everything there was to know about Rush or Talk Talk or, later, Big Big Train, I know next to nothing about the band. I didn’t study their history or analyze their lyrics to any great degree. That is, I never obsessed over the band or considered them “my band.” They evoked in me some fascination rather than loyalty. And, when I did look them up prepping for this discussion, I find that they consider themselves Marxists. Not a winning point for me, to be sure.
That said, in high school, I was rather taken with Black Celebration (the lyrics still resonate with me, and I very much like the production and the flow of the songs–all of which struck me, at the time, as rather proggy), though I’ve not listened to it in years–though I am now as I’m typing this. I also bought Music for the Masses, which I appreciated but didn’t love. And, like almost everyone our age, I had a copy of 101. From my memory, everyone owned Black Celebration and, even more so, 101. They were just a standard part of one’s music collection at the time.
Before I get to Songs of Faith and Devotion, let me just note that I’m very much enjoying my re-listen to Black Celebration as I type all of this. It’s been years and years since I last heard it. I had forgotten that the songs really bleed one into another which is something I always appreciate. And, even though this album dates back to 1986, the production and engineering is impeccable. And, again, my memory did not deceive me–this is a very proggy album. Even the second track, Fly on the Windscreen, seems to reference Peter-Gabriel Era Genesis. Even the fourth track, the Gospel-tinged “Sometimes,” seems like a fragment, much like Yes’s “White Car” does on Drama. A pop album would’ve never taken a risk like that. Track number five, “It Doesn’t Matter Two,” sounds very much like Trevor Horn produced it.
Then, side two begins with the sixth track, “A Question of Time,” a brilliant track musically, but with very disturbing lyrics. Track seven, “Stripped,” while again quite disturbing in its lyrics, is quite proggy in its dirge-like drive. It merges quite nicely into a poppy eighth track, “Here is the House.” The ninth track, “World Full of Nothing,” one against quite innovative musically, is deeply disturbing lyrically–a song about the loss of sexual innocence. “Dressed in Black,” track 10, is about lust, and track 11, the final track, “New Dress,” is about social conformity and celebrity adoration and rather humorous in its scathing cultural critique.
Tad, what can I say? I’m glad to have returned to Black Celebration, an album of fascinating music and deeply disturbing lyrics. Because of the lyrics, I probably won’t return to this album again anytime soon.
Tad: Yes, Brad, I agree – there is always tension between the wonderful melodies Martin Gore conjures up and his very dark lyrics. I was not aware that they consider themselves Marxists – hopefully that was a youthful phase that they outgrew!
As I’ve mentioned before, for me personally, lyrics take second place behind music. However, there are times when the darkness of Gore’s lyrics are unavoidable (“Blasphemous Rumours” being the most obvious example). I have all of Depeche Mode’s albums, and Black Celebration has never been high on my list. Your pointing out its proggy aspects has piqued my interest, however, and I am listening to it now as I write.
“Stripped” has always been my favorite song from this album – the music itself is very stripped-down, and the tune is quite simple and arresting. I think Gahan’s and Gore’s vocals work together beautifully, and I love the way the production gradually adds layers of sound, while that clanking rhythm track never lets up. It also contains a great line that has turned out to be extremely prescient:
“Let me hear you make decisions without your television
Let me hear you speaking just for me”
Replace “television” with “social media” and you have our current culture nailed.
Black Celebration was followed by one of my favorite albums of theirs – Music For The Masses. The opening track, “Never Let Me Down” is probably my all-time favorite song. The opening hook is simply incredible, and I never tire of hearing it. Also, this is the album Martin decided to branch out and play some guitar! It’s interesting how incorporating that instrument immediately adds warmth to their music.
“Sacred” is a very nice song where Gore uses ecclesiastical images and metaphors to illustrate his love for someone. I think this is the album where Alan Wilder came into his own as far as contributing to the overall sound. Every song is chock-full of interesting samples (and sometimes perverse ones, like the wheezing accordion that opens “I Want You Now”!) and the array of synth sounds is employed in a more orchestral manner. “To Have and To Hold” is one of the most menacing and claustrophobic tracks they ever recorded, and it makes the more open and melodic “Nothing” a positive relief, despite the utter nihilism of the lyrics. And, again, there’s some really nice guitar work in “Nothing”. Overall, I think Music For The Masses is their strongest album to this point, even with the inclusion of the now-cringy “Little 15”.
Another reason I like MFTM is it was the album behind the tour documented in the 101 film. I love this movie! It captures mid-80s America very well. What I like most about it is that it doesn’t take itself seriously. There is a lot of humor throughout, and the footage from the final concert at the Rose Bowl is absolutely stunning. It makes it clear why Depeche Mode was such a popular band, even though they got relatively little airplay on the radio in the US. They put on an incredible show and earned their fans through touring.
On a side note, there is a scene in 101 where they go shopping on Lower Broad in my hometown of Nashville, and the sight of a leather-clad bleached-blonde Martin Gore buying country music cassettes in Ernest Tubb’s record store cracks me up every time! The sweet little lady cashier doesn’t bat an eye at him as she informs him that they can ship music all over the world.
Following Music For The Masses was the album that turned Depeche Mode into massively huge international stars – Violator. Do you have only thoughts on that one, my friend?
Brad: Tad, I’m so sorry, I really, really dislike Violator, so I’m probably not the one to review it. I heard it when it first came out, and I thought it was ok. Listening now, however, to it is, for me, painful. I very much dislike “Personal Jesus,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and “Policy of Truth.” I especially dislike the kind of spoken rather than sung lyrics, and I really dislike the lyrics, overall. The only song I like–and I do like it quite a bit, musically–is “Waiting for the Night” though its lyrics seem creepily sexual. I also somewhat like the final track, “Clean,” though I wish, lyrically, this song had come first and had erased the previous lyrics of the album.
Again, I apologize, Tad. I’m not trying to be a spoilsport here. But, the album just annoys me exceedingly.
On a more positive note, I need to listen to Music for the Masses. I’m guessing–and it is a guess–that I’ve not heard it since 1987 or so? I actually remember buying it at my local record store in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the record store owner actually gave me a hard time for it. That cracked me up rather than bothered me, but I didn’t take to the album.
Reading your review, though, makes me want to go back and listen to it. I very much appreciate your enthusiasm. I do remember liking “Never Let Me Down Again” and “Strangelove” and “Pimpf.” I’m sure I misunderstood the album, though, as I thought–at least back in the late 1980s–that it was a Gay anthem, something like “We are the Champions” by Queen.
Regardless, I did really like Songs of Faith and Devotion, though I think the production is off a bit. Whereas the production on Black Celebration is really crisp, Songs of Faith and Devotion sounds like the band was recording under heavy blankets. It could definitely use a Steven Wilson remix!
That said, I like the album both lyrically and musically. I actually really like the use of guitar on this one. I especially like “Higher Love,” the final track. A beautiful way to conclude the album.
Tad: Okay, Brad, tell us how you really feel about Violator 😄! I happen to enjoy it a lot. I agree with you about “Personal Jesus”; it was the album’s big hit, and I have never understood its popularity. It has always struck as being stupidly simplistic: twangy faux-country guitar with the shouted tagline, “Reach out and touch me!” Like you, I think “Waiting for the Night” is a good song. I imagine it as the theme song of a low budget vampire movie.
However, I have to disagree with you about “Enjoy the Silence”. I think this is a great song, with a fantastic guitar line. Instead of cheesy twang, it has just the right amount of reverb. The song’s hook is very good, but I’ll admit the lyrics are troubling: “Vows are spoken to be broken” sounds like a pathetic pickup line. I can overlook them, because the melody line is so strong. As the song progresses, it just takes off and soars.
I also like “Policy of Truth” because of its slinky bassline and swooping synths. Once again, I ignore the lyrics and just appreciate the wicked groove of this track. I cannot listen to it and sit still!
Okay, with Songs of Faith and Devotion, three years had elapsed since Violator. Dave Gahan had moved to Los Angeles and got caught up in the rock scene there. When they reconvened to record Songs, he was lobbying for a rawk and roll record. They decided to rent a villa in Spain and live and record there together. Hot young producer Flood was hired to oversee things. It was a disaster. Gahan was using heroin, Gore was barely speaking with Alan Wilder, who was doing yeoman’s work with Flood trying to pull things together. Fletcher was caught in the middle. All things considered, it’s amazing they got enough good music to release an album.
When I first heard Songs, I didn’t like it at all. Over the years, though, I’ve grown to appreciate it for what it is: an attempt to inject some raw emotion and energy into their music. I think Gahan’s vocals on “Condemnation” are some of the finest of his career. And I believe “Higher Love” is one of their all-time greatest songs. It is just so beautiful how it begins barely audible and inexorably builds to an amazing climax. It truly is a song of faith and devotion.
The SOFAD tour is legendary for the excessive indulgences Depeche Mode engaged in. After it concluded, Alan Wilder announced he was leaving the group. Dave Gahan overdosed in America, and he went into rehab. It was three years before they began work on what is another all-time favorite album of mine: Ultra. Once again, it’s a miracle they were able to cobble an album together. With Wilder gone, they were once again a trio, and the onus was on Martin Gore to come up with some decent songs. I think he delivered, but apparently Dave was barely able to sing anything. According to Tim Simenon, the producer, they had to cut and paste some of his vocals into the digital tracks line by line. That said, there are some fantastic songs here: “The Love Thieves”, “It’s No Good”, “Useless”, “Sister of Night”, and another all-time favorite, “Home”, which is sung by Martin. When I hear it in the context of the album’s genesis, I have to believe “Home” is Martin’s song of concern and caring for his friend Dave, who was struggling to overcome his drug addiction.
I love the way Ultra flows – there are a couple of short instrumental tracks that link and set up larger ones, and they help create a unified work. Ultra was a transitional album that proved Martin, Dave, and Andrew could still make great music as a trio, and it allowed them to regain their balance.
Brad: Wow, Tad, I had no idea about any of this regarding the band. I had no idea about the drugs, the fights, etc. All totally new to me. And, admittedly, it doesn’t make me like the band any more than I already didn’t.
As to Ultra, though, I think this is by far the best thing I’ve heard from the band, and I’d go even beyond this–it’s a truly great album. From its opening moments to its conclusion, this album really grips me. I had no idea that Gahan was so out of it–for the vocals perfectly match the production and flow of the album, though I like the instrumental tracks the best. I especially like “Home” with its orchestration and aching vocals, the quirky but proggy “Uselink” and “Jazz Thieves” and “Jr. Painkiller,” and the triumphant “Freestate.”
Again, though, Tad, I apologize. I generally don’t like reviewing music I don’t like, and I just find myself in very little sympathy with this band. C.S Lewis once said that no one unsympathetic to a genre should review within that genre. He was talking about literature, but I think it applies to music as well.
For what it’s worth, though, I very much appreciate your enthusiasm, and I very much appreciate that I had a chance to revisit the band, despite my own negativity.
Tad: And I appreciate your candor, Brad. It’s funny how you and I are completely in sync with so much music and so many artists, but we have wildly divergent takes on this one group. Thank you for taking the time to listen and give them a chance.
After Ultra, they took an extended hiatus, and finally released Exciter in 2001. It’s not bad, but with the exception of “Dream On”, nothing really grabs me. There is a new maturity and confidence in their music, I think. They are all healthy and seem to be comfortable making an album on their own schedule.
I will close with a brief word of praise for Exciter’s followup, Playing the Angel. This is the last “great” Depeche Mode album in my opinion (at least up to this point – they’re still releasing music!). From the opening screech of “A Pain That I’m Used To” through the bluesy “John The Revelator” and moody “Nothing’s Impossible”, this is a very good album with no filler. The best track is the single, “Precious”, which seems to be a father’s lament for an ailing child. It has a beautiful melody, and the lyrics are quite tender.
I saw Depeche Mode live on their Spirit tour, and they were full of energy as they connected with the audience. Now that Andrew has passed away, it’s just Martin and Dave carrying the torch. Dave has contributed several nice songs to the last few albums, which has relieved Martin, I imagine.
So there you have it, SoC followers – two very different perspectives on one of the longest-lived and popular groups from the ‘80s. Next, Brad and Tad will discuss another big ‘80s act, Boy George and Culture Club! Okay, I’m kidding – we will NOT be covering that one; there are some limits to even Tad’s tolerance for ‘80s pop music.
I’ve been intending to read Willa Cather’s My Antonia for a few years, since my writer and historian friend, Bradley Birzer, raved about it. (You can read his brilliant take on Cather here.) It’s in the public domain, so I had no excuse and downloaded a free copy. And here I have to confess that I regret having waited so long to read it! From the opening sentence, I was captivated by Cather’s clear and succinct prose.
The Antonia of the title is a young Czech woman whom the narrator, Jim Burden, sees on a train heading out to Nebraska in the late 1800s, probably around 1880. Jim is ten years old, both his parents have died, and he is leaving his home in Virginia to live with his grandparents on their farm on the prairie. Antonia Shimerdas is fourteen, and she is traveling with her family – newly arrived to America – who hope to make a new life farming in the same vicinity as the Burden’s. Her family consists of her father, mother, older brother Ambrosch, and her little sister, Yulka. From the start, they are at a disadvantage, because they overpaid for a sod house and land that they hope to farm. Poor Mr. Shimerdas is out of his depth – he was a skilled weaver back in Eastern Europe, and he knows nothing about farming. Ambrosch is a haard worker, but mistrustful and a little devious. Mrs. Shimerdas is very proud and has an extremely difficult time adjusting to their new circumstances. For Antonia, however, life is a grand adventure. She and Jim immediately strike up a friendship, and she quickly picks up English. Her openness and sincere delight in everyone and everything around her are her best qualities.
As I read My Antonia, I was really struck by how important community was to prairie dwellers. During the first winter, a severe snowstorm hits, and Jim’s grandmother, Jim, and their indefatigable hired hand, Otto, brave the elements to bring some food and supplies to the Shimerdas. It’s no exaggeration to say this act of neighborly kindness saves Antonia’s family from starvation.
The prairie itself is a major character in the book. I loved Cather’s vivid descriptions of it in all seasons. Here’s one set in autumn:
All those fall afternoons were the same, but I never got used to them. As far as we could see, the miles of copper-red grass were drenched in sunlight that was stronger and fiercer than at any other time of the day. The blond cornfields were red and gold, the haystacks turned rosy and threw long shadows. The whole prairie was like the bush that burned with fire and was not consumed. (Location 488, Standard Ebooks Edition)
Each chapter is a self-contained vignette that adds up to a powerful and satisfying whole. Jim’s grandparents decide to rent their farm and move to the local town of Black Hawk, so Jim can attend school. Antonia doesn’t go to school, because Ambrosch insists she work on their farm, as well as hire herself out to other farms when they need an extra hand. She is very proud of her ability to do a man’s work, but she regrets not getting a good education.
Grandfather Burden gets Antonia a job keeping house for his neighbors in town, the Harlings, and Antonia thrives there. She helps with the children, the cooking, and the cleaning. She also falls in love with dancing under a big tent that is set up in the town square for that purpose. Jim also enjoys dancing with the girls and Antonia on the weekends. Their friendship deepens as they both grow older, but it never tips over into romance. It comes close, though!
Another important aspect of prairie life was faith. Here’s how the Burden’s celebrate one Christmas:
On Christmas morning, when I got down to the kitchen, the men were just coming in from their morning chores—the horses and pigs always had their breakfast before we did. Jake and Otto shouted “Merry Christmas!” to me, and winked at each other when they saw the waffle-irons on the stove. Grandfather came down, wearing a white shirt and his Sunday coat. Morning prayers were longer than usual. He read the chapters from St. Matthew about the birth of Christ, and as we listened, it all seemed like something that had happened lately, and near at hand. In his prayer he thanked the Lord for the first Christmas, and for all that it had meant to the world ever since. He gave thanks for our food and comfort, and prayed for the poor and destitute in great cities, where the struggle for life was harder than it was here with us. Grandfather’s prayers were often very interesting. He had the gift of simple and moving expression. Because he talked so little, his words had a peculiar force; they were not worn dull from constant use. His prayers reflected what he was thinking about at the time, and it was chiefly through them that we got to know his feelings and his views about things. (Location 951, Standard Ebooks Edition)
Life was very hard, yet for most people young Jim came into contact with, there was much joy. People had few possessions, yet they had rich lives. As the quote above makes clear, those living on the prairie considered themselves better off than city dwellers. They were responsible for their own entertainment; for example, Mrs. Harling and her daughters were accomplished pianists who loved to play for people. When a traveling troupe comes to town one summer to offer dancing lessons, all the families flock to them and make it a festive event. I would say the defining feeling of the time was optimism – in a relatively young America everyone had boundless hope and a belief that they could succeed.
In the final section of the book, Jim – who has gotten a law degree and moved to New York City – returns to Nebraska to see if he can find Antonia. He does, and he gives us this tender portrait of her in her middle age:
She was a battered woman now, not a lovely girl; but she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop one’s breath for a moment by a look or gesture that somehow revealed the meaning in common things. She had only to stand in the orchard, put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last. (Location 3684, Standard Ebooks Edition)
My Antonia is deservedly a classic of American literature. As Jim and his friends mature, so does the country, becoming less agricultural and more urban. The pace of life increases, and modernity begins to intrude. My Antonia is a paean to a bygone era of American life when life was fraught with peril, but also held out almost infinite promise. In our own day, it’s common for neighbors on the same street of a city to not know each other at all. In Antonia’s time, everyone knew everyone and felt some responsibility for each other’s welfare. At the close of the first quarter of the twenty-first century, we have so much in terms of material comfort, but we have lost much, as well.
Sublime, noun or adj. 9. Of a feature of nature or art: that fills the mind with a sense of overwhelming grandeur or irresistible power; that inspires awe, great reverence, or other high emotion, by reason of its beauty, vastness, or grandeur.
– Oxford English Dictionary
Since 2019, my wife and I have made biennial efforts to route our long vacation toward one of the USA’s national parks. (She saw the Ken Burns film; I read Neil Peart’s travel books.) For this year’s trip, we ended up circling the Great Lakes, with a side quest to visit college friends in upstate New York. And while our trek had plenty of normal vacation fun — and even a few proggy moments — it struck me looking back how much time we spent in the presence of the sublime. (It cropped up on our 2024 vacation, too!)
The core destination on our eastward journey was Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park. A unlooked-for haven of forests, rivers, byways and trails situated between Cleveland and Akron, entering the park cast us back to the era when mule-drawn shipping plied the Ohio & Erie Canal, passing settlements and small towns on the way to the Mississippi River. But our initial destination within Cuyahoga Valley, Blossom Music Center, casts a distinctly modern silhouette on this pastoral scene.
The Cleveland Orchestra has long been considered one of America’s top five symphony organizations, alongside New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. Since the late 1960s, they’ve played summer concerts on Blossom’s 800-acre grounds. On the Saturday night we attended, 4,000 folks filled the pavilion and dotted the expansive lawn as a remarkably youthful orchestra took to the faux-rustic stage for a challenging program.
With young Czech conductor Petr Popelka on the podium, German violin phenom Veronika Eberle tackled one of the monuments of her instrument’s repertoire, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Twice as long as any similar work of the period, the Concerto stands out for its focus on cooperation between soloist and orchestra instead of contention. Eberle proved more than equal to the broad, lyrical span of the work, graciously in tune with her colleagues through the Allegro’s subtle, sonorous build, the Larghetto’s placid thematic variations and the vivacious, folksy Rondo. A well-deserved standing ovation led to Eberle dashing off a Bartok duet with concertmaster Joel Link. Then Popelka proved himself a maestro to watch and hear with a sprightly, energetic reading of Schumann’s “Spring” Symphony. Music, audience and surroundings came together for a thoroughly delightful evening. The rain that had threatened throughout even held off until after the concert!
After an evening’s rest, the park called and we answered, hiking to and around the breathtaking Brandywine Falls (a hop, skip and jump from our B&B):
On our outbound journey the next day, we hiked The Ledges, a massive rock outcropping with its own ecosystem, actual bat caves, and a spectacular overlook of the Valley’s forests.
Following time with our friends, we tackled the sublimest of the Sublime for our wedding anniversary: the American side of Niagara Falls, experienced from multiple angles via New York’s expansive state park (the oldest in the country), a boat trip on the Maid of the Mist, and a river-level viewing platform where the now-obliterated Cave of the Winds once beckoned.
And it’ll surprise no one that, cutting back through Canada to head home, we stopped at the annual Stratford Festival for a taut, spellbinding production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. One of the Bard’s late tragicomic romances, this one’s got it all: just in the first half, there’s jealousy and skullduggery, messages from the gods, false accusations with fatal results, plus the most notorious stage direction in theatrical history, “Exit, pursued by a bear.” How Shakespeare fashions a happy ending from of these tangled threads (hint: a flash-forward of 16 years is involved) is a marvel in and of itself, but a company that can pull off such a drastic vibe shift is even greater cause for wonder. As usual, Stratford was up to the task, with veterans (Graham Abbey’s hapless Leontes, Sara Topham’s noble Hermione, Yonna McIntosh’s searing Paulina, Tom McCamus’ country clod facing off with Geraint Wyn Davies’ citified rogue Autolycus) and new recruits (an enthusiastic Marissa Orjalo and a passionate Austin Eckert as young lovers Perdita and Florizel, Christo Graham’s show-stealing Clown) giving it their all under Antoni Cimolino’s sure-footed direction. If there’s finer theater on this continent, I’d be hard-pressed to find it. (The Winter’s Tale runs through September 27 at Stratford; see it for yourself!)
The War and Treaty with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Frederik Meijer Gardens Ampitheater, Grand Rapids Michigan, August 1, 2025.
From the moment Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter hit the stage, they aim to overwhelm. Treading tested paths blazed by their forebears — classic soul duos like Ike & Tina Turner come to mind — even the name of their act — The War and Treaty — zeroes in on their music’s target — the ups, downs, triumphs and tribulations of life as lovers, together or apart. Having built an intense local following from their indie start in Albion, Michigan through their current major label success, the Trotters took no prisoners on this summer night; backed by their tight seven-piece band and supported by an orchestra for only the second time, they delivered their core message to a willing, welcoming crowd throughout two engaging sets of shock, awe and ecstasy.
A typical War and Treaty tune like “Stealing a Kiss” or “Teardrops in the Rain” (both from their latest release Plus One) starts at a low simmer: Michael or Tanya take the first verse, building the tension inherent in whatever tale they’re spinning; their partner turns up the heat with an answer verse. By the time the pair hit a harmonized bridge, they’re coming to a boil; all that’s left is a steamy duet chorus to take themselves and the audience even higher. Whether song is about meet-hot attraction (“Carried Away”), break-up regrets (“Reminiscing”), or even post-messup healing (“Home”) it’s a sure-fire approach that pulls you right in. Anchored by Michigan native Max Brown on guitar and driven by brothers Terrence “Slim” Holmes on organ and Johnathan “Bam” Holmes on drums, every song was driven by a potent, bluesy groove laced with down home touches; responding to conductor Duo Shen’s deft baton, the Grand Rapids Symphony furnished sweetness and spice as required — whether from silky strings, plaintive woodwinds or smoky brass.
Not that The War and Treaty couldn’t stoke the flames on their own; sending the orchestra on a break, the Trotters and their band consolidated their hold on the crowd with a handful of tunes never before heard in the States. The uptempo scat-swing of “Crazy”, the drop-beat reggae of “Bare Knuckles” and the confessional ballad “Hey Judith” (a song for Tanya’s late mom) testified to the couple’s omnivorous taste and impressive range — and the band’s intense jamming provided flexible, sturdy support for even more intense vocal flights of fancy.
One costume change (and the return of the Symphony) later, it all came to a head in an exhilarating final run — gathering momentum with “America the Beautiful” sung and arranged a la Ray Charles’ classic version, then slamming into the double-time, tambourine-whacking gospel of “Call You By Your Name” and the call-and-response finale (complete with audience participation) “Can I Get an Amen”. Though Nashville is their current base of operations, you can tell that The War and Treaty think of West Michigan as home; returning for the second local gig of their biggest year to date, they came, saw, and conquered, leaving a transported crowd hungry for more.
Please forgive the brevity of this review. Maybe we could call it a micro-review. I’ve been a huge Tim Bowness fan ever since first encountering him through his extraordinary work in No-Man. Indeed, it was about 23 years ago that I first encountered him, finding him because of his association with Steven Wilson. Again, I’ve been a huge fan ever since. If anyone inherited the mantle of Mark Hollis, it’s either Tim Bowness or Kevin McCormick. Everything Bowness touches is just achingly beautiful. Gifted with a very handsome voice, he brings a certain longing to all his vocals. I should also note, like Hollis (Bowness has a better voice than Hollis, but I will never fault Hollis for that—he gave everything he had), Bowness understands the sheer importance of meaningful lyrics to music. Writing all of this right now, reminds me that I would love to write a long article on the many excellences of Tim Bowness. He deserves so much more than this micro-review. Sadly (or brilliantly actually), I’m in between big writing projects on the Declaration of Independence as well as on sociologist Robert Nisbet and on writer Ray Bradbury. That stated, my afternoon sound track has been Bowness’ s first album, My Hotel Year, originally released in 2004. I was surprised to find Bowness’s own negative recollection and assessment of the album on his personal website. “Along with Wild Opera, My Hotel Year is the least loved album I’ve ever made and, in some ways, it’s the album of mine I love least as well,” Bowness confesses. “Although 2003-2004 wasn’t a particularly bad time for me, the resulting album seemed lyrically sad and musically monochromatic. No matter what was done to sonically soften the blows, the album had an innate bleakness that seemed to dictate itself.” There’s no doubt that the album is lyrically sad, but it’s incredibly and movingly authentic. And, I would never call the music monochromatic. Rather, I would say that the music is presented in a rather cohesive fashion. That is, it’s an album rather than a collection of eleven songs. Every song bleeds into every other song, regardless of the silence between thetracks. While I like Bowness’s other albums better, I would encourage anyone and everyone to go back to this foundational album, My Hotel Year. For what it’s worth, I think it’s glorious, and it certainly inspired my other writing this afternoon. For that, I’m deeply grateful.
To order My Hotel Year, always buy from my favorite on-line retailer, The Burning Shed.
Greetings, Spirit of Cecilia readers! Brad Birzer and Tad Wert recently exchanged DMs about their favorite Simple Minds albums, and both agreed that is something worth discussing in greater detail. So, here is our conversation regarding a group both men love, including input from their friends Ivan Pongracic and Kevin McCormick!
Tad: Brad! I’ve known for years that you are a big Simple Minds fan, and you even recently saw them live. I am very envious! As we shared our thoughts on our favorite Simple Minds albums, there was some disagreement: you tend to appreciate their earlier work, whereas I gravitate to their later albums (but I have a surprise that I’ll share later). However, I think we both can agree that Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill are two of the most talented artists to emerge from the decade of the ‘80s. I think Kerr is one of the finest vocalists ever, and Burchill is an outstanding guitarist who hasn’t always gotten his due.
Brad: Tad! So wonderful, as always, to be talking with you, especially about beautiful things. Yes, I love the band, and I’ve gone through periods of life when I was totally obsessed with them, much like my obsessions with Tears for Fears, Rush, Talk Talk, and Big Big Train.
Crazily, though, my coming to Simple Minds was a bit late. As much as I was into prog and new wave, I’d not heard of the band until I saw the 1985 movie, “The Breakfast Club.” I absolutely loved that movie (and still do), and it’s what introduced me to the band. I was so taken with “Don’t You Forget About Me” that I went back and bought several of their earlier albums. At the time, I had no idea that the band hadn’t even written “Don’t You Forget About Me,” or even liked it. In fact, as I know now, one of the main reasons that Kerr sings “la, la, la, la” is because he hated the lyrics. Since, I think the band has embraced the song. But, that’s another story.
By late 1986 or so, I would own everything the band had done–even their very early post-punk electronica. I treasure those albums, especially Life in a Day through Street Fighting Years. I also knew and liked very much Real Life, Good News from the Next World, and Cry. I’m only recently, though (and I’m embarrassed by this, as I should’ve been supporting the band all along) really discovering their more recent stuff. I have, for example, always kept up with The Cure, through all their albums and iterations. I’m not sure why I neglected Simple Minds. My loss.
Most importantly, for me, are Jim Kerr’s lyrics. I thought they were some of the most beautiful lyrics I had ever encountered, the stuff of poetry. I also loved the guitar work of Charlie Burchell, the keyboard work of Michael MacNeill, and the bass work of Derek Forbes. To me, these four were Simple Minds. That said, I was incredibly impressed–actually quite blown away–by the most recent incarnation of the band, still centered around Kerr and Burchill. Their new drummer is especially amazing.
I also have to say this and throw down the gauntlet for a moment. I think that the band produced three perfect albums in a row–Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call, New Gold Dream, and Sparkle in the Rain. Few bands have accomplished such a feat. Peter Gabriel-era Genesis did, Rush did, Talk Talk did, and Big Big Train did. Yes never did. ELP didn’t. So, it’s an amazing accomplishment.
As I write this, we’re on a family vacation, and I was very proud and elated to play New Gold Dream and Sparkle in the Rain back to back, with my family singing along in the car.
As a thought experiment (I seem to need to do this once a year), I laid out my all-time top twenty-one albums. Here they are. Please note, I only chose one album per band, otherwise a few bands would totally dominate:
1. Talk Talk, The Colour of Spring
2. Big Big Train, The Underfall Yard
3. Rush, Grace Under Pressure
4. Steven Wilson, Hand.Cannot.Erase
5. Kevin McCormick, Squall
6. The Cure, Disintegration
7. Genesis, Selling England by the Pound
8. Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair
9. Yes, Drama
10. Simple Minds, New Gold Dream
11. Marillion, Afraid of Sunlight
12. Kate Bush, Hounds of Love
13. The Flower Kings, Space Revolver
14. Traffic, John Barleycorn
15. Echo and the Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here
16. Gazpacho, Night
17. Porcupine Tree, Fear of a Blank Planet
18. Kansas, Point of No Return
19. XTC, Skylarking
20. Radiohead, Kid A
21. Ultravox, Rage in Eden
So, you can see, Simple Minds holds a very high place.
Tad: Brad, as always, I enjoy hearing about how a particular group came into your life. I think the first time I was aware of Simple Minds was when I heard the title track to New Gold Dream. It was in heavy rotation on my college radio station (of which I was a DJ!). I loved the slow burn it set up, inexorably building up to a huge ending.
Sparkle In The Rain slipped under my radar, even though I was familiar with “Promised You A Miracle”. What made me a big fan was Once Upon A Time, which came out in 1985 – a year I consider the greatest ever for popular music (and I can’t believe it was 40 years ago!). With that album, they embraced their anthemic promise and outdid the “biggest band in the world”, U2. The following live album, Live In The City Of Light, sealed the deal for me, and I still think the version of “Book Of Brilliant Things” on that album is the definitive one.
Okay! Let’s compare notes on what sparked this conversation to begin with – our top five Simple Minds albums. Here is my list:
Good News From The Next World (1995)
Once Upon A Time (1985)
New Gold Dream (1982)
Black And White (2005)
Real Life (1991)
I’ll start with why Real Life is on my list. It’s one of their most synth/keyboard-driven works, and the drums have that huge ‘80s production sound, and I love it! Also, “See The Lights” is one of the most comforting songs ever. Every time I hear it, I feel good. I can’t explain it any other way. I think every single song is perfect, and there is not a wasted note. “Ghostrider” is incredibly energetic with a great guitar hook from Charlie. But towards the end of the album, things get very special for me. I used to program my CD player to play “Real Life”, “Banging On The Door”, “Rivers Of Ice”, and “When Two Worlds Collide” in sequence, because they all featured the same descending three-note motif that stuck in my ear. Some people may have thought Simple Minds were getting lazy and using the same riff for several songs, but I thought it was the most brilliant thing I’d heard in years. It made the whole album a cohesive and consistent whole that I still love.
Black And White is one of their later albums, relatively speaking, and it is another favorite, because it’s very restrained. The songs’ melodies are all good, but somewhat subdued. At this point in their career, I figure they didn’t give a flip what the market wanted and made the music they wanted to make. Once again, every single song is a keeper. Kerr’s vocals on the opening track, “Stay Visible” are simply amazing – from a whisper to a bellow. “Home” is a very funky and fun track. “Stranger” is my favorite one, though, featuring an incredibly catchy guitar riff and vocals that send shivers down my spine when the female vocalist joins in with Kerr to sing “Sha la la la…” and then Burchill takes over with an atmospheric guitar solo.
“Different World (Taormina.me)” is another incredibly catchy song with a terrific bed of synths that drive it along. “The Jeweller Part 2” continues the winning streak with more excellent guitar work from Burchill. Mel Gaynor’s drumming is amazing on this track. The album closes with an ambient track, “Dolphins”, that is unlike anything else in their discography, and I love it. It sounds like Simple Minds if Brian Eno had produced them, but with their unique sound.
I’ll stop for now, and let you expound on the greatness of New Gold Dream, since that’s the one overlap on our two lists.
Brad: Wow, Tad, I really appreciate and love what you wrote. 1985 was a great year for music–I agree, especially because of Hounds of Love and Songs from the Big Chair. And, frankly, I’m jealous you got three more years with New Gold Dream than I did! Happy for you, too.
Let me begin this second part of our conversation noting that my brain is a bit fuzzy at the moment. We just got back from an 11-day trip through Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. I’m used to big skies and low humidity and all the time in the world with my family.
On an important sidenote, I spent much of our vacation with Simple Minds as our soundtrack, and I was able to listen to several of the newer Simple Minds albums.
But, for the moment, I’ll focus on New Gold Dream. Tad, for me, New Gold Dream is flawless. It is truly the quintessential New Wave album, perfectly arriving in 1982 and defining so much of that decade for me–again, though, admitting that I didn’t come to it until 1985. The doors that The Breakfast Club opened up for me! And, yet, the album is so much more than a New Wave masterpiece. Frankly, it’s a rock masterpiece that just also happens to be a New Wave masterpiece. Everything about the album–the lyrics (especially), the music, the flow, the production, the album art. Everything is perfectly in its right place.
I used to especially love playing this album while driving out into the Kansas countryside, sitting atop a hill, looking across the vast landscape of wheatfields and watching the heat lightning. The music just beautifully fit such moments. I also loved playing the album for friends; I was quite the evangelist for it.
The opening track, “Someone, Somewhere, in Summertime,” defines the album. And, the lyrics are simply the best. Kerr (I’m assuming he wrote the lyrics) knows how to create such gorgeous poetic images.
These lyrics just make me want to be on a romantic date, especially when matched with the slow burn of the music.
Indeed, all of side one of New Gold Dream is excellent. After Someone, we get “Catherine Wheel and Colours Fly,” with its incredible bassline and waterfall-like keyboards.
Next comes “Promised You a Miracle,” probably the most famous song from the album.
Oh, Jim, just what are those golden days that break wondering?
Side one continues with the mysterious Big Sleep, again so excellently defined by its bass line and keyboards.
And, then, the ultimate end of side one: the instrumental, “Someone Up There Likes You.” Let’s hope this is true! Though devoid of lyrics, the music itself becomes a tone poem, filling the listener with image after image.
Side two begins with the rousing “New Gold Dream,” the title track.
New gold dream
She is the one in front of me, the siren and the ecstasy
New gold dream
Crashing beats and fantasy, setting sun in front of me
New gold dream
And the world goes hot
And the cities take
And the beat goes crashing
All along the way
She is your friend until the ocean breaks
And when you dream, dream in the dream with me
Just who is Jim talking about? I so desperately want to meet her!
The beauty continues with the second track of side two, “Glittering Prize,” a song quite like all the tracks of side one–evoking passion and memory.
The penultimate track, “Hunter and the Hunted,” again evokes mystery. Just what is going on here?
Shooting from the hip
About our faith and love
I see it in your faces thin as shadow
See me as I figure in your late night plan
See me as I’m cocooned up in Badland
The side effects of cruising at the speed of life
The side effects of living in temptation
When only one star is waiting up on all of us
You’ll see me as I’m cocooned up in Badlands
And how do I feel living in the eighties
And do I get to see the light of day
Then, we find ourselves in Kyoto!
The final track, “King is White and In a Crowd,” continues the mystery. We’re about as far from pop as possible with this final song. Once again, the song is dominated by the bass and the keyboards.
Shot from where the action is, a rhapsody in black and blue
She puts on the film of him, King is white and in the crowd
Love lies under western eyes, powerful yet transient
She puts on the film of him, King is white and in the crowd
Again, it all fits so perfectly. A glorious album.
Tad, what are your thoughts on New Gold Dream? As we’ve both said before, the bassist makes a prog band. I think in New Wave, it’s the bassist and the keyboardist, both of whom are outstanding in Simple Minds.
Tad: Brad, thank you for your in-depth and heartfelt appreciation of New Gold Dream. It is number three on my list of all-time favorite Simple Mind albums, because it, like it does for you, captures a special time in my life. I agree that it is a perfect encapsulation of what British New Wave music was in the early ‘80s.
I absolutely love the bass on “Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel” – it carries the song, in my opinion. Perversely, “Promised You a Miracle”is my least favorite song on the album. While the melodic hook is undeniable, Kerr’s vocals sound a little too histrionic – like he’s trying too hard. That’s just my opinion, though.
I adore “Somebody Up There Likes You”. It sounds experimental and accessible at the same time, with a wonderful melody. As many times as I’ve listened to it, I never tire of it. The title track is my favorite – it is relentless in its drive! Burchill’s guitar licks, while they are way down in the mix, are perfect as they complement Kerr’s vocals.
I agree that “King Is White and In the Crowd” is certainly not pop, in any sense of the word, yet is is a fitting way to close the album. When you think about it, New Gold Dream is a transitional album between their more challenging, post-punk albums and their full embrace of radio-friendly music on Sparkle In The Rain. Which reminds that I said I had a surprise to spring on you: if I had to list six favorites, Reel To Real Cacophony would be number six. It’s completely unlike any other album in their discography with its bleeps and blurps and postpunk deadpan vocals, but there is something about it that I find very compelling.
Anyway, back to my list! My second favorite album, Once Upon A Time, is probably their most popular album, and it’s the one where they grabbed the golden ring and became arena rock stars. Everything about this album is big. The opening title track’s ringing keyboards and lush bed of synthesizers kicks things off in a grand way, and the energy never lags through the other seven songs. They had just scored a monster hit with “Don’t You Forget About Me”, which, unfortunately, they didn’t write, but it served as a fine template for this album.
Take “Ghost Dancing”. Finally, Burchill’s guitar are front and center in the mix and Kerr is singing with his usual passion,
Cities buildings falling down Satellites come crashing down
I seem to remember there was a news story of Skylab or some Soviet space junk falling to earth around the time this album came out. When the keyboards take over the tune at 1:35, it is a thrilling moment!
“Alive and Kicking” was the followup single to “Don’t You Forget About Me”, and it did very well. It’s another slow burning song that steadily builds to an incredible climax. I love their use of female vocalists in this song (and on the other tracks as well).
“Sanctify Yourself” sounds like something out of a frenzied revival meeting, and I mean that in a good way. It always carries me away whenever I hear it. “Come a Long Way” is a fantastic closer, and another showcase for Burchill’s tasteful guitar fills.
I’ll wrap up my thoughts on Simple Minds by explaining why I think Good News From The Next World is the best Simple Minds album. First, the title announces the theme and atmosphere of the entire project: this is hopeful music that embraces the listener with warmth and love. The production is huge – this is an album meant to be played loud! There are layers and layers of instrumentation – in “She’s a River” there is electric guitar, synths, keyboards, acoustic guitar, and pulsing bass, not to mention gospel-tinged backup vocals. Kerr sings like he can barely keep his balance on top of all this glorious noise.
Unbelievably, “Night Music” is even more energetic, with a faster beat and furious guitar work from Burchill. He slashes and burns his way through it from beginning to end. “Hypnotised” is a bit of welcome relief, as the band is a little more subdued in its delivery of a slinky and seductive melody. But with “Great Leap Forward”, the energy is turned up to 11 again as they lock into an irresistibly funky groove. I used to go for runs in my neighborhood listening to this album, and when “Great Leap Forward” came blasting into my ears, I would immediately pick up my pace!
Every single song on Good News From The Next World is top notch, and Simple Minds performs them like their lives depended on it. I’ll close with a quick plug for the closing track, “This Time” which features an insistent piano riff and some start/stop vocals from Kerr and his backup soul singers. Kerr works himself into a passion as he sings,
People go to war to get it This time The devil called…better forget it Never gonna say that’s wrong Cause all I know I can’t be wrong Never go to bed without it This time
Then he hands it off to Charlie, who responds with a beautiful guitar solo. A perfect way to end a perfect album.
I don’t think Simple Minds ever recorded a set of songs that sustained such energy ever again. I don’t know how well the album sold, but I know it wasn’t a huge hit. Maybe it went against the grain of mid-90s popular music. It’s a shame more people aren’t familiar with it. Thirty years later, I still listen to it and I still get thrilled by it.
Brad: What a great analysis. I could feel your passion in your words. So very much appreciated.
If I had to list my favorite SM studio albums, I would say this:
New Gold Dream
Sparkle in the Rain
Sister Feelings Call/Sons and Fascination
Street Fighting Years
Once Upon a Time
Again, though, I have to make the caveat that I’m just not as familiar with the post-1980s releases as I really should be. So, in a year–after I’ve really digested Real Life through Direction of the Heart–I might have a totally different view on my rankings.
Above, I wrote quite a bit about my love for New Gold Dream. I’d also like to write about my love for Sparkle in the Rain, though not in as much detail. As I mentioned above, I think the band produced three perfect albums in a row, an incredible feat. Sparkle in the Rain is certainly one of those perfect albums. From the opening of “Up On a Catwalk” to the final note of “Shake Off the Ghosts,” everything just works on this album. It’s no longer New Wave, but something deeply rock in the style of U2, but more clever. As much as I love the guitar work on this album, it’s really the bass, the keyboards, and Kerr’s voice that defines Sparkle in the Rain.
Once again, Kerr’s lyrics are simply spectacular. Consider “Book of Brilliant Things”
Thank you for the voice, the eyes and the memories shine
Thank you for the pictures of living in the beautiful black and the white
Some say we’ll be together for a very long time
Some say that our first impressions never will lie
I open up to take a look into the bright and shiny book
Into the open scheme of things
Book of brilliant things
Book of brilliant things
I open up to take a look into the bright and shiny book;
Into the open scheme of things
Book of brilliant things
Oh, book of brilliant things
I thank you for the shadows
It takes two or three to make company
I thank you for the lightning that shoots up and sparkles in the rain
Some say this could be the great divide
Some day some of them say that our hearts will beat
Like the wheels of the fast train, all around the world
I open up to take a look into the bright and shiny book
Into the open scheme of things
Book of brilliant things
Book of brilliant things
Some say we can be together for a very long time
Some say our hearts will beat like the wheels of a fast train
All around the world
All around the world
All around the world
Some say our hearts beat like the wheels of a fast train
All around the world
All around, all around, around, around
All around the world
Our hearts beat like the wheels of a fast train
A very long time
All around and all around and all around and all around the world
Some say we’ll be together
Some say
A very long time, some of them will say
A very long time all around the world
The humility of this song is just amazing.
Or, “East at Easter”:
We go walking, hand in hand
All across the land it’s East At Easter
People walking hand in hand
When ships are moving south it will be East at Easter
We will rock you, rock you little child
We will rock you, rock you little child
All across the land it’s East At Easter
All across the land it’s East At Easter
Things will lighten up the sky, East At Easter
Things will lighten up the sky, East At Easter
We’ll go walking hand in hand
‘Cause all across the land it will be East At Easter
Ah, we will rock you, rock you little child
We will rock you, rock you little child
All across the land it’s East At Easter
When ships go moving south it will be East At Easter
They’re gonna lighten up the sky
They’re gonna lighten up the sky
They’re gonna lighten up the sky
East At Easter
Ah, we’ll go walking hand in hand
We’ll go walking hand in hand, yes
We will rock you, rock you little child
We will rock you, rock you
Rock you little child
They’re gonna lighten up the sky
When they lighten up the sky it will be East At Easter
We will rock you, rock you, rock you
Again, the humility of the lyrics is so fetching. Kerr was really at his best. They expertly mesh with the intensity of the music.
Admittedly, my least favorite song is the cover of “Street Hassle.” Lyrically, it doesn’t fit quite right with the album, and it’s because of this that I would rank this album slightly below New Gold Dream.
But, on a positive note, I think the last three songs of the album just simply rock. “‘C’ Moon Cry Like a Baby” and the “Kick Inside Of Me” are blistering, and the instrumental “Shake Off the Ghosts”–the song that sounds most like something from New Gold Dream–beautifully ties the album together and it’s so cinematic, it feels like I can see the credits rolling as the song plays.
Ivan: I discovered Simple Minds in ’84, right around the time my family moved from Yugoslavia to the US. I had a couple of pretty hip friends back in the old country who were heavily into U2, Big Country, and Simple Minds, the new wave of guitar bands that today are sometimes grouped under the category of “The Big Music”, sparking my curiosity about them. The whole synth-pop thing came out of the UK in the early ‘80s, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Human League, Eurythmics, New Order, OMD, etc., introducing a variety of new sounds into the world of music. My perception was that these new guitar bands were determined to do the same while primarily relying on guitars, which were increasingly dismissed at that time as being the sound of the tired and irrelevant ‘70s rock music. The new guitar bands rejected the notion that guitars could only be used in those old ways and set out to do something innovative and groundbreaking, to make them sound new, fresh, and exciting. Being a budding guitarist, I found all this intriguing.
I got the Simple Minds’ “Sparkle in the Rain” album not too long after its release in February of ’84 (my family arrived in the US only two weeks after the album’s release). I was very much a teenage metalhead at the time. That was my primary interest in music, especially since there were so many remarkable guitar developments in the world of metal in the first half of the ‘80s. Despite that, I was still able to grow an appreciation and love for U2, Simple Minds, and Big Country. I found “Sparkle in the Rain” a compelling and beautiful album, and listened to it a great deal that year. The following year saw the release of the movie “The Breakfast Club,” and suddenly, this band that I thought was very much an underground and cult act had a massive hit single with “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from that movie. That track became one of the defining songs of the summer of ’85 – and I loved it. The album “Once Upon a Time” was released just a few months later in ’85, and I immediately got it and devoured it, listened to it over and over again. Nevertheless, I wasn’t really focused on how to play guitar like that, I just loved the songs and the overall vibe of the band. In my guitar playing, I was still practicing rapid scales and trying to sound like the metal shredders.
By ’89, my guitar playing had gotten good enough to join my first band, a hair-metal cover band (though I still had short hair, leading to my ignominious dismissal from the band just nine months later). I could play the metal stuff pretty well, but grew increasingly bored with it. This is where Simple Minds became one of my primary inspirations to leave metal behind and transition my music interests to other kinds of music. I lost interest in sounding like the thousands of big-hair metal guys and started becoming increasingly attracted to the more subtle and textural approach to guitar playing of The Edge of U2, Alex Lifeson of Rush, and Charlie Burchill of Simple Minds. These three guitarists subjugated their egos to the more important cause of their bands’ songs, but were still able to do remarkable things with their guitars, painting aural pictures with unorthodox techniques, unusual chords, and reliance on various new atmospheric digital effects. It was not about finger techniques and calisthenics, but instead about approaching the guitar as a tool for creativity and unique personal expression. All three were endlessly inventive, throwing out the proverbial rule book and showing that guitars were far from a spent musical force, that they could be just as trailblazing as the rapidly advancing synthesizers.
My North Star in this new musical quest was the two sister releases by Simple Minds: the ’87 double album “Live in the City of Light” and the “Alive in Rotterdam ’85” concert video (which I recorded off MTV). In ’89-’90, I became a bit obsessed with both, listening and watching them over and over again to try to figure out how Charlie made those sounds, leading me even to purchase my first high-quality (and new) effects pedal, Digitech PDS 2700 Double Play Digital Delay/Chorus. My ears as well as my guitar horizons began to broaden considerably, which came to serve me in good stead for the next 30+ years of my musical life. There was an additional bonus to following this new guitar path: I looked a lot more like Burchill (or even Lifeson) than I did like any metal guy! It felt much more comfortable and natural.
Another fascinating thing about those “Big Music” guitar bands was that they all seemed to come from the Celtic parts of the world: U2 from Ireland, Simple Minds and Big Country from Scotland, and the Alarm (another band often lumped in that category) from Wales. The guitarists in those bands sounded to me as if they were influenced by traditional Celtic music, often relying on drone or ‘pedal’ notes (a major aspect of bagpipes), an important technique shared by them. The way they would shape their guitar tones seemed also to draw from Celtic instruments and sounds, the two guitarists from Big Country being the most notable example of that, but certainly in evidence with the other bands’ guitarists, as well.
In the summer of ’90, I began to develop an interest in more hard-core and unusual alternative rock music, in the process gradually leaving Simple Minds behind. I also didn’t much care for the band’s next two albums, “Street Fighting Years” (’89) and “Real Life” (’ ’91), which I thought sounded more conventional and lost much of Charlie’s imaginative guitar playing and fire. The band sounded tamer and even a bit boring, even if there were some good songs on there. I did get to see them live in a fairly small club in Chicago in June of ’91, and though I enjoyed the show and it was still a thrill to see Charlie in action given his influence on my guitar playing, by then I was starting to get into shoegaze music. That was the music that was further pushing the boundaries of what could be done with guitars and how they could be made to sound, by younger, fearless, unconventional, and pathbreaking bands, and I became utterly transfixed and inspired by this new approach. However, Charlie and Simple Minds were the key bridge that allowed me to get to that point.
I was pleasantly reminded of this after getting to see Simple Minds in concert in Detroit just a few weeks ago. It brought back so many wonderful memories and feelings from that time when the guitar was the most important thing in my life, and there was endless potential for what that magical instrument could do. My ongoing fascination with the guitar is in no small part due to Charlie’s playing, and for that I’m deeply grateful. Watching him live all these many years later, I realized that he is truly one of the most underrated guitarists of the past 40+ years. He deserves more accolades and recognition than he has received. Hopefully, this short piece can make a tiny contribution to achieving that. Thank you, Mr. Burchill, you indeed were inspirational and glorious!
Kevin: Who knew we were all Simple Minds fans! Okay I’ll wrap things up with a shorter post. I would encourage anyone needing a musical pick-me-up to queue up Simple Mind’s Sparkle in the Rain on his preferred playback device and listen only to the first few seconds. Set the volume so that you can clearly hear drummer Mel Gaynor’s faint count-off and stick clicks but stop playback before he says the number “three.” Now return to the start and assume an appropriate listening position (i.e. lying on the bedroom carpet floor, hands behind your head, headphones on or reasonably centered between your speakers). Focus! Now, very carefully hit play…
It’s unclear to me exactly what I hear at the precise moment that Gaynor’s lightning crack snare and the first piano hit begins the song, but that moment is to my mind one of the most brilliant intros in all of recorded rock music. (Incidentally, if you love the song, do not, DO NOT watch the original 80s era video! I viewed it for the first time in preparation for this post and my eyes are still burning). It’s true that without “Don’t You Forget About Me” I likely would have learned of SM much later than I did. But the title track to Sparkle in the Rain leaves that theatrical trailer in the dust. And the whole album is beautifully produced, with thunderous drums being a standout feature. SM’s take on Lou Reed’s “Street Hassle” features another such brilliant moment, but this time mid-song after an introductory slow burn, builds into an anticipatory snare and tom explosion. Kerr delights in the red-light setting of the lyrics, but mercifully skips the more graphic sections, turning the lyric into something more worth celebrating.
Discovering Sparkle in the Rain led me back an album to the equally brilliant New Gold Dream. In fact I would have to say that, I almost prefer the more poetic and thoughtful tone of the latter. They are both great albums as albums. One of my favorite tracks is the gorgeous instrumental “Somebody Up There Likes You.” Such a groove!
Finally, I must admit that I never fully warmed up to the chart-busting Once Upon a Time. As with U2’s Joshua Tree and everything from REM after the left I.R.S., the bravado required for a rock singer to appeal to tens of thousands of fans steals something from the genuineness of delivery. When the artists are searching there is a sincerity in the poetry. Once they have “arrived” an artifice reveals itself and an overconfidence that feels less inviting. However I will confess to enjoying a lot of Street Fighting Years as it seemed that Kerr was once again exploring and this time more in his own back Scottish yard. And it’s interesting to hear jazz, folk, and world music elements brought into the established sound of Simple Minds. Trevor Horn’s production is more restrained that some of his work and I think it complements the music deftly.
Brad: A huge thanks to Tad, Ivan, and Kevin for their brilliant insights on Simple Minds. It looks like we all have a lot more listening to do. Dear Reader, if you’ve made it this far, congratulations. At 21 pages of a Google Doc, this is one of our largest retrospectives. We hope you’ll stick with us for more.
This is the third and final post I’ll write sharing my favorite albums of classical music. I’ll be devoting my picks to twentieth century composers, and I’d like to start with France’s Claude Debussy, and an album with a generous helping of his music
La Mer is one of Debussy’s most well known works. It is a big departure from composers like Beethoven, in that he creates an atmosphere through music that doesn’t appear to have a beginning, middle, or end. It’s beautiful and completely tonal, and it does a great job of conjuring images of the ocean. This album also includes the delightful Prélude À L’Aprés-Midi D’Un Faune. Charles Dutoit conducts the Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal in these performances from 1990.
Also from France is Maurice Ravel, and my favorite album of his music is again performed by Charles Dutoit with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal.
Ravel is perhaps best known for Bolero, but I find myself returning to these relatively short works. They are very melodic and soothing – like Debussy, they are evocative of various scenes. These pieces date from the early 1900s, and they are like impressionistic paintings, but in musical terms.
Another French composer (last one, I promise!) that is a favorite is Erik Satie. He was an eccentric guy, and I don’t think his contemporaries appreciated his genius. Since his death, his Gymnopedies have been recorded countless times, especially in orchestral form. He was “New Age” decades before that genre appeared.
This album is all solo piano pieces performed by Pascal Roge, and it is delightful. On first listen, the melodies seem childishly simple, but they have surprising depth. This album from 1984 is one of my all-time favorites.
While we’re on the subject of piano music, another favorite collection of pieces is Water Music of the Impressionists, performed by Carol Rosenberger. It includes water-themed works by Liszt, Griffes, Ravel, and Debussy.
Another Delos Records production, it sounds fantastic, and the program is a lot of fun and relaxing.
Over in England, a favorite composer of mine was Ralph Vaughan Williams. This album collects several serenades and suites that are all very relaxing and pleasant.
The standout track on this album is the violin showpiece, The Lark Ascending. It is nearly fifteen minutes of musical bliss, in which time seems to stand still. It is an astonishingly beautiful piece of music.
Sir Adrian Boult was one of Vaughan Williams’s most sympathetic interpreters, and if you like this album, I encourage you to get all of his symphonies performed by Boult.
It’s time to up the energy level, so let’s take a look at a classic album from the RCA Records vault: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, performed by the pianist Artur Rubinstein with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner.
This is unabashedly romantic music that sounds amazing, given it was recorded in 1956. The Rhapsody got a new lease on life when it was featured in the movie Somewhere In Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. It’s a beautiful and moving piece that has wonderful melodies.
Over in the United States, some strange things were happening – an insurance salesman named Charles Ives was pursuing his unique vision of a classical music that celebrated America and its optimism as it entered the twentieth century.
Ives was decades ahead of his time, and his music is weird and fun at the same time. Central Park in the Dark is meant to portray the experience of sitting on a bench in Central Park as various bands and singing groups play around you while “a fire engine, a cab horse runs away, lands ‘over the fence and out'”. You can hear snatches of popular songs like “Camptown Races” and “Turkey in the Straw” in the Holidays Symphony.
One of America’s greatest composers in the twentieth century was George Gershwin. My favorite album of his music is this one performed by Michael Tilson Thomas and the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Most people are familiar with the heavily orchestrated version of Rhapsody In Blue. Tilson went back to the original 1924 version and performs it with a small ensemble. The result is amazing, as it swings like crazy. The Preludes for Piano are fantastic, bouncy works. The closing track, Promenade, is from a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, Shall We Dance. This is a perfect album to play during a cocktail party.
In Italy, Ottorino Respighi was resurrecting sixteenth and seventeenth century songs and incorporating them into his music. The results were his three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances.
I may be cheating here, because these melodies date from the Baroque era, but Respighi composed his suites in the twentieth. Regardless, this a wonderful album, and Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony Orchestra turns in a lively performance. This is classical music music that makes you want to dance!
My favorite composer of the twentieth century is Igor Stravinsky. He is to modern classical music what Miles Davis was to jazz – a trailblazer who is not afraid to change. Stravinsky challenged the musical status quo, but he never lost his appreciation for classic forms. His later music was even very conservative, compared to what other composers were doing. I have to highlight three of his most famous works: The Firebird, Petrouchka, and Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring).
All three are performed by Charles Dutoit and the Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal. These three works were groundbreaking when they were first performed, and they continue to be quoted from in popular culture.
Finally, a couple of albums that feature more than one composer, but they are both ones that I return to repeatedly.
First, this classic album from RCA Victor: Alan Hohvaness’s Mysterious Mountain, Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kije Suite, and Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss: Divertimento.
Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra do an outstanding job with these three works, and the sonics are incredible for a 65-year-old recording. I could do an entire post on how much I love Hovhaness’s music. He was a very prolific composer, with at least 67 known symphonies and countless other pieces. He was a lover of tonality and melody, and his music deserves to be better known.
Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kije Suite is an extremely enjoyable piece that sparkles and delights, while the Stravinsky piece is excellent as well. This is an album with a near-perfect program of modern music.
The last album I’ll recommend is another one from Delos, and it features Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, and Dimitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
The Soldier’s Tale is a folk tale of a Russian soldier who makes a Faustian bargain with the devil. In return for his violin, the devil gives him a book that enables him to amass a fortune. The soldier soon finds out that money does not equal happiness. Stravinsky’s soundtrack is scored for a very small ensemble. He composed it during WWI in Switzerland, and he wanted it to easy to produce. The music is very rhythmic and energetic, with lots of nice melodies.
Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony is only 13 minutes long, and it’s like a rollercoaster ride. It’s very accessible and fun. The Shostakovich Piano Concerto features Carol Rosenberger, and she turns in a fine performance.
Bonus! A Brief Look at Minimalism
At the tail end of the twentieth century, a new style of music, Minimalism became quite popular. Most people trace its origin to Terry Riley’s In C. This style is characterized by repetitive phrases under which themes gradually develop. It is the antithesis of atonality, but it also doesn’t owe much to traditional ideas of melody. I personally enjoy it, but there have been a lot derivative and unoriginal music made under the Minimalist label. Here are four albums that I think are worth checking out:
This is the one album that is the best representative of what Minimalism is about. Reich’s Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards is engaging and very enjoyable, while Adams’s Shaker Loops is a classic of the genre. I highly recommend this one.
Philip Glass is probably the most famous Minimalist composer. I went to a concert of his and got a headache – the music was very amplified and relentless. This album has no electronic instruments, and it is very enjoyable. I listen to it often.
Daniel Lentz is an interesting artist. He likes to take spoken and sung phrases, chop them up, throw them back together in random ways, and see what happens. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. On On the Leopard Altar, it mostly works. I’m including it, because it contains one of the most ethereal and incredibly calming pieces of music I’ve ever heard: Lascaux. This piece is performed entirely on rubbed and struck wineglasses. It’s indescribably beautiful.
I’ll close this long(!) post with what I consider to be a true contemporary classic: Arvo Part’s Tabula Rasa.
Part would resent my including him in the Minimalsit camp. He describes his music as tintinnabulation. Nevertheless, it has a lot of repetition, but in a way that serves a greater purpose. Part is a devout Orthodox Christian, and he is familiar with Hesychastic prayers – simple prayers that are repeated over and over. His music is an attempt to express his faith. He uses silence and simplicity, and the results are extremely moving. His music truly is timeless.
I hope this post has piqued your curiosity and you make some enjoyable new musical discoveries!
In my previous post, I explained that while I am no expert in classical music, I do know what I like, and I’m happy to share my favorites. I know there are large gaps in my recommendations – no Haydn, Wagner, Mendelsohn, opera, etc. – but if you’re new to this genre, these albums are a good way to stick your toe in the water.
This post will focus primarily on two composers: Mozart and Beethoven. To start things off for Mozart, I’m recommending Murray Perahia’s performance of his Piano Concerti Nos. 19 & 23 with the English Chamber Orchestra.
I have all of Mozart’s piano concerti by Perahia, and this album is the one I play the most often. It is sprightly, charming, and the recording itself is excellent. Every time I put it on the stereo, it’s like sitting down with an old friend.
Next is an album of three of Mozart’s symphonies, Nos. 28, 29, and 35, “Haffner”, conducted by Claudio Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic. These were recorded in the early ’90s, and they sound terrific. No. 35, “Haffner”, especially gives my stereo system a real workout. These symphonies are all beautiful pieces of music. I appreciate how polished and precise they are: No. 29 is the longest at just 30 minutes.
Mozart also wrote wonderful string quartets, and two of my favorites are on this album: The Hunt and Dissonance. The first time I heard the latter, my jaw dropped; its intro sounds like something composed in the early twentieth century!
Next is an album of just fun works by Mozart, including one of the most recognizable pieces in all of music – his Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. These are relatively old recordings from the early 1960s, but Bruno Walter is my favorite conductor, so that’s why I listen to this album.
To conclude my Mozart favorites, I’m featuring his Requiem, once again conducted by Walter. This work gives me chills every time I listen to it. This recording is mono, but I still love it. As a bonus, the album also include Bruckner’s beautiful Te Deum.
I’ve just scratched the surface of the incredible catalog of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His Horn Concertos are delightful, as well as his Clarinet, Bassoon, and Oboe Concertos. Basically, you can’t go wrong with anything he wrote – it’s all good.
Beethoven took the symphony form and made it into his own. My favorite piece of classical music, bar none, is his Symphony No. 6 “Pastorale”. I use it as my morning alarm on my phone every day. I’ve listened to it probably more than any other classical work, and I have yet to tire of it. It never fails to lift my spirit.
Naturally, I picked Bruno Walter’s performance! Don’t ask me why, but I find his conducting to be enjoyable and illuminating.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony,“Chorale”, with its “Ode To Joy” in the Finale is another very familiar work. I couldn’t decide which performance to recommend, so I wimped out and offer you two: Leonard Bernstein with the NY Philharmonic from 1969, and Wilhelm Furtwangler with the Beyreuth Festival Orchestra from 1955. If you ever wondered whether a conductor can make a difference in an orchestra’s performance, compare these two! Bernstein’s is relatively straightforward, while Furtwangler’s seems all over the place, yet strangely compelling. I’ve read that he made all kinds of weird gestures while conducting, yet he managed to elicit very exciting performances from his musicians.
Another classic recording by Furtwangler is his Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, paired with Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”. Both are from the 1950s and are mono, but they are great fun. Schubert was one of the most gifted composers in terms of coming up with beautiful melodies.
Leaving Beethoven, I turn to an album that features two very moving and beautiful requiems, one by Gabriel Faure and the other by Maurice Durufle. These are performed by Robert Shaw with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, they are perfect to listen to on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
I’ll wrap this post up with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan”. Mahler took the symphony to its limit, with his Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” running over 80 minutes long. His first symphony, though, is an easy listen with lots of folk melodies to hum along to.
Which brings us to the twentieth century. In my next post, I’ll focus on some French, Russian, and American composers. I wish you pleasant listening experiences!
Spirit of Cecilia 
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