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.
Hello Spirit of Cecilia Readers, it’s with great pleasure that Tad and Brad review the latest release from their beloved Flower Kings, Love (Insideout Music). Here are their thoughts.
Brad: As always, a great pleasure to do this with you, my friend. As you and I have talked before, I’ve been a Flower Kings fanatic (and yes, I mean a fanatic, a hyper fan!) for twenty-five years now. A wonderful student–now one of my colleagues in the philosophy department at Hillsdale–let me borrow his copy of the band’s 1999 Flower Power. I immediately fell in love with it, bought it, and bought my favorite album by the band, Space Revolver, to me one of the absolutely quintessential prog albums of all time. Once I had Flower Power and Space Revolver, I bought everything before that: Stolt’s The Flower King, Back In the World of Adventures, Retropolis, Stardust We Are. From Space Revolver to the present, I’ve bought every studio album, every DVD, every live album, every compilation, and both box sets on the day each has been released. I have two of their fan release albums, too, and two of their official bootlegs, but they’re really hard to come by. Every once in a while they pop up on Ebay, andI pounce on them. My point being, though, I’m a definite completist when it comes to Roine Stolt, just like I am with Steven Wilson. Proudly so. Both, absolutely amazing talents.
Through Facebook, I’ve had a few moments of correspondence with Stolt, and he’s a total gentleman. Frankly, he’d be a blast over a beer.
But, Tad, let’s start with you. You’re relatively new to the Flower Kings. What made you change your mind about them, or what made you finally embrace them?
Tad: Brad, it is great to discuss this group’s music with you, and I have you to thank for introducing me to them. I knew about them for years, but I really didn’t get into their work until I picked up Space Revolver in a used record store. All of a sudden, things clicked, and I was able to appreciate what Stolt and his fellow Flower Kings were doing. I have since acquired all of their albums (but not the bootlegs and limited editions you have).
I have to say, they are some of the most prolific artists working today. They release an album practically every year, which are often two-disc sets. Even their single-disc albums are filled to the brim, including their latest, Love, which contains 71 minutes of music. What are your initial impressions of this one?
Brad: Tad, so glad you found and fell in love with Space Revolver. Definitely a top-20 all time album for me, maybe even a top 15. I certainly think it’s a classic of third-wave prog. Everything just works on that album–the music, the shifts, the tone, the lyrics, the playfulness. Yeah, I just love that album no matter how many times I’ve listened to it.
And, yes, I’m really happy with the new album. It’s mellower, overall, than most previous Flower King’s releases, and it’s relatively tame, again compared to the band’s previous releases.
I had received the promo copy of the album from Inside Out, and I pretty much fell in love on the first listen, but, then, to make it even greater, my physical copy arrived. I was so surprised to open up the CD and have the beautiful portrait of Mary and the Child staring up at me! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Stolt’s lyrics going all the way back to The Flower King (1994), and he’s always been respectful of Christianity. His Christianity–at least as it comes across in his lyrics–is more mythic and symbolic than tangible and concrete. Stolt especially loves making references to the “Holy Mother.” I assume that’s Mary, but I’m not sure, of course. Being Swedish, Stolt almost certainly comes for a Lutheran background. As much as Luther loved Mary (he did, adamantly), Lutherans generally don’t put much emphasis on her. So, one of the mysteries of Stolt and the Flower Kings.
Here are two examples of Stolt’s rather hippyish and cosmic take on Christianity. First, in his thank yous on Love, he writes “Remember: War is just fear and failure, FEAR manifested in small people with shady political or religious agendas–LOVE is always the winner.”
And, again, take the lyrics for track two of the album, “The Elder”:
You found your way – So come what may
You found your way – So come what may
So I have made it here
A distant light getting near
if you just knew where to begin
This holy mess you’re in – Waiting on a dream
I’ve made my peace with those who’d done me wrong
Those broken dreams that followed me along
So no more worries – If we could bury hate –
There’s nothing greater than the love we save
Betting on the love you save
Betting on the love you crave
So open up those doors – letting out the waters
And now you’re waiting on a tide
I once had a vision – behold them lights
The lights of salvation
So you look in his eyes – resurrection –
He’s risen – Came down upon me –
is it real what I’m feelin’
We can get much higher – We can start a fire
Turn away from lies – Looking eye to eye
We can catch a light – Brighten up this night
We will never die – We will never die
What you get is what you are
So give away a shiny star
Keep it closer to your heart
Do never sway – Don’t break no parts
What you give is what you are!
What was given – looking closer – Taint your soul
It’s unforgiven – cause the world has plans for you
Is it real – is it fiction? – Crucifixion
The world may soon just set you free
Here we are in silent trenches
Come this far – lived life let reckless
Waiting for the lights to change
I’m waiting for the outbound train
You found your way – So come what may
You’ve found your way
Notice, of course, the use of salvation, risen, resurrection, Crucifixion. None of it is blatant theologically, but it is blatantly symbolically and mythically.
I once tried to outline all of the albums up through 2013. It would be nice to update this, as the Flower Kings have released a lot since 2013. But, here, at least is what I thought up to that point:
And, I have to note as well, Tad, that I once had huge aspirations of writing a book about the Flower Kings, using each album as a chapter and inspiration, a theme pregnant with whole worlds.
Tad: Brad, I love your Aristotelian classification of their discography! You have some updating to do, though, don’t you? I hope you follow through on that book – I think prog fans would love it.
I also noticed and appreciated those lyrics in “The Elder” the first time I heard that track. It is one of my favorites on the album. My overall impression of Love is one of all-encompassing joy and optimism – which is not surprising, given the album’s title! The first song, “We Claim The Moon”, bursts out with a happy sound of guitars and keyboards that conjures up classic Traffic. The line, “I’ll never get over the way you brought down the moon” brings to mind Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in It’s a Wonderful Life.
I agree with you that this album is mellower, but, paradoxically, I think there is a lot of energy in the performances. The vocals on Love strike me as some of their best ever, with Hans Froberg and Roine Stolt trading leads and harmonizing beautifully, especially in “The Phoenix”. I love the way that track starts out acoustically with a celtic feel, and then features an outstanding guitar solo from Roine.
Another highlight is the final song, “Considerations”, which is written by Michael Stolt and Jannica Lund. It is a truly majestic track that I admire more and more as I listen to it. The “Shine on, shine on love” section is one of my favorite musical moments.
I also appreciate the way the Kings have created a unified whole from these twelve tracks. Musical motifs reappear throughout the album, as well as lyrical themes – did you notice that “Love Is” (track 10) has the line, “How can you leave us now?”, which is the title of the album’s third track! It’s little details like that that tell me Love is meant to be listened to in its entirety to fully appreciate its message. And what a message – despite all the negative forces in our world, love can conquer all. I really appreciate how bravely Flower Kings go against the cultural grain of our time: instead of complaining about hatred and division, they choose to celebrate the power of human (and spiritual) love.
Brad: You put that all so beautifully, Tad. I really like the idea that the album is really love calling on love, inspiring us to be our best. Frankly, I think that’s a perfect summation of Roine Stolt’s artistry and what he’s accomplished over the past 31 years. All rather stunning and motivating. And, so once again, I’m brought back to the beginning–I’m extremely proud to be a fanatic when it comes to the Flower Kings.
It’s time for a review of some classic music, and Brad Birzer suggested we take on four of the first six albums of the ‘80s group, Echo and the Bunnymen. Tad and Kevin join him for a conversation on them.
Tad: Brad, you know I love all things ‘80s; I think it’s the greatest decade for music in terms of diversity and creativity. I even have a Spotify playlist of favorite songs from around 1978 to 1991 that includes some big hits but mostly more obscure ones. It’s seventeen and a half hours long! However, I’m ashamed to admit that there’s a huge hole in my knowledge of new wave/alternative artists: Echo and the Bunnymen. I’ve had their best-of compilation, Songs to Learn and Sing, for years, but I’ve never delved into their albums proper until you urged me to do so. I’m glad you did! I’m looking forward to discussing Heaven Up Here, Porcupine, Ocean Rain, and Reverberation with you.Where do you want to start?
Brad: Seventeen and ½ hours! That’s brilliant, Tad. Is there a way to trade Spotify lists? I’d love to see yours. Of course, I would need to sign up for Spotify. For better or worse, I subscribe to Apple Music–which I assume is similar.
Echo. Where to start? I first encountered Echo and the Bunnymen when I was in high school through–if I remember properly–a John Hughes movie. The first song I heard from them was “Bring on the Dancing Horses.” For better or worse, my first Echo album was Songs to Learn and Sing, a greatest hits collection. I loved it, and I immediately bought their earlier albums. I was never taken with their first album, Crocodiles, though I should give it another listen, all these years later. I was, however, immediately taken with their next several albums: Heaven Up Here, by far their proggiest album; Porcupines, their most angular (like the Fixx) and claustrophobic album; and Ocean Rain, their most artful pop (much like XTC or Tears for Fears). Reverberations came out several years later, in 1990, and features a new singer, but I think it’s a truly excellent and immensely clever rock album, full of fun lyrics and really clever hooks.
I also happily own the four-disk deluxe, Crystal Days, 1979-1999, boxset. I own it mostly because it has the definitive version of my favorite Echo song, “The Killing Moon” (All Night Version) and several live tracks. Definitely worth the $100 I paid for it.
I wouldn’t even know how to classify Echo’s music overall. I realize they’re always lumped in with post-punk, but that doesn’t quite seem to capture them. As I mentioned above, I see elements of prog, New Wave, art rock, and straight forward pop rock in them. To be sure, they admired The Doors and the darker side of The Rolling Stones. And, Will Sargeant has admitted that he has a strong affinity toward prog. He even wrote a prog album under the name, Poltergeist. They only released one album, but it’s really good.
I’ve got so much I want to say about the particular albums we’re reviewing and covering, but, Tad, I’d love to know your thoughts–especially since you’re relatively new to the band. I’ve happily been listening to them for over forty years.
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Tad: Okay, I have listened to Heaven Up Here several times over the past few days, and I definitely hear the Doors influence in Ian McCulloch’s vocals. However, I always thought the Doors were overrated, and I don’t think that’s the case with Echo and the Bunnymen. What hits me first on Heaven Up Here is the terrific guitar work of Will Sergeant. He has an angular style that is similar to U2’s Edge, but still unique. It dances on the edge of dissonance, but it is always faithful to the song’s melody. I really like Over the Wall, with its lengthy, almost ambient intro – as a matter of fact, it sounds like it was produced by Brian Eno. Of course, the single, A Promise, is a standout track. The way the tension builds inexorably to the release of the chorus is wonderful. The title track is a blistering rocker right off the bat that never lets up, and I love it. It’s followed by the brief and subdued The Disease. As a matter of fact the pacing of this album is very interesting – they seemed to enjoy creating contrasts between successive tracks: energetic and fast, then relaxed and somber. Finally, I really like No Dark Things, with its slashing guitar riffs.
One thing I am impressed with is how much this album hasn’t dated itself. By 1981, everyone was cranking out synth-heavy music with booming drums. Heaven Up Here could have been recorded today, and it really wouldn’t be out of place. As you mentioned, it’s also very proggy, or at least as prog as a group could get in the early ‘80s!
Brad: What a great analysis. Thank you. And, you’re right–especially about noting the progginess of Heaven Up Here, but only to a point–as you so well note, as proggy as someone could be in 1981. Part of the progginess comes from the linking of the first three tracks, one bleeding into another. (Tad: Absolutely, Brad – I love the trilogy of the first three tracks!)
I have to make a personal note here. While I’ve been listening to this album since roughly 1985 (the local music store owner in my hometown of Hutchinson, Kansas, first recommended it to me), it wasn’t until eighteen years ago that the album really came to mean something deep to me. Shortly after our Cecilia Rose was stillborn (she would’ve been eighteen this year), I was playing this album in the car. Crazily enough, my wife (more of a Cars and U2 person) really liked the album. When I told her it was called “Heaven Up Here,” she responded: “Of course it is, just like our daughter.” I’m sure Echo never meant for this album to comfort a set of grieving parents, but it did and does. There’s something about the music–especially in those first three tracks–that is musically and lyrically relentless and driving, unstoppable. I absolutely love the buildup of those three tracks. So anxious and yet so confident. “Bounds? Of course we know no bounds.” When we finally get to “Over the Wall,” we’re really accomplished something. Somehow, we’ve breached the fort, and we’re in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. And, they are astounded by our ferocity.
I also think “All My Colours” is, by far, the proggiest song on the album. A brilliant dirge. The lyrics are trippy:
All my colours (Zimbo, zimbo, zimbo, zimbo, zimbo)
And, “Turquoise Days” is beautiful, too.
Kevin: Coming of age in the 80s, I gained most of my knowledge about the post-punk movement from MTV. Echo was no exception. I remember the videos for “Crystal Days,” “The Cutter” and especially “Rescue” & “The Killing Moon.” They had a rough intensity that was appealing and if I remember correctly, some of these were live clips. But it wasn’t until college that I actually heard the album Ocean Rain in all of its glory! The band I was in at Notre Dame played both “Rescue” and “The Killing Moon” (both of which were highlighted by the very cool dancing, front and center, of Brad, our friend Tim, and my soon-to-be wife, Lisa). I bought Ocean Rain and fell in love with it immediately and if I remember correctly it was Brad who made tapes for me of their earlier stuff. I enjoyed the raw energy of the early recordings, but nothing was quite like Ocean Rain for my compositional sensibilities. Hearing well-crafted string parts with post-punk rock was an incredible combination and of course, the songwriting was stellar at that point in their career. So they were great songs, with great arrangements and spectacular vocals!
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Tad: Kevin, since you brought up Ocean Rain, let’s talk about that album. I notice that it was released 3 years after Heaven Up Here, and, to my ears, it’s a much slicker production. I still like it a lot. The first track, Silver, has strings and a guitar solo that sounds like it could be played on a sitar. It seems to me to be full of joy.
Brad: Kevin, those are great memories. And, it must be noted, though I knew prog extremely well when you and I met in the fall of 1986, I really knew very little New Wave beyond Kate Bush, Thomas Dolby, Echo, Simple Minds, and The Fixx. And, much of what I knew came from watching the movies of John Hughes. You’re the one who introduced me to a load of post-punk bands, and I very much loved the introductions. So, again, I’m a bit surprised (and pleased) that my influence went in that awesome direction!
Yes, Tad, I’d love to talk about Ocean Rain. Frankly, it’s an album without a flaw. It is perfect pop, perfect art, perfect art rock. Though I would rather listen to Heaven Up Here, I can’t but help recognize the brilliance that is Ocean Rain. It ranks up there with Pet Sounds, Hounds of Love, Songs From the Big Chair, Colour of Spring, and Skylarking. All some of the best pop ever written. From that opening guitar strum meshing immediately into the strings and then McCulloch’s crooning voice, the first song, “Silver,” just screams perfection. “The sky is blue, my hands untied . . .” Even the “la, la, la”s work well.
I’d be really curious to know who wrote what on this album. Did McCulloch write all the lyrics and Sergeant all the music? Was it a collaboration? Who wrote the string lines?
“Nocturnal Me” is as claustrophobic as anything on Heaven Up Here or Porcupines. I presume the song is about vampires, though I’m never sure. Definitely gothic in its tone. The piano is especially good on the track.
“Crystal Days” is a great followup to “Nocturnal Me.” It’s as sunny as the previous track was dark. “Purify our misfit ways, and magnify our crystal days.” As always, amazing lyrics. The guitar also really anticipates the shoegaze pop of the late 80s and early 90s–music by the Cocteau Twins and others.
“The Yo Yo Man” is bizarre by any standard. The guitar sounds like something you might hear on the Texas-Mexican border, but the lyrics are about the frozen north, I presume? “Cold is the wind that blows through my headstone.” So, a rumination on death.
I’ve never totally understood “Thorn of Crowns.” I would assume that McCulloch, in some drug-addled way, is acting in persona Christi. This is the Passion if addled by LSD. Certainly, there’s a mystic strain to the lyrics (one person shifting into another), and the music has a middle-eastern feel of a Led Zeppelin song; that is, this is the New Wave equivalent of a “Kashmir.”.
So ends side one. Then, we get to side two, a side so cohesive in its four songs that it could be considered akin to side two of Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love.
Arguably, “The Killing Moon” is the finest rock song ever written. Certainly it’s in the top five. It really is perfection. My only complaint is that the song isn’t long enough. As it is on the album, it’s so angular, and it needs time to breathe. For what it’s worth, I highly recommend listeners seek out the all-night version of the song. Frankly, this is the song in its Platonic form.
“Seven Seas” is the poppiest song on the album, musically. Again, though, lyrically it’s just glorious. “Seven seas, swimming there so well, glad to see, my face among them, kissing the tortoise shell.” There’s just so much joy in this song, and it allows the listener to breathe.
“Burn the skin off and climb the rooftop” and we’re in “My Kingdom,” the penultimate track. I have no idea what this song is about, but I would assume this is side two’s answer to “Thorn of Crowns.” Again, McCulloch is offering us an acid trip of a mystical journey. And, yet, unlike “Thorn of Crowns,” this song ends in bitter destruction.
B-b-burn the skin off, climb the roof tops
Thy will be done
B-b-bite the nose off and make it the most of
Your k-k-kingdom, k-k-king
B-b-b-burn the skin off and climb the roof tops
Thy will be done
B-b-bite the nose off and make the most of
Your king, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom
You’re a bitter malignous person
And the d-d-death is well overdue
And, we finally reach the conclusion, “Ocean Rain,” a song of deep contemplation and near utter calm. Yes, again, crazily disturbing lyrics. While the music seems to suggest a baptism and redemption, the sailor actually finds himself suffocating and sailing into dark harbors.
“All hands on deck at dawn
Sailing to sadder shores
Your port in my heavy storms
Harbours the blackest thoughts”
After listening to this whole album–now for the umpteenth time–I’m both satisfied and exhausted.
Kevin: I’d like to offer a somewhat nuanced take on Ocean Rain. I would agree with Brad that some of the songs are structured as artful pop. “Silver”, “Crystal Days”, “Seven Seas”, and certainly “The Killing Moon” stand out as well-crafted tunes that generally follow a verse/chorus/bridge type of construction.
But others venture into exploratory waters, both musically and lyrically. “Nocturnal Me” trips through dark and wild territory, “The Yo Yo Man” and “Thorn of Crowns” both drift around angular melodies, middle-eastern guitar counterpoint, and punk vocal aesthetics. But “Thorn” in particular has an adventurous edge that almost feels like a return to 60’s prog–like Sid-era Pink Floyd.
In fact, Brad’s reference to the Doors, reminds me that much of Echo does seem like a nod to the beginnings of rock opening into the avant garde. This live performance from the BBC program The Tube gives an excellent introduction to where the band were just before the release of the album. Even without the studio bells and whistles, the performance carries the music through. And once the 35-piece string orchestra is deftly and richly applied to these beautiful tunes, it no longer seems appropriate to apply the “pop” moniker.
And lastly, the title track is just gorgeous, classic songwriting. “Ocean Rain” could comfortably find a home in the Sinatra catalogue. I would agree that by their follow up, the eponymous Echo and the Bunnymen record, they had clearly sailed into the pop world, but this formative time just before remains for me in more of a “progressive” musical space.
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Brad: A great discussion, guys. Thank you. I’d like to turn to Porcupine. Porcupine, the band’s third album, is the most angular, the most New Wave of all their work. I get definite The Fixx vibes as I listen to this album. It’s also–in terms of music and lyrics–by far the most claustrophobic of the band’s albums.
Track one, “The Cutter,” has a blistering string intro before quickling melding into a blistering guitar, drum, and bass attack. It’s a great track, to be sure, but, I must admit, it’s hard for me to listen to, too often. Frankly, I’ve just played it too many times in my life. A good problem to have.
Track two, “The Back of Love” continues the blistering attack, but adding what sound like horns. I have no idea if those are real horns or the keyboards synthesizing horns. The lyrics matter, but they also become instruments in their employment on the song. That is, McCulloch’s voice is a blistering attack, too.
Things slow down, dramatically, with the beginning of the third track, “My White Devil,” an atmospheric song that becomes aggressive about 54 seconds in. The bass work in the song is especially strong.
Things speed up again with the fourth track, “Clay.” McCulloch’s lyrics are especially mind boggling and playful and ornery.
Am I the half of half-and-half
Or am I the half that’s whole?
Got to be one with all my halves
It’s my worthy earthly goal
Again, the song, musically and lyrically, is like a cat chasing its own tail.
The title track, “Porcupines,” track five on the album, has a funeral dirge feel to it, an anxious feeling, building slowly toward something very dark. The guitar work is especially strong, reminiscent of the soundtrack for The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, but also very David Gilmour-esque as found on Dark Side of the Moon.
“Heads Will Roll,” the sixth track, is a song of longing.
Partly politic
Heads will roll
Mostly politic
God must call
‘Til the winning hand
Does belong to me
What if no one’s calling?
There’s no real answer to McCulloch’s anxiety, and he concludes that God must be missing.
“Ripeness,” track seven, is the most nondescript song on the album, an amalgamation of the other songs on the album.
The next two songs, “Higher Hell” and “Gods Will Be Gods” are brilliant, however. Contemplative and pregnant with anticipation, each builds to a satisfying conclusion, the lyrics mixing so well with the music. Again, the guitar work–so very angular–works so well here.
The final track, “In Bluer Skies,” plays with some wild percussion and offers a very dour ending to the album. Like with “Ocean Rain,” I’m tired after listening to this album. It’s a good and healthy tired, in that I’ve immersed myself in the art. But it’s being tired nonetheless. The album demands much of its listener. It gives much, too, but it definitely demands a lot. Yet, there’s no victory at the end of Porcupine. Rather, I feel like I’m trapped in a nightmare.
Tad: Kevin, thank you for your perceptive thoughts on Ocean Rain. Like I mentioned, I’m somewhat new to the music of these guys – hearing the albums as they came out in real time must have been fascinating, as the group matured.
Brad, I think Porcupine might be my favorite of these albums we’re discussing. The opening one-two punch of “The Cutter” and “Back of Love” is hard to beat. And even though the energy is less in the second half, I love the droniness (is that a word?) of “Gods Will Be Gods” and “In Bluer Skies”.
I’d also like to say a word about the cover art – I think the covers for Heaven Up Here, Porcupine, and Ocean Rain are outstanding, especially the glacial setting of Porcupine. It really fits the music. Whoever their art director (or directors) was deserves a lot of praise. It’s covers like these that make me appreciate the vinyl era.
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Brad: Great thoughts, guys. Thank you. Last, I’d like to turn to Echo’s 1990 Reverberation album. And, yes, I realize we’re skipping Crocodiles, the band’s first album, and the self-titled Echo and the Bunnymen from 1987. I like, but don’t love either. I do, however, really love Reverberation, perhaps their most bizarre album. It’s the only album not to feature Ian McCulloch on vocals, and it also is missing the incredible drummer Pete de Freitas who passed away in 1989. As such, it’s really only half of Echo in 1990.
Despite all these personnel changes, though, Reverberation is a beautiful album, musically as well as lyrically (which very cleverly tie together a huge number of cliches). Coming out in 1990, it’s a slice of neo-psychedelia that, I presume, had its impetus if not its origin in the extremely successful Oliver Stone movie, The Doors.
The album opens with contemplative strings that immediately transform into a rocking pop song, the guitar earnest and energetic. The new singer, Noel Burke, sounds nothing like McCulloch, but his voice is gloriously deep and crooning.
Track one immediately (without a break) segues into track two, “Enlighten Me,” thus creating a singular 9 minute opening to the album. “Enlighten Me” continues the neo-psychadelia as well as the cliched lyrics. “I’ll be, I’ll be, I’ll be enlightened,” Burke assures the listener.
Track three, “Cut and Dried,” is good, but track four, “King of Your Castle” is simply gorgeous. An anti-abuse song, lyrically, it grips the listener from the opening moments with its pulsating bass line. This is probably the best track on the album.
The next track that really soars is track seven, “Freaks Dwell.” It just simply rocks in every possible way.
Lost your reason
Lost your game plan
Sit you down
I’ll set the scene man
Brilliant
Bronze bohemians
Thought they were
A football team man
Let me take you to a hell
Where all the freaks dwell
Passed my god of woe
Pleasure pasture
Business sometimes
One more embrace
For the good times
Self-made man will
Unmake beds sure
Gagged and bound
And fights like hellock
Let me take you to the hell
Where all the freaks dwell
Passed my god of woe
I’m not totally sure what the song is about, but I assume the title should be taken literally.
Track eight, “Senseless,” is much more contemplative than “Freaks Dwell,” but still very good.
Track nine, “Flaming Red,” could easily have been a Doors’ track off of LA Woman.
The final track, “False Goodbyes” is not the strongest track on the album by any means, but it’s still really good. The strings are especially well done as the album concludes.
I realize that for most true Echo fans, Reverberation just doesn’t count because of the absence of Pete de Freitas and Ian McCulloch. And, the album was brutally bashed by reviewers when it first came out. But, I would ask any music lover to give it a second chance. There’s truly much to love here. A really brilliant pop-rock album with neo-psychedelia flourishes. Thirty-five years later, this music still stands up very well.
Tad: Brad, I can’t add anything to your brilliant and comprehensive analysis of Reverberation, except to say that when I first listened to it, it was much better than I expected. I knew McCulloch had left and they had recruited a new vocalist, and I think he does a fine job taking the group in a new direction. It’s definitely more open, bright, and poppier, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.
Here’s my ranking of the albums we’ve discussed here:
Porcupine
Heaven Up Here
Ocean Rain
Reverberation
I went ahead and listened to Crocodiles and Echo and the Bunnymen, and I agree that they just aren’t up to the high standard of the other albums. Thanks for helping me fill this hole in my ‘80s alternative music knowledge!
Brad: Thanks so much, Tad and Kevin. I don’t think we ever really defined the genre that Echo best represents, but we sure had fun talking about it.
Greetings, Spirit of Cecilia readers! Brad Birzer and Tad Wert have been impressed with the music of Norway’s Airbag. They combine excellent, Pink Floyd-adjacent melodies with thought-provoking lyrics. In the summer of 2024, they released their sixth studio album, The Century of the Self, which was one of the best albums of that year. Brad and Tad finally get around to discussing its merits – better late than never!
Tad: Brad, I absolutely adored Airbag’s previous album, A Day at the Beach, and the lead-off track, Machines and Men, is one of the best songs they’ve ever done. Now that they’ve followed up that triumph with The Century of the Self, what strikes you right off the bat with that album?
Brad: Thanks so much, Tad. It’s great–as always–to be reviewing with you. Yes, I very much love and admire Airbag, and I have from their beginning, whether on Kscope (briefly) or Karisma. They confirm what I’ve thought for ages, that is, a prog band is only as good as its bassist. Great guitarist, too. Great drummer as well. Love the keyboards, too. So, win-win-win-win. What a great band. An amazing band. I had to throw “amazing” into the mix, as I’ve typed “great” one too many times!
Granted, they wear their Pink Floyd love on their sleeves, but, frankly, I think that makes them even better. Very glad to have some Floydian music still being produced. And, yet, whatever the Floyd influence, it serves as an inspiration for the band. They’re not enslaved to it, but inspired by it. Strangely and perhaps paradoxically, the Floydian influence makes Airbag even more unique.
I didn’t realize they were already on their sixth album. Given their sheer output, as well as the solo output of Bjorn Riis, I find the music even more astounding.
So, what strikes me right off the bat? An excellent question, Tad. After having listened to the album a half a dozen times, I’m struck by two things. The bass and the lyrics. Both, extremely courageous. How about you?
Tad: Brad, you and I agree that a good bassist is essential to a prog band. I think of what Yes might be without Chris Squire, and it would never have been as groundbreaking and influential as it ended up. Or how about Steve Babb’s work with Glass Hammer? He is the key to that group’s greatness.
Along the same lines, Anders Hovdan does a terrific job anchoring Airbag’s music. A lot of their songs take time to fully develop, and Hovdan’s insistent bass lines provide interest for the listener. I love the way the entire group take their time building up a song. They often start out quietly, and they inexorably build in energy and sound until there is a most satisfying release. Their melodies are not overly complex or complicated, but I would certainly classify them as “progressive rock.
That said, I think Bjorn Riis (guitars and vocals) seems to be the main driver of Airbag. His songs always intrigue me. I’ve told you before that I have to like a song’s melody before I worry about the lyrics, but when I first heard the opening track on The Century of Self, I was immediately struck by the lyrics. They’re brief enough to share in their entirety:
Did you come here to find some peace and hide? Too much confusion in your head at times Don’t want to bend, conform, you’ll never obey Don’t want no part of this conspiracy
I see these people keeping their heads down Denying everything they used to be Don’t try to touch, don’t ever get too close They’ll make you suffer and they’ll make you bleed
Who do you feel you are today? Who will you crucify and slay? It’s driving me insane
Did you believe they’d ever let you go? There is no escape, there is no turning back You’re canceled now, they’ll cancel everything They’ll make us suffer and they’ll make us bleed
Who do you feel you are today? Who will you crucify and slay? It’s driving me insane
Brad, it seems to me this is a protest against the illiberalism of contemporary “cancel culture”, and that is a brave stand to take these days! So, I went back and looked through some of their previous songs, and there is definitely a consistent streak of individualism and a plea for personal freedom running through them. I think they are today’s version of a countercultural music group, and I admire them for that. I am really interested in your thoughts on their lyrics, since you are able to uncover deeper meaning from them than I usually do!
Brad: Yes, I totally agree, Tad. There’s something quite special in Airbag’s lyrics that call out for us to be more individual than we’re comfortably being in the current morass of society. I think Airbag is definitely protesting against the loss of free speech and free ideas that seems to have spread throughout Europe and the western world (America is not excluded). I suppose part of this is my age, but it’s hard not to look back at the 1980s and especially 1989 as a golden era in western civilization. Not only were we growing economically, but free societies were trouncing unfree societies. Despotisms and authoritarianism and totalitarianism were on the run. A pope and a president were beating the life out of them. Now, we sit in silence as our “betters” tell us what to do and what not to do. I wouldn’t have necessarily have expected protest to arise from Norway, but amen.
Those lyrics are worth repeating, Tad:
Did you believe they’d ever let you go? There is no escape, there is no turning back You’re canceled now, they’ll cancel everything They’ll make us suffer and they’ll make us bleed
And, then, of course, we’re not guiltless:
Who do you feel you are today? Who will you crucify and slay? It’s driving me insane.
Track two, “Tyrants and Kings” continues the libertarian themes:
Join the cause Say no to everything we fear Get used to lying You’re a prisoner now Take no stand There are no sides there’s only ours You shoot to kill You’re a soldier now
The “get used to lying” line brings to mind Solzhenitsyn’s note that all totalitarianism is built on lies. The huge lie of the society and all the little lies that one must employ to survive.
Looking through the lyrics of the remaining three songs, they too speak to the loss of individual dignity.
So, bravo, Airbag! Keep fighting the good fight. And, thanks, too, for the killer bass lines.
Tad: Brad, thank you for highlighting the lyrics to “Tyrants and Kings”! Yes, Airbag is a band that appeals to me both in musical terms and lyrical ones. That is quite rare these days. And, like you, I’m impressed these Norwegians are reminding the rest of us what is truly important.
So, gentle reader, if you are interested in excellent progressive rock with a Floydian flavor, and highly literate lyrics, do yourself a favor and check out Airbag’s latest album, The Century of the Self. You won’t be disappointed!
Frost* is set to release their fifth studio album on October 18, Life In The Wires, which follows the excellent Day and Age of 2021. Once again, Jem Godfrey is the prime mover, this time handling all of the lead vocals in addition to keyboards and songwriting. John Mitchell returns on guitars, with Nathan King on bass and Craig Blundell on drums. There are nearly ninety(!) minutes of music here, and it is all terrific. Not a single moment is filler.
As Godfrey explains,
“It’s actually a sort of continuation from Day and Age. The first track on the new album starts with the end of the last track from that album “Repeat to Fade,” where the static comes up and a voice says “Can you hear me?” I remember putting that in when we did Day and Age as a possible little hook for the future; a character somewhere out there in Day and Age land trying to be heard. What does he want to say? Can anybody hear him? Day and Age kind of sets up the world that this character lives in and Life in the Wires tells his story”.
The album chronicles the adventures of a young man, Naio, who lives in the near future, in a world dominated by AI. One night, he hears a voice coming out of the static on an old AM radio asking, “Can you hear me?” From that initial contact, Naio goes on a quest to find out who is the person behind the Livewire radio broadcasts. Meanwhile, the AI that runs the world, “The All-Seeing Eye”, is on Naio’s trail, trying to prevent him from connecting with the mysterious man on the radio:
You wanna take me down for hearing voices on my radio
But I have seen your way of life and, thank you, I don’t want to know
You feed the people food and fear to keep them all compliant
But I won’t play your game so now you’ll fight to keep me silent
Interspersed between tracks are nuggets of speech from Livewire Radio broadcaster: “Hey, this is Livewire, voice of the free. And tonight we’re taking calls. Heh! I’m just kidding… Hahahaha!”
That’s the storyline, so what about the music? I have to say, I haven’t been this blown away by an album in years. Day and Age was my favorite album of 2021, and Life In The Wires is even better. Jem Godfrey is the master of crafting attractive and heartfelt songs, and every song on Life In The Wires delivers. Every style is visited here: ballads, straightforward rock, very heavy rock, and, of course, prog. I have listened to the entire album at least two dozen times, and I keep finding new things to delight in.
The boys of Frost* are a mean biker gang in their off-hours. Frost Band photo by Will Ireland
“Evaporator” is an extended, upbeat, almost funky tune with a nice 80s vibe. “Absent Friends” is a gorgeous and delicate piano-based ballad that reminds me of classic Aqualung (the group, not the Tull album). “School (Introducing the All Seeing Eye)” is a blistering instrumental where Mitchell shows off his chops.
Everything reaches a climax with the final three tracks, “Moral and Consequence”, “Life In The Wires (Part 2)”, and “Starting Fires”. “Moral and Consequence” has one of the most irresistible hooks I’ve ever heard. At the end of its more than 8 minutes, I was still begging for more, until the opening chords of “Life In The Wires (Part 2)”. This track is almost 16 minutes of near-perfect prog perfection. It calls to mind the best of Abacab – era Genesis, but, to my ears, it is better produced than that classic album. The closer, “Starting Fires” is simply beautiful – a somber and sweet melody sung to some spare musical backing. It seems as if Naio has connected with Livewire, and they are going to start a resistance to the Eye:
We’re making waves
We’re starting fires
We can’t go back
to Paradise
2024 is coming to close, and so far, Life In The Wires is the Album of the Year for me. We’ve been blessed with some great music this year, in particular The Bardic Depths album, What We Really Like In Stories, but my gosh, Frost* has put together an album for the ages.
Here is the official video for “Moral and Consequence”:
In this post, Kevin McCormick and Tad Wert discuss The Bardic Depths’ new album, What We Really Like In Stories. It is the third album from them, and it features songwriting by Dave Bandana and Gareth Cole, with lyrics by Bradley Birzer.
Tad: Kevin, it’s great to be reviewing this album with you! I know you and Brad go way back in your friendship – did you ever imagine he would someday be the lyricist for a British progressive rock group?
Kevin: Thanks Tad–great to be writing it with you as well. It was definitely a surprise when Brad first mentioned he was writing lyrics for a rock recording—we had a good laugh! But in retrospect it seems a natural step. We shared a love of the early prog music from the start of our friendship and he writes constantly, albeit in a more academic setting than rock lyrics. So it’s not as much of a stretch as you might think. One of his favorite aspects of Tolkien’s and Chesterton’s writings are their poems. And he’s a huge fan of T.S. Eliot. But I think his collaboration with Dave on the Bardic Depths albums is a great fit and I’ve enjoyed watching the development of the concepts and sounds over the years. You know, the first album started out as just a friendly experiment. Dave had some music he had written and asked Brad for a lyric to put with it.
Tad: Kevin, I always enjoy learning the “behind the scenes” details of albums, so thanks for sharing those.
Okay! Let’s talk about What We Really Like In Stories. As I mentioned, this is the third album from The Bardic Depths, and I think they just improve with every release. I really, really like this one. First, I think these are the best lyrics Brad has written yet. Every song is a tribute to an author, and taken as a collection they illustrate Brad’s love for various genres, primarily fantasy and science fiction. The title track refers to C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, who are responsible for two of the most popular fantasy series of the twentieth century: The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, respectively. Birzer imagines them discussing their literary aims over a drink and a smoke in the local pub:
Could we write fiction That might combine these things: A love of history; a desire to debate the defenders of the modern world Promote one’s philosophical and religious thoughts Could a modern writer create art but not be over blatant?
“You’ve Written Poetry My Boy” is about Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes,The Illustrated Man, among many others), and refers to some praise that Aldous Huxley gave him. “Vendetta” is dedicated to Alan Moore, who put together the graphic novel, V for Vendetta. “Old Delights” is a delightful little song in honor of midwestern American author Willa Cather, while “The Feast Is Over” recognizes the genius of pulp writer Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian stories). “Stillpoint” pays tribute to Walter M. Miller (A Canticle for Leibowitz), and the last track is about British fantasist Robert Rankin.
In other words, this is a very literate collection of songs, and they celebrate some of the greatest bards of modern times. I was an avid reader of Bradbury, Lewis, Tolkien, Howard, and Miller when I was in high school, so it is a joy to see them properly honored by The Bardic Depths. I’m not familiar with Rankin’s work, but I am certainly going to check him out now.
Kevin: Without a doubt this new album is a real step forward for the band. Everything from the songwriting, to the instrumental performances, to the production is excellent. You can see the maturation process as the band really seems to blend and complement one another so well. The vocal harmonies are tight and solid. The lead lines are powerful and expressive and carry the songs into new spaces.
I think my favorite track at the moment is “You’ve Written Poetry My Boy.” It opens with a beautiful arpeggiating twelve-string guitar evoking memories of early Genesis. But it is soon joined by an equally-beautiful soprano sax (if this is a keyboard patch it’s an extremely natural sound). The unlikely pairing dance around each other’s lines and set up the entrance to the tune proper. Again there are hints of Genesis here, but the band seems to have found a sound of their own. And I love the variety in the instrumentation–string pads, piano, organ, and I think I hear some harpsichord in there. And then mid-song there is a shift to a minor section which briefly darkens the mood and serves as a platform for a sax solo, only to pass through back to the main theme. Shifts like this can be clunky sometimes in prog bands, but TBD avoid this pitfall by carefully crafting the transition compositionally.
Overall I must say that I hear hints and suggestions of so many great prog bands throughout this album. Those hints position the album in a space that sits well with other classic recordings yet still retains its own voice. Moments of the Floyd and Supertramp peak out here and there, and there’s a bluesy hard rock sensibility in the final track, “Whispers In Space,” and some even some techno in Stillpoint. Some of the vocal work has shades of Big Big Train. But again, there is a TBD color in the sound that holds everything together as a part of the larger work.
Tad: Kevin, I knew you had excellent taste – “You’ve Written Poetry My Boy” is my favorite track as well! And that is Peter Jones on clarinet and alto sax. I too hear glimmers of classic Genesis (the Steve Hackett years) in this song, and I find that very appealing. There’s no wonder they chose this track to be the first single.
I also want to give a shoutout to Gareth Cole’s guitar work throughout the album – it is truly stellar. His solos in Vendetta are spectacular – driving, melodic, and pure. His slide guitar in “The Feast Is Over” is terrific!
To wrap things up, I think we can agree that What We Really Like In Stories is a big leap forward for a group that improves upon excellence. They seem to have really gelled as a unit – Dave Bandana, Gareth Cole, and Brad Birzer are at the top of their form as far as songwriting goes, and Peter Jones’ vocal and instrumental contributions are wonderful. I also like Dave’s vocals on “The Feast Is Over” – he’s got an “everyman” sound that is quite inviting.
Before we close, I’d like to mention how interesting Kevin Thompson’s artwork is. The style is somewhat primitive and whimsical, which complements the songs perfectly. Stylistically, it reminds me of the cover art for the Beach Boys’ Smile album. Thompson’s painting is of a cozy room with a fire blazing away, and piles of books on a table. The authors are the ones featured in the songs, and there are needlepoint hanging that spell out the “The Bardic Depths” and “What We Really Like In Stories”. I’m intrigued by the clock on the mantel: the numbers aren’t the standard 1 through 12! Instead, they run 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37.
What We Really Like In Stories is a contender for album of the year in my book. The subject matter of the songs is thought-provoking while remaining playful, while the musicianship is first-rate. This is one album I’ll be enjoying for years to come.
Here’s the video for “You’ve Written Poetry My Boy”:
2023 is coming to a close, so I’d like to take stock of some great music I’ve enjoyed over the past 12 months. These are my personal favorites, not the official list of Spirit of Cecilia (but we have reviewed quite a few of them!)
#10 – Haken: Fauna
Have these guys ever made a bad record? I don’t think so. No band better combines heaviness with soaring vocals and great melodies. There are moments of true beauty – the intro to “Nightingale” – alongside blistering guitar-driven rock – “Beneath the White Rainbow”. And the artwork is a total hoot!
#9 – Galahad: The Long Goodbye
Brad Birzer and I reviewed this excellent album recently here at Spirit of Cecilia. You can read our thoughts on it here.
#8 – Downes Braide Association: Celestial Songs
I know that Yes released a new album in 2023, but I ended up listening to this one much, much more. I think Geoff Downes is saving his best songs for DBA, and Chris Braide is the perfect collaborator for him. This is a uniformly excellent set of pop-prog songs. Majestic, intimate, and altogether pleasing to the ear. Also, it features one of Roger Dean’s finest album covers.
#7 – Cyan: Pictures From The Other Side
Again, Brad Birzer and I reviewed this one recently. It is a rerecording of earlier songs, but what a fine set of songs to work with! You can read our thoughts on it here.
#6 – Kite Parade: Retro
I reviewed this delightful album back in April. What a fun blast of “retro” sounding songs that please the power pop lover in me.
#5 – Bruce Soord: Luminescence
This offering from the Pineapple Thief’s frontman impressed Carl Olson, Brad Birzer, and me so much that we posted a discussion of it back in early November. Check it out here.
#4 – Riverside: ID.Entity
Our own Erik Heter wrote a masterful review of this phenomenal album in January. I couldn’t possibly improve on it, so check it out here.
#3 – Glass Hammer: Arise
Glass Hammer is a perennial favorite of Spirit of Cecilia, and Arise continues their streak of excellence. Steve Babb and company blast off for a very spacey adventure in this album. You can read my detailed review of it here.
#2 – North Atlantic Oscillation: United Wire
It is Brad Birzer’s and my firm belief that Sam Healy is a musical genius. United Wire confirms that belief. You can read our discussion of this wonderful suite of songs here.
#1 – Southern Empire: Another World
I only recently was able to listen to this, Southern Empire’s third album, and it has not left my CD player and car stereo. What an achievement! Sean Timms has really come into his own as a composer, and wow, what a terrific sound he and his group create here. Sean Holton is the vocalist now, and he is amazing. The 20-minute epic “White Shadows” is the finest song I have heard in a long, long time. The overall feel of the album reminds me of Spock’s Beard when they had Neal Morse writing all of their material. Another World is one of those rare albums that I can listen to multiple times in a row and not tire of it. In a year of incredibly good music, Southern Empire has jumped out to lead the pack.
Well, that’s it for another year. If I sat down to do this again tomorrow, I’d probably come up with a different one (that included, perhaps, Steven Wilson’s Harmony Codex, Steve Thorne’s Malice in Plunderland, Katatonia’s Sky Void Of Stars, or Damanek’s Making Shore)!
Happy New Year, and thank you for following us at Spirit of Cecilia!
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