Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds, Burchill, Charlie
Track Listings (7) - Disc #2
Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds, Chief, S.
Once Upon a Time
Book of Brilliant Things
East at Easter
Sanctify Yourself
Love Song/Sun City/Dance to the Music
New Gold Dream
2002 digitally remastered reissue of the new wave icon's 1987 live album packaged in a limited edition miniature gatefold LP sleeve with original artwork. EMI.
2002 digitally remastered reissue of the new wave icon's 1987 live album packaged in a limited edition miniature gatefold LP sleeve with original artwork. EMI.
Kirk Lott | adrift on the seas of life | 01/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Live in the City of Light," which to date is the only live album from this Scottish band, is a great time capsule from this band at its peak.
The material is great, the performances full of passion and energy, and the sound awesome. A real treat is to hear how Simple Minds gives songs totally different - and terrific - arrangements in concert. In this case, "Book of Brilliant Things" and "New Gold Dream" are both given an ethereal, magical reading.
One weak spot is "Promised You a Miracle." It's given a new arrangement that completely loses what made it so great in the first place: the brainy bite of its terrific bass and synth interplay. Instead, it adds a violin (?!). I believe the violin player was a band member's girlfriend, so it demonstrates - once again - rock stars should never let a girlfriend join the band. Also, "Sun City" is a throwaway, and merely reveals Jim Kerr's growing interest in conquering the US market.
However, if you're going to buy only one Simple Minds album, this would be a fine choice, and gives a nice overview of material from three of their best albums."
'Simply' Live
M. D Sadowsky | Oxford, OH | 08/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are a handful of arguably excellent live CDs, Rush's 'Exit Stage Left'; Genesis' 'Three Sides Live'; Supertramp's 'Paris'; The Who's 'Who's Last'. And surprisingly, this double-album from 1987 ranks with said heavyweights. Even if you are not a Simple Minds fan, this is a better CD to own than thier greatest hits CD. Rarely do live performaces rate better than the orginal studio version, yet tracks like 'Sanctify Yourself'; 'Ghostdancing' and 'Alive and Kicking' exude a visceral rawness to which the listener (particularly on CD) feels the interconnectedness of the band with the audience. Its virtually impossible to find nowadays, but normally one can unearth this little gem at used record stores. Its well worth the search."
A real slooowwwwww time for the band, no energy
Toscano Barga | Southern California | 05/19/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I hated this tour, they reworked all their older songs, slowed them way down, just turned into a major snooze fest.
Classics likeNew Gold Dream turned into slow temp dirges
Luckily they saw the light, and their most recent tour/album has them back at their exhilerating best
"
One of the great live records of our times.
Immaculate Friend | N. California | 10/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw this band twice when they supported their Once Upon a Time record and they were absolutely on fire! A much different stage presence from the one I had seen only a year and a half before when they were touring to support Sparkle in the Rain and then a double bill with The Pretenders. A much more elaborate stage set and light show as well as a very polished wardrobe this time around and the songs to go with them.
Its really quite interesting to watch a great band evolve from when they start out then gain a rather large following then explode into the mainstream. I would suggest to any fan of this great band casual or diehard to pick up Seen the Lights and watch the great footage of their early shows up to the Streeet Fighting Years show in Taormina.
Simple Minds has always been an unbelievable live band. I think their stunning performances played a major role in the large fan base they already had when Don't You came out. The huge success they enjoyed with the success of that song as well as the great record called Once Upon a Time that was released just after that shines through on this album. The different treatments of their older songs are outstanding and moving, especially with East at Easter, New Gold Dream and Promised You a Miracle.
I've seen some mention of the more "rock-like" version of Promised You a Miracle that takes out the great interplay between bass and synth on the original song but I think the constant steady bassline works better live than if it was played just as on the original. The band had actually been playing the song like this for quite a while before this particuliar tour with the version on this record sped up just a little and some more effect from the synthesizers.
The only older song that I felt should have been played differently here would be "Somewhere, Somewhere in Summertime". I never thought the tempo here worked as well as if they were to slow it down as they did on the Sparkle in the Rain tour or as they played it while supporting New Gold Dream in which they played the song pretty much the same as it is on New Gold Dream. I never thought the fiddle worked very well here as well and I understand it was something added in studio as the record was being fixed and mixed.
Ghostdancing, Oh Jungleland, New Gold Dream, Waterfront, Big Sleep, East at Easter, Book of Brilliant Things and Once Upon a Time work very well here and the rest with the exception of the Love Song/Sun City/Dance to the Mucis medley are great as well. I'll never understand why they felt the need to take an outstanding song like Love Song and mix in some very average tunes with it that seemed very out of place here. I know South Africa was the cause celebre at the time but that along with the Sly Stone song just didn't fit in very well.
The individual efforts on this disc are outstanding from start to finish. Michael McNeil churns out some beutiful and powerful soundscapes and the outstanding guitar playing of Charlie Burchill is as always just what these songs need. Drums and bass are very solid even though it seems like the bass was mixed in a bit low. Jim Kerr's vocals are powerful and uplifting and Robin Clark's backing is strong although I never felt this band needed this type of gospel singer.
Overall this is a great and uplifting double live album that should find its way into any fan of music's collection. It never grows old no matter how many times you listen to it"
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
