Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 176 - Simple Minds

Live In The City of Light - Simple Minds

Virgin

Produced by Bruce Lampcov

Released 11th May 1987

UK Charts #1

Tracklist for Original LP Release

Side 1

A1 - Ghost Dancing    
A2 - Big Sleep    
A3 - Waterfront    
A4 - Promised You A Miracle 

Side 2   
B1 - Someone Somewhere In Summertime    
B2 - Oh Jungleland    
B3 - Alive And Kicking 

Side 3   
C1 - Don't You Forget About Me    
C2 - Once Upon A Time    
C3 - Book Of Brilliant Things    
C4 - East At Easter  

Side 4  
D1 - Sanctify Yourself    
D2 - Love Song - Sun City - Dance To The Music (Medley)    
D3 - New Gold Dream 

Recorded live at Le Zenith, Paris in August 1986 except 'Someone Somewhere In Summertime', recorded live at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Australia in October 1986. The album was a record of the tour that followed the Once Upon A Time album and all the success that brought them. It was their first live album and their 8th album release.

Sometimes admitting to liking Simple Minds is a bit like going to a Rock Music Anonymous Meeting, "Hi, my name's Doug and I like Simple Minds!" You are bound to get a few nods of respect for standing up and saying it and maybe a few mumblings of "oh no, not another one of those! There's actually a separate meeting down the hall for you folk!" So you stumble off down the hall to Room 202 and you are greeted by the sad sight of people just like you struggling through life because you just happen to like Jim Kerr and co! What's worse about this group though is that the minute you admit to liking the Once Upon a Time album the mutterings from among the gathered can be heard quite clearly, "Oh really? Well there's no hope for that man!"

Why such an attitude exists I do not know. I have been a fan of Simple Minds going right back to the start with Life In A Day and although there are periods in their musical journey that have not appealed to me I've never point blank come out and said that I hated them or anything like that. As the years have passed even some of the things I maybe didn't like so much when they came out originally I have come to appreciate, and Once Upon A Time is actually an album I've always loved despite it's somewhat over production and pop sensibilities.

Their success (especially in America) of course came on the back  of the Don't You Forget About Me single that was taken from The Breakfast Club Soundtrack. Whilst not necessarily my favourite Simple Minds song by a large margin I can see the appeal. The problem with the song though is it's a bit like a weight around their necks just like Pretty in Pink is to The Psychedelic Furs - people expect to hear it every show they go to!

Only five songs from Once Upon A Time made it onto the Live in the City of Light album (Ghost Dancing, Oh Jungleland, Alive and Kicking, Once Upon A Time and Sanctify Yourself) and I do really like the album but it does have a problem, and it's one of my pet peeves, sometimes the band are just a little bit over indulgent in their stretching out of a number of songs. To me it seems totally unnecessary and can, depending on the mood listening to it, just make want to skip to the next track!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!