Search - Simple Minds :: Neon Lights

Simple Minds pays tribute to their influences

William M. Dalton | Queens,N.Y. USA | 10/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Simple Minds doing Covers ?



The fact that this cd is Simple Minds doing covers is enough to buy it .



This cd is in limited editions and won't be around for ever.



Songs like "Homosapien","All tomorrow's parties","dancing Barefoot","being boiled" and the non vocal "love will tare us apart' are great.



Remeber their earlier cd "Simple Minds the early years" was a limited pressing too. That cd has long been out of print and is very had to get today.



If you are a Simple Minds fan it is a rare gem to your collection.



If you like to hear bands do covers then this cd is for you too."

Why Is a Great Band Doing Covers?

Kirk Lott | adrift on the seas of life | 01/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Simple Minds is one of the greatest bands ever to emerge from the U.K. So after more than 20 years and a dozen albums of original material, why redo music from other artists? If the band wants to let us know who influenced them, I'd rather READ about in an interview, than have them waste valuable studio time that could have been spent on another great album of originals.



With that said, how's the album? Reasonably good. The highlights are mostly tucked away in the second half, namely renditions of Neil Young's "The Needle & The Damage Done," Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," and Human League's "Being Boiled." Each is interpreted in an interesting manner, while challenging preconceptions about Simple Minds' sound. Pete Shelly's "Homosapien," while close to the original, is such a great track it's a treat to hear anyone do it.



As for the rest of the album, some of the covers are rather pedestrian; The Doors' "Hello I Love You" tries to evoke a 'modern' sound, but really sounds more like a couple of soccer dads fooling around with Casio keyboards. Others songs seem chosen - predictably and pretentiously - for their snob/cool factor - i.e. material from critic's darlings like Bowie/Lou Reed/Patti Smith, etc. Simple Minds were big fans of early Genesis, so why not "out themselves" and do a cover of "Watcher of the Skies" or "Cinema Show?" That would be more interesting, and more revealing.



Thankfully, after this album Simple Minds turned out another great album of originals, 2002's "Cry." The band is one of the few that can consistently turn out good new material, so they should stick to that.

"

Fantastic Take On Joy Division Classic

J. Merritt | 08/18/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Just in case you were dying to know what it would sound like if Simple Minds covered the Doors, this is your chance to find out.



Cover albums are a mixed breed. Some are unmitigated disasters (Duran Duran's "Thank You" comes to mind), others work out well. I would place Simple Minds' "Neon Lights" in the latter category, though not without reservations. There are certainly some lackadaisical interpretations here ("The Man Who Sold the World," "Being Boiled"), but there are also some gems, including the punchy take on "Gloria" and a spacy and ethereal rendering of the title track. Their reproductions of "Hello I Love You" and "Bring On the Dancing Horses" are matters of taste; I enjoyed them.



The real gem, however, is saved for last: Despite Ian Curtis' grating vocals, I've long been a fan of the song "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and its hauntingly memorable chorus hook. Simple Minds has stripped the song of all the lyrics other than the title line, and given the track a dancy, urban updating. It works like a charm. If you are or ever were a fan of this band, this disc is worth it for this number alone."