release date: Oct. 21, 1985
format: cd (2003 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Jimmy Iovine & Bob Clearmountain
label: Virgin Records - nationality: Scotland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Once Upon a Time" - 2. "All the Things She Said" - 4. "Alive and Kicking" (4 / 5) - 6. "I Wish You Were Here" - 7. "Sanctify Yourself" - 8. "Come a Long Way"
7th studio album by Simple Minds released more than 1½ years after Sparkle in the Rain is produced by the two American producers Iovine and Clearmountain. The album is the first to feature new bassist John Giblin, and then it also features Robin Clark as guest vocalist singing backing vocals on most of the tracks [also feature on several of the official videos - e.g. see above links tracks #2, #4, #7].
The album was well-received by critics and fans and it has to date status as the best-selling album by Simple Minds selling three times platinum in the UK, topping the national albums chart list as it did in several other countries world-wide. Peaking at number #10 on the Billboard 200 list, it also made the highest chart position of all albums by the band in the US. Four singles were released as singles: tracks #4 (only single preceding the album release), #7, #2, and #3, respectively. "Alive and Kicking" peaked at number #7 in the UK and made other top-10 entries world-wide, but also the three other singles fared rather well with two other top-10 entries - only the last single, "Ghost Dancing" peaked just outside at #13, which without comparison ensured the band its most successful album release.
I find it slightly bettering the '84 album by being a more coherent release, but I simply find it an over-arranged and over-produced album that stays too safely in the middle of the road, which to me, showcases a band that has found its golden formula, and here just repeats what has worked before. I'm not too happy about the heavy keyboard arrangements, but I admit that they with this were on top of their career and easily filled stadiums world-wide - if that's a parameter of success.
