I recently reviewed 'New Gold Dream Live From Paisley Abbey, ' which was released as part of the Sky Arts series Greatest Albums Live. The record reminded me of just how good 'New Gold Dream' was, so when I saw that HMV had selected it for the rerelease treatment as part of their 1921 series, I snapped it up.
First things first, I reckon all pressing plants should just give up on trying to produce gold-coloured vinyl. They deliver records like this that look like baby food or curry sauce, not the gold vinyl they promise on the hype sticker.
Listening to the original after the live release, this has more energy, Jim Kerr's vocals are a touch higher, and everything sounds crisper, which is absolutely no surprise, seeing as one was recorded live in a church 40 years after the other!
The record includes fan favourites' Someone, Somewhere, In Summertime', 'Promised You A Miracle', 'Big Sleep', 'New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)', and 'Glittering Prize' - all massive fan favourites and staples of their live shows in the 80s.
This was the first Simple Minds album I got into (after the much-copied TDK D90 of 'Live In The City Of Light' that went around our school quicker than head lice). I was fascinated by album tracks like 'Colours Fly And The Catherine Wheel' and 'King Is White And In The Crowd', with their funky bass and angular keyboards.
This record made them mainstream, something they built on with the follow-up 'Sparkle In The Rain' before going global with 'Once Upon A Time' and 'Street Fighting Years'. Their rise was helped massively by 'Don't You (Forget About Me), ' which topped the US charts in 1985 but isn't actually their song.
If you fancy a copy of this Abbey Road remaster of 'New Gold Dream', it is available from HMV for £30, an absolute bargain.
Tracks To Try: Any of them.
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