Simple Minds Album: “Live in the City of Light”

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