Simple Minds Album: “Empires and Dance [Remaster]”

Too bad this is collecting dust in the previous reviewer's CD rack!

Much of SM's earlier grooves are being heavily sampled by new artists and there are some hidden gems in early SM work, like the driving "Changeling" on R to R.

While Sparkle in the Rain put SM on the European charts, Empires and Dance is a very good album of an advante garde group in 1980, developing its aesthetic around Soviet-era European, politics and club scene. Again this is 1980 and fairly early in SM's career. I agree that Life in a Day and R to R are efforts that may not be as listenable, but SM has begun to develop a new foundation of sound (both dance rhythms and lyrics) and exploration here that sets them up for full album listening success in Sons and Fascination / Sister Feelings Call to Sparkle in the Rain and so on.

I would consider Empires and Dance a Good staring point for a SM

By the time of their third album "Empires and Dance"(1980) Simple Minds had moved from the excessive experimentation of"Real to Real Cacophony" to what might be termed "dance" music. The single "I Travel" was custom made for the dance floor, but bombed on the music charts. It was followed by another dance oriented single "Celebrate" that also failed to chart. The album followed suit and sold poorly. Nevertheless, "Empires and Dance" was a breakthrough for the band. On this album, we hear the first stirrings of the band's distinctive sound.

Kerr's voice, in particular, was remarkably different. Instead of trying to imitate Bowie and Ferry, Kerr sings with a deeper, haunting, more powerful voice that perfectly suited the darker tone of tracks like "Today I Died Again," "Capital City." However, Kerr's new vocal style also perfectly suited the wry humour of "Constantinople Line" and "Twist-Run-Repulsion." Likewise, Burchill continued to hone his guitar sound - developing subtle lead lines that helped to emphasise Forbes's bass. ("This Fear of Gods") This approach would be brought to perfection with the "Sons and Fascination" album.

Finally, the band's instrumental skills continued to grow. "Kant-Kino" is probably one of the finest instrumental tracks the band has ever done, and helped to set a precedent. Almost every Simple Minds album since has included at least one instrumental track. This album is not the best place for the newly converted to begin. Make sure you own at least three other Simple Minds albums first (from New Gold Dream onwards) before you get this one. It won't make any sense otherwise.

Astonishing third album by Simple Minds achieves greatness for the first time. A tightly integrated eurotrance song cycle, this album sometimes seems like a single track. Their Krautrock influence really came to the fore after they finally began touring on The Continent. "I Travel" is their most exciting track ever! Possibly the most exciting track I've ever heard! The churning rhythm sequencers are acid house a decade early. Elsewhere the pace is deliberate and unrelenting, albeit slower. "Thirty Frames A Second" is the great third single that never was. Charlie Burchill's guitar studiously avoids cliche and what more can I say about Derek Forbes' bass? He is the powerful heart of everything Simple Minds did until his ouster.

I can't think of much to add, for the other reviews so far seem right on. (These folks obviously have good taste!)

Empires and Dance is probably the darkest of Simple Minds' albums. "I Travel" is a death disco classic...it reminds me of Joy Division meets Chic! Bowie and PIL also come to mind. The synth crash percussion really does remind me of Le Freak. The lyrics are bizarre, sort of nihilist punk paranoia at an extreme, ala Ian Curtis or Iggy Pop.

Jim Kerr's political vibes were actually not as pretentious or silly as he ultimately became when his career went down a sanctimonious toilet. He eventually became a bubblegum Bono save-the-world turkey for the big 80s at its cheesiest. Here, it was more poignant and believable, but dreary angst. Taken in contrast to what I think were optimistic, dreamy, humanistic Christian reflections of New Gold Dream (one of my favorite albums of all time), it is hard to believe they were the same band. "Today I Died Again," "Celebrate," and "Capital City" are all creepy and freaky, sort of like Kraut rock gone disco???

THIS MIGHT BE SIMPLE MINDS' BEST CD.

TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE THEY HAVE DONE.

Recorded in 1980, this is Simple Minds' second or third album (depending on how you are counting). It is 45 minutes long. On the original CD, the sound was slightly flat but still fairly good (not like many other early CD's). I haven't heard this remastered version.

This is completely different than anything Simple Minds has done. It is techno pop/electronica. But, it some of the best techno pop I have ever heard. The music has a nice, rich, complex sound. The compositions are very good.

A lot of techno pop suffers from a lack of imagination. Much of it is very repetitious. That is not the case with Simple Minds. It still has a great pulsating beat for dancing, but you can still enjoy it outside the disco.

My first introduction to Simple Minds was New Gold Dream, which is actually their fifth album. But, it was the first time they got major exposure in the US. I felt that they slowly went downhill, going more popish and sounding more like INXS. The band originally rejected their biggest hit, Don't You Forget About Me for its simplicity. I kind of soured on the band and wasn't buying their CD's. But, then I happened on this one, and I want to seek out all of their early work.