New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
	Produced by Peter Walsh
	Released on September 25, 1982
	UK CHART POSITION #3 . . . US CHART POSITION #69
	Find it at GEMM
SP-6-4928 cover [high resolution scan]

I f all you know of Simple Minds is “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” then shame on you. The band is better remembered by new wave fans as authors of one of the few truly great new romantic albums, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84). Like Icehouse, whose Primitive Man was released at the same time, Simple Minds had found a way to blend musicianship and artistry with style (or adapt Roxy Music to a new generation, if you want to insist that all new romantic music flows from Avalon). Albums in this genre tend to share the same traits: atmospheric instrumentals, slick dance sensibilities, a passionate singer, a song about Martin Luther King. What sets New Gold Dream apart is the sophisticated production (25 years on, it still sounds fresh and exciting) and the quality of the material. “New Gold Dream,” “Glittering Prize,” “Promised You A Miracle,” “Big Sleep” and “Someone Somewhere In Summertime” are a cut above their contemporaries. OMD and Icehouse could let the occasional clunker slip in; New Gold Dream is nearly flawless. Of course not everyone is crazy about pretty, well-coiffed pop music. U2 were rougher, Echo and The Cure were weirder. But you could do worse for heroes than Simple Minds. Jim Kerr has a wonderful voice (kind of a cross between Bono and Andy McCluskey), Charles Burchill is an ace atmospherist (cut from the same cloth as Phil Manzanera, Will Sergeant and The Edge). New wave albums, even new romantic ones, often sounded icy or remote in the early 80s; not so New Gold Dream. This is warmer than Icehouse, more human than The Human League, and far less simple than you might imagine. In building a collection of great new wave albums from the early 80s, consider Vienna, Architecture & Morality, Primitive Man, Cupid & Psyche ‘85 and New Gold Dream essential. You might want to pick up that Avalon album I mentioned too.

TRACK LISTING

1. SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IN SUMMERTIME    4:33
2. COLOURS FLY AND CATHERINE WHEEL    3:49
3. PROMISED YOU A MIRACLE    4:26
4. BIG SLEEP    4:59
5. SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES YOU    4:58
6. NEW GOLD DREAM (81-82-83-84)    4:46
7. GLITTERING PRIZE    4:33
8. HUNTER AND THE HUNTED    5:54
9. KING IS WHITE AND IN THE CROWD    6:57
   
   All songs written by James Kerr/Charles Burchill/Derek Forbes and Michael MacNeil

CREDITS

CHARLES BURCHILL -- guitars & effects
DEREK FORBES -- basses
MEL GAYNOR -- drums
JIM KERR -- voices
MICHAEL MACNEIL -- keyboards & effects
MIKE OGLETREE -- drums, percussion
Sharon Campbell -- girl's voice (2,7)
Herbie Hancock -- solo (8)
Kenny Hyslop -- drums (3)
Peter Walsh -- arrangements, engineer
Malcolm Garrett at Assorted iMaGes -- sleeve
Jamie Morgan -- photography

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