Tim Brough's Black Leather Bookshelf

 
Let the Day Start
4 Out of 5 Stars


Perhaps the best known song in The Call's expansive excellent library was the title song on "Let The Day Begin." It came closest to cracking the Top 40 (that and only "The Walls Came Down" ever charted the top 100, giving The Call exactly two charted singles), and it became the theme song for one Al Gore during his bid for the Presidency.

It is deservedly an anthem from the decade. Yet why couldn't The Call capitalize on all the acclaim? That is a question better left for philosophers and pop trivia addicts. But for some reason, The Call never exploded in the way many of their biggest fans (like Bono, Peter Gabriel, Martin Scorsese and Harry Dean Stanton) predicted they would. Stanton even contributes a harmonica solo on "For Love" and Scorsese would soon cast lead singer Michael Been in "The Last Temptation of Christ."

"Let The Day Begin" is filled with the kind of big songs that The Call is best known for, like "You Run" or the storming "Same Old Story." As usual, Been's lyrics are loaded with Christian allegory, some blatant ("For Love"), some not so much (the beautiful "Uncovered"). His reach was always high, and while his success never seemed to make his grasp, his music rarely missed the mark. "Let The Day Begin" is a big 80's album - and sounds it - standing with The Call's best works.

All the things they said
4 Out of 5 Stars

Simple Minds went through three distinct periods as a band, and on this two disc compilation, all get a fair shake. There was the early, experimental/arty phase, best represented here by "Themes for Great Cities." While they stayed virtually unknown in America in this period, they began running up a string of international hits.

Lead singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill soon began finding Simple Minds' own sound, and the albums began featuring tighter songwriting and playing. Starting with "New Gold Dream," Kerr's Christianity began to influence the lyrics to a greater degree, and the band became more boisterous. "Promised You A Miracle" made inroads on MTV and the song "Someone Somewhere in The Summertime" is terrific. Steve Lillywhite produced "Sparkle In The Rain" and treated Kerr's spiritual questing the the same sort of sonics he gave to U2, making "Up On The Catwalk" another breakout song.

Then came the Americanization. After Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol reportedly turned down "Don't You Forget About Me" (and Kerr himself initially passed on it), this single from "The Breakfast Club" broke away from the soundtrack and became a classic slice of 80's new-wave bombast, thanks to producer Keith Forsey. While the band wasn't all that receptive to this sound, "Once Upon a Time" used American producer Jimmy Iovine to bolster the sound to U2 arena levels and Kerr's vocals went for epic reach. "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself" became deserved hits, but this is probably the least representative of Simple Minds' overall sound.

Naturally, the band went into a creative slump after. The highly political "Street Fighting Years" pulled back on the sweeping sound, but also replaced it with histronic songs. "Belfast Child" was probably the highlight, yet why the cover of Peter Gabriel's "Biko" was done almost note for note is a mystery. And while "Real Life" yielded the minor hit "See The Lights," the band had pretty much fallen into formula. Of the later works, "She's a River" and "War Babies" hold their own the best. At two discs and 32 songs, this is probably all the Simple Minds you need.