New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Outro disco que respira sua década de origem. Rock oitentista puro. Produção parece excelente. Após primeira audição gostei de algumas músicas. 1. Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) 2. Big Sleep

No offense to Simple Minds, I like "Don't You (Forget About Me)", but this didn't really jazz my almonds in any way. Vocally, it reminds me of Depeche Mode, and there are some interesting bass riffs to listen to, but it struggles to keep my attention. Favorite track: "Promised You A Miracle"

I'm not sure how this never made it onto my radar!

I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. It did live up to the idea of ambient dance music.

Not a huge fan of the 80s synth, but this wasn’t awful

Can't hear any Simple Minds without thinking of The Breakfast Club. Love the movie and love the sound/era.

Whatever version of this I belatedly found had four discs which was about three too many. That said, I was very surprised to find sleeper tracks that I liked an awful lot. Somehow, I started asking myself how this album would sound if the lead singer was replaced by the Swedish Chef and it fit a little too well, so that did spoil it a bit. Anyhow, the first ten of like 70 songs was worth it and I would like to check it out again some time.

Don't You (forget about Simple Minds) ...Don't, don't don't you... Unless you're a Ferris Bueller fan, it's pretty easy to forget about Simple Minds. To me they were always a one-hit-wonder that just existed behind the antlers above Ferris' dresser. Ferris Bueller's Day Off was unforgettable. I saw it in the theatre when it was released and had a copy on VHS. There are plenty of memorable scenes like at The Art Institute of Chicago and lines like "you killed the car...", and my favorite "the 'Sausage King of Chicago?'" Sadly, this album isn't as memorable. From the cover art and outset, New Gold Dream looks like it would play from an hymnal at a random new age church. The song titles read like religious brainwashing. "King is White and In the Crowd", "Somebody Up There Likes You", "Promised You a Miracle," etc. All of this religious garbage mixed in with pop music is a huge turn off in the states... but maybe I should turn this album off, get out of my bubble and explore the world because this album was largely a waste of time. ...as everyone knows. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” https://www.chicagomag.com/arts-culture/february-2016/ferris-bueller-bedroom/

You could be forgiven for thinking that material for “New Gold Dream” was recorded between 1981 and 1984. But no, it came out in 1982. Maybe Simple Minds just got confused, since it was their fifth album in three years, and figured that they had recorded so much music that more time must have passed. It doesn’t seem like this album, or Simple Minds, made much of an impact stateside. But in a rarity for the 1001, this obscure very British early 80s album was actually pretty tolerable. New wave usually has vocals that are too over-the-top, or too much obnoxious synth (or both). But Simple Minds actually found a pretty decent balance. I don’t know if the rest of their prodigious early 80s output holds up, but “New Gold Dream” is one of my favorites from the genre. Now I have to go and confuse the summary machine further, making it think I like new wave more than shoegaze.

The version of this I listened to showed a 2016 date. I kept saying to myself, “Wow, this sounds a lot like early 80s electronica, but better.” Turns out I was listening to a re-release…or AppleMusic has the wrong date. Either way when I realized it was released in 1982, everything made more sense. New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84) stands above most 80s electronica for me, especially tracks like Someone Somewhere, Hunter and Hunted, and the title track. I can hear snippets of Chromatics, a modern electronica band I dig, in this album. The bass guitar is badass. It carries the album. Derek Forbes, take a bow. The producer, Peter Walsh, should also be commended for pushing the bass so far forward in the mix.

now sure who is this new wave boring shit is, but its not for me NNN

A couple of decent songs but the album is stocked of tedium and bore. I like the later work of Simple Minds but this album is lacking.

This album would be perfect as background music for a social gathering. Everyone would enjoy it if you the time to discern and listen to it, yet it would never be in your face like some "background" music can be. It's just not my cup of tea for listening though. I must admit coding went well while it played (4 times) though...

Good singles band, still enjoy their songs but not played regularly.

It’s ok.

Meh.

Pretty nice, nothing too special though.

Starts out very 80’s synthpop. Bass gets pretty funky in spots. I’m digging it. Pretty good overall! Probably gonna do 3 though. It gets a little old.

I've always been a fan of this era of music, early 80s new wave/synth pop. However Simple Minds have always been a little too shiny, pristine and poppy for me. I found this record quite hard to get into, there's lots of cool sounds and melodies, but something about it just feels lacking compared to other new wave bands for me.

Unbelievably bland. Like unseasoned chicken left under a heat lamp for an eternity. Doesn't even have the end of the Breakfast Club song. Probably a good cure for insomnia. Definitely inspired U2s post 1997 output.

I'm not really a fan. Most of it is sitting solely in the background and it's not grabbing or interesting me. There's some nice synths, but it's quite pared back. It's mostly forgettable.

Favorite Song: Glittering Prize I enjoyed this album. The only song I heard from 'Simple Minds' prior to this was the well known hit track "Don't You (Forget About Me)". None of the songs on this album really stood out, but it was still a solid album in my opinion. So I give it a 3.1/5.0

5/10. Not anything wrong with it, but like if this is your #1 favorite album I just have to imagine you're the most boring person ever.

Some extremely forgettable new wave. 5/10

yes

This sounds like the 80s & I like it.

Oh... I'm unfamiliar with this one! Looking at the track list... Glittering Prize caught my attention because I love Television Personalities and their song The Glittering Prizes. Doesn't seem related. Not really a fan. I thought I liked the 80's. I liked the 80's in the 80's at least.

Not on my radar at all. Pretty good.

Ready for a deeper dive after this listen.

Good but not my favorite

Meh Gold Dream.

One mullet for the solid production, one mullet for the bass lines, and one for the title song. 3 mullets out of 5 💇💇💇

Has some bops. Has some serious production issues.

Super!

A really good synth pop album that knows how to hook you in with an earworm. With the plethora of 80s music out there, it felt like they really hit the mark with this one, breathing into the zeitgeist of the early 80s sound, and likely helped influence countless other artists later on in the decade. Best: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) Worst: King Is White and In The Crowd 3.5 Stars

I cant say I’ve heard something more 80s than this. I did honestly really enjoy it and thought it was just so typical 80s and it was nice. 7/10 honestly.

Could be a candidate for "Most 80s Sounding Album" Great and prominent bass lines punctuate most of these melodic and overly-boppy and over washed in reverb songs. I'm certain I'd have hated this in 1982 (although in growing just a bit I enjoyed some of their later singles) which god-damn was a long time ago... in my middle age now I am mildly enjoying it in a way I couldn't have conceived in grade 7 - the sound itself is a mental time machine. So I'm not sure the songs themselves hold up all that well on their own but since it's all so inextricably entwined with the era, I'll hand it to them for grasping that dated sound so hard that it weirdly works today. "Big Sleep" almost sounds like a Marillion demo. Probably my fave and one that sticks out. (not important but since I'm staring at it: the cover is a weird (in a not good way) pastiche if the Book of Kells and some awful weekly church missive (redundant, that)...) 6/10 3 stars

First of all, those bass lines! 🤌 I hadn't heard this one at all before, although I of course I knew and liked Don't You Forget About Me. This is one of the dreamier and more ethereal 80s pop/new-wave albums I've heard up to this point... Which of course means it's right up my alley. Sparkling 80s synth + chugging funky bass + layers of reverb + smooth vocals... I mean, yeah, that's plenty enough to love for me already.

I promised you a miracle.

Gewoon fijne 80s pop, typische Simple Minds sound. Fijn om naar te luisteren, geen knallers.

This isn't anything beyond average.

Good... but not great.

Very bland and forgettable. Stand-out: Someone Somewhere in Summertime

Meh.

At first I was disappointed because "Promised You a Miracle" is an absolute banger, and yet nothing even closely matched that energy. But on my second listen, I started to appreciate it a bit more for what it is. Lots of influences here. Billy Idol in "Someone Somewhere", Talking Heads in "Colours Fly", New Order in "Somebody Up There Likes You", and Joy Division in "King is White." I like the funky basslines in some songs, the dark expressive vocals, and of course the lush multi-layered atmospheric synths. There may not be any mind-blowing gorgeous pieces like in a New Order or OMD record, but I can have a nice time chilling to every piece on here. Having only 9 tracks on the longer end helps in its favor, since they add an ambient presence to immerse you, and not have you anxious for the next piece.

Ok

Stylish and sophisticated and rhythmically interesting (bass playing is great). Plus pleasantly brooding, in a distinctly new wave way. But not exactly timeless, however The synths glitter a bit too much on “Glittering Prize,” say, and the drum machine (which it must be) a bit too prominent on “Hunter and Hunted,” even if the songs are otherwise solid and interesting. In other words, this is very much of late ‘80s, but clearly in a “best of” or “good as it got” sense of that era. There’s clear drive and consistent depth and quality on offer here, but they are in second tier of one's fave bands of this era, his musical awakening as it were.

3.5 While his album has no stand out songs for me, the entire album has that quintessential 80s sound that takes me back to my childhood. It’s a sound I really enjoy the older I get. This album gets 3.5 most on nostalgia alone.

Ok, I can respect that this might be a "good" album, but I'm really not interested. I couldn't wait for this album to end. The combo of driving beats with moody melodic wailing makes me queasy.

Ah, the Don’t You Forget About Me Guys! We Americans didn’t know they existed before 1985. Strange title for an album. The songs were nothing special. Overall pretty average. Best track: Promised You a Miracle.

1982: New pop, new wave, art pop, synth-pop

why do scottish singers sound american when they sing? I like the pop synth sound, but there are probably better examples out there.

An absolutely fantastic album for New Wave alternative. 3 absolutely undeniably great and catchy songs, and the rest exude a kind of haunting electronic beat that makes it a great listen.

got nothing to say about this one.

2.0

Saa selvää tämmösestä ramblestä.. näytän arvostelullani etten sitä positiivista ratinkia pelkästään miellyttävän genren perusteella jakele....

Boring.

Waarom klinkt elke jaren '80 stem toch hetzelfde? Of is het New Wave? Of hoe je het ook wilt noemen? Ik vind het niks iig.

Liked it more than i was prepared to

Like someone somewhere 2.5/5 -S like proised you a miracle

I have high hopes for today’s album. One of my all time favourite songs is Don’t You (Forget About Me) which, although it’s not found on this album, makes for great expectations with more Simple Minds. Let’s give it a listen and find out! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Promised You A Miracle, New Gold Dream I did enjoy this, but perhaps my hopes were a little too high. It’s was good, but not as catchy as I wanted it to be. It does have that unapologetically 80’s sound, but didn’t quite hook me in as much as similar bands like the Human League have previously. I was studying while listening to this so may be wrong about this, but it didn’t seem very deep in lyrical content, but it was still decent. Overall, not as good as I wanted it to be, but still an ok album.

Bass lines y synth complementan excelente. Muchos matices. Armonía sencilla pero completa. Vocales chingonas. Terminan en fade out, no muy fan de eso.

Se siente más un recopilatorio que un disco de la banda. Sonidos bien interesantes

Can appreciate it for the 80s album that it was, but it was a little bit of a Snoozefest

Didn’t even make it past the first song.

I love New Wave so I was bound to enjoy this. The use of actual drums really helps this album, and the bass and guitar parts both jump out as particularly fantastic as well. I can definitely see the influence this album had.

much better than I thought, would like to listen some more. Good sound, ahead of its time.

Classic 3/5. Nice sound, something I would like, but the songs are pretty samy and not exciting.

Weirdest album art goes to…

Don't know why this SM album is on the list when they have several others that could just as easily work. All in all, a decent album symbolic of the times and sound. 3/5

I really like Promised You a Miracle, but the rest of the album isn't doing a ton for me. The dark new wave sound really isn't one that I gravitate to, and I doubt I would ever go back to this album. That being said, I've always thought of Simple Minds as one hit wonders so it's interesting to hear one of their albums without that one hit.

Not bad, but not my thing

Kommt noch

I was surprised how gorgeous, lush and catchy so many songs were from this album. I genuinely went in with the presumption that Simple Minds were a one hit wonder, and here I am leaving with more songs that I genuinely prefer Don't you (forget about me). It's a wonderful cosmonaut of an album that leaves you entranced in it's simple but beautiful synths. It's not only so great on first listen but I think I'm definitely going to be coming back to this regularly. I do however wish the vocals were a little louder or present. I think the group could've put them a bit more into the centre focus. But first impressions are good, I was not expecting this to be one of my favorites of the previous albums I've listened to. And if you just want to listen to some genuinely great synth pop, go nuts!

Album #27 Like most Americans born in 80s, my only knowledge of Simple Minds is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from the film, "The Breakfast Club". For 80s synth-pop, this album is surprisingly deep and soulful. It was great to listen to, and definitely changed my opinion this group. 4*

Seems like decent synth pop. Honestly just didn’t make much of an impression on me, nothing offended, nothing stood out.

80s Pop through and through. 3/5

not an interesting record to me, and I think I am also able to say this is not an interesting 'genre' to me. There seems to be a lot of boring british new wave with no hook/chorus/groove on this list.

I strongly dislike 80's new wave/synth pop music and this album was no different. I hate the hollow haunted moaning whiny goth vocal style of this era. It is so boring and frustrating to listen to. I understand why other people like this music, but it's not for me. While not on this album, their song "Don't You", is an absolute jam of a song and a classic from the 80's.

Another 89’s pop synth band. I’m going to rate this a 3 as it’ll even out my last review for Depeche Mode. I still like both but I think I rated the other higher for a reason. Also, noticed how the melody’s were all over.

Bien.

Didnt mind this as much as others! It is very 80s, but it is a staple 80s record. And it’s not as cheesey as a lot of other 80s records. Quite a bit tried and tested fluff between some very decent songs, with Glittering Prize / Promised You a Miracle / New Gold Dream being the highlights. Wouldnt return to the album on a whole, but there’s a few tracks that I’ve added to my ‘music I like which my wife might also like therefore I get to listen to in the car’ playlist

Not much of an 80s pop fan and this contained all of the tropes that put me off. Takes itself way too seriously, a particular crooning singing style that wears thin and overuse of wishy washy synths. Sounds more dated than a lot of the 60s/70s stuff we've had. Bass is tight though.

I expected a lot more. Very, very boring and forgettable.

This album is so 80s, I just hated it all. That sound just has not aged well.

2 80s 4 me Didn't enjoy any of this really, this kind of 80s sound just doesn't do anything for me at all...I will concede that there is some good bass at times but still no

bored

I remember they played a concert a few hundred metres from my house when i was 16 or so. Good memories! Apart from that i like the sound of the album with a couple of songs that stand out.

My favourite Simple Minds album used to be Once Upon a Time (I like the commercial Big Music sound). Then it became this album (the consensus album) but ultimately would go for Real to Real Cacophony. All three albums are very different from each other, but obviously 5 stars. There is not a single weak track on New Gold Dream and the songs are in the "right" order. A perfect album. Overall score: 10/10.

Promised You a Miracle is still a great song, of course, but I was not too familiar with the rest of the songs going into this. Overall, I thought this was quite good. I didn't realise how bass-heavy this was; together with the vocals the music occasionally reminded me of David Sylvian/Japan. My only two issues are the rather muffled production and the lack of punchiness of the songs. At times the music felt a little pedestrian and my mind started to wander.

Ok, let me be mild and award three stars for this album with a couple of hits (Promised you a miracle is a great song) which is otherwise mostly a dreadful listening experience.

Elska þetta sánd. Elska nokkur af þessum lögum. Algjört synth new wave dreamy dót. Elska það.

There’s promise to this record but it seems you need to scratch deeper through the surface to get to the bone. Overall it sounds same-y and Jim Kerr kind of warbles through most of the album but after a couple of listens the songs seem to reveal themselves ‘Promising you a miracle’, ‘Glittering Prize’ turn out to be bangers at closer listen - and the rest of the album is a tight rhythmic showcase. However as a whole it just doesn’t live up to the great albums on this list. Did not have a bad time listening to it though.

Ein paar wirklich gute Lieder (e.e. Promised you a miracle), insgesamt aber zu beliebig. 3-4

difficult minds

Some notes to start is that this is one of the ugliest album covers on the whole list, and that man, do a lot of one hit wonder bands have albums on the list, for better and worse. In this case, it's worse. The album isn't bad, per se, as I like some of the ideas here, but nothing stands out as some crowning achievement in new wave, synth-pop, pop, or even electronic. Some of it is pretty okay, but nothing gravitates to me any more than anything else that blends together from the era. There could definitely be days where I could see this getting all the way up to a four, depending on how open I am to just stereotypical synth pop, but today is not it, and thinking of all the other much more deserving albums from the era that were probably axed for this makes it all the sadder.

New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. This new wave / synth-pop album was a turning point for the band because they attained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. The album is certified platinum in the UK, Netherlands, and New Zealand, and certified gold in Belgium, France, Sweden, and Canada. This was a beautiful synth-pop album with themes on religion. The music and lyrics are great while not being overly religious to the point of being a turn-off. I think any fans of pop music will love this Simple Minds album.

Back and forth between 2-3 but too repetitive

Some good stuff on this. It comes just before they really hit the mark in the mid 80's

4.0 - New wave synth-pop with some slapping bass. I like the way this record gathers to a crescendo with the middle six songs, starting with "Promised You A Miracle." "Big Sleep" beautifully layers sound, each element building on the other. The instrumental "Somebody Up There Likes You" sounds like an Eno-esque ambient composition. "New Gold Dream..." reveals Simple Minds' larger pop ambitions that are more fully realized on later works. Finally, check out Herbie Hancock's synth solo towards the end of "Hunter And The Hunted"!

As a teen in the US in the 80s, it was of course impossible not to know who this band was thanks to their huge hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)" that we all heard at the opening of 'The Breakfast Club'. (True confession: teen me had never heard of or heard Simple Minds before, so I guessed it was David Bowie. Please be kind to my ignorant ears.) I'd heard one or two of these songs before, like "Promised You A Miracle" and maybe "Glittering Prize", and it was cool to learn that Herbie Hancock plays keys on "Hunter And The Hunted" (Herbie Hancock plays a very nice synth solo). Overall, I like this album. Sure, the sounds and styles feel a bit dated to me, maybe in part because there was a lot of this kind of music in the air in the 80s, but this is a skilled and talented band and I like Jim Kerr's voice.

Kinda dark, kind of brooding, kinda camp almost

There was a period when I couldn't stop listening to Simple Minds, considering them sheer brilliance. That period's long gone, but I still love this music, even without Don't You Forget About Me. As for this particular album, it does suffer from the typical overabundance of filler tracks. Simple Minds is one of those obvious calls for "best experienced through a compilation" bands.

Not the experience is was when the album was released. The band had settled on a sound that would drive towards their single known song (not on this album). The singles are good, some of the extended songs work within the context of the album. But it does sound dated. All that glitters is not gold.

bops all around

Perfect album!!

It's really not bad. It's not great either, but not bad. It is, however, the same exact song 9 times over. I guess stick with what's working? But it wasn't anything that great where they can't deviate styles at least a little bit. Favorite track: Someone Somewhere

So indistinct as an 80s album.

Pop muy ochentero con canciones fácilmente escuchables. No hay ningún hit que destaque especialmente. De ese estilo había en aquella época bastantes grupos/discos parecidos

Enjoyed this overall, especially the first song (which I already knew). It has a really unique sound for the time, and I can see how it would have influenced other 80s acts like U2. I really like the bass sound in particular. However, after two full listens none of the other songs really stick out to me. Also, the vocals are really buried. I know it's a stylistic choice, but I don't understand it. So many 80s albums seem to have the same issue, so it kind of dates the album somewhat.

Not horrible, but really not notable. Couple decent songs, but most sound like a rip off of Roxy Music or New Order. Wasn’t this band basically a one hit wonder? Think this is another example of the author projecting his personal interests and nostalgia on to us.

My first encounter with Simple Minds was from The Breakfast Club soundtrack. Their sound blew me away, I recall. Although I am familiar with their later work, this was new to me, and I wished I'd listened to it before. This was the sort of sound that I really loved in '81-'82-'83-'84.

Wait, what about Don't You Forget About Me?? It was okay. I didn't expect to love an album of Simple Minds, so I'm not disappointed.

Even though I really love Don't You (Forget About Me) and Alive and Kicking, but I've never listened to a whole Simple Minds album. Didn't feel like I needed to hear more from them, I guess. For the most part, today's listen supported that feeling. I really loved a few songs but most didn't make me want to hear more.

Simple Minds’ album Once Upon a Time was one of the albums I listened to most in the 80s. It has continued to be in my regular rotation to this day. I adore that album. It is so spectacularly good that I have found it hard to escape its gravity when I am in the mood for Simple Minds. I’ve heard a couple of songs from this album on various collections but never had listened to the album. While I’m glad to have had the opportunity, listening to this made me feel like I was on a date with the wrong person. New Gold Dream just can’t escape the shadow cast by Once Upon a Time. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go spend some time with my true love…

scottish rock idk it’s fine

Anyone who rates this above a 2 has a simple mind.

Punt d'inflexió a la carrera de Simple Minds. Treball pont entre els seus primers discos més arrelats a la new wave i el post punk, i el que seria la seva etapa imperial de mitjans a finals dels '80. Aquí ja deixen dos pistes del que hauria de venir en molt poc temps, amb dos singles tan imbatibles com 'Promised You a Miracle' i 'Glittering Prize'. Altres temes, més elaborats, encara arrosseguen les formes del passat, que tampoc era gens dolent, només que força menys comercial

Meh

Simple Minds has largely passed me by. They sound melodic and emotional and all that, but there's something not quite there for me.

Forgettable: I think I can confidently say that Simple Minds are a bit of a one hit wonder after listening to this. I felt it was lacking in creativity and was just overall a pretty boring way to spend my time listening to music. Could've been better but I'll probably not be revisiting.

Standouts: Promised You a Miracle. Others: Glittering Prize. Someone Somewhere in Summertime. 3/5

Super album

Sounds a bit like if The Cure were neurotypical

Mid 80s

Lo escuché una vez y no recuerdo nada.

Nope, nothing there that I liked

not a big fan of music like this. after a while most of the songs started sounding the same. not my jam, fam.

Some pretty rad 80s ethereal synth. I liked this quite a bit, honestly.

This was ok background early 80’s music but I kept thinking “Why is this on this list? And if things like this need to be included to make the nice roundish number of 1,001, then maybe he should’ve just chosen a more apt number?”

Not sure what the target audience for this is supposed to be. People who hate themselves? Best track: Glittering Prize

Quality wise it’s like a mid tier duran duran song repeated 9 times not bad but nothing amazing 3/5

Didn't listen too much cause I can tell I don't like it. Album cover is too religious too

>.<zzz

I think this album may have got off on the wrong foot in terms of my initial reception of it. I had my streaming service on shuffle the first run through. Second time around, I corrected that and kicked up the volume only to realize that some of my early feelings were about the vocal mix (sitting a little low in places). Also I realized that Somebody Up There Likes You is a real momentum killer on the records. Speaking of the album overall: it's more about atmosphere than I would've expected from Simple Minds. I think you have to look at how the album is thought of in reverse rather than how it was heard when it first came out, the number of "viable singles" on it also seems low for what I expect of this band. As you can see, I have some baggage and expectation of what I'm going to get from Simple Minds and this album also confronts that bias. Maybe on a third listen I'll finally be able to "hear it". Though I admit some impatience while I listen.

This is not really my thing, but I'll say two things: 1 - it was consistent; even though I don't really like it, there weren't really any "bad" songs I guess 2. The bass lines were dope.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) sounds pretty modern, like it could have been made by any of today’s synth bands. Big Sleep and New Gold Dream were also really good. I didn’t think it sounded as dated as a lot of the reviews I’ve seen on this site make it out to be. Bands like Future Islands are making synth-pop records today, so to my ear the sound isn’t stuck in the 80s.

I know who simple minds are but never heard them that I know of. Can't wait for yet more UK new wave. This wasn't bad at all but I forgot it was playing to a large extent. Just one giant blob of new wave nothingness. 2/5.

Saw them at Meadowbank Stadium around 1988 and they were brilliant. Not sure their general sound has aged that well in general. I enjoy a song or two now, like the opening track or Promised You A Miracle, but quite quickly lose interest after that

This was surprisingly disappointing.

The quality of the record is simply amazing, the sound is so clear compared to some albums and bands from 80s and even from more recent times. Bass guitar line at times is just phenomenal - some songs just beg you to go on a dance floor and move. Vocal is kind of underwhelming, but it's nothing serious. Other than quality, I don't see anything special in this album. It's okay when it's just playing in the background, but I wouldn't want to listen to it consciously for whole 40 minutes. Just another average album.

Boring but not bad

It was acceptable of it's era. But it's not hugely interesting nowadays despite being one of the better of it's type

Ace!

Same type of new wave stuff that plagues this list. At least this record has some cool funky undertones.

Why?

Meh

Yep great 80’s album and true 80’s sound deserving of its place on the list.

Boring and very 80s. Not for me

Iconic music executed at its best. One of my all time favourite groups, who produced a quality of sound that is as fresh today as it was 40 years ago.

What an album! I'm glad Ammee made us listen to it non stop!

Great album

Brilliant 80's album! Every track is good.

I really enjoyed this album at first, but it didn't hold my interest all that well. I generally like early synth pop, but this felt like it got a bit samey for me after a while. I'm not sure if that's because I've heard several early synth pop albums now, or because this album is repetitive. I still think it's worth a listen. but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would 3/5

Fave songs: Promised you a miracle, big sleep, new gold dream, hunter and the hunted pretty mediocre synthpop 2/5

Pretty good

An outrageously 80s New-Wave Synth-Pop album. I can totally see how this was probably quite an inspiration for the 80s revival and synthwave scene we're seeing right now, a scene and aesthetic I really love, and probably the thing that got me into 80s Synth-Pop in the first place. I think there was a little too much of the same thing to keep me fully invested for the entire album, but it was still really good. Favourite: Promised You A Miracle

I have so many questions. Why is this on this list? Where’s the fun part? Why does the production sound like someone is vacuuming over top of it? How many more new wave albums make the cut here? I didn’t need to hear this stale, white bread equivalent of a record. 2 stars for some halfway okay songs with Glittering Prize.

I’ll keep it simple: I didn’t pay this record much mind.

more 80s than ever thought possible

Intense work. Good album

This one is interesting...I only knew Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds going into this listen. I was expecting a bigger, more stadium-y sound. But I'm hearing a lot of like.. Depeche Mode in major keys / Devo/Bowie but less interesting / and weirdly a little like..El Ten Eleven/00s sounding guitar & bass work? Maybe that's what notable?

Not my favorite but not the worst at all! Seems like a filler album for this bad nothing really stood out to me but still not a bad listen!

ugh too 80’s for me!

Very 80's. Don't love it, don't hate it

Was ok but not super enthusiastic about it

45 minutes of dreamy goodness

Nice. Very 80s, not extremely memorable but still solid. Could listen to this again sometime.

Have listened to previously, did not relisten. 3.5/5

Probably their best.

Perhaps best known for their single "Don't You (Forget About Me)" that tracks the end credits to coming-of-age film The Breakfast Club, Simple Minds have surprisingly made other music. Don't let the messy album title or cover art deter you! The music inside is worth a listen as you get some of the most instrumentally-rich synthpop/new wave of the 80's. It's a little more moody than some of it's contemporaries, but still more interesting as well. Nonetheless, it contains a lot of the theatrics found in the genre and revels in it. Such a dramatic, dynamic album.

The title song is the best the Simple Minda have ever made. Such a great song.

Jammier and simpler than it sounds.

Bad 80s synthpop that doesn't have their best songs on it. What?

This wasn't great. First song quite catchy, but it quickly degenerates into pretty generic beige new wave, not a lot to distinguish it from a lot of other stuff at the time. Every song outstays its welcome, it's overly repetitive, and just not that interesting. 2/5.

Поначалу альбом показался довольно динамичным и многообещающим, но под конец я не то чтобы хотел выключить, просто устал от однообразия 2+

Очень приятный синтпоп. Кайфанул от вокала и музыки. Очень КРЕПКО

Музыка сама по себе композиционно однообразная и скучная. Дослушивать было уже тяжело. Это что-то вроде дрим-попа, но скорее больше рок. Однако часть треков немыслимым образом попала мне на подкорку и иногда проигрывается в моей голове. Всё вроде такое простое, но атмосферное, слегка гипнотическое. А ещё безладовый бас, можно обновить счётчик. Я кайфанул, но переслушивать целиком смысла нет. Пару тройку треков может быть.

Альбом достаточно приятный и вкусный. Был бы он раза в 1,5-2 меньше, можно было 4 поставить. А так типичные проблемы заеба и 3

Just a really good album to listen to, nothing bad, just wasn’t blown away. 3 T3B 1. Someone Somewhere 2. The King Is White And In The Crowd 3. Glittering Prize

Not really for me. Nothing stood out.

Sounds very similar to Tears for Fears. I'm sure this band was an inspiration for them.

- Love the instrumentals - Vocals are okay but I guess add to the vibe - Background music - Major 80s vibes but not super my thing

- has an atmospheric, industrial pop sound - definitely European - Glittering Prize is a real banger

En tiedä voiko kuulostaa enempää kasarille niin hyvässä kuin pahassa? Taustamusaa.

Ei mun juttu. Peruskakkonen

Very chill and enjoyable. I love the instrumentation, especially the bass but the synths are great too. Glittering Prize is just a fantastic song by any measure.

Not my thing. Interesting music. Vocals threw me off though.

Decent

HL: "Someone Somewhere", "Big Sleep", “Hunter and the Hunted”, “Promised You a Miracle” 3.5 It isn’t obvious to me that this is the same band that came out with “Forget About Me”. There’s more in common with the danceability of New Order, but a cooler shade that’s “The Hurting” era Tears for Fears. Doing this 1001 has improved my 80s synthpop vocabulary for sure, for sure

Je m'attendais à mieux :(

same old

Nothing particularly whizbang but soothing, synth-y goodness

It's 80s. It has synth. I enjoyed it but it also wasn't anything very special.

This gives Talking Heads vibes which is weird but I don’t dislike it. I wish it would have done something to set itself apart more from that standard early 80s synth sound.

I love this album, capturing a moment where the chilly Euro-fluenced dance music they'd been perfecting on Empires and Dance and the Sister Feelings Call set thaw out with a new pop sensibility. It's really one mood, with pop sunshine ('Miracle') and longer more abstract tracks (King Is White) moving the dial back and forth but never leaving the unique mood they create on this album. From hereon in the law of diminishing artistic returns/bigger sales would kick in, as their writing and arrangements became simpler. But marvel at how complete an achievement this is.

I'm not sure why this album was so influential. It feels like every other album by simple minds. This doesn't mean it's bad, i like it a lot actually but it doesn't scream revolutionary to me.

Very cool landmark 80s record! Melodic songwriting at its finest, some very good hooks. Just a brilliant pop record with beautiful sounds. My only gripe is the somewhat muddy mix. Favorite lyrics: - Brilliant days, wake up on Brilliant days. Shadows of brilliant ways will change all the time. Memories, burning gold memories. Cold of day memories change me in these times. - Where did you go? Immaculate friend. For a lifetime I'm grateful. And it's only seconds away. - Like a glittering prize, I saw you up on a clear day. First taking heart, then a last breath away. - The side effects of cruising at the speed of life. - Kyoto in the snow. Heaven's far away. Key tracks: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime), Promised You A Miracle, Big Sleep, Somebody Up There Likes You, New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84), Glittering Prize, Hunter And The Hunted. 8 out of 10

One of the worst albums I’ve ever heard

First time listening. Perhaps no instantly recognizable songs, but lush melodies, funky basslines, sweeping guitars and keyboards aplenty. Had an enjoyable time with it overall, but I'm unlikely to seek this out for more plays.

80s synth pop and new wave are really not my cup of tea but I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. A great collection of songs.

This was alright but I cannot remember a single thing about it

The most notable thing about this album is its horrible album cover. Otherwise the music is unremarkable.

Great 80s bass sound and synths. Catchy hit singles and atmospheric songs. Mature sounding, but with groove. Not yet the stadium rockers of the late 80s. Caught between Bunnymen, Duran, U2 - in a very good way.

Stylish and atmospheric, ‘New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)’ is up there with ‘The Lexicon Of Love’ by ABC and ‘Dare’ by The Human League as the best of the quintessential pop/synth/new wave albums from the early 80s.

Holds up well, especially the relatively complex rhythms and the understated guitar work, which one sometimes must strain to hear over the synths, which never reach "ultimate '80s" degrees off cheesiness but are maybe more prominent than might be considered absolutely ideal. Kerr is a strong vocalist, believable, concerned sounding, a less showy Bono. One wishes there was an auto production filter to hear what this record, made with the studio tech available today or in the aughts, might have sounded. One suspects they were great live and wishes one had seen them so. And hey editors, they ruled more in the early and mid-80s, not late.

I'm not into the 80's New Wave screen, it all feels too much the same.

Atmospheric, rhythmic synth rock pop. Not keen on this style of vocals. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) Date listened: 01/02/23

This is the early 80's alright, didn't necessarily stand out for me.

Best Song: Promised You A Miracle. Just the right amount of 80s pomp and cheese to make me think it's funny-good not funny-bad. Worst Song: Somebody Up There Likes You. Yawn. Overall: Another British album better off left to the annals of history.

This album slipped across my mind without leaving any trace of it's time there.

Woah, some more new wave. Crazy.

liked songs: someone somewhere big sleep glittering prize

Bill

Fresh songs with an easily digestible sound. Quite nice

Basen är helt cool men låtarna e så mid att de int e klokt, förtjänar inte sin plats på listan.

Classic 80's Brit synth-pop. At the time, I preferred the edge of Billy Idol, or the straight up flounce of Culture Club or Wham, but Simple Minds was able to sustain their sound when most acts were like a Roman candle fired into the night sky by MTV, briefly flashing brilliantly before disappearing back into the dark. Never fear, lads. We Won't (Forget About You).

Errm fine, largely forgettable

Ahh the memories

New-wave classic. Still not a huge fan but it was a fun listen.

1.5

baita som, oitentista e pa

Interesting at times but quite boring and dragged

very 80s

This album couldn't sound more 80s if it tried...and not in a good way. All the cliches of the era...cold, emotionless vocals, overproduced, excessive synths. Endless, boring, and repetitive. Truly awful and uninspiring. I'm 32 albums in and this was the worst experience to date.

LOVE 80s synth pop. Really enjoyed this!!

Pure, shiny, hook-driven pop, and that is by no means a bad thing. Jim Kerr sounds great here.

Nice?

Okay

A great groover that earns itself a solid, strong 4 from me. Really easy to make a mediocre muck of this genre, but they do it right with catchy hooks, varied production backing the synth-i-ness of it all, and a dramatically romantic lead with a brass voice. No moments where they go above and beyond to me, feels more slow burn on the dance floor in a drug haze type vibes, so at 4 it stays. Standout Tracks: Someone Somewhere In Summertime, Promised You A Miracle, Somebody up There Likes You, Hunter And The Hunted

I like most 80's music and I have always liked Simple Minds just fine. I was the exact right age for Breakfast Club so there's that. Anyway, this is *very* 80's and I enjoyed it completely. I am not particularly convinced this album belongs on this list but I'm happy to have had it brought to my attention.

I'm warming up to 80s synth pop, but I'm still not quite there. This album didn't hurt the cause at all, tho. It's clear there's craft and ability here, but still can't quite get past the tools.

I like Simple Minds and understand the significance of this album. Just don’t think it is great.

De sacrées bonnes synthpoperies qui auront trouvé leur public au creux de mes oreilles crasseuses.

Cet album vous permet désormais de comprendre pourquoi j'ai interverti mon père avec celui de mon camarade d'écoute robgouttière. En effet, alors que je me rapprochais de plus en plus du père de rob, et de sa caverne a vinyles hard rock, mon propre père tenta de s'interposer, et me glissa un album dans les mains afin de regagner mon coeur. Cet album, c'était New Gold Dream de Simple Minds. Comme vous le savez désormais, cet album est de très piètre qualité, ce qui finit d'entâcher complétement la relation qui me liait à mon père.

Wonderful in the day. Lots of good songs.

It was OK. Started blending together quite a bit. There are better new wave early 80's bands IMO.

Ok album, some cool 80s synth sounds, but overall pretty forgettable... no real bangers :(

Photographing SM at a Day on the Green a few years ago (with the B-52s supporting) was one of life's great thrills. This is the album when they start to morph into the 80s stadium band they became. Some great songs - the title track, Glittering Prize, Promised You a Miracle - but not their best album. I prefer its predecessor, Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call, which, like their earlier albums, is a lot more 'Kraut-y' (if such a word exists). Some good footage of them on the Tube playing these songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK-thT2IaaA with their best line-up.

Didn't get it. Don't get it.

Aika tylsä, ehkä yksi hyvä biisi ja loput solahtaa toisesta korvasta sisään, toisesta ulos.

Tutussa Miracle-biisissä on jotain potkua, mutta yleisesti ottaen levyllä on tehty melodisesti ja soinnillisesti aivan liikaa heikkoja ratkaisuja. Laulu ei myöskään kuulosta hyvältä - kyllä, se on taito myös taitamattomassa muodossaan.

First things first, that is a horrible album cover. Is that Papyrus? Why does the design look like the cover of a Bible knockoff? Onto the music. It had a darker spin on new wave which I liked, but sadly most songs were pretty forgettable. The only two that are worth a relisten are Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) and Promised You a Miracle. Maybe this is why Simple Minds only ended up having one hit.

looks super jesusy. Not great I didn't wanna finish it. 1 star for that. maybe 2 for at least not being too noisy but depends on my mood tomorrow.

Unremarkable New Wave. Nothing stands out as something I'd want to listen to again.

A band I'd tried getting into on the premise I was missing something. Conjures memories of the 80's and John Hughes movies but there's a lot more going on behind the facade. The hits are a real treat but the rest is a bit hit and miss as you'd expect. All in all this is high-end 80's New Wave.

I never could get int Simple Minds honestly. My mom loves them but i think it's just because of nostalgia. This album was pretty boring, all the songs sounded exactly the same, the lyrics are quite bad and it overall feels really dated. The only people that could like this album are Simple Minds fans, people who reeeally like new wave, nostalgic Gen X people and Tik Tok teenagers that feel that they were "born in the wrong generation".

- симпатично - даже как депеш мод - британцы все ясно ;)))

Midish. Maybe 3.5

I can't tell if I genuinely liked this or if, due to my age, I am predisposed to feeling comforted by 80's synths and Jim Kerr's voice so there are may be two stars of bias in this rating.

Idk pretty boring I thought

It's okay, but not really my thing. 3 stars.

devoid of hooks or melody

Eh

Eh

I had never heard this album, and was only aware of a couple of singles by Simple Minds. This album started out a bit meh for me but then really grew on me. I really enjoy the vocals and there is some good songwriting. Overall enjoyed this listen but not sure I'll seek it out again.

You had me at “‘82.” I just love the 80s vibe, so it’s a good start for me. Didn’t get much of a chance to listen to the rest of it

Good, classic music. Really enjoyed it but didn’t absolutely love it.

I really enjoyed the sound they make, quite 80s so nostalgic but more than that. 4*

Enjoyable in an 80s way.

I really enjoyed this album. The bass was great throughout each track. The only thing was that I had a difficult time hearing the lyrics.

I along with most people really only know their one big hit, Don't You (Forget About Me), so this was a real treat to hear the band a few years prior. First thing of note to me was how involved the bass playing is; every song has a slick bass line that drives them forward. The layering of the mix with different synth sounds along with the rest of the band makes for a really fun soundscape that shifts with each song. Overall I’d say I was definitely not expecting 80’s pop to be so fine tuned; make no mistake, this is an album firmly planted in the 80’s, but even 40 years on now, it still sounds great. Extra points for so many of the album's 9 songs hitting the 5-minute mark. Top pick from first listen is "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel." Even though this is the shortest song, the bass line drives the groove right from the get-go, the drum playing perfectly syncopated and I love the sparse hits from the synth, it creates such a vibe. Shout out to the single "Glittering Prize" and it’s ethereal like synths and constantly moving bass line.

Not very exciting, interesting sounds though for the time.

Oh, well, Simple Minds. I remember liking *Street Fighting Years* when I was a teenager. And also *Life In A Year*, from their early, more post-punk phase (was it the name of the album, or the name of one of its songs?--can't honestly remember, and I have betterthings to do now than to check out those things). Sadly, whenever I tried to revisit this band, I found most of everything they've done cheesy and quite cringeworthy. Which is very ironic given that I have warmed up to a lot of other British eighties pop bands since my younger years. This album is no exception. A few decent songs here and there, but the whole has definitely not aged well compared to similar acts of that area. Now, I've noticed that this list singles out a lot of records that hit the charts when they were released. Hey, Robert, just because a record meets commercial success at some point in time, helping the band that recorded it to "break out", doesn't always mean that what they've spawned is... essential. Number of records I've reviewed: less than 800 Number of records I'll keep on my own list: half so far, approximately. Number of records I might keep: a quarter. Number of records I won't keep: another quarter (including this one).

Not really my thing.

Decent old 80s new wave. Very creative, maybe to creative for more radio airplay back in the day. New and familiar at the same time because of the genre that I grew up listening to. The instrumental was a nice surprise. It reminds me of a tune I might hear in a dance club scene in a movie like Scarface.

Definitely one of the most important new wave records of that time and maybe the best album by Simple Minds. This is a project which every pop music's fan really should enjoy, because this is a very well produced LP of that genre.

This was ok. Grand for some background music but nothing to write home about

Slightly bland new wave

Ok

oh nice, that one-hit-wonder band this album was really good, I’m not too picky when it comes to this genre solid 9/10

3-4 idk, mild

How... how many versions do these songs need?

Pretty fun, very 80s

Muy ochentero, bien pero nada muy especial para mí. 3.

This album made me sleepy. Had some nice bass lines and synths but mostly I had a really hard time finding anything to grab on to. Not a fan of the singer’s voice.

Really similar to the smiths, not bad I kinda liked it but had trouble staying interested

I actually liked this. I don't think I would listen again but it was groovy and I kinda liked the low vocals.

Groovy bass lines

Not really earth-shattering for me personally, but it was still enjoyable

Beetje traag, wel leuk achtergrond muziekje.

Sjećam se da sam vidio ovo na nekoj listi albuma, ne znam za šta je bilo pa sam preslušao i ono, okej album, ali ništa zbog čeg bi se više puta vratio.

I don't know if I've heard more than one song from Simple Minds, and sometimes it takes me a minute to remember that that one song is from Simple Minds. Similar to the Pyschodelic Furs, Simple Minds are a band that I think I like, but I don't know enough of their catalog. I was pleasantly surprised by the album New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84). Their sound definitely takes me back to the 80s because I was present for what was on the radio at the time, and not because the tracks sounded like they are STUCK in the 80s. New Gold Dream could fit in with what's on the radio today. The album is consistently good or better. I found myself enjoying the album more as I continued to listen. My favorite tracks were "Somebody Up There Likes You (Instrumental)", "New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)", and "Glittering Prize". I could easily listen to this album again.

Love the singer. Songs are decent.

Not as bad as I thought it would be.

Awfully dated sound. Expensive production in the 80s that sounds like factory effects for karaoke on a 90s boom box. The low end has lovely punch, but the rest is just meh. (Prior listen)

Magnificent as is this band as well.

Every song sounds like it's going to be "Relax" by Frankie goes to Hollywood, but they always turn out to be better.

Not my cup of tea

Yeah

80s synth pop is fine, but not something I would typically seek out. Didn't realize that Simple Minds had such a history. Overall just decent. 2.5/5

basic 80s stuff

Ok electronica, easy listening

this album just made me bored. it was unexciting and unremarkable. it was rather soft, too, and simple minds had a rather lethargic sound here. the one redeeming quality is the instrumentation on "somebody up there likes you". that was rather pretty and felt like a fantasy. overall, i didn't hate the album and i do like synth, but i couldn't get enthused even after several listens.

You know, despite the global rating on this album, I was pretty hopeful. I was really into the first few tracks and loved the pure, unapologetic 80s synth sounds. However, by about midway through the album, everything kind of blurred together and the songs became less and less distinct to me. I still liked it okay, and I'd still listen again, but it just didn't turn out to be great to me!

What a bleh album. Its decent 80s synth pop, but its all bleh and mashed together. There’s little substance besides droning boops and blips, and the occasional generic lyric. This is not how you do synth music.

This has to be the worst album name and artwork combination I've ever seen. I thought I was going to be listening to gospel garbage. It's... kind of whatever honestly. Like most of this 80s synth-heavy stuff, it hasn't aged the best. There's something missing here. The mixing is very weird. I couldn't pay attention to the lyrics at all because the guy's vocals sound like they're coming from the bottom of a well. There's better and more influential synthpop out there. I don't really get this album's inclusion, but meh who cares. It was listenable.

belb lbelb

I didn't think much of this. It was just ok. Pretty same-y overall. Promised you a miracle was decent though. It had a cool synth line.

It was fine but sounds like a lot of other new wave stuff for me. Not too exciting.