Today is Valentine's Day, a day for lovers, so I thought I'd post a love song called Love Song. This photo of a wall at Liverpool Tate from a year ago popped up too, Peter Bake's pop art covering a wall of the cafe and it seemed apt.
In 1981 Simple Minds released two albums together as a pair (and not as a double album, just to make that distinction clear), Sons And Fascination and Sister Feelings Call. Between them they contain some of the best songs of the group's back catalogue and of 1981. Both were produced by Steve Hillage, which is often a mark of quality. Not that I realised this until about ten years ago when I finally saw the light about early Simple Minds and bought this pair of records at a second hand shop. Side Two of Sons And Fascination kicks off with Love Song, a song that rides in on a squiggly, urgent synth riff and then driving, pulsing drums and bass. A writhing topline, distorted guitar I think, slides all over the song and then Jim Kerr starts singing about coats of many colours, reptile men, painted faces and broken fingers, how America is a boyfriend and later on, of 'glory days that come and go'. The chorus is simply, 'Love song/ love song/ love song/ love song'.
3 comments:
Good choice of song. Yeah there's a clear line to be drawn with Simple Minds isn't there? Funny too that most people draw it at or after New Gold Dream. After that, the temptation for bombast and clumsiness always won. Shame.
It's been a very long time since I heard this and it sounds remarkably fresh. Great stuff.
Love Song was #14 in my 45 45s @ 45 rundown back in 2008. It would likely still occupy a grandiose position if I was to update things this year.
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