from the LP New Gold Dream, Virgin Records, 1982I always feel a sharp emotional distance from the world right after major holidays pass, only for a brief moment, but it’s a tangible shift---it’s almost as if I expect us all to change in some way, but every year we’re back to the same routines and attitudes before the turkey & stuffing are even done digesting in our stomachs! I’m as guilty as the next person, and all one has to do is venture out shopping this weekend to get a distinct taste of how fast the courteousness has left the building; that being said, I did manage to get some gifts and all of our X-mas cards bought, so hooray! Anyways, instrumental tracks by Scottish crew the Simple Minds always seem to connect with my distant mindstate, and although my favorite of theirs is probably “Theme for Great Cities”, this one is a close second, currently receiving heavy rotation in my abode; I’m hooked on the scant production and minimal feel here, particularly the sparseness of the quasi-breakdown, it’s exceedingly deconstructed. They never looked back after this album, embracing pop and leaving their art-punk beginnings (along with a small contingent of old school fans) in the past, with even greater changes to come later on.
