The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

threespires said:
Whilst foggy eases himself into the day, just to say thanks to all who listened especially those who struggled with it. In relation to the whole question of 'world music' whether there is or isn't a degree of pretentiousness the great advantage of having a bit of a foray is that by definition you will hear sounds and ways of doing things that aren't available on your own doorstep. Once upon a time that exploration could be prohibitively expensive but with modern technology it's much easier to discover something you didn't even know you were missing. As I mentioned before, the particular hypnotic vibe of this album is something I've not managed to find a facsimile of on our shores despite venturing into a few genres that are in one way or another similar.

Anyway, a triple thanks to Coatigan for pointing me in their direction, then curating peoples responses to the album much more than I did! and most of all for providing a fantastic, enviable story with great pics.
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regretting my 6 now. i think it was worth more overall. anyway time to move on
 
Simple Minds -- Sparkle In The Rain (1984)

Apologies to those non-Simpsons fans (if there are any) who didn't pick up on the clues. The first record title clue was from an episode in which a Japanese laundry detergent company's mascot -- Mr. Sparkle -- bore a striking resemblance to Homer Simpson. Anyway . . . .

Those of us of a certain dotage and inclination all have our favo(u)rite early 80s new wave standbys — we’ve had ABC, Big Country and Echo and the Bunnymen on this thread already just to name a few. I have mine too, and one of them is this record by this band.

“Sparkle In The Rain” was great junk when it came out, but unlike a lot of great junk I once enjoyed, this one has stuck with me for forty years, and I’ve never tired of it.

That’s unusual as its birth was from all the places I typically hate: new-found fame and a pompous lead singer trying to craft a “stadium” sound, driven in part by U2 (though SM claims THEY influenced U2). But they pulled it off — the huge Mel Gaynor drums, the echoey keyboards, the thumpy bass, guitar-as-atmospheric-accompaniment-not-lead, all combining to overcome Jim Kerr’s natural twatishness. And of course they did, because Steve Lillywhite produced this. That this band went into a tailspin of pop mediocrity including the odiously-popular-in-the-US “Don’t You Forget About Me” after this record means I caught them just in time. And since I’ve never understood what Chrissie Hynde could ever have seen in a dime store Bryan Ferry knock off like Jim Kerr, I’ve basically just pretended this is the only record Simple Minds ever released, though I admit there is some of “New Gold Dream” I play (infrequently).

I discovered this — as I did so much music I love — from my freshman year in college roommate Mack, who had an orange mohawk. He was later involved in the mid/late-80s Washington DC punk scene, and quickly tired of this, one of his many hundreds of records, and I bought the vinyl off him because for whatever reason it just stuck in my head. Unlike in the UK, where it went #1, “Sparkle In The Rain” was never really popular here, so like OMD, Peter Gabriel and (especially) New Order, I felt like I got on the bandwagon a bit earlier than my Yankee peers. I jumped off immediately when “Pretty In Pink” (the movie) came out though (John Hughes — ugh), rocketing Simple Minds to heights unseen here and nearly ruining a good Psychedelic Furs song in the process.

The songs I like best here are “Waterfront”, “The Kick Inside Of Me”, “Up On The Catwalk” and two more unusual ones — the cover of Lou Reed’s “Street Hassle” and the closing instrumental “Shake Off The Ghosts”. The first three all have a little more punch and edge then both earlier and later Simple Minds, and for whatever reason the cover seems to work really well for me. The closer has always been a contender for one of my “funeral songs” — I don’t know why I find it so moving and emotional. It might be that I connect this record with growing up and leaving behind the past to embrace the future. Or something like that — Simple Minds is perhaps more profound when there aren’t any lyrics. The rest of these tunes all still sound good to me — even though “East at Easter” is a bit doleful, I don’t hear any clunkers.

Speaking of lyrics, a few folks tried to read some sort of spiritual mysticism into Kerr’s words and they way he kind of moans/chants them, which draws instant comparison to Bono. In neither case do I want to give either man any more credit for meaning than they already think they offer themselves, so you be the judge. As with nearly all bands, the vocals are the least important element to me. No matter how they’re sung, the words here seem as meaningless as most other early 80s new wave junk.

Seen in that context, for me, “Sparkle In The Rain” is music for cleaning out my garage, walking my dog, driving a windy road, and all those other mundane things that occupy my time. It’s been a very comfortable pair of shoes for a long time, and the soles still haven’t worn out.

Happy listening!
 
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mrbelfry said:
regretting my 6 now. i think it was worth more overall. anyway time to move on
Click to expand...
Aye, I did wonder that. You gave an album you didn't enjoy at all, which you mentioned about 20 times in your review, a 5. And then gave an album you enjoyed a fair bit more, which you mentioned about 40 times in your review, a 6? ;)
 
Initially I thought you were going with Sparkle and Fade, but the artists clues didn't tally up, so I looped round the 'two'.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Simple Minds -- Sparkle In The Rain

Apologies to those non-Simpsons fans (if there are any) who didn't pick up on the clues. The first record title clue was from an episode in which a Japanese laundry detergent company's mascot -- Mr. Sparkle -- bore a striking resemblance to Homer Simpson. Anyway . . . .

Those of us of a certain dotage and inclination all have our favo(u)rite early 80s new wave standbys — we’ve had ABC, Big Country and Echo and the Bunnymen on this thread already just to name a few. I have mine too, and one of them is this record by this band.

“Sparkle In The Rain” was great junk when it came out, but unlike a lot of great junk I once enjoyed, this one has stuck with me for nearly forty years, and I’ve never tired of it.

That’s unusual as its birth was from all the places I typically hate: new-found fame and a pompous lead singer trying to craft a “stadium” sound, driven in part by U2 (though SM claims THEY influenced U2). But they pulled it off — the huge Mel Gaynor drums, the echoey keyboards, the thumpy bass, guitar-as-atmospheric-accompaniment-not-lead, all combining to overcome Jim Kerr’s natural twatishness. And of course they did, because Steve Lillywhite produced this. That this band went into a tailspin of pop mediocrity including the odiously-popular-in-the-US “Don’t You Forget About Me” after this record means I caught them just in time. And since I’ve never understood what Chrissie Hynde could ever have seen in a dime store Bryan Ferry knock off like Jim Kerr, I’ve basically just pretended this is the only record Simple Minds ever released, though I admit there is some of “New Gold Dream” I play (infrequently).

I discovered this — as I did so much music I love — from my freshman year in college roommate Mack, who had an orange mohawk. He was later involved in the mid/late-80s Washington DC punk scene, and quickly tired of this, one of his many hundreds of records, and I bought the vinyl off him because for whatever reason it just stuck in my head. Unlike in the UK, where it went #1, “Sparkle In The Rain” was never really popular here, so like OMD, Peter Gabriel and (especially) New Order, I felt like I got on the bandwagon a bit earlier than my Yankee peers. I jumped off immediately when “Pretty In Pink” (the movie) came out though (John Hughes — ugh), rocketing Simple Minds to heights unseen here and nearly ruining a good Psychedelic Furs song in the process.

The songs I like best here are “Waterfront”, “The Kick Inside Of Me”, “Up On The Catwalk” and two more unusual ones — the cover of Lou Reed’s “Street Hassle” and the closing instrumental “Shake Off The Ghosts”. The first three all have a little more punch and edge then both earlier and later Simple Minds, and for whatever reason the cover seems to work really well for me. The closer has always been a contender for one of my “funeral songs” — I don’t know why I find it so moving and emotional. It might be that I connect this record with growing up and leaving behind the past to embrace the future. Or something like that — Simple Minds is perhaps more profound when there aren’t any lyrics. The rest of these tunes all still sound good to me — even though “East at Easter” is a bit doleful, I don’t hear any clunkers.

Speaking of lyrics, a few folks tried to read some sort of spiritual mysticism into Kerr’s words and they way he kind of moans/chants them, which draws instant comparison to Bono. In neither case do I want to give either man any more credit for meaning than they already think they offer themselves, so you be the judge. As with nearly all bands, the vocals are the least important element to me. No matter how they’re sung, the words here seem as meaningless as most other early 80s new wave junk.

Seen in that context, for me, “Sparkle In The Rain” is music for cleaning out my garage, walking my dog, driving a windy road, and all those other mundane things that occupy my time. It’s been a very comfortable pair of shoes for a long time, and the soles still haven’t worn out.

Happy listening!
Click to expand...
Minus 1 already for not liking the late, great John Hughes :)
 
Coatigan said:
Initially I thought you were going with Sparkle and Fade, but the artists clues didn't tally up, so I looped round the 'two'.
Click to expand...
I have still not decided if I like "Sparkle and Fade" or "So Much For The Afterglow" better. I still play them both. I think S&F probably wins because of Heroin Girl and Santa Monica, but my wife likes SMFTA better. Everclear is still one of the most memorable bands I've ever seen live.
 
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Coatigan said:
Aye, I did wonder that. You gave an album you didn't enjoy at all, which you mentioned about 20 times in your review, a 5. And then gave an album you enjoyed a fair bit more, which you mentioned about 40 times in your review, a 6? ;)
Click to expand...
I think they both had the same "faults" whereas Tinawiren overall felt more organic and real - Greenleaf felt more the product of a marketing team. Tinawiren was also a little brighter and less dense which i enjoyed. Youtube did throw a view video recommendations from Greenleaf and I think I like the band - their videos are well made and they seem to be much more approachable in those but the album left little impression other than corporate shills. Sometimes I also take my opinions and thoughts to an extreme for entertainment value.

The 0-10 marking scheme is kind of imprecise also and I was mindful of what I had given 7's to previously - i did vacillate between those two scores and in the end decided I didn't trust my own motivations to score it higher. I felt like i was tempted to push my own virtue by saying this was good. I think i found it difficult to express that clearer in my review - essentially i'm a no nothing muppet but by liking certain things i can momentarily appear to be a better person than I am. Perhaps I'm also a narcissistic over thinker but for example I'm listening to this album wanting to like it more because Fog nominated it and I want him to like me. I'm a bit of a loser like that
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Simple Minds -- Sparkle In The Rain

Apologies to those non-Simpsons fans (if there are any) who didn't pick up on the clues. The first record title clue was from an episode in which a Japanese laundry detergent company's mascot -- Mr. Sparkle -- bore a striking resemblance to Homer Simpson. Anyway . . . .

Those of us of a certain dotage and inclination all have our favo(u)rite early 80s new wave standbys — we’ve had ABC, Big Country and Echo and the Bunnymen on this thread already just to name a few. I have mine too, and one of them is this record by this band.

“Sparkle In The Rain” was great junk when it came out, but unlike a lot of great junk I once enjoyed, this one has stuck with me for nearly forty years, and I’ve never tired of it.

That’s unusual as its birth was from all the places I typically hate: new-found fame and a pompous lead singer trying to craft a “stadium” sound, driven in part by U2 (though SM claims THEY influenced U2). But they pulled it off — the huge Mel Gaynor drums, the echoey keyboards, the thumpy bass, guitar-as-atmospheric-accompaniment-not-lead, all combining to overcome Jim Kerr’s natural twatishness. And of course they did, because Steve Lillywhite produced this. That this band went into a tailspin of pop mediocrity including the odiously-popular-in-the-US “Don’t You Forget About Me” after this record means I caught them just in time. And since I’ve never understood what Chrissie Hynde could ever have seen in a dime store Bryan Ferry knock off like Jim Kerr, I’ve basically just pretended this is the only record Simple Minds ever released, though I admit there is some of “New Gold Dream” I play (infrequently).

I discovered this — as I did so much music I love — from my freshman year in college roommate Mack, who had an orange mohawk. He was later involved in the mid/late-80s Washington DC punk scene, and quickly tired of this, one of his many hundreds of records, and I bought the vinyl off him because for whatever reason it just stuck in my head. Unlike in the UK, where it went #1, “Sparkle In The Rain” was never really popular here, so like OMD, Peter Gabriel and (especially) New Order, I felt like I got on the bandwagon a bit earlier than my Yankee peers. I jumped off immediately when “Pretty In Pink” (the movie) came out though (John Hughes — ugh), rocketing Simple Minds to heights unseen here and nearly ruining a good Psychedelic Furs song in the process.

The songs I like best here are “Waterfront”, “The Kick Inside Of Me”, “Up On The Catwalk” and two more unusual ones — the cover of Lou Reed’s “Street Hassle” and the closing instrumental “Shake Off The Ghosts”. The first three all have a little more punch and edge then both earlier and later Simple Minds, and for whatever reason the cover seems to work really well for me. The closer has always been a contender for one of my “funeral songs” — I don’t know why I find it so moving and emotional. It might be that I connect this record with growing up and leaving behind the past to embrace the future. Or something like that — Simple Minds is perhaps more profound when there aren’t any lyrics. The rest of these tunes all still sound good to me — even though “East at Easter” is a bit doleful, I don’t hear any clunkers.

Speaking of lyrics, a few folks tried to read some sort of spiritual mysticism into Kerr’s words and they way he kind of moans/chants them, which draws instant comparison to Bono. In neither case do I want to give either man any more credit for meaning than they already think they offer themselves, so you be the judge. As with nearly all bands, the vocals are the least important element to me. No matter how they’re sung, the words here seem as meaningless as most other early 80s new wave junk.

Seen in that context, for me, “Sparkle In The Rain” is music for cleaning out my garage, walking my dog, driving a windy road, and all those other mundane things that occupy my time. It’s been a very comfortable pair of shoes for a long time, and the soles still haven’t worn out.

Happy listening!
Click to expand...
Haha, I was looking forward to you making Simple Minds and JK sound cool!
Thank god you didn't.
For me Sparkle in the Rain is one of those odd weekend nights, you have a bit too much wine (actually a great deal too much) and you want to wind the Mrs up by putting Jim on and singing along very loudly.
I will give it a spin for the first time in a while (whilst completely sober) :-).
 
mrbelfry said:
I think they both had the same "faults" whereas Tinawiren overall felt more organic and real - Greenleaf felt more the product of a marketing team. Tinawiren was also a little brighter and less dense which i enjoyed. Youtube did throw a view video recommendations from Greenleaf and I think I like the band - their videos are well made and they seem to be much more approachable in those but the album left little impression other than corporate shills. Sometimes I also take my opinions and thoughts to an extreme for entertainment value.

The 0-10 marking scheme is kind of imprecise also and I was mindful of what I had given 7's to previously - i did vacillate between those two scores and in the end decided I didn't trust my own motivations to score it higher. I felt like i was tempted to push my own virtue by saying this was good. I think i found it difficult to express that clearer in my review - essentially i'm a no nothing muppet but by liking certain things i can momentarily appear to be a better person than I am. Perhaps I'm also a narcissistic over thinker but for example I'm listening to this album wanting to like it more because Fog nominated it and I want him to like me. I'm a bit of a loser like that
Click to expand...
It was a jokey remark, but thanks for taking it seriously.
 
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