Simple Minds - Glittering Prize 81/92

Greatest Hits...Lite

Far from comprehensive, this collection is ok for the casual listener, but lacks the strength to pull off showcasing the band.

Offhand, the edited versions of "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself" really are somewhat disappointing; they just do not compare to the album versions.

There are some catchy tunes here that aren't widely known, "See the Lights" just is impossible not to like, as is "Belfast Child". Everbody knows "Don't You (Forget about Me)".

Crucial omissions from "Sparkle in the Rain" and "New Gold Dream" pretty much relegate this album to simply ok.

Even the newer greatest hits collection falls short; Simple Minds can't be summed up in 1 or 2 CDs. February 6, 2005

A hidden gem

Simple Minds produced some of the greatest music--ever. Their best years were these--from 1981 to 1992. They sound like an '80s band, but their lyrics are far more powerful than a lot of bands of that decade. It's also great mood music as the lyrics are very stirring emotionally and really connect with the inner self in a way that no other music does. "Alive and Kicking" is just good music; it celebrates being alive. "Don't you forget about me"--we all remember from the Breakfast Club. "Promised You A Miracle" is a mood song that pokes fun at the times--the greed and materialism of the '80s and mocking the idea that money could buy happiness. "Sanctify Yourself" has a Christian overtone to it and touches on the themes of redemption. "The Belfast Child" is a moving ballad about Northern Ireland and a plea for peace and harmony between the warring factions. "Up On the Catwalk" is about life's complexities. "Let There be love" is a very powerful ballad on relationships--the line "She leads you to Heaven's door, then leaves you for dirt" is especially powerful. Unfortunately, that line describes far too many romantic relationships today. "Someone Somewhere In Summertime" is probably the greatest song ever written. It's about a summertime love that is more than a summer fling and that she was the only person in the world who understood you. It's a song laced with sadness and hope in equal measure. All in all, this is an album from a band who should have enjoyed the same kind of success as the Beatles. March 22, 2004

The Songs are GREAT!

Well, yes... for the price. I give Simple Minds 5++ stars, I gave this CD 4 stars; but compared to the "The Best Of Simple Minds" imported collection CD I would give it less than 3. Why? Because all of these songs ARE included in the "The Best Of Simple Minds" collection, not only that; they are complete not like this one in which some songs are shorter, the ones I can remember from the top of my head are "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself". Besides, the CD is named "Glittering Prize" but, for crying out loud "Glittering Prize" is NOT included! (in the imported [remastered] version "Glittering Prize" IS included but costs more).

I owned this CD for 10 years, and the songs never got old to me, I was always wondering how to get my hands on more Simple Minds music which used to be so hard to get (all I could find was Glittering Price wherever I'd go), when the "Best Of" came along I grabbed it as quick as I could. My suggestion: Buy the "The Best Of Simple Minds" (32 songs collection) you really do get more for the money, the imported version is the best. It has all of these songs in full, plus "Glittering Prize", "Ghostdancing" and "Life In A Day" which are definitely worth the cost. The only flaw is that "New Gold Dream 81 82 83 84" is not there which is to me, the best song from Simple Minds. But no matter! Find that song in the album with the same name and enjoy! August 28, 2002

A Good Listen

There are a few bands that provide a good representation of the generation that I grew up in. Simple Minds is one of those bands. Anyone who was around in the `80s has heard this band at one time or another whether they know it or not, probably from the "Breakfast Club" theme.

"Glittering Prize" is a compilation of twelve of their hits from 1981 to 1992. The heart of the band stayed the same for this time as several bassists and drummers came and went. Jim Kerr fronts the band with a smooth, hypnotic voice that helps give Simple Minds its unique sound. Charlie Burchill on guitars and Michael McNeil on the keys round out the band.

Simple Minds composed all of the songs that appears on this album, except for "Don't You (Forget About Me)", which was actually written by Keith Forsey with a few changes by the Minds. After listening to this album (or just knowing the Minds) you can tell that it wasn't written by the band.

This is a definitely hit filled album. With great songs like "Someone, Somewhere In Summertime" "Promised You a Miracle" and "All the Things She Said". "Waterfront" is the classic Minds sound with Kerr's powerful voice, and the band's much bigger sound than its size that would dominate their sound into the next millennium. The album opens with "Alive and Kicking" setting the tone for the album of just plain good song-writing and musicianship. "Sanctify Yourself" shows that the Minds can turn up the heat and sound a little more raw when they want to. My favorite track is the hypnotic "See the Lights".

Since the Minds have been around for so long, starting with "Glittering Prize" is not a bad idea. It is a well assembled album and flows well. If you prefer live albums, definitely start with the excellent "Live In the City of Light". June 13, 2002

Re: Business as usual

A reviewer here has mentioned that this collection misses Simple Minds' first seven albums, but in fact it misses the first five: Album #6 which is called "Celebration" is a compilation of the songs from their first five releases. Glittering Prize picks up tracks starting with the "New Gold Dream (81 82 83 84)" (album #7), which coincidentally was their debut in the U.S., and ends with "Real Life" (1991), including only one song (Belfast Child) from the highly politically themed "The Street Fighting Years" (1989). The retrospective was issued in Europe with 16 tracks, but the US version was somehow stripped down to 12 cuts only. In any case if you think about it, Celebration put together with Glittering Prize is a more definitive greatest hits package. However compared to some other bands such as Ultravox or Men At Work which have numerous compilations out there, bands such as the Scottish Simple Minds or Australian Icehouse have hardly any. To do justice is to issue a decent and comprehensive two-disc anthology for S.M. so that the younger generation who cannot or don't want to purchase all of their previous releases could have a quick overview of what Simple Minds has to offer. Below I am including the album discography for the band to date.

[Update in 2005] Interestingly enough, just a few months after my review was first published in July of 2001, S.M. issued a record of cover songs, followed by a two-disc comprehensive anthology much like the one I had requested. There has also been a series of digital remasters of all of their albums up to 1998's Neapolis. What we now need is a box set of the original 12-inch remixes, B-sides and rarities!

1. Life In A Day (1979) 2. Real To Real Cacophony (1979) 3. Empires And Dance (1980) 4. Sons And Fascination (1981) 5. Sister Feelings Call (1981) 6. Celebration (1982) 7. New Gold Dream (81 82 83 84) (1982) 8. Sparkle In The Rain (1984) 9. Once Upon A Time (1985) 10. Live - In The City Of Light (1987) 11. Street Fighting Years (1989) 12. Real Life (1991) 13. Glittering Prize (1992) 14. Good News From The Next World (1995) 15. Neapolis (1998) 16. Our Secrets Are The Same (1999) 17. Neon Lights (collection of cover songs) (2001) 18. The Best Of (2xCD) (2001) 19. Cry (2002) 20. Black & White 050505 (2005) July 25, 2001

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