Simple Minds: Once Upon A Time - 1985

The next album from Simple Minds' run in the mid-eighties saw even more guitar introduced as the U2 stadium vibe continued apace with even more commercial success, bolstered by the wonderful stand-alone single, Don’t You Forget About Me. 

The title track, Once Upon A Time, merges sweeping synth riffs with a big, punchy stadium-shaking sound guaranteed to reach the upper rows of enormous arenas. Jim Kerr's voice has audibly deepened and matured and he is no longer a coy youth but a confident Bono-like leader of a band at the top of their game. The instrumental interplay near the end is great and the group, playing stuff like this, are starting to appeal to me a lot more. Great track. 

Some excellent guitar introduces All The Things She Said, which again has the group bulking out their sound and really giving it some oomph. Ghost Dancing continues the rocky quality with some fine, upbeat grooves. A slight funkiness is once again detectable and Kerr's voice positively soars again. Check out that great guitar bit near the end - I never thought I would say that about Simple Minds in 1982-83 yet in 1985 I was. 

The best-known track was the infectious, anthemic Alive And Kicking, with its Bono-modelled lead vocals and soulful backing ones. It is a monster of a track - beautifully grandiose and boastful. There is now a far more "proper" drum sound from drummer Mel Gaynor, something that pleased me. 

The frantic, upbeat Oh Jungleland is nothing to do with Bruce Springsteen's song but is about one of Glasgow's rougher neighbourhoods, known as "the jungle" (I think, or was that a part of the old Celtic Park football ground?). Either way, it's about Glasgow, Kerr's home city. It has hints of David Bowie and also the Velvet Underground in tiny places, for me. 

I Wish You Were Here is a moody, shuffling number but one that still packs a punch while Sanctify Yourself is another stadium singalong celebration - get those hands in the air. The final track, Come A Long Way, is fine serving of synth-pop-funk, with Charlie Burchill's guitar well used once more. Those thumping drums are great too. A really good album.