- Black & White 050505

Been a fan since that ICONIC song. Ran out and bought once upon time, back then I had it on it cassette tape. Broke it from playing it too much. Since then been dying to see a Simple Minds play a live gig. So far haven't yet. On my bucket List thought, Finally building my Simple Minds library. I have some of their Pre-Iconic song Albums their Brilliant. I honestly dislike when critics compare other bands and music. In my opinion there is no comparison. Simple Minds have their own unique style and sound, Nothing like any other band, It's unfortunate that the US doesn't see the brilliance and passion behind their music with each album they get better and more unique. Their main focus is the Music. As it should be. Not just to manufacture something just to sell albums. That's where true greatness and what Legends come from.

I'm happy to say that I own -- and listen to -- every studio album these guys have produced (excepting only *Real to Real Cacophony*). And I think *Black and White* is my favorite album since 1984's *Sparkle in the Rain*. I'm a huge fan of their 4th through 6th albums (*Sons & Fascination/Sister Feelings Call*, *New Gold Dream*, and *Sparkle in the Rain*), and would rank this album just after those, and right above 1985's *Once upon a Time*. Great stuff.

This item is all that it is described to be and some more. This item works wonders and by my opinion it is well worth buying I will buy this item again as a gift for my friends.

"Black & White 050505" has been hailed as a return to form. Of course with any band that's long past its commercial peak, the publicist will always use that phrase, and this is at least the fourth album in a row by this supremely talented Scottish group that's been pitched as a comeback. And in some ways, 050505 is a return to the greatness of its best works, specifically the "Sons and Fascination" / "New Gold Dream" era. On the other hand, the album is too brief and inconsistent. Thus, in this reviewer's opinion, it's the first Simple Minds album since 1991's real mediocre "Real Life" to receive less than 5 stars. Three or four tracks on this album are, without doubt, some of the finest music the band has ever created. The highlight, as noted by many, is the atmospheric, melancholic "Dolphins." Equally excellent is the cascading, melodic "Underneath the Ice." The broad, majestic "Black & White" sounds like mid-70s Bowie at his prime. And the upbeat "Stranger" shows, once again, that Simple Minds can effortlessly spin passionate, breathy 80s-style anthems like U2 wishes it still could. However, the album is undermined by its inconsistency and brevity. The opener "Stay Visible" is reasonable enough, but could easily have been tucked away in the second half of a classic 80s album. The ho-hum "Home" once again demonstrates Simple Minds is its own worst enemy when picking a single. "Different World" and "Kiss the Ground" are filler. The remaining track, "Jeweller (Part 2)," is fantastic, but for the uninitiated, it's recycled from the "Silver Box" set and thus is a cheat. Take away that song, and the album is about 35 minutes long, pretty darn short for a CD. So after 25 years on the scene, one of the world's best and most underrated bands creates some of the best music of its career. If only the album were longer and more consistent, 050505 could have been one of the band's best - if not the best - collection of its career. Nonetheless, "Black & White 050505" is highly recommended.

Just another great Simple Minds collection of song added to my stack of Simple Mind CDs. I'm adding to my bucket list going to a Simple Minds concert in the UK.

I've been listening to the Minds for a heck of a long time it seems, and I for one don't care a whit about tradition or their "old sound" or whatever, I just want them to make good music. I really like "Cry", I listen to it often, it's bright and new and very accomplished. So I'm not real thrilled they revisited older sounds on this one. Nor am I thrilled with the lyrics. "Cry" seemed to be mostly about girls and that was okay. I find the Minds at their most bombastic and annoying when they try to make songs about "big themes" like U-2 or someone who can get away with that sort of thing. It's not so bad here, but there's a step back in that direction which I would just as soon head off. And "Jeweller" is just silly - nice song, dumb words, kind of embarassing really. Kerr has a great voice and Charlie can play with the best of them, I wish they would just relax and enjoy themselves, have fun with music and forget about the brass ring, they aren't going to grasp it again. It seems to me they tried to make a "Simple Minds" record, something to recapture the glory. Forget about it guys, just make a record next time. But as someone said, new Minds is better than none, and there are four or five tracks that made my MP-3 list.

Another great collection of songs by Simple Minds!

Great songs by a great band.

Wow! The opening track blisters sonic guitar vibes through the roof, and then Jim Kerr's vocals come in...right then I knew this was no ordinary album, but classic Simple Minds! I have always loved the complexity, the subtlety, the intelligence and the incredible sound of Simple Minds. I don't know why other groups haven't tried to emulate their rich sound...symphonic, clever, the kind of rock 'n roll that sweeps you away. The best album since Street Fighting Years (a classic). If you've never heard this band from Scotland, get on the sound train! Maybe you know "Don't You Forget About Me," or "Mandela Day." This is a classic album. Buy it, listen, and learn to love rock 'n roll again!

Ottima musica

Zuletzt auf der Suche nach sich selbst, haben SIMPLE MINDS ihre Mitte wieder gefunden. "Stay Visible" beeindruckt schon mit den ersten Piano-Klängen, erinnert entfernt an "Book of Brilliant Things" aus dem Jahre 1983. Das Stück dürfte in der Rückschau auf die Band-Geschichte zum späten Klassiker avancieren. "Home" hat etwas von Billy Idol, karftvoll und ein bischen frech. Beide Stücke wurden auf dem Vorab-Konzert in Baden-Baden vom Publikum so gut aufgenommen, wie die alten Klassiker. Mit Spielwitz geht es ("Stranger") weiter, nämlich mit einem ironischen "Sha-la-la-la", so als wollten sie sagen: Über das ernst gemeinte "La-la-la-la" bei "Don't You (forget about me)" schmunzeln wir heute. Das ist fröhlich-locker. Simple Minds spielen eben zum Spaß 050505 und nicht 0815. Dann geht das 5-Sterne Niveau mit den folgenden zwei Stücken auf etwa 4 Sterne herunter. Nach mehrmaligem Hören entdeckt man aber auch manche Feinheiten, so daß keine lange Weile aufkommt, sondern das Album interessant bleibt. "The Jeweller", als Urversion auf "Our Secret Are The Same" (2000) verschollen und erst vor einem Jahr in der Silver Box offiziell erschienen, hatte mich etwas irritiert. Was soll das jetzt? Es ist nicht einmal eines der besten Stücke auf dem lost Album. Mittlerweile ist es eines meiner meist gehörten Stücke, da das Tempo immer wieder wechselt, Geschwindigkeit und Atempause einander abwechseln, vor allem aber Schlagzeuger Mel Gaynor das Stück immer wieder auf die Spitze treibt - nach der Devise: "Gib's ihm". "Black and White" ist eine eingängige Nummer, melodiös und seine 4 Sterne wert. "Kiss The Ground" fügt sich dem nahtlos an, geht aber mehr unter die Haut - wäre als zweite Single-Auskopplung gut gewesen. Zum Schluß "Dolphins", das in der Tat wie von einem der Rezensenten bemerkt nach einem Abschiedsstück klingt - von der existenziellen Tiefe Freddy Mercurys. Kerr und Co haben sich mit ihrer neuen CD auf ihre Ursprünge besonnen, zeitgemäß und gereift fortgeführt. Die Qualität der Stücke schwankt zwischen vier und fünf Sterne, aber das Ganze ist hier mehr als die Summe seiner Teile. Es bleibt ein gelungener Gesamteindruck. Man muß sich nur Zeit nehmen und für das öffnen, was einem hier geschenkt wird -

Un album que j'avais un peu mis de côté, puis ré-écouté récemment en me disant que je n'avais plus trop de souvenirs de ce qu'il pouvait bien y avoir dessus. Les titres ne me disaient pas grand chose, mais dès les premières notes, on ne s'y trompe pas, c'est du Simple Minds, pur jus et ça fait du bien à entendre !!

As a longstanding Minds fan, it's gratifying to see that Jim and Charlie have overcome doubts in recent years and, joined by live bassist Eddie Duffy, have produced undoubtedly their best work in years - easily rivalling 1982's "New Gold Dream". Whilst the first single "Home" might not win any new fans or convince the old guard (Kerr and Co can be unexplicably myopic when it comes to single selection) the breadth and quality of work here is more than satisfying. None more so than opener "Stay Visible" - probably the Minds' best track in years, and sure to be a live as well as open-road favourite. Following on from "Home", "Different World (Taormina.Me)" and "Underneath the Ice" exhibit exactly the same kind of layered, lush textures that characterised NGD but with an unmistakable, modernised 80's feel (if that's possible). Whilst the surprise inclusion of a reworked version of "Jeweller to the Stars" from Our Secrets are the Same, has irked some fans the track itself is entirely acceptable and indeed improves on the original - once again, great single material. Other tracks such as the title "Black and White", "Stranger" and "Kiss the Ground" have enough quirk and hold interest so as not to be considered mere fillers, but it's the closing "Dolphins", a dark, broken, cinematic epic with heartbreaking strings and cracked Kerr vocal that really seals the LP. Not quite as masterful as "King is White and in the Crowd" or "Hunter and the Hunted", but musically very fine. In all, no one's pretending that this latest effort from the Minds is going to catapult them back to fame with swathes of new fans, but based on this evidence, Kerr and Co have really upped the ante and have produced a first rate long player with the usual self-effacing workmanship more recent artists (e.g. Coldplay et al) could benefit from. And this album will sound great live in 2006.