| Graffiti Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 May 2009 | |||
| Recorded | August – October 2008 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Pop rock, Synth-Pop | |||
| Length | 42:52 | |||
| Label | The Universal Music Record Label | |||
| Producer | Jez Coad, Simple Minds | |||
| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Simple Minds studio albums chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Graffiti Soul | ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (58/100)[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [4] |
| Contactmusic.com | (favourable)[6] |
| Mojo | [10] |
| NME | (5/10)[11] |
| PopMatters | (5/10)[5] |
| Q | [9] |
| The Quietus | (favourable)[12] |
| Record Collector | [13] |
| Daily Telegraph | [7] |
| The Times | [8] |
Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album (of original material) by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 2009.
On 31 May 2009, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 10, becoming Simple Minds' first UK top ten album in 14 years, since the release of their 1995 album Good News from the Next World.
In early April 2009, the video for the single "Rockets" was made available via the band's official website.
Overview
[edit]Graffiti Soul was released on 25 May 2009 and continued Simple Minds return to the top, charting at #10.[14]
During the recording of Graffiti Soul, Jim Kerr stated: «We really are flowing with ideas at the moment and [...] I do feel that we are possibly writing two albums simultaneously at present.» Several tracks were omitted from Graffiti Soul so that the album had more focus. Possible candidates include "Six Degrees Of Separation", "Lotus Effect" and "Shaman".[15]
At the time of the album release, Charlie Burchill stated about the new album: «We would create ideas and work on those ideas for hours. That's the way we worked upon Graffiti Soul's tracks; we worked upon ideas and just let them evolve over long periods of time.»[14]
Recording
[edit]An e-mail announcement by Simple Minds stated that Graffiti Soul was initially written on location in Rome (Italy), Sicily, Antwerp (Belgium) and Glasgow (Scotland). The band then returned for the first time in almost three decades to Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales, where the group originally recorded their earlier albums Real to Real Cacophony, Empires and Dance and New Gold Dream. The album was mixed in Los Angeles by Bob Clearmountain.
Release
[edit]Graffiti Soul is also available as a vinyl LP and a 2-CD deluxe edition, both including a second album called Searching for the Lost Boys, actually a covers studio album made up of songs by Neil Young, Massive Attack, Magazine, The Stranglers, Thin Lizzy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Call and The Beach Boys.
Reception
[edit]The album received generally mixed reviews upon release. Metacritic gives it a score of 58 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
The NME's John Doran was underwhelmed, describing it as, "easily the best thing they've done since the mid-’80s...but it's still not enough. If Simple Minds had stopped the second "Don't You (Forget About Me)" was released then they’d still be remembered as a truly great band. As it is, this is not enough on its own to restore their tarnished reputation."[16] In The Telegraph, Thomas H. Green noted the album's production as being, "polished to a US radio-friendly sheen", whilst offering that the album is, "not a sudden, flawless comeback, by any means, but for fans who've been waiting for Simple Minds to relocate their previous form, Graffiti Soul is well worth a listen."[17]
Track listing
[edit]Standard edition
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Moscow Underground" | Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Rockets" | Kerr, Burchill, Gordy Goudie | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Stars Will Lead the Way" | Kerr, Burchill | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Light Travels" | Kerr, Burchill, Jez Coad, Sean Kelly | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Kiss and Fly" | Kerr, Burchill, Andy Gillespie | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Graffiti Soul" | Kerr, Burchill, Gillespie | 4:48 |
| 7. | "Blood Type O" | Kerr, Burchill, Coad | 3:49 |
| 8. | "This Is It" | Kerr, Burchill | 4:55 |
Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Shadows and Light" | Kerr, Burchill | 2:56 |
| 10. | "Rockin' in the Free World" | Neil Young | 4:17 |
Vinyl LP / 2-CD Deluxe Editions – Bonus album Searching for the Lost Boys
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rockin' in the Free World" | Young | Neil Young | 4:17 |
| 2. | "A Song from Under the Floorboards" | Howard Devoto, Barry Adamson, John Doyle, Dave Formula, John McGeoch | Magazine | 4:39 |
| 3. | "Christine" | Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin | Siouxsie and the Banshees | 3:13 |
| 4. | "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" | Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black | The Stranglers | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Let the Day Begin" | Michael Been | The Call | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Peace, Love and Understanding" | Nick Lowe | Brinsley Schwarz | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Teardrop" | Robert Del Naja, Elizabeth Fraser, Grantley Marshall, Andrew Vowles | Massive Attack | 5:33 |
| 8. | "Whiskey in the Jar" | Traditional | Thin Lizzy | 4:00 |
| 9. | "Sloop John B" | Traditional | The Beach Boys | 4:35 |
Personnel
[edit]- Simple Minds
- Jim Kerr – vocals
- Charlie Burchill – guitars, keyboards
- Mel Gaynor – drums
- Eddie Duffy – bass
- Additional musicians
- Gordy Goudie – guitar and keyboards (2), backing vocals (1-3, 5–8)
- Jez Coad – backing vocals (1-3, 5–8), timpani (3), additional keyboards (4, 5, 7), additional drums (4)
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals (2-6, 8)
- Sonia Jones – backing vocals (2-6, 8)
- Tom Hooper – percussion (3, 5–8)
- Andy Gillespie – additional keyboards (5)
- Technical
- Jez Coad – producer, mixing (7, 9)
- Simple Minds – producer
- Arjen Mesinga – engineer
- Simon Dawson – engineer
- Mark Bishop – engineer
- Ben Cunningham – assistant engineer
- Gordy Goudie – additional pre-production
- Andy Gillespie – additional pre-production
- Kevin Burleigh – additional pre-production
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing (1-6, 8, 10)
- Brandon Duncan – mixing assistant (1-6, 8, 10)
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Joe Blake – design
- Chris Gallagher– design
- Ryan MacDonald – design
- Mark Seager – photography
- Sven Hoogerhuis – photography
- Hilko Nackaerts – photography
Left-overs
[edit]At least, four other tracks, "Six Degrees of Separation", "Lotus Effect", "Shaman"[15] and "Angel Under My Skin" were demoed for Graffiti Soul. Originally written by Mark Kerr and Erikah Karst during the Cry period (2002), "Angel Under My Skin" was previously worked on for Black & White 050505 (2005) before the song was finally recorded and released as a Deluxe edition bonus track on Walk Between Worlds (2018).[18]
Live performances
[edit]Many of the songs have been played live:[19][20]
- "Moscow Underground", "Rockets" and "Stars Will Lead the Way": during the 2009 "30 Years Live European", 2009 "Graffiti Soul", 2010 "Australian", 2010 "Festival Show" and 2010 "Final Shows" tours.
- "Moscow Underground": also during the 2011 "Greatest Hits Forest", 2011 "Greatest Hits +", 2012 "Festival", 2012 "Australia" tours and at the 2011 "Australia" "600 Sounds" Festival show.
- "Stars Will Lead the Way": also during the 2011 "Greatest Hits +" and 2012 "Festival" tours.
- "Light Travels": only one time as an encore (in Rome, Italy) and another time as a soundcheck (in Ancona, Italy) during the 2009 "Graffiti Soul" tour.
- "Kiss and Fly": only one time as a soundcheck (in Birmingham, UK) during the 2009 "Graffiti Soul" tour.
- "Graffiti Soul": during the 2009 "Graffiti Soul" and 2010 "Festival Show" tours.
- "This Is It": during the 2009 "30 Years Live European", 2009 "Graffiti Soul", 2010 "Festival Show" and 2010 "Final Shows" tours.
- "Rockin' In The Free World": only one time as a spontaneous improvisation launched by Jim during the 2009 "30 Years Live European" tour and another time as a soundcheck (in Birmingham, UK) during the 2009 "Graffiti Soul" tour.
- "Teardrop" only four times: (as an encore) during the Lostboy! AKA's 2010 "Electroset Radio" tour and only one time (as an encore) during the Lostboy! AKA's 2010 "Electroset" tour.
- "Whiskey In The Jar": only one time (in Cork, Ireland) during the 2009 "30 Years Live European" tour.
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Discography: Singles". Dream Giver Redux. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Graffiti Soul". Simple Minds official website. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for Graffiti Soul". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Graffiti Soul". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ Bergstrom, John (31 August 2009). "Simple Minds: Graffiti Soul". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Peterson, Andy (26 May 2009). "Simple Minds:Graffiti Soul". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Green, Thomas H (26 May 2009). "Simple Minds: Graffiti Soul, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ The Times review[dead link](subscription required)
- ^ "Graffiti Soul". Q. London: EMAP Metro. June 2009. p. 131. ISSN 0955-4955. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Buckley, David (April 2009). "Graffiti Soul". Mojo. London: EMAP Performance. ISSN 1351-0193. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Doran, John (19 May 2009). "Album review: Simple Minds - 'Graffiti Soul'". NME. London: IPC Media. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Eglinton, Mark (31 May 2009). "Simple Minds: Graffiti Soul". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Easlea, Daryl (May 2009). "Graffiti Soul:Articles & Reviews". Record Collector. Diamond Publishing. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ a b "Rejuvenation 2001-2014 Five Album Vinyl Box Set (released 7/12/18) – Album 4 – 'Graffiti Soul' was released in May 2009 and continued #SimpleMinds return to the top, charting at #10". Facebook. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ a b Dream Giver Redux / Big Music
- ^ "ALbum review: Simple Minds - 'Graffiti Soul'". NME. 19 May 2009.
- ^ "Simple Minds 'Graffiti Soul' Articles & Reviews". Archived from the original on 10 April 2013.
- ^ "Angel Under My Skin". simpleminds.org. 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Cornwell, Simon. "Graffiti Soul". Dream Giver Redux. simpleminds.org. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ Cornwell, Simon. "Tours: Simple Minds". Dream Giver Redux. simpleminds.org. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Simple Minds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Simple Minds – Graffiti Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Rapports Annuels 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
