Graffiti Soul
Graffiti Soul | |||||
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Studio album by Simple Minds | |||||
Released | 25 May 2009 | ||||
Recorded | August - October 2008 | ||||
Genre | Pop rock | ||||
Length | 42:52 | ||||
Label | The Universal Music Record Label | ||||
Producer | Jez Coad, Simple Minds | ||||
Simple Minds chronology | |||||
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Simple Minds studio albums chronology | |||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (58/100)[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Contactmusic.com | (favourable)[3] |
Mojo | [4] |
NME | (5/10)[5] |
PopMatters | (5/10)[6] |
Q | [7] |
The Quietus | (favourable)[8] |
Record Collector | [9] |
Daily Telegraph | [10] |
The Times | [11] |
Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album (of original material) by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 25 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
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".[12]
Recording
An e-mail announcement by Simple Minds stated that Graffiti Soul was initially written on location in Rome, Sicily, Antwerp and Glasgow. 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
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 cover songs of Neil Young, Massive Attack, Magazine, The Stranglers, Thin Lizzy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Call and The Beach Boys.
Track listing
Standard edition
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Moscow Underground" | 5:01 |
2. | "Rockets" | 4:36 |
3. | "Stars Will Lead the Way" | 3:26 |
4. | "Light Travels" | 4:12 |
5. | "Kiss and Fly" | 5:01 |
6. | "Graffiti Soul" | 4:48 |
7. | "Blood Type 0" | 3:49 |
8. | "This Is It" | 4:55 |
Deluxe Edition - Bonus tracks | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
9. | "Shadows and Light" | 2:56 |
10. | "Rockin' in the Free World" | 4:17 |
Searching for the Lost Boys Bonus CD | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Original artist | Length |
1. | "Rockin' in the Free World" | Neil Young | 4:17 |
2. | "A Song from Under the Floorboards" | Magazine | 4:39 |
3. | "Christine" | Siouxsie and the Banshees | 3:13 |
4. | "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" | The Stranglers | 3:53 |
5. | "Let the Day Begin" | The Call | 3:02 |
6. | "Peace, Love and Understanding" | Nick Lowe | 3:34 |
7. | "Teardrop" | Massive Attack | 5:33 |
8. | "Whiskey in the Jar" | Thin Lizzy | 4:00 |
9. | "Sloop John B" | The Beach Boys | 4:35 |
Personnel
- Jim Kerr – vocals
- Charlie Burchill – guitars, keyboards
- Mel Gaynor – drums
- Eddie Duffy – bass
Left-overs
At least, three tracks, "Six Degrees Of Separation", "Lotus Effect" and "Shaman", were demoed for Graffiti Soul.[12]
Live performances
Many of the songs have been played live:[13][14]
- "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
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[15] | 9 |
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[16] | 11 |
Dutch Mega Album Top 100 Chart[17] | 29 |
French SNEP Album Chart[18] | 41 |
French Albums Chart (Download) | 17 |
German Media Control Album Chart | 14 |
Irish Albums Chart | 50 |
Italian Album Chart[19] | 11 |
Spanish Top 100 Albums chart[20] | 58 |
Swiss Albums Top 100[21] | 8 |
UK Albums Chart[22] | 10 |
European Top 100 Albums | 9 |
World Albums Top 40 Chart | 32 |
References
- ↑ "Critic Reviews for Graffiti Soul". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ↑ "Graffiti Soul". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ↑ Peterson, Andy. "Simple Minds:Graffiti Soul". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ↑ Buckley, David (April 2009). Mojo "Graffiti Soul" Check
|url=
value (help). Mojo. London: EMAP Performance. ISSN 1351-0193. 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.
- ↑ Bergstrom, John (31 August 2009). "Simple Minds: Graffiti Soul". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Graffiti Soul". Q. London: EMAP Metro. June 2009. p. 131. ISSN 0955-4955. 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. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ↑ 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(subscription required)
- 1 2 Dream Giver Redux / Big Music
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul" (in French). ultratop.be. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul" (in French). lescharts.com. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul" (in German). hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ↑ "Graffiti Soul". ChartStats.com. Retrieved 27 October 2011.