Black & White 050505

A captivating cover and wonderful photos and packaging is just icing on the cake as Simple Minds brings us another great album, especially for fans of their music after their New Gold Dream period. This is a very solid release. The songs and lyrics, like some of their best, have a spiritual, traveled, and yearning quality to them. There seems to me to be a running theme lyrically throughout the album of death, passing, or journeying in a sense of the traveler going to, ending up at, or finding home.1) Stay Visible: A great opener that drew me right in. The music is large and expansive with very nice tonal textures to the guitar, though the vocal melody is initially a little forced. I'll say it again as, throughout this song, the guitar tones dominate and are sumptuous and positively paired with ambient sound effects that float and flit between your left and right speakers. For the music I'd give this 5 stars but, surprisingly, Kerr's vocals bring this song down a bit. 4.5 stars2) Home: Warm vocals that are reminiscent of the vocals off of "Street Fighting Years". Kerr's voice is soulful, prominent. His voice hints at an emotioanl longing that is supported in the spiritual journey-themed lyrics. There is solid if not interesting musical support. If the first song showcased the music then this song showcases Kerr's voice. 4 stars3) Stranger: Guitar = buzz, sparkle, bleed. Solid number this. Very enjoyable with the chorus of "stranger, beautiful stranger" one that can slide around in your head for awhile and you will like it. As a reference, this song could have fit nicely on "Good News For The Next World" as a forward-looking song. Subtle bass and percussion work really makes this song stand strong. 4.5 stars4) Different World [Taormina.me]: With a buzzy, big chorus this synth pop number finds Kerr humming and intoning lowly "it's alright" and then switching it up and singing in higher, almost a low alto register for the verses. "Let us go high into a different world" 4 stars5) Underneath the Ice: Strongly expressing the theme of the album this piece finds a soulful, slightly haunted sound and features simply lovely guitar tones and textures and a bass that beats and bubbles like the heart of a river. "I dreamed another dream that you had come to take me home" 4 stars6) The Jeweller Part 2: We're thrown a bit of a change here with a sound that is a little on the clubbish side. You could dance to this one. There's a touch of U2's Bono in the vocals (not meaning he's a guest vocalist but that Kerr is sounding a bit like him). Some of the guitar portions remind me again of the higher guitar notes "Street Fighting Years" (that's a good thing though, if you were wondering). Unfortunately there is a heavier emphasis on an oft repeated chorus and a great deal of lyrical redundancy that diminishes this one. 3 stars7) A Life Shot In Black & White: Very cinematic, big sound. Much like the first song although I would say that Kerr's vocals are better suited here and are, like the music, also expansive, rich, and even slightly sad. Nicely paired with a yearning guitar. 4.5 stars8) Kiss the Ground: A more poetic yet not fully realized song that does a great job of starting to paint a picture of war ravages but then draws back from more fully filling that picture out and it overuses a chorus that, towards the end of the song, starts to stall the song. Could have been better if it was a bit shorter. 3 stars9) Dolphins: Hmmn. This is a strange song. And Simple Minds have some strange ones in their back (especially early) catalog. What to say about it? Full of long piano notes, some slurred singing, and a slow tempo the song itself can generate a feeling in the listener of reflection. It also has some beautiful musical moments and this is where the song is at its best. But when Kerr sings "dolphins drag me down" this extremely unusual (and dare I say counterintuitive?) phrase and thought disrupts and takes the listener out of the song and probably out of their reflection. I'm torn on this one. 4 stars

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.

This album is excellent. Not every song is great but there is not a weak one among the 9. Simple Minds have really grown well with the times, while still staying true to their sound.

"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.

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.

Strong evocative album. Certainly far from their best(New Gold Dream, Sparkle In The Rain, Real Life) but it's a nice solid record from them. it helps to be a Simple Minds fan to enjoy this album. Standouts: Different World, The Jeweler, Part 2, A Life shot in Black and White, Kiss The Ground, and Dolphins.

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.

Black and White 050505 was Simple Minds comeback album and it is decidedly so. Very strong memorable anthems, delicious melodies and thoughtful soundscapes make this one - one of they're best. A few typical SM numbers do still punctuate the heart of the CD such as:- 'Different world and Kiss the ground'. These songs still remain strong, and for the first time since 'Good news from the next world' there are absolutely no slouchers present. Therefore this has to be one of they're most consistent albums for years and paved the way forward for the following albums triumph. 'Physical Graffitti'; which totally nailed the Simple minds incubus.Highlights on Black and White are numerous and of very high quality. "Stay visible', 'Home', 'Stranger' and the closer 'Dolphins' represent the pinnicle of the CD with 'Underneath the ice', 'the Jeweller', 'a life shot in black and white', being not far behind them. So this adds up as a fresh and perfect evolution of the progression seen since they're early days. Production, execution and songwriting quality blows they're previous album 'Cry', out of the water. This is a mandatory Simple Minds cannon with a subtle AOR edge to it's presentation, which ultimately gives us a great and full - rounded rock album to enjoy.Definately worth getting hold of, this one....

The album "Black & White 050505" was released in 2005 and is a welcome surprise. The band maintains the level with a more serious pop-rock, that is, the continuation of the politically inserted. They are well made songs and without discards. The intensity of the instruments continues and leaves the album very interesting with the vocal firm and indicating the protest. Very good. Note 8.

If you are looking for a paradigm of an artistic crime, this CD printed in 2005 made in the EU is exactly that. A band full of musical subtleties such as Simple Minds and mixed by maestro Bob Clearmountain is a ticket to the highlands of pop music. However, the tracks on this CD have been mastered with so much compression (limiting actually) for the sake of the Loudness War that all subtleties and nuances have gone. Moreover, the voice pumps in some places, taking the attention away from the music. I’m surprised to come across a big name such as Bob Ludwig on the mastering credits for this edition and find such a bad job.Editions like this make people believe that compact disks are not good: it depends on those who work on the production of the media. Hopefully there will be a re-mastered reissue at some point and we’ll be able to appreciate the music. Meanwhile, I won’t be listening to this CD.

It was three years before Simple Minds brought out a stand-alone studio successor to their 2002 offering `Cry'. `Black & White' is a welcome return to form and is arguably their best since the late 1980s. Certainly the opening track, 'Stay Visible', is worthy of five stars, a powerful song, passionately delivered, with a fine bridge passage kept till the end. The following `Home' bears witness to Burchill's flagrant and subtle guitar work.Most of the album is up to a very good standard; the only duff track is `Stranger', but even that is saved by its production. Jez Coad is the producer on this album, maintaining the usual wall of sound but with the bass noticeable high in the mix. Jez also co-wrote some of the songs, although the set is mostly credited to Kerr and Burchill. The final track, `Dolphins', possesses a grand melancholy, but its subject remains an equally grand mystery to me.On the subject of lyrics, there are the usual references to travel, religion, relationships, dreams, and the usual unfortunate mumbling in places too. There are, alas, no instrumentals. This is, then, a standard Simple Minds album and not bad for all that. But it does miss a strong and inventive keyboard presence; otherwise, one could argue they are just another rock band.

Keeping it short, it is the first decent album since Once Upon a Time (in my view Street Fighting onwards have all been utter tosh).The two youngbloods on bass and keyboard breathed life into the band once more and this sounds a whole lot like a 1980's release. It was commented by a lot in the industry that, if they were a bit younger and hipper, this would have THE been album of the year.Once again I can listen to some new Minds music and enjoy it, unlike the last 4 or 5 albums that have been listened to once or twice and then filed.

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.

A truly amazing album by Simple Minds. Especially Dolphins. An absolute spine chiller.

Like the best Simple Minds, you can't get rid of it again, it grows on you....

Very happy with the speed of my delivery, and a great album too.

Super!

Great cd by my favourite band

Good album. Recomended seller A+++++

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!

I have been a fan of Simple Minds for years. I saw them down the road from our house at Roundhay Park in Leeds and they were fabulous. If you like their style of music then this is an album for you. Listen with quality headphones and the baselines as well as Burchills soaring riffs are the business, highly recommended.

Tra i migliori album realizzati dai Simple Mind, contiene tracce video del brano Home.Ringrazio il venditore e Amazon per i preciso e puntuale servizio.