Reel To Real

 

Simple Minds - Real To Real Cacophony [201 150 DEU 1979/1980 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC]

Before we begin, I need to ensure that I emphasise my belief that Real To Real Cacophony should be revered as one the great post-punk albums, possibly right up there with Unknown Pleasures, Metal Box, 154 and The Correct Use Of Soap. In a world filled with genre bias, it would be easy to pigeonhole the second Simple Minds long player differently, but that would be foolish. After all, just look at that sleeve.

Real to Real Cacophony was recorded and mixed in five weeks at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire during the autumn of 1979, produced by John Leckie renting the Rolling Stones mobile recording studio. The band entered the studio with just four songs, and left with one of the most important albums of the era. The problem was that Arista Records possessed a highly inefficient  marketing department, and the label had no clue how to promote the band. Sales were extremely disappointing, however a significant live following was developing.

Simple Minds had a unique approach to songwriting, the musicians; Charlie Burchill on guitar, Derek Forbes on bass, Brian McGee on drums and Michael MacNeil on keyboards would jam ideas into completed tracks with remarkable efficiency. Jim Kerr would be present during every session, scribbling ideas before retiring to his room every night with tape copies and emerging with complete songs. The inner sleeve unusually credits young Norwegian studio technician Mariella Sometimes, clearly not her real name but a reference to the late night 'company' she occasionally afforded to one un-named band member. A year later, the young Norwegian would wed The Skids front man Richard Jobson ....and is now better known as journalist and TV presenter Mariella Frostrup.

Real To Real Cacophony is a very European sounding record, born out of the influences from Burchill & Forbes time spent hitchhiking around mainland Europe to Bowie's Low, driven along by Forbes instantly absorbent bass lines, Burchill's skillful licks on his v-shaped guitar and MacNeil's dense organ and synth work. The appropriately titled Premonition is one of the album's standouts and hints at the new Simple Minds sound in development. Changeling was the only single, it totally flopped at the time but now should regarded as one of the iconic post-punk singles. Factory could also have been a single but Arista did not believe Simple Minds were a singles band.

Just prior to release, Simple Minds were dispatched on a tour of European (mostly German) cities in October 1979, and after a show in Brussels were flown to New York for a one-off late night performance at Hurrah's in New York. The short set was filmed by the BBC and broadcast on The Old Grey Whistle Test on 27th November - on the live video for Premonition, Derek Forbes can be seen smiling at dedicated fan Iggy Pop who is dancing at the front of the audience. Real To Real Cacophony hit the shops on the 23rd November in the UK and across Europe.

I obtained a copy of the original German pressing of this album, despite all the credits stating this is a 1979 release, the etching on the Sonopress deadwax suggests the lacquer was A2/B2 cut in 1980. There is no 1979 German A1/B1 which suggests that the German (and Dutch) versions were possibly delayed until early 1980. Maybe somebody out there knows why?

A1 Real To Real

A2 Naked Eye

A3 Citizen (Dance Of Youth)

A4 Carnival (Shelter In A Suitcase)

A5 Factory

A6 Cacophony

A7 Veldt

B1 Premonition

B2 Changeling

B3 Film Theme

B4 Calling Your Name

B5 Scar