We are nearing the release date of Simple Minds’ debut album, Life In A Day. From what I can deduce, Life In A Day – the track itself – was released as a single inline with their first appearance on television when appearing on the Old Grey Whistle Test on March 27th. As that day is a Tuesday, I am going to assume that the single would have been released a few days prior, on the Friday (March 24th).
So, happy 40th anniversary Life In A Day single! For some fun, I will review the single and the B Side, Special View.
I’ll try as much as I can to remember my feelings of listening to it for the very first time some 13 years ago…and again, almost entirely fresh almost 5 years ago now. Five years ago would have been my first ever listen to Special View. There was no 5×5 box out in 2006, so back then I heard the album as it originally was, with no B-side bonuses present.
Here goes!
LIfe In A Day: It reminds me of a song I loved as a kid. Part of the synth melody is similar. The song was called Computer Games by a New Zealand group called Mi-Sex. The Minds single pre-dates Computer Games by several months so any similarities would apply the other way round (that perhaps Simple Minds influenced the sound of Mi-Sex). And I never knew this until looking up info on them for this post, they named themselves Mi-Sex after an Ulatravox song!
It’s catchy. I like the guitar echo ending. Lots of synths. Like the “knock knock” sound. Lyrics are good. The song is quite moody. Best lines? “The premonition came true / look all around and you’ll see. Some say it takes two to know / or could it all just be me?” Not too keen on those word endings…ay ay aaaay. It’s got a good post-punk sound. The song makes you think. I don’t want something that’s purely visceral. It’s good to have something working the old grey matter.
It’ll grow on me, definitely.
Special View: I looooove that the song begins from a fade in. I really like the pace of it. I like the keys and guitar. It’s a basic riff but so catchy. That singer’s voice is really sultry. I bet he’s well sexy! (Jim…I’d have happily played with your basin cut, baby! ??????)
I do love the song’s bridge. The jangly keys and and edgy guitar. Really changes the pace of it before settling back into that sultry meander.
I’ll probably get caned for saying it (Whip me, Jim. WHIP ME! Lol) – but I like the B side more.
It’s not to say I dislike Life In A Day, it’s definitely a grower – I just like Special View more. I am knocking my whole thing about preferring thought-provoking songs to something more visceral right on its head now, because my preference for Special View is because I find it ssoooo bloody sexy! Grrrr!
I’ve also mentioned in a previous post about the song specifically (and for lyric art I have done for the song) how I see stark, lucid imagery when listening to the song. A walled seafront. Waves crashing upon the walled promenade. A young woman waiting for her boyfriend to show up. The both of them walking along this walled seafront. The sky along the horizon looking both bright yet clouding over ominously. “The summer’s gone” says Jim, so it’s probably early autumn. Late September, so the sun is fading by 5pm and the air is brisk.
I have always loved the imagery that Simple Minds songs conjure up. And they mostly derive from Jim and his words, but obviously the musicality of the songs play a part too. King Is White And In The Crowd is a prime example of that.
Anyway…as for the overall rating of Life In A Day as a single? It’s a solid start as a debut single…I’d give it a 7/10