Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly Nice "Good News From The Next World" Turns 30

Released on 30 January 1995 "Good News From The Next World" was the tenth studio album by Scottish band Simple Minds, The album's recording started in the band's own studio in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1993, and finished in Los Angeles, US, in summer 1994.

 

The two original band members – singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill – wrote all nine tracks on the album. They were joined by a number of guest musicians for recording sessions. Keith Forsey, who had previously worked with Simple Minds on their breakout single "Don't You (Forget About Me)", shares producing credits with the band. The album spawned two singles "She's A River" & "Hipnotised". 

In some markets the album performed somewhat better than their previous record, "Real Life", but it quickly faded from public attention, producing only two moderately successful hit singles. Many considered this album that appeared after the commercial failure of the fantastic The Real Life, with "Good News From The Next World" the band again managed to stir up some attention from both album and alternative rock stations. However, the record quickly faded and it's easy to see why -apart from the slick and intense "She's a River," there is no strong single material. 

 

The album it's well-produced and performed, yet Simple Minds' songs just miss the mark. This album is far and away a favorite for many because it perfectly hits the sweet spot between pure New Wave and Rock. The songs are richer, fuller, with much cleaner flows yet with that distinctly "Simple Minds" stamp to them. "She's a River" is one of my favorite songs and is a good example of the general feel of the songs on this album. "7 Deadly Sins", "My Life", and "And The Band Played On" follow in this hard rocking theme. Close behind is "A Great Leap Forward", and of course the less minor "Hipnotised". 

 

It's amazing that none of these made it on their best works. Anyway, it's a good album, with a good rock feeling, back in the day garnered a moderate commercial succes, in the UK peaked on No. 2 and produced two top 20 "She's A River" and "Hypnotised", the first one-inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel "Siddartha" was also a commercial success worldwide, the critics were mixed althought favorable in the United States than in the UK, in the islands they've called the album like a huge amount of noise but in the other side, they considered an intense album with a huge and fantastic sound. 

 

Good News From The Next World Track List: 

 

1. She's A River

2. Night Music

3. Hypnotised

4. Great Leap Forward

5. 7 Deadly Sins

6. And The Band Played On

7. My Life

8. Criminal World

9. This Time