Once Upon A Time - Simple Minds (1985)

A big name that I didn’t listen to much when they were new. It seemed too sophisticated for me when i was a kid, and when I grew up it sounded too poppy and simple for my more hipsterish tastes.

However, listening now I find it to be a very well-done blue-eyed soul record, with enough 80s rock touches to keep it from just sounding generic.

Don’t You (Forget About Me) was, of course, the kind of massive global hit that keeps a person paid for eternity. But there’s an impressive consistency to this record that makes all the tracks quite listenable.

Tracks I Liked

Once Upon A Time - lilting piano and an a great vocal

Alive And Kicking - A minor hit, I think, but deserved better

Oh Jungleland - some post-punk nerves packed under an 80s pop rock veneer