| Real to Real Cacophony | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 November 1979 [1] | |||
| Recorded | September 1979 | |||
| Studio | Rockfield (Rockfield, Wales) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:46 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Real to Real Cacophony | ||||
| ||||
Real to Real Cacophony (sometimes incorrectly referred as Reel to Real Cacophony) is the second studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released on 23 November 1979 through record labels Zoom and Arista.
Real to Real Cacophony was recorded and mixed in five weeks at Rockfield Studios. According to producer John Leckie the band had only four songs ("Premonition", "Factory", "Calling Your Name" and "Changeling"), the rest of the album was written in the studio. [6]
Real to Real Cacophony was less successful than Life in a Day , it did not chart, nor did its only single, "Changeling".
The 2002/2003 reissues by Virgin Records incorrectly render the album's title as Reel to Real Cacophony, and the opening track as "Reel to Real". The new spelling also appears in the discography section of all the inlays in the 2002/2003 Simple Minds remastered edition series. Subsequent editions render the title of both the album and track correctly.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [8] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10 [9] |
Real to Real Cacophony has been generally well received by critics. In Sounds , John Gill wrote: "Real to Real Cacophony shows a considerable – and brave – progression. It captures some of the shock-effects of the avant-garde, some of the emotional power of outfits like the Pop Group, yet still retains the best of the Minds tight and trebly riffing. File under impressive." [10] The Guardian noted the "controlled considered style based on the mid-Seventies art-pop of Bowie and Ferry," writing that "it's clever and derivative ... but still worthwhile". [11]
Retrospectively, Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised Real to Real Cacophony, saying that it marked the point "where Simple Minds ventured beyond the ability to mimic their influences and began to manipulate them, mercilessly pushing them around and shaping them into funny objects the way a child transforms a chunk of Play-Doh from an indefinable chunk of nothing into a definable chunk of something", and calling it "an achievement that's on a plane with other 1979 post-punk landmarks like Metal Box , 154 , Entertainment! and Unknown Pleasures ". [2] Eric Chappe of CMJ New Music Monthly highlighted Simple Minds' "determination to constantly add unexpected touches to the arrangements". [12] Bob Stanley wrote in Record Collector that the album "should be hailed as a singularly strong post-punk-into-synth-pop bridge but the shadow of 'Belfast Child' looms over their legacy." [13] Trouser Press was more lukewarm, remarking that the album "lives up (or down) to the clever title". [14]
All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Simple Minds (Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Brian McGee, Mick MacNeil)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Real to Real" | 2:47 |
| 2. | "Naked Eye" | 2:21 |
| 3. | "Citizen (Dance of Youth)" | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Carnival (Shelter in a Suitcase)" | 2:49 |
| 5. | "Factory" | 4:13 |
| 6. | "Cacophony" | 1:40 |
| 7. | "Veldt" | 3:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Premonition" | 5:29 |
| 2. | "Changeling" | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Film Theme" | 2:27 |
| 4. | "Calling Your Name" | 5:05 |
| 5. | "Scar" | 3:31 |
Adapted from the album's liner notes. [15]
Simple Minds
Technical
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You " (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "Promised You a Miracle" (1982), "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983), "Alive and Kicking" (1985), "Sanctify Yourself" (1986), "Let There Be Love" (1991), "See the Lights" (1991) as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).
Street Fighting Years is the eighth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 1989 by record label Virgin Records worldwide apart from the US, where it was released by A&M. Produced by Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson, the album reached the top of the UK Albums Chart.
Black & White 050505 is the fourteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in the UK in September 2005. The album was not officially released in the US.
Cry is the thirteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, officially released in April 2002.
New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth studio album by Scottish band Simple Minds. The album was released in September 1982 by record label Virgin, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. It is considered one of the defining albums of the new pop movement of the early 1980s.
Charles Burchill is a Scottish musician and composer, best known as the guitarist of Simple Minds. He is one of the founders of the group.
Life in a Day is the debut album by Simple Minds, released in April 1979 by record label Zoom. It reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart. The title track and "Chelsea Girl" were issued as singles.
Empires and Dance is the third studio album by Scottish new wave band Simple Minds, released on 12 September 1980 by record label Arista.
Celebration is a compilation album by Simple Minds, released in 1982. The compilation features tracks from the band's first three albums released during their tenure on the Arista Records label, prior to their move to Virgin Records in 1981. One of the tracks, "Kaleidoscope", was exclusive to this CD and LP until it appeared on the X5 box set in 2012.
Early Gold is a compilation album of Simple Minds early material, released in 2003. It contains songs from years 1979-1982.
Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call is the (double-LP) fourth album by Scottish post-punk band Simple Minds. It was released in September 1981 and was their first to reach a wide international audience. It includes the singles "The American", "Love Song" and "Sweat in Bullet".
Sparkle in the Rain is the sixth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 6 February 1984 by record label Virgin in the UK and A&M in the US.
Zoom Records was a short-lived record label established in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded and funded by the successful music shop owner Bruce Findlay in the summer of 1977. After the first four single releases it secured a licensing deal with Arista Records. Findlay closed the label in 1980, to dedicate his time to managing one of the most successful bands who began there, Simple Minds.
Brian McGee is a Scottish drummer who played in different bands like Simple Minds and Endgames. His brother Owen, under the name Owen Paul, had a hit single with a cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time".
Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 2009.
Big Music is the sixteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released on 31 October 2014 by Sony Music. "Honest Town" was released as the lead single on 10 October 2014. The album was available to stream from 28 October 2014.
"Ghost Dancing" is a song written by Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill and Mick MacNeil and recorded by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released as the fourth single from the band's 1985 album Once Upon a Time. According to the band's website, the first live performance of the song was at John F. Kennedy Stadium as part of their Live Aid performance. The song also appears on their "Glittering Prize (81-92)" album. The song reached number 13 in the UK singles charts.
Acoustic is the seventeenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in November 2016 by Caroline International. The album features acoustic studio recordings of previously released songs. It received mixed reviews.
Walk Between Worlds is the eighteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in February 2018 by BMG.
Direction of the Heart is the nineteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 2022 by BMG.
Over the next five years, Simple Minds cranked out seven albums of twitchy, claustrophobic, sometimes-experimental new wave.
