Neapolis [Import]

Simple Minds | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 27, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B000024Y6T
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,829 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Song For The Tribes

2. Glitterball

3. War Babies

4. Tears Of A Guy

5. Superman V Supersoul

6. Lightning

7. If I Had Wings

8. Killing Andy Warhol

9. Androgeny

Editorial Reviews

The Scottish rocker's 1998 & U.K. top 20 album, featuringthe singles 'War Babies' and 'Glitter Ball'. Nine trackstotal. No U.S. is planned.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Minds Are Brilliant On Neapolis, August 28, 2001

By 

M. Hartman (East Coast, Etats-Unis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Neapolis (Audio CD)

I had seen both 5 star and no star reviews for this cd. I was intrigued. I suspected there might be something to this. From the opening of "Song for the Tribes", I was hooked. With this disc, Simple Minds remind us that they were one of the most creative bands of the 80s and remain so today. There is nothing "retro" about their sound here. (Sorry, I won't use the r-word again.) The tunes are tinged with electronics, supplemented with guitar and some strings. What is clear here is that SM have been masterfully playing with what is known as "electronica" for decades. They interweave techno sounds with acoustic guitar work to perfection on "Glitterball". Parts of this cd are strikingly similar to U2's "All You Can't Leave Behind", which came out 2 years after Neapolis. This disc easily holds its own against U2's great cd. Would this have been Grammy material if it came out two years later? Who knows. Both bands are extremely creative and share many influences. One thing has not changed: SM are still overlooked here. This album was never released domesticly. It's not surprising, most of us yanks never seemed to quite "get" Simple Minds. This is a fantastic cd that proves that Simple Minds are not only still relevant, they remain immensely creative. The pity is that the follow up to this cd "Our Secrets are the Same" has never been released due to issues with the label. It's truly shameful. However, this is still a wonderful cd from a truly great band.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Minds Still Shimmer, February 13, 2000

By 

Michael D. Abernethy (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Neapolis - Tin (Audio CD)

I picked up this album early this summer (it was not released in the states, but I lucked up and found it on import) and was somewhat unimpressed by my first few listens. I was expecting another bombastic work like "Good News From The Next World" and was taken aback by the electronic side of "Neapolis." So, I let it sit for a while in my collection. A couple of days ago, I pulled it out because suddenly, "Glitterball" was stuck in my head. Well, I was amazed. Really; I felt stupid for not realizing how good this album is when I first listened to it. First of all, this album is all about letting the music wash over you. Don't think too hard over it! This is the mistake I made! Just lay back and let it take over! The production is absolutely pristine. There are so many layers of gorgeous melody and arrangements, you will find yourself lost. The addictive synth-licks and guitar riffs will get stuck in your head... one listen to "Glitterball" and you will be inevitably glued to your seat. The guitar riff that opens the song is one of the most gorgeous and inventive I have ever heard; it is pretty close to perfect. It doesn't hurt that these songs have beautiful melodies either. Kerr still sounds strong, as usual. No problems there. So, all in all, I would highly recommend "Neapolis" to any 'Minds fan. It harks back to their classic sound defined by anthems such as "Waterfront," "Promised You A Miracle," and "Up On The Catwalk," but it also pulls them forward, past the soaring guitars of 1995's "Good News From The Next World" and into the late 90's unconcious facination with synthesizers (everyone's using them, but no one talks about them unless they talk about electronica! What's up with that! Just ask anyone from Trent Reznor, to Britney Spears - if she is concious enough during the recording process to know what instruments are being used - they will tell you that much of their sound is derived from synthesizers). Truly, songs like "Glitterball," "War Babies," "Superman vs. Supersoul," and "Killing Andy Warhol" make NEAPOLIS the best Simple Minds album in ten years.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it a chance to grow on you!, August 6, 2004

By 

Andy Warhol (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neapolis (Audio CD)

Statement 1: This album is a masterpiece.

Statement 2: This album is trash - don't know why I wasted my money.

I bought this album almost immediately when it was first released many years back and then wondered why I
did..."Statement 2" definitely applied.

About six months ago, I was moving house and stumbled across the CD hidden away in a corner. I put on a few tracks while packing and was amazed by it...just seemed like a completely different album to what I remembered...."Statement 1" definitely applies now!

I don't know what it was about this album when it first came out - maybe it was just ahead of its time but the mix of strings, hard guitar riffs and synths just didn't seem to work then but now sound brilliant.

I actually stopped buying Simple Minds albums after this one thinking they had "lost it". I only logged onto Amazon just now to see what others thought of it while I was looking for any follow-ups to this album...that's how much I love this collection of songs.

Barely a day goes by when you don't finding me blasting out such excellent tracks like the amazingly-titled Killing Andy Warhol, War Babies, Superman & SuperSoul and the infectious Androgeny.

I guess the great insight I had with this album was the same as another reviewer here had which was to just let the music wash over you. The songs then start to make sense and you begin to appreciate the genius hidden away in this modern work of art.

Andy Warhol would be proud...if they weren't killing him.