Keeping on the subject of John Hughes movie soundtracks for a sec, I'll bet Simple Minds are sick to death of their big Breakfast Club hit. It's not a bad song, but its longevity continues to baffle me. The band actually had a pretty interesting career that has been almost entirely eclipsed by that image of Judd Nelson pumping his fist. Remember that they were actually kinda huge in the mid-'80s? Remember the mid-'80s?Like many bands born in the late-'70s, Simple Minds started out with a lot of Joy Division in their DNA, especially the production that sounds dubby and claustrophobic at the same time (cheers, Martin Hannett). There's also a fair amount of early XTC-style nerviness. Here's a good example of their pop sensibility peaking through the post-punk veneer. With a nice hint of circus menace.
Fast forward three years and they're ready for the arena, riding a wave of bright, triumphant pop, though not totally jettisoning their arty youth. This tune is the high point of that gold dream, a glittering prize for sure. It's like a much more tolerable version of U2, with a sweet swagger and a killer bassline.It's a Two-for-Tuesday. Don't say I never did anything for you.
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