Στο πλαίσιο μιας όχι-ακριβώς-νοσταλγίας για τα ‘80s, ένα αγαπημένο τραγούδι των Simple Minds : Up On the Catwalk, από το Sparkle In The Rain του ’84. Το άλμπουμ σηματοδοτούσε το ξεκίνημα μιας διαδικασίας μετάλλαξης του ήχου τους προς το stadium rock. Οι SM δεν θα ήταν φυσικά σε θέση να υπηρετήσουν το “είδος” με τη διάρκεια και την καλλιτεχνική συνέπεια των U2 – αφήνοντάς τους κάποια στιγμή χωρίς αντίπαλο.
Ιδιαίτερα αρεστό μου το ριφ του κιμπορντίστα Mick MacNeil – γεννημένου μήνα Ιούλιο όπως και ο Jim Kerr, front man του γκρουπ.

As part of a not-quite-nostalgia for the ’80s, a favorite Simple Minds song : Up On the Catwalk, from ’84’s Sparkle In The Rain. The album marked the beginning of a process of transforming their sound towards stadium rock. SM would of course not have been able to serve the “genre” with the duration and artistic consistency of U2 – leaving them at some point without a rival.
Especially liked is the riff by keyboardist Mick MacNeil – born on July, like Jim Kerr, the group’s front man.

Up on the catwalk, a big wheel is spinning
And Dollars to Deutchmarks, and pennies from heaven
And up on the catwalk, there’s one hundred million
With letters from thousands that say “Just who are you?”
There’s one thousand names that can spring up in my mind
But you’d call it blackmail and that’s just not my kind
And up on the catwalk, up on the catwalk
And I don’t know why
I will be there, I will be there, I will be there
I will be there, I will be there
Up on the catwalk there’s street politicians
That crawl in from Broadway, say then who are you
And up on the catwalk there’s one thousand postcards
From Montevideo, say that I’ll be home soon
Get out of Bombay and go up to Brixton And look around, to see just what is
missing
And up on the catwalk, girls call for mother And dream of their boyfriends
And I don’t know why
I will be there, I will be there, I will be there
I will be there, I will be there
Tonight, under the crystal light, I’ll tell you everything I need
Tonight, under the crystal light, surrender everything to me
Up on the catwalk, and you dress in waistcoats
And got brilliantino, and friends of Kim Philby
You float through the night time, like manna from heaven
But what, what do I know, and just what do I know
And up on the catwalk, in sweat that glistens
And I don’t know why and I don’t know why
I don’t know why
I will be there, I will be there, I will be there
I will be there, I will be there
Tonight, under the crystal light, I’ll tell you everything I need
Tonight, under the crystal light, surrender everything to me
Angel Angel Angel Angel
Ah huh Ah huh Ah huh Ah huh
One thousand names that spring up in my mind
One thousand names that spring up in my mind
Like Deodata, Michaelangelo, Robert de Niro, so many others
Nastassja Kinski and Martin Luther – there’s room for others, away from me
Up on the catwalk, up on the catwalk, up on the catwalk
I don’t know why.