The first Simple Minds album, Life in a Day, was produced by John Leckie and released by Arista in April 1979. The album took a cue from fellow post-punk forebears Magazine, and was somewhat self-consciously derivative of the late-70s punk boom. The album's title track was released as Simple Minds' first single and reached #62 in the UK Gallop charts, with the album itself putting in a more respectable performance at #30 in the LP charts. While Arista were disappointed with this failure, the band themselves had rapidly become dissatisfied with the album, which they considered too derivative. While preparing ideas for the next record, they enjoyed a well-received support slot for Magazine, following which they went straight back into the studio with Leckie to work on new material.
While still categorised as 'rock', Simple Minds' second release, Real to Real Cacophony was a significant departure from the pop tunes of Life In A Day. The album had a darker and far more experimental atmosphere, announcing some of the New Wave experimentation that would become the band’s trademark sound over the next two albums. Innovations which the band displayed on Real to Real Cacophony included minimalist structures based around the rhythm section of Forbes and McGee, plus the occasional use of unconventional time signatures. The album also generated an acclaimed (but again, non-charting) single - "Changeling".Simple Minds Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market
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