Who knew Simple Minds had some Balearic cuts up their sleeve? The Balearic Sound of Simple Minds highlights 3 cuts from early in the New Wave band's career, before they before they hooked up with U2’s producer and headed down the stadium rock route. The 3 tracks featured here show just how mind-blowingly good and experimental the band was in their early years. It's hard to believe that "This Fear of Gods" is from 1980. The track just sounds so ahead of its time. "Theme For Great Cities," produced by Steve Hillage, is a lush instrumental epic that had major rotation and became a big anthem in Ibiza. There's another Balearic classic lurking on the B side with the extended 12" version of "I Travel," also produced by Hillage. Note: side B lists two tracks, but only one track was pressed on that side.

• music label: Sunkissed Records 2013

reviewed by Señor Sueño Latino 04/2013