Life in a Day (album)
Life in a Day is the debut album by Simple Minds, released in April 1979 by record label Zoom.
| Life in a Day | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 April 1979 | |||
| Recorded | December 1978 – January 1979 | |||
| Studio | Rolling Stones Mobile, Abbey Road and Townhouse studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:10 | |||
| Label | Zoom | |||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Life in a Day | ||||
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It reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart. The title track and "Chelsea Girl" were issued as singles.
Release and reception
Life in a Day spent six weeks in the UK LP charts and reached number 30.[1] The title track was released on 12 May as Simple Minds' first single and reached No. 62 in the UK charts, spending two weeks there.[1] However, the next single, "Chelsea Girl", failed to chart at all. A tribute to Nico and the Andy Warhol film Chelsea Girls, it was a popular live song for the band.[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Martin C. Strong | 7/10[4] |
| NME | favourable[5] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10[6] |
Andy Kellman of AllMusic rated the album the lowest of Simple Minds' first five album releases, remarking on its derivativeness of Magazine and Roxy Music and ranking "Someone" as the best track.[7] NME's Tony Stewart praised the lyrics and arrangements despite noting the overt influences of 1970s music, and rated "Murder Story" the standout track. Although noting the album as overproduced and undermining the band's sound, he rated the album favourably.[5]
In a 2012 interview, the band's frontman Jim Kerr expressed regret that the album's production had resulted in the tracks lacking "a real spark" that was part of their live performances, and described his feelings about the album as "bittersweet".[8] He recalled at the time, "as we were about to drive up to Scotland, someone gave me a cassette of Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division... and I thought, we've completely blown it."—ruing that their live material had sounded more like Velvet Underground and less like the Boomtown Rats.[9]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Charles Burchill and Jim Kerr.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Someone" | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Life in a Day" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Sad Affair" | 2:45 |
| 4. | "All for You" | 2:51 |
| 5. | "Pleasantly Disturbed" | 7:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "No Cure" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Chelsea Girl" | 4:34 |
| 8. | "Wasteland" | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Destiny" | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Murder Story" | 6:17 |
| Total length: | 43:10 | |
Personnel
- Jim Kerr – lead vocals
- Charles Burchill – guitar, violin, vocals
- Derek Forbes – bass, vocals
- Brian McGee – drums, percussion, vocals
- Michael MacNeil – keyboards, vocals
- John Leckie – producer
References
- Simple Minds. OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved on 31 January 2013.
- Thompson, Deve. "Chelsea Girl " Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 31 January 2013.
- Kellman, Andy. "Simple Minds: Life in a Day > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- The Essential Rock Discography – Volume 1: 970. 2006. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - Stewart, Tony (21 April 1979). "Secondhand Simplicity (Life in a Day)". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- Starr, Red (17–31 May 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits: 25.
- Kellman, Andy. "Life in a Day " Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 31 January 2013.
- Hogwood, Ben (2012). "Interview: Simple Minds". Music OMH. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- Stubbs, David (21 February 2012). "A Glittering Prize – Jim Kerr Of Simple Minds Interviewed". A Quietus Interview. Quietus. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
