Shnootz - Reaction Video (Simple Minds - This Fear of Gods)

[@pameladiamond9603]

The brilliance that is Simple Minds. Say no more.

[@Exmirror]

One of my favorite albums. It really hits on the mood of the times.

[@alipiusmuller3715]

I have listened to this song so many times, and yet I never get tired of these 7 minutes. So wonderfully hypnotic, metronomic, monotonous - and yet also exciting, inventive and captivating. I'm pretty sure you'll love the rest of this album. Keep up the great work!

[@jleaser7269]

Thanks for delving into Simple Minds!

[@thelwulfeoforlic6482]

Think what it was like in that brief period of the late 70’s to early 80’s; Simple Minds, OMD, Japan, Foxx, Numan et-al, a time when experimentation flourished and was embraced by the masses, where bands utilising new technologies created a new wave of music, where every release was eagerly awaited; unfortunately by the end of 1984 it was finished, BUT oh those all so brief 6 years!

[@user-xb3oy3vk7v]

This is classic simple minds love it matt

[@a.k.1740]

Those Middle Eastern vibes you mentioned come from guitarist Charlie Burchill's discordant playing on his saxophone (which can be heard occasionally as well as violin on these first three Simple Minds albums). It should also be noted that their producer John Leckie has said that he and the band tried to make the guitars sound like keyboards and the keyboards sound like guitars through various filters, effects and other studio tricks, which accentuates the weirdness and elusiveness of this music. Jim Kerr said he remembered "This Fear Of Gods" was inspired by a same-titled short story in Jorge Luis Borge's Labyrinths: "One of those stories, 'This Fear Of Gods', tells of a man who waited for God for century upon century. He had an absolute faith in God's eventual arrival, but God let him down. Eventually he does arrive, in the shape of a large bird. By then, the man has lost his illusions, and he shoots the bird. He shoots his God! The gods have not left us, we killed them." Here's what bass player Derek Forbes said in 2016: "Trance like genius. We were so in tune with each other at this time. The chemistry of the original band will never be beaten. Simply mysterious." "We would wake up, breakfast ready on the huge kitchen table, eat what you could, before the inevitable food fight would start, then transfer ourselves into the studio to commit our talent to tape."

[@VKayed]

For me who discovered Simple Minds through Once Upon A Time before going back through the chronology of their albums, the first listen to a track like this can be daunting. I admit it took me several listens to get into the mood and appreciate the richness of the sound work on this particular song, that you immediately caught.

[@grayham37]

background Jim would recall that This Fear Of Gods was inspired by a same-titled short story in Jorge Luis Borge's Labyrinths: "One of those stories, 'This Fear Of Gods', tells of a man who waited for God for century upon century. He had an absolute faith in God's eventual arrival, but God let him down. Eventually he does arrive, in the shape of a large bird. By then, the man has lost his illusions, and he shoots the bird. He shoots his God! The gods have not left us, we killed them." However, that book doesn't feature a short story called This Fear Of Gods!

[@mattsnider2667]

Oh, I should have recognized that reference! I've read some Borge.

[@James-hd6ez]

From This majestic sound to " Don't you " in five years 😮 Almost Criminal. ​@mattsnider2667

[@Venkman00]

Capital City is another great track. Kinda wish they’d stuck with this album’s sound. Like a bridge between Joy Division’s more synthy tracks and early OMD.

[@davidcooper717]

Strange song but i love it

[@cristianwaraltte3351]

Hi Matt, interesting track by Simple Minds. All good but you've never done a 2x1 reacting to Roxette songs. You've been doing it with other artists and not with the Swedish duo. It's just that you leave me wanting more reactions to their songs. Thanks and hugs!

[@mattsnider2667]

Ha, I’m pretty sure I have done a Roxette double-dip before, and I am going through solo Marie at the same time, but cheers, I’ll try to do a double Roxette sometime in the near future

[@mattsnider2667]

I would also say no two deep-dives are the same (and thus, they don’t have the same “rules” or regularities), so I encourage people not to compare them directly as if there’s some implied value-judgment happening, as it’s not like that