By cave 
Dream in the dream with me.
Some live albums manage to be more than just a collection of concert recordings. Live in the City of Light, released in 1987, is a prime example. At this point in their career, Simple Minds were at the peak of both their creative output and commercial success. With this double album, they delivered not just a showcase of their musical abilities, but a sense of urgency and ambition — as if to prove their music belonged on the world’s biggest stages.
Recorded primarily at Le Zenith in Paris in August 1986, during their exuberant Once Upon a Time tour, the album’s title references Paris, but the music reaches far beyond one city or moment. This is a live record that fully captures the band’s international aspirations: grand, energetic, and immersive.
From the powerful opener “Ghost Dancing” (which seamlessly includes a high-energy nod to Van Morrison’s “Gloria”), it’s clear that Simple Minds on stage are something different from their studio incarnation. While their studio albums are often meticulously produced, this live recording allows space for spontaneity, extended arrangements, and the dynamic interplay between band and audience. Jim Kerr is in top form here: not just a singer, but a true frontman, urging the crowd onward with almost preacher-like energy.
The setlist reads like a greatest hits collection up to that point, featuring classics such as “Alive and Kicking,” “Sanctify Yourself,” “Book of Brilliant Things,” “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” and the hypnotic “New Gold Dream.” The band sounds layered and powerful at every turn. Backing vocalist Robin Clark (who had previously worked with David Bowie) and the addition of a second keyboardist give the live sound an even richer texture. This is music that aims for the grandest scale — and achieves it.
What makes this album stand out is its atmosphere: a perfect balance of bombast and emotion. Simple Minds aren’t just performing songs here; they’re creating a shared experience. The audience becomes part of the music, and the production captures this beautifully. Even listening at home, you feel surrounded — the crowd noise, the applause, the energy surging through every track — it’s all part of the experience.
For many listeners, this album served as an entry point into the transformative power of live music. Even for those who were too young at the time to witness the tour firsthand, Live in the City of Light offered a gateway into something larger: the realization that music truly comes alive on stage, that something magical happens between a band and its audience.
Though the band would go on to experience both highs and lows in the years that followed, this album remains a landmark in their catalogue — and one of the standout live recordings of the 1980s. It’s a time capsule that captures the spirit of that era without ever feeling dated: big, emotional, and completely sincere.
Tracklist
A1 Ghostdancing
A2 Big Sleep
A3 Waterfront
A4 Promised You A Miracle
B1 Someone Somewhere In Summertime
B2 Oh Jungleland
B3 Alive And Kicking
C1 Don’t You Forget About Me
C2 Once Upon A Time
C3 Book Of Brilliant Things
C4 East At Easter
D1 Sanctify Yourself
D2a Love Song
D2b Sun City
D2c Dance To The Music
D3 New Gold Dream
Vinyl Specs
| Label: | Virgin – 303 067 420, Virgin – SMDL 1 |
|---|---|
| Format: | 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Gatefold |
| Country: | Europe |
| Released: |
Streaming
Links
https://www.discogs.com/release/752850-Simple-Minds-Live-In-The-City-Of-Light