AMG Review of Real Life

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

One prize Simple Minds will never win is for being the most consistent band in the world. Some of their albums have been strong (New Gold Dream, Sparkle in the Rain, and Once Upon a Time, to name a few), while others have been weak and disappointing. Real Life sort of falls in between; some of the songs are decent (including the catchy "Stand By Love" and the haunting "Woman"), but the majority of them aren't very memorable. Devoted Simple Minds fans will want this; more casual listeners would be better off sticking to the band's mid-'80s work.