Good News from the Next World is the tenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in January 1995 by record label Virgin. The album's recording started in the band's own studio in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1993, and finished in Los Angeles, US, in summer 1994. The two original band members â singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill â wrote all nine tracks on the album. They were joined by a number of guest musicians for recording sessions. Keith Forsey, who had previously worked with Simple Minds on their breakout single "Don't You (Forget About Me)", shares producing credits with the band.
The lead single from the album, "She's a River", was released in January 1995 to international commercial success, and the album, in some markets, performed somewhat better than their previous record, Real Life (1991), but it quickly faded from public attention, producing only two moderately successful hit singles.
The album garnered moderate commercial success. In the UK, it reached number 2 and produced two UK top 20 hits: "She's a River" (number 9) and "Hypnotised" (number 18).
Good News from the Next World received favourable reviews among critics in the United States. In the UK, it received mixed reviews. John Harris wrote in Melody Maker that the album "approximates the noise that would be made if the entire contents of a music shop were strapped to an Empire transport ship from Star Wars", adding "for all its cod-Wagnerian vastness, there are no tunes." A positive review appeared in Q magazine: "Good News From The Next World is as good as they'll ever get. It's a scream, in the best possible sense", John Aizlewood wrote. Good News from the Next World also received a favourable review from Time Out, while Vox gave an unfavourable review.
Simple Minds
Additional musicians
Technical