Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man

[purlieu]

While I don't class myself as a huge fan these days, surprised to see there's no thread about this considering the huge thread pre-empting their last musical abortion.


Out in September.

[Spiteface]

While I don't class myself as a huge fan these days, surprised to see there's no thread about this considering the huge thread pre-empting their last musical abortion.

To be fair, I think "Journal for Plague Lovers" was something of a bigger deal to most considering the lyrical content of it being the final contributions of Richey Edwards (at least the ones they could fit into song form anyway).

I'm a fan and was about to start a thread on this myself.  It always amuses me how the Manics react to the l;ast thing they put out, like following "This is My Truth Tell Me Yours" with "Know Your Enemy", the following that with "Lifeblood".  Now after a dark album like the last one, they're doing a big pop record.  I'm looking forward to it, and I've already got my ticket for the Newport date on the tour (Pre-sale link I got via the band's mailing list).  I've actually been to more Manics gigs than any other band, and they're always great live.

[purlieu]

Yes, I suppose the last one was more exciting with the Richey and Albini contributions and a lot more hype from the band beforehand.
I'm waiting for this one (that article with its Queen and Guns'n'Roses references) to be followed up by that 'even more electronic than Lifeblood' record Nicky said was going to follow that album that blatantly never happened.  Then I'll be happy.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

they're always great live.

I won't go and see them until JDB sings 'emptine-e-e-e-ss' like on the record.

[purlieu]

That popular Manic Street Preachers hit, 'Motorcycle -'

[non capisco]

I find Manic Street Preachers records a real cunt to sing along to on pitch. I can only imagine he'd made his bollocks ascend back up around the 'Gold Against The Soul' era. No wonder he runs out of puff halfway through a line.

[Barberism]

The last album was a perfect full stop to their career.

This has the potential to be worse than Send Away The Tigers.

[thehungerartist]

Since Everything Must Go they seem to do one good record followed by one embarrassingly awful record followed by one good record (Repeat to fade).  Which of course means the new album is going to be tripe.

The last album was a perfect full stop to their career.

Agreed, they should have really called it a day there.  I think it's safe to say they'll never get anywhere near to making another like it (in terms of both quality and spirit).  What didn't you like about it purlieu?  Even the B-sides were excellent.  I think it was actually good enough to erase the horrible memories of Know Your Enemy and Send Away The Tigers, but then they go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "We're making another record."


Bit of a longshot this: does anyone have or know where I could find the acoustic version of Motorcycle Emptiness - just James on piano - recorded for Peel(?) around the time of Generation Terrorists.  I grabbed it off Napster back in 99 but haven't been able to find it anywhere since.  Yours sincerely, a hopeful punt.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The main problem about Journal For Plague Lovers wasn't that the spirit wasn't there, it was that there were a lot of songs and a lot of them were shit. I don't just mean the composition, I mean the boring-as-fuck production which ended up with half of them sounding like poor copies of Foo Fighters or REM songs.

I have no hesitation in claiming that Know Your Enemy is a far far better album. At least then when they got carried away trying to be something they filled at least half the album with music that made you sit up and listen. Journal For Plague lovers is largely uninvolving and boring. I've now listened to it  at least 7 or 8 times and wouldn't be able to tell you what more than 5 or 6 songs actually go like.

Their problem seems to be that they can't write very good songs anymore. At least not often enough to be constantly bringing out new albums.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

On the subject of their live performances- especially JDB's solo performances which are often the highlight, I think this is exceptionally good- convincingly heartfelt anyway. Amazing how much better a song becomes when you get the impression that the singer is really in the moment.

Manic Street Preachers - Baby Elian (Live)

And yes I'd love to be able to sing in his key without sounding like I'd regressed to pre-pubescence.

[Barberism]

The main problem about Journal For Plague Lovers wasn't that the spirit wasn't there, it was that there were a lot of songs and a lot of them were shit. I don't just mean the composition, I mean the boring-as-fuck production which ended up with half of them sounding like poor copies of Foo Fighters or REM songs.

I have no hesitation in claiming that Know Your Enemy is a far far better album. At least then when they got carried away trying to be something they filled at least half the album with music that made you sit up and listen. Journal For Plague lovers is largely uninvolving and boring. I've now listened to it  at least 7 or 8 times and wouldn't be able to tell you what more than 5 or 6 songs actually go like.

Their problem seems to be that they can't write very good songs anymore. At least not often enough to be constantly bringing out new albums.

There were about 3 or 4 tracks on Journal for Plague Lovers that were great. Overall it was a good album not a great one.

Send Away the Tigers was truly dreadful.

Lifeblood is very underrated. There were 3 or 4 duff tracks but it didn't deserve to be written off.

Know Your Enemy is a great album undermined by it's terrible sixth form lyrics. You have to take Nicky's lyrics with a pinch of salt but there were some real clunkers. But overall I am surprised that in recent years it has been reappraised as a failure and their worst album. I think it is one of their best.

[purlieu]

I've probably only given Journal three or four listens but I honestly really struggled.  The songs are just so painfully boring, and the production is indeed terrible.  It all sounds lifeless, and like they made a conscious effort to try and do something darker/heavier instead of just going with it.

My favourite era of the Manics is the Forever Delayed/Lifeblood time when they sounded very comfortable doing something they wanted to do.  There was no doubt they lost a lot of fan interest, but that didn't matter - ok, Glasnost, Emily and Fragments don't do anything for me, but the rest of the album is wonderful, and the Forever Delayed EP (that track + There By The Grace Of God and its b-sides) is probably my favourite Manics release start to finish.  Automatik Technicolour is amazing.

SATT was an utter atrocity, them trying to go back to their 'rock roots' after Lifeblood flopped, and then upon finding it was a reasonably popular approach, they furthered it by attempting to bring Richey back into the picture and trying to sound a bit like The Holy Bible, although only getting as far as 'Know Your Enemy b-sides' quality.  Just sounded like Manics fanfic to me.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

If Journal For Plague Lovers was supposed to be another Holy Bible then they really messed up somewhere. It has no sense of identity. Neither did Send Away The Tigers.

I did used to think Lifeblood was a little too sterile and pristine for its own good, but in comparison it's a very good album because it, y'know, has lots of good songs on. The songwriting is top notch on the album. As for the production, they do do shimmery grandiose anthemic rock quite well, it seems to get the best out of the vocals and melodies too in my opinion. Even though I'd probably prefer another grimy Holy Bible/Know Your Enemy overall, I'd still much rather they did Lifeblood type stuff than this sort of uncatchy generic indie rock with no particular sense of identity.

[purlieu]

Shimmery pop songs with synths and stuff is good with me.  Nice new wave touches throughout.  That was wonderful.

[Barberism]

I've probably only given Journal three or four listens but I honestly really struggled.  The songs are just so painfully boring, and the production is indeed terrible.  It all sounds lifeless, and like they made a conscious effort to try and do something darker/heavier instead of just going with it.

My favourite era of the Manics is the Forever Delayed/Lifeblood time when they sounded very comfortable doing something they wanted to do.  There was no doubt they lost a lot of fan interest, but that didn't matter - ok, Glasnost, Emily and Fragments don't do anything for me, but the rest of the album is wonderful, and the Forever Delayed EP (that track + There By The Grace Of God and its b-sides) is probably my favourite Manics release start to finish.  Automatik Technicolour is amazing.

SATT was an utter atrocity, them trying to go back to their 'rock roots' after Lifeblood flopped, and then upon finding it was a reasonably popular approach, they furthered it by attempting to bring Richey back into the picture and trying to sound a bit like The Holy Bible, although only getting as far as 'Know Your Enemy b-sides' quality.  Just sounded like Manics fanfic to me.

I agree. I like the Manics more poppy electronic kind of stuff.

They are fat and in their 40s. They are too old to be rockers and it just looks sad. I think the direction they were taking with Lifeblood suited them, more relaxed and electronic. I wanted to see where they were going next. Send Away the Tigers was completely the wrong direction for them to take. Lifeblood may have flopped but I think another album in that style has the potential to do well.

Journal for Plague Lovers was a solid 7/10 album. There is some filler in the middle but overall the album showed they still have some life in them and they can finally put Richey to rest and move on.

So hearing about a new album so soon is a bit of a surprise. I think they should give up on rock and should become a straight up pop band.

[PaulTMA]

You are all mad, Journal For Plague lovers was head and shoulders above every album since Everything Must Go and one of their best overall.

Lifeblood's momentum was killed by The Love Of Richard Nixon, a single all their fans rushed out and bought due to the multi-formatting and free slipcase (wowz!) - it got to number 1 on the midweeks, but no one really liked it, so passed on the actual album and it stiffed.  Which was a shame, because that song's abysmal lyrics aside, it's a great album and unfairly maligned for all the wrong reasons - the band themselves included.  Stiill, it's available for pennies in your local Fopp, should you still have one.

[lipsink]

I was listening to Journal For Plague Lovers again earlier this week and it is indeed excellent. 'Me and Stephen Hawking', 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time', 'Facing Page: Top Left' and 'Marlon J.D' are all bloody brilliant. It's in a completely different dimension from the tired and confused sounding Know Your Enemy. Send Away The Tigers is a bit rough yeah, though it does contain 'Rendition' which is a blast. Lifeblood is the only album of theirs I've never listened to, will have to give it ago.

[Spiteface]

I think Lifeblood might be one of those albums that will get it's recognition much later on.  I still love stuff like "1985".  I hope they don't leave all that stuff out of the setlists now.  "1985" and "Empty Souls" could still work well live.  Maybe it could fit in more, depending on what the new album is like.

It is a nice change of pace, following "Know Your Enemy", and I like the idea that they went into writing the album deciding that they would "ban the powerchord", which makes for James Dean Bradfield having to do more "textural" stuff guitar wise.  Although I love his solos in "A Song for Departure" . I don't think he gets quite the recognition he   deserves at times for the music he put behind the lyrics.

That said, I think it's crimonal they didn't try and put the "God Save the Manics"EP out as a proper single and promote it.  "Firefight" could have done rather well as a one-off single.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Bit odd seeing Tim Roth on the album cover.

I kind of lost interest in the Manics after Holy Bible, also I seem to be one of the few people who thinks Gold Against the Soul is a really good album.

[purlieu]

Lifeblood's momentum was killed by The Love Of Richard Nixon, a single all their fans rushed out and bought due to the multi-formatting and free slipcase (wowz!) - it got to number 1 on the midweeks, but no one really liked it

My favourite Manics single.  I love it.  Nice melody.  Barely any guitar.  When I heard it I was excited about them for the first time since Tolerate.

[Uncle TechTip]

Bit of a longshot this: does anyone have or know where I could find the acoustic version of Motorcycle Emptiness - just James on piano - recorded for Peel(?) around the time of Generation Terrorists.  I grabbed it off Napster back in 99 but haven't been able to find it anywhere since.  Yours sincerely, a hopeful punt.

get slsk, it's first result for title + acoustic. In fact, here http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I9JTMRYP presuming its the right one

[Rev]

My favourite Manics single.  I love it.  Nice melody.  Barely any guitar.  When I heard it I was excited about them for the first time since Tolerate.

I like it too, along with 1985, but that's really all Lifeblood has to offer.  The direction may have had potential, but it's a horribly bland album.

I'm not sure how anyone could say that the songs on JFPL aren't memorable; if the album has a fault, it's that it's too poppy and hooky.  It was a side-project rather than a proper album, so it should have freed them up to do something a bit more peculiar.  Still the best thing they've done since Know Your Enemy, though.

Oh, and Know Your Enemy?  Their second-best record after the Holy Bible.  I said it at the time, and I maintain that it's true.  The problem is that it contains two fuck-awful singles that stand out like sore thumbs.  Found That Soul is alright because a pub-rock stomp seems kind of appropriate as an opener, and Let Robeson Sing is kind of wonderful.

[PaulTMA]

My favourite Manics single.  I love it.  Nice melody.  Barely any guitar.  When I heard it I was excited about them for the first time since Tolerate.

I know The Love Of Richard Nixon has it's supporters, but at the time it came out I recall general reaction among people I knew was how the single was a huge embarrassing disaster.  I can only assume this was a commonly held view and whilst the fans made the single a "hit", the general public gave the album a swerve because they most likely shared this view.   They're hardly Miles Davis now, but it was desperately uncool to like them by 2004 and not coming out with a triumphant single failed to rectify matters.

Musically I don't think it's actually that bad, but those lyrics, those lyrics.  Solitude Sometimes Is would have been a preferable single, in my opinion.

[Barberism]

I know The Love Of Richard Nixon has it's supporters, but at the time it came out I recall general reaction among people I knew was how the single was a huge embarrassing disater.  I can only assume this was a commonly held view and whilst the fans made the single a "hit", the general public gave the album a swerve.

Musically I don't think it's actually that bad, but those lyrics, those lyrics.  Solitude Sometimes Is would have been a preferable single, in my opinion.

It's got a really nice melody. But they screwed any commercial chance it may have had by making it about Richard Nixon.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The Love Of Richard Nixon is alright as a song.

I didn't cringe at it at least, but I find the 'if black were truly black not grey, it might provide some depth to pray' torture of a bridge in Solitude Somtimes Is a little much. Otherwise it's quite nice. Surprised anyone would think it screams hit over an obvious pop song like Nixon. Besides, there's 1985, the pop song that's the best on the album...:/

[PaulTMA]

The Love Of Richard Nixon is alright as a song.

I didn't cringe at it at least, but I find the 'if black were truly black not grey, it might provide some depth to pray' torture of a bridge in Solitude Somtimes Is a little much. Otherwise it's quite nice. Surprised anyone would think it screams hit over an obvious pop song like Nixon. Besides, there's 1985, the pop song that's the best on the album...:/

It doesn't scream obvious hit at all, though I reckon they could have made it so had they considered so at the time of recording.  It's not mixed properly in the chorus to give it the right kind of lift for radio play, but then again 1985 - the fan favourite - wouldn't have really done that well either.  The lyrics of of Solitude have never struck me as a bad, though I would have liked to have seen them come back with something as anthemic and them at their melodic best (which I would say it is just about).  Empty Souls, again, got all the way to number 2 - but this was just fans buying up all the formats.  It got them on TOTP but it didn't make any more pick up Lifeblood.

Basically, Nixon was the only obvious single on the album and it didn't encourage the casual fans to shell out for the album.

[purlieu]

The direction may have had potential, but it's a horribly bland album.

I'm not sure how anyone could say that the songs on JFPL aren't memorable; if the album has a fault, it's that it's too poppy and hooky.

It's funny how this happens - I don't think I could disagree any more at all.  I find Lifeblood really tuneful, enjoyable, hummable and all round fun to listen to.  JFPL sounds like it was written by someone who had no idea how to write songs.  "Er, this chord'll do..."

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

^he's right

Lifeblood is well crafted, JFPL is incredibly slapdash and "this'll do it's vaguely punky"- without of course ever actually sounding punky enough or having the sort of hooks and production to make you sit up and pay attention. I don't think the structure of the lyrics help exactly. That quieter one This Joke Sport Severed is very carefully written admittedly, but I just don't like it very much.


It's very much a coincidence but I've found what presumably is a rare Manics flexi:

http://iwishiwasaflexidisc.blogspot.com/search/label/Manic%20Street%20Preachers

[Rev]

It is strange how that happens.  For me, despite a small sag in the middle, JFPL is full of catchy pop songs that get their point across and then end, whereas Lifeblood won't let anything drop until it at least chugs past the three minute mark.  It screams contractual obligation in a way that JFPL screams temporary freedom, given that it wasn't a proper album.

But then, it's probably worth asking when you came in.  That's important with this band, in a way that it isn't - or at least, isn't quite so important - with others.  I'd probably approach JFPL and Lifeblood differently if I hadn't been struggling with this shower from day one.

[purlieu]

Yes, I suppose that's fair, I came in around Everything Must Go.  To me Lifeblood screams doing what they feel like doing while JFPL screams trying to recapture lost glories.