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March 28, 2024, 10:08:36 PM

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Manic Street Preachers continue

Started by Mark Steels Stockbroker, February 22, 2018, 08:13:30 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Spiteface

Just got my ticket. I'm going. Although I suspect this might not entirely be a "true fan" crowd. Welsh Manics gigs rarely are, but y'know.

Fucking cheap, though, for an arena gig.

phes

I've got tickets for this NHS one. Never seen them before, would have gone to my grave that way but for a freebie. That's two easter eggs and a gig ticket in as many days. I knew 15 years long service would pay off one day!

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on April 09, 2020, 10:01:00 AM
Or maybe it'll be good.

I saw them at a couple of festivals in the nineties and they sounded identical to the way they did on record, maybe some would see that as a compliment but it also made for a drab and predictable gig that I found myself struggling with each time. Still, that was over twenty years ago so they may be a bit more exciting live now.

phes

I guess there's every chance this won't happen anyway. Still lots of question marks over how this virus will behave and December is right at the start of Winter Pressures. And for the free one, 5000 NHS staff in one room... this is the one thing we didn't want to happen


Dr Syntax Head

You know what? I genuinely think International Blue might be one of the best songs they've ever made

honeychile

I wouldn't go that far with International blue but it is a nice tune. But unfortunately, it's the only remotely decent song on their most recent album, which makes Lifeblood and Send away the tigers sound like works of art.

I was really optimistic when International blue came out, because it reminded me a bit of when It's not war, just the end of love came out which heralded probably their best album of this side of 2000 (minority opinion there i think). But the rest of Resistance is futile sounds so utterly indifferent, genuinely couldn't understand how the fuck the Liverpool song got written. As potentially-interesting songs turning out to be unrefined drivel go, it really gives Emily a run for its money.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: Dr Syntax Head on April 18, 2020, 02:29:38 PM
You know what? I genuinely think International Blue might be one of the best songs they've ever made

I just had a listen and while the production definitely brings back the bands core 90s sound the song itself is a moribund effort for the most part. Nice melody in the chorus and a few plus points here and there but stale as fuck. The sound of a band trapped in the perfunctoryness of the track. No emotional content, no ideas or heart. It could be deleted from their back catalogue at no loss.

PaulTMA

I bloody love International Blue and the second side of that album in general.  (The rest is boring though)

Lifeblood is a fantastic album IMO

honeychile

Re-listening to International blue, i'm reminded of how few decent guitar solos Bradfield has had on recent albums. I remember it really striking me how the guitar solo on The next jet to leave Moscow (maybe their best songs off recent albums?) was actually good. Pains me to say that cos like many people i have a lot of time for JDB, but he used to be able to knock them out of the park for fun, even the restrained stuff like If you tolerate this... is perfectly judged. Started to sound a bit laboured on Know your enemy but there was still some classy stuff there, but since then it's been slim pickings.

purlieu

Quote from: honeychile on April 18, 2020, 09:16:19 PMIt's not war, just the end of love came out which heralded probably their best album of this side of 2000 (minority opinion there i think).
Mm, Postcards seems to be almost universally regarded by fans as a bottom-three album.

International Blue is fantastic. The production is so punchy, it almost reminds me of Generation Terrorists, only done well.

Still not really a fan of the late '00s 'revisiting the '90s' trilogy of SATT, JFPL and PFAYM, but the last three albums are up there with their best for me. The second half of the last one is superb.

Dr Syntax Head

All is vanity is a belter though. Can't remember which album it's off though. And the b side it's all gone is brilliant

purlieu

All is Vanity is on Journal for Plague Lovers. There are some very good songs on that, admittedly.

It's All Gone is from the There by the Grace of God single, all the tracks from that era are fantastic. I have the 2CD Japanese version of Lifeblood with all those and all the Lifeblood b-sides on the second disc, a really fantastic set.

Dr Syntax Head

It's all gone helped me through a particularly horrible breakup, I listened to it on repeat for ages. That riff is so simple but effective.

grainger

Quote from: honeychile on April 18, 2020, 09:16:19 PM
I wouldn't go that far with International blue but it is a nice tune. But unfortunately, it's the only remotely decent song on their most recent album, which makes Lifeblood and Send away the tigers sound like works of art.

Lifeblood is one of their best post-2000 albums! Tigers is awful though, I agree.

grainger

Quote from: honeychile on April 18, 2020, 09:16:19 PM
As potentially-interesting songs turning out to be unrefined drivel go, it really gives Emily a run for its money.

Wow, we do differ. Emily is one of their best post-Richey songs IMO.

Spiteface

Quote from: Spiteface on March 28, 2020, 01:11:04 PM
"Be Pure - Be Vigilant - Behave" is a much better document of the Holy Bible anniversary stuff than the BBC coverage of Cardiff. It's taken from the 2014 tour which was all smaller venues and suited the album better. Still up for streaming for a couple of days:

https://www.amam.cymru/kieranevans/504
Also, I was at Cardiff and James had problems with his guitar, during Archives of Pain, right during the solo, of all times for it to happen. I assume that's why it was cut from the BBC broadcast.
I've got the full album portion of the Cardiff gig on my computer and it's still solid, but yeah, the album doesn't suit outdoor gigs in daylight.



Got a working link for the aforementioned Manics film:

https://youtu.be/pRHpKMOwRjI

The guy behind this, has also done something for the Gold Against the Soul reissue - a fictionalised account of the band's 1993 tour of Japan called "Pieces of Sleep"

https://youtu.be/dxzPLoVWG54

Makes you miss "Diary of a Manics Fan" from Melody Maker...

Shaky

I love Lifeblood too and for me it's actually gotten better with age. Adore the really pristine, delicate production job.

Glyn

Quote from: Spiteface on June 20, 2020, 12:48:56 AM
Got a working link for the aforementioned Manics film:

https://youtu.be/pRHpKMOwRjI

The guy behind this, has also done something for the Gold Against the Soul reissue - a fictionalised account of the band's 1993 tour of Japan called "Pieces of Sleep"

https://youtu.be/dxzPLoVWG54

Makes you miss "Diary of a Manics Fan" from Melody Maker...

I liked the 'degraded VHS' look of it but there wasn't much in it other than proof that Richey could look good even in a pink beret and it showing that the sound of The Holy Bible wasn't a complete left turn. Both the way they were playing live and the bsides of the album (Comfort Comes being the obvious one but also Charles Windsor and Us Against You ) all pointed that way.

The photobook for the reissue is nicely made but still nowhere near worth what they were initially selling it for, I'd say. Assume it's a mistake they've made in using a different (and worse sounding) version of What's My Name on it too.

Roses in The Hospital is probably the most interesting demo .Different lyrics,  even more unashamedly Bowie and the original breakdown has a hint of 4st 7lbs to it.

Glyn

Not sure on thread bumping etiquette anymore sorry.

Looks like the much rumoured Know Your Enemy anniversary edition will be finally be announced tomorrow.

Split into 2 separate albums (like the original plan, if you can trust a word Wire says) and at least partially, potentially fully, remixed by David Eringa.

Lots of demos and 2 unheard tracks included ,along with adding Masses Against the Classes and Door to the River to the album tracklistings.

It's an absolute mess of an album and it looks like this could be even messier.


dontpaintyourteeth

Know Your Enemy was the first Manics album I bought on the day it came out. I was very excited. A harsh lesson that. It was mostly shite. I've stuck with them since but it was a low point. Not sure if I need more of it. But I will inevitably buy whatever they do put out because I always do. I am a mug.

purlieu

I still think it's a great 11 track album unnecessarily expanded.
Will have to see how this one plays out. I don't like owning more than one copy of an album if necessary, but for all the potential here (having all the b-sides in one place, bonus tracks, demos), it might not be the version I want to come to that often. Mind you, given the small overlap in bonus tracks, I also have two versions of The Holy Bible and Everything Must Go, so it wouldn't be my first Manics double.

Glyn

This place has jumped the gun with the press release and track listing if anyone is interested :
https://www.roanrecords.co.uk/product/know-your-enemy/

Looks interesting that it is fully remixed, seems to be a bit of a reverse engineered 'Let it Be Naked' idea.

As I've said before it's a dog's dinner of an album for me (and all the better for it in my opinion) so unlike their other reissues I think it's a great idea to mess about with it.

dontpaintyourteeth

No space for Little Trolls on there??

I'll probably get that 3cd thing.

Pedestal was probably the most boring song they'd ever done at that point.

New bits could be interesting

MrMrs

The maaasssseeesss against theclasses

bgmnts

Manics are lucky that they'll never make a song shit enough that will balance out the brilliance of Little Baby Nothing.

purlieu

Quote from: dontpaintyourteeth on July 21, 2022, 04:17:52 PMPedestal was probably the most boring song they'd ever done at that point.
To be honest, I don't think many songs have beaten it in the intervening years, even on pedestrian albums like PFAYM.

dontpaintyourteeth

Quote from: purlieu on July 21, 2022, 06:47:51 PMTo be honest, I don't think many songs have beaten it in the intervening years, even on pedestrian albums like PFAYM.

can't even remember any songs from Postcards, if I'm honest.

Spiteface

I love the Manics to bits, but PFAYM remains the one true misfire in their discography. Sub-par songs (which considering they were working on it at the same time as Journal for Plague Lovers, tells you where their inspiration was at the time), and didn't exactly nail the "Mass Communication" they set out to achieve with it.

Something is happening tomorrow at 9am. That combined with an instagram post of a guitar and a custom KYE strap makes me think/hope tour, even if a 4th album-based tour is taking the piss even further, and this one makes even less sense than the Bible/Everything/Truth tours. KYE deserves a reappraisal.

The use of studio footage in the trailer today is also putting the idea of another Kieran Evans documentary/film on YouTube.

I'm not saying no to either of these.