Another weird thing about that album is how openly virtuosic JDB's guitar-playing is throughout compared to a lot of their other material - those elaborate leads and solos on "My Little Empire," "Black Dog...," etc. Most of their albums since have been comparatively power-chord heavy for the most part.
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Friday, 20 October 2017 17:47 (six years ago) link
I'm looking at the tracklisting on the back of my copy of This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours and it's actually incredible how much this is making me not feel like listening to it.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 20 October 2017 17:52 (six years ago) link
I always felt SYMM should have been an instrumental, save for the 'chorus' lyrics. Not attempting to lyrically address the enormous subject, just to make a statement. I don't mind the music at all, but those verses are just abysmal.
This thread is making me remember how great Tsunami is. For that reason alone, TIMT can never be my least favourite.
― PaulTMA, Friday, 20 October 2017 18:01 (six years ago) link
All of their albums have great stuff on 'em, though. Just so happens that This Is My Truth... has the least amount of great stuff.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 20 October 2017 18:18 (six years ago) link
Yes, SYMM as an instrumental except for the chorus, that would have been much, much better. When I was 18 I thought they were being clever by (more or less) putting in words that there actually are no words for something so vile. But I grew to dislike those verses quite a bit, "trying and failing to write" sounds like an appropriate assessment.
I'm reminded of the last time I saw them live, James sat down with an acoustic guitar for a couple of songs solo. First, 'A Sudden Welsh Heart'. He then told the audience that he would give us three options and he'd play the one for which we'd cheer the most:1. Life Becoming A Landslide2. Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky3. The EverlastingOf course, how this goes is that the cheering increased in order, so it came down to The Everlasting. I -do- like that song, but I was incredibly disappointed, it was the least interesting thing for him to play by far.
― Valentijn, Friday, 20 October 2017 19:51 (six years ago) link
hate that song so much. life becoming a landslide is one of my fave songs but luckily they played it live when i saw them in 96
― starving street dogs of punk rock (Odysseus), Friday, 20 October 2017 20:41 (six years ago) link
Love 'Life Becoming a Landslide' and 'Small Black Flowers...', really can't sit through 'The Everlasting' these days.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 20 October 2017 21:46 (six years ago) link
Holy Bible was my ultimate angst album in high school. To me the lyrics "got it" more than anything like Nine Inch Nails or whatever else, as far as 90s angst music goes.
― carpet_kaiser, Sunday, 22 October 2017 02:30 (six years ago) link
Maybe Richey Edwards went Heath Ledger Joker, because that's some fucking intense shit on that album
― carpet_kaiser, Sunday, 22 October 2017 03:02 (six years ago) link
The lyrics to The Holy Bible looked so deep and meaningful when I was in my mid teens. Nowadays huge portions of that album sound really silly lyrically.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 22 October 2017 09:22 (six years ago) link
thread is inspiring me to pick up a bunch of their post TIMTTMY albums, the only ones I've really heard were Futurology and Know Your Enemy. The latter didn't do it for me nearly as much as the former, but i keep seeing cheap copies of a bunch of the others. Journal For Plague Lovers is the most intriguing one.
― nomar, Sunday, 22 October 2017 16:42 (six years ago) link
the Europhilia of Futurology makes it a bit of an arm's-length record for me
― Simon H., Sunday, 22 October 2017 16:47 (six years ago) link
huge portions of that album sound really silly lyrically.
the bonkersness of this record is what makes it great.
― new noise, Sunday, 22 October 2017 17:28 (six years ago) link
the Europhilia of Futurology makes it a bit of an arm's-length record for me― Simon H., Sunday, October 22, 2017 4:47 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Simon H., Sunday, October 22, 2017 4:47 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This is one of the reasons why the record is so great.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 22 October 2017 18:36 (six years ago) link
Between The Clock And The Bed doesn't half sound like Genesis
― starving street dogs of punk rock (Odysseus), Sunday, 22 October 2017 19:56 (six years ago) link
I don't think it sounds like Genesis at all... which Genesis songs does it remind you of?
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Monday, 23 October 2017 06:40 (six years ago) link
not a specific track more a feel... the Phil Collins era just after Peter Gabriel left when it still sounded like PG era. Its not a diss though. I like early Genesis
― starving street dogs of punk rock (Odysseus), Saturday, 28 October 2017 16:40 (six years ago) link
love green’s vocal on that song so much. one of my favorite songs about depression
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Saturday, 28 October 2017 17:34 (six years ago) link
I like his vocal on it too, and I hate Scritti Politti.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 29 October 2017 19:57 (six years ago) link
new album out in April
http://www.manicstreetpreachers.com/wp-content/themes/manic-street-preachers/assets-splashpage-nov2017/images/packshot-manicstreetpreachers-resistanceisfutile.jpg
― Simon H., Friday, 17 November 2017 14:16 (six years ago) link
That Thailand article xp had the quite brilliant headline Bangkoksucker Blues. The NME didn't even use it properly, they threw it away as the tagline on the mastheadI read it again a couple of years ago. Disturbing as the cutting stuff was, it was striking to me now how prudish the tone was. The band sleeping with groupies was a scandal, and Richey's visit to a brothel ('it was just paid masturbation, really') was like the end of the world. I was aware that we're supposed to have become a more sexualised culture over the past decade, but I didn't realise that we started off as the 50s midwest― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 25 September 2008 17:56 (nine years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I read it again a couple of years ago. Disturbing as the cutting stuff was, it was striking to me now how prudish the tone was. The band sleeping with groupies was a scandal, and Richey's visit to a brothel ('it was just paid masturbation, really') was like the end of the world. I was aware that we're supposed to have become a more sexualised culture over the past decade, but I didn't realise that we started off as the 50s midwest
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 25 September 2008 17:56 (nine years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, lighten up, visiting Thailand and going to a brothel, thousands of Western men do it every year, where's the harm in it?
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Friday, 17 November 2017 14:47 (six years ago) link
Any idea what approach they're taking for the new one? Hoping it's not another attempt at a big rock record.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 23:23 (six years ago) link
idk maybe they’ll nail that this time
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Saturday, 18 November 2017 02:39 (six years ago) link
last album their best since EMG i reckon. didn't care that much for the previous 3 or 4.
― piscesx, Saturday, 18 November 2017 02:42 (six years ago) link
there's a trailer, the snippets sound EMG-esque
― Simon H., Saturday, 18 November 2017 02:55 (six years ago) link
I got this from their mailing list...
"It's the first album to be recorded at the band's new Door to the River Studio in Newport.
Say the band - "The main themes of 'Resistance Is Futile' are memory and loss - forgotten history - confused reality and art as a hiding place and inspiration. Musically the album is obsessively melodic and in many ways references the naive energy of 'Generation Terrorists' and the orchestral sweep of 'Everything Must Go'. After delay and difficulties, the record has come together really quickly over the last few months, there has been a surge of creativity and old school hard work.""
― brain (krakow), Saturday, 18 November 2017 10:25 (six years ago) link
Sounds like they were having trouble searching for a direction... either that or it was problems with the new studio.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 18 November 2017 11:47 (six years ago) link
News of this latest album has got me re-listening to Everything Must Go and thinking about that period of the band in general. Just remembering how much 'A Design for Life' just leapt out of the speakers whenever it was played on the radio (which was a lot) - particularly the chorus, which just sounded incredibly powerful. Of course, Richey going missing was still very fresh in everyone's minds - the album was only released the year after he'd gone missing and people were still very optimistic about him turning up somewhere, and I recall a few alleged sightings appearing in the music press.
To say this period must have fucked with the bands heads just a little bit is quite possibly an understatement - up to this point, Nicky and Richey were doing a lot of the press, and now JDB had to start doing a lot more press - and in some interviews from this period, you can see he's kinda reluctant at that stage.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 19:28 (six years ago) link
Anyhow, the record still sounds great to me, and I'd forgotten just how much I love the back half of the album in particular - 'The Girl Who Wanted to Be God', 'Removables', 'Interiors' and surprisingly 'Australia' which I thought I'd burned out on, but now sounds utterly awesome - do they even do this one live anymore? They should!
Some of the older Manics fans that were around during the first act of their career were a touch miffed about the band carrying on without Richey, particularly when the album went onto become so successful and the band weren't their secret anymore. Fuck 'em.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 19:34 (six years ago) link
EMG is one of my favorite-sounding rock records - bright, colorful, dynamic. Just the right amount of gloss.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 22 November 2017 19:42 (six years ago) link
I don't know if "gloss" is the right word, I agree - it sounded OTM to me in 1996 and still does, whereas Generation Terrorists sounded like it had aged rapidly even by 1996 - very plasticy. Amazing to think the record was only four years old by that point, too!
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 20:02 (six years ago) link
*but I agree
“interiors” is sometimes my favorite manics song
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 23:48 (six years ago) link
definitely go for EMG. Be My Baby drum sounds on the title track elevate it imo
― In a slipshod style (Ross), Thursday, 23 November 2017 02:48 (six years ago) link
All songs on Everything Must Go are good to great, right?I saw JDB on one of his rare solo performances (from when he did that solo album), he included three Manics songs in his set, I remember 'No Surface All Feeling' was one of them - amazing to hear live.
I'm very excited about their upcoming album, seeing as I'd probably name their last one as my favourite & I love both EMG and GT.It strikes me as a bit strange to have the album title and the cover design revealed as well as all formats it's going to be available in, a whole five months before it's actually out. Can't wait!
― Valentijn, Thursday, 23 November 2017 12:02 (six years ago) link
I'm v confused as to wy neither TIMTTMY or KYE are on Spotify (at least in Canada). What if I want to listen to uh "Baby Elian"?
― Simon H., Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:03 (six years ago) link
"interiors" is sometimes my favorite manics song― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, November 22, 2017 11:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, November 22, 2017 11:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It's a great track - one I often forget about until I'm listening to it and then it's like "why am I not listening to this more often?" ... it would have made a great single, if they hadn't already released four of 'em.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:23 (six years ago) link
New single "International Blue" is out. It's not very encouraging, but I don't think they've released an encouraging first single since JFPL
― Simon H., Friday, 8 December 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
And of course the single has grown on me
The tracklist boasts a mix of promising and uhh less promising titles
1. People Give In 2. International Blue3. Distant Colours 4. Vivian5. Dylan & Caitlin 6. Liverpool Revisited7. Sequels of Forgotten Wars8. Hold Me Like a Heaven 9. In Eternity10. Broken Algorithms11. A Song for the Sadness 12. The Left Behind
― Simon H., Tuesday, 9 January 2018 15:54 (six years ago) link
I'm looking forward to this album. Also, I think they're planning something for the 20th anniversary of ...Truth...?
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 16:56 (six years ago) link
"international blue" is great
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 16:58 (six years ago) link
I was reading somewhere recently that they're planning to throw a few Lifeblood tracks into the set for the tour, which of course would be great - 'Empty Souls' alone deserves to be a staple of their set, IMO - but given what Wire can be like in interviews, we'll see.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 17:03 (six years ago) link
Also, I think they're planning something for the 20th anniversary of ...Truth...?
I would happily buy a 2cd reissue with the excellent b-sides tbh
― Simon H., Tuesday, 9 January 2018 18:28 (six years ago) link
Oh, to think of the album that could have been - the one with 'Prologue to History' and 'Montana/Autumn/78' on it.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 18:31 (six years ago) link
According to Nicky Wire, there's more from the This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours era in their archives than any other era. Loads of unreleased stuff, apparently.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 18:37 (six years ago) link
That's not at all surprising, considering how wide-ranging the album material is
― Simon H., Tuesday, 9 January 2018 18:38 (six years ago) link
Wonder if there's anything else from the Howard Gray sessions - that's who they should've done the album with.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 18:48 (six years ago) link
International Blue is a pleasant surprise, I was dreading more Postcards For A Young Man / Send Away The Tigers stodge. Best song since JFPL.
I flippin' love Lifeblood, me. I wish they would announce what rarities they play in advance, like they did with 'Natwest...'. Was denied the WTF moment when I saw them last, when it made an apparance.
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 January 2018 22:54 (six years ago) link
*NOT announce.
new track "Dylan and Caitlin" is a duet w/ The Anchoress. It's alright - I really like "Distant Colours" though
― Simon H., Friday, 9 March 2018 16:02 (six years ago) link