The "Plague Lovers" Discussion Thread - Forever Delayed

y2kyle16 · #1 05-11-2010, 13:39

One poor song on this album for me, and it may be controversial but I cant fucking stand Jackie Collins, too commercial for an otherwise smashing album

Favs: Peeled Apples, Stephen Hawking, Plague Lovers and Vanity

Dont particularly like Williams Last words

The album that was the catalyst for the revival though, and was arguably one of their finest hours

Thoughts?

riot_star · #2 05-11-2010, 13:42

I agree - this album was their finest hour (for me anyway).

Facing Page: Top Left is just simply amazing. And so is Me and Stephen Hawking, William's Last Words, Peeled Apples, VSEC, She Bathed Herself in A Bath of Bleach, Doors Closing Slowly, JCEQT, JFPL, Pretension/Repulsion, Bag Lady and All is Vanity.

So, basically. I like all of the songs apart from Marlon JD and This Joke Sport Severed

It's probably the only album that I love the majority of the songs on, other albums I like.....but JFPL is definitely second to THB.

Marwood · #3 05-11-2010, 13:47

Faultless.

Peeled Apples, Journal..., Marlon JD, Pretension/Repulsion, Virginia State..., William's Last Words... Every track just gets it exactly right.

Regards,
Marwood.

SeveredJoke · #4 05-11-2010, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by y2kyle16

One poor song on this album for me, and it may be controversial but I cant fucking stand Jackie Collins, too commercial for an otherwise smashing album

Favs: Peeled Apples, Stephen Hawking, Plague Lovers and Vanity

Dont particularly like Williams Last words

The album that was the catalyst for the revival though, and was arguably one of their finest hours

Thoughts?

Took me a while to get into it. JQEQT redeems itself with the complete shift of tone at the end but it is one I tend to skip. Out of the tracks I love 'This Joke Sport Severed', 'Doors Slowly Closing', 'Marlon JD', 'Facing Page: Top Left' and 'All is Vanity'. The latter gave me a chill when I realised where 'Picturesque' came from. 'Peeled Apples' sounds curiously weak as an opener and could benefit from a meatier tone for the main riff.

I'm not a great fan of the repetition in the verses of some of the songs. I think it was particularly annoying because reading the inlay book gave the impression that the lyrics were more in depth than what appeared on record.

As soon as it came out I devoured all the interviews they did about it and was interested in the one where they went through the album track by track talking about the lyrics and the musical influences they were trying to capture. There was a strange moment when they came to talk about 'Doors Slowly Closing' where James just looked at the floor and said "I can't really talk about this one" and then they carried on.

I enjoyed the demo version of 'She Bathed Herself...' more than the recorded one and again whilst 'William's Last Words' seems to bear little relation to the detailed notes in the book it is a great little tune with a lovely understated backing vocal from James!

'Bag Lady' should have been on the album and not just hidden away on the non-special edition CD!

starstruck · #5 05-11-2010, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by y2kyle16

Jackie Collins, too commercial for an otherwise smashing album

which makes it all the more infuriating that, despite making a radio edit and a video, they didn't go ahead and release it as a single! it could easily have been Top 10 stuff, then who knows? JFPL may have sold yet more, and thus a knock on effect for sales for the current single and album? ho hum.

it's an album for me that was easily the best of 2009 (and there was some pretty amazing stuff released), and should be on the top ten for the decade. i have played it i don't know how many times and don't ever reach for the skip button.

at the risk of offending/opening a can of worms/indulging in pop psychology, this album throws some light on what might have become of Richey. this was stuff written mostly after THB, yeah? well, if you look at these lyrics, and those that they used on EMG, there's a sense of intensity about them, but not on the dark, repressive plain that a lot of THB sits. if asked, i would say - and i know the issue is far, far, far more complicated than this - that these were not the words of a suicidal man, and thus would move more towards "missing, run away" than "missing, presumed dead".

"an essential album" is a phrase that has been bandied about a bit too much, but JFPL is a reminder of just what exactly an essential, must own album sounds like.

SeveredJoke · #6 05-11-2010, 14:08

Quote:

at the risk of offending/opening a can of worms/indulging in pop psychology, this album throws some light on what might have become of Richey. this was stuff written mostly after THB, yeah? well, if you look at these lyrics, and those that they used on EMG, there's a sense of intensity about them, but not on the dark, repressive plain that a lot of THB sits. if asked, i would say - and i know the issue is far, far, far more complicated than this - that these were not the words of a suicidal man, and thus would move more towards "missing, run away" than "missing, presumed dead".

That's an interesting theory. I was surprised by the content and had been expecting a harsher tone than what was released.

We have to factor in the fact that what made JFPL was what the Manics chose so they may have made a deliberate decision to edit some of the scarier ideas that had been floating around. I vaguely remember Nick talking about a set of lyrics with a line about wanting to cut the feet off a ballerina.

Mirbeau · #7 05-11-2010, 14:39

I always found my reaction to this album difficult - I suspect I was slightly let-down by it (which I knew was inevitable) in ways I wasn't expecting. I did listen to it for few months to the exclusion of near everything else, and then frequently after that, but for a while I haven't been tempted to listen to the album (as a whole) at all. The album moves up and down in my ranking of their albums more frequently than any of the others. Ditto with the songs - loved ...Stephen Hawking - now find it needless and i don't listen much to all is vanity cause of the way it was recorded.

The songs sometimes feel somewhat unfinished and under-developed (which does perhaps suit part of the record's theme), and at other times Eringa's production touches stand at odds with the otherwise stark recording techniques used on the album. And although this may sound like heresy to some, Richey's lyrics, and the way the band edited them (totally understandably) were often a let-down, with songs like ...steven hawking and this joke sport severed being far too thin on words for my taste . It is still one of my favourite albums by the band, and in general mind!

beautifuldistortion · #8 05-11-2010, 14:36

For me, this is essetial Manics.
I rate this album as probably the best. Although I truly think it depends on moods, settings and how many times you listen to an album that gives each one its significance.

Favourite tracks from this being 'SBHIABOB' and 'Doors closing slowly'.
Can't real find fault with it - oh yes I can......I had too buy two versions to get bag Lady grrrr

Bathtub · #9 05-11-2010, 14:47

At times breathtakingly brilliant, Marlon JD, Peeled Apples, Joke Sport, Me and Stephen Hawking. The only track I don't like very much is All is Vanity and that's only for the lyrics.

A far better album than any band on album number 9 has a right to be making. It feels particuarly special in that there was the potential for it to be a massive fuck up, a complete embarressment and a fools errand to relive past glories and do THB part 2.

That it was such a success artistically only makes PFAYM seem more dull and pedestrian only a year or so later. A shame to see them play it so safe in many respects with this album and tour, after taking a risk and making their best album in years just before.

Frozendiva · #10 05-11-2010, 14:53

I had the misfortune of hearing the US version first. It seemed unfinished. I liked the album, but didn't love it until I heard the UK original versions. Then it made sense.

counterlanguage · #11 05-11-2010, 16:05

My second favourite Manics album, only let down by a poor chorus on VSEC and Facing Page Top Left just not being quite right musically - it's too upbeat and doesn't work with the lyrics. William's Last Words is one that I only listen to when I'm in the mood too.

But the rest of the album is so bloody good, they're minor distractions.