futurology/lifeblood/there by the grace of god

[Manicben]

Yeah I remember a lot of people who knew I liked the band, asking me why they had released it.

To be honest. Thinking about it Lifeblood has less cringey songs on it. I struggle to listen to SPL&M, and Lets Go To War. They're catchy but a little embarrassing.

[JimmiB]

Originally Posted by Dancing Kirby

TLORN killed Lifeblood stone dead.

You have to remember it was premiered on daytime Radio 1, they were still all over mainstream TV and had set up an arena tour. Everything was in place for success. But they opted to release a single where JDB sounded bored out of his mind.

In terms of singles, Walk Me To The Bridge is almost TLORN done right.

YLAINE showed how important a lead single is. You can release a rubbish album and have a success with it as long as you promote it with one smash hit.

I agree with all this. A more appropriate lead single and lifeblood would have done much better. They were still a big band at that point despite KYE not being particularly commercial either.

[Europa Gluten Free]

I've wrote this before but Lifeblood is only seen as a failure in the eyes of the band as it sold nothing. If it had of been a no.1 album Wire would wank over it every night. You can debate about aesthetics and style and production or whatever but apart from one or two duffers its a very well written collection of songs.

I think the biggest issue with Lifeblood, however, is timing. Manics still thought of themselves as a Radio 1 band in 2004. I remember very clearly listening to Jo Whiley having the first play of TLORN on Radio 1 and it sounded weird in context of a 11am Radio 1 show. Really they were moving toward a Radio 2 sound or audience, which they would be in 2007, but in 2004 they were neither one nor the other, or, perhaps more accurately, they still hankered for that big selling EMG/TIMT era. This is all perfectly encapsulated in their (mis)treatment of the song 1985. I'd have that song in their top 5 of all time and it's a perfect Radio 2 song that they would kill for now but because of the timing of it all no one has ever heard it and they never play it. Big big shame.

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by cdrw1992

I never realised they disliked TBTGOG. I'd prefer if 4ever Delayed had been on the album but I really like both as tracks. Comes across as a bit of a bridge between KYE and Lifeblood. As for Door To The River it's absolutely beautiful and unfortunately like Prologue et al has been consigned to the 'lost gems collection' Would make a fab acoustic number too.

When they ranked their singles in NME, Grace of God was bottom of the list. Scandalous! I wish they'd release more EPs. Grace of God, 4'ever Delayed, Door to the River, plus the b-sides of the era would have made an excellent EP.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

When they ranked their singles in NME, Grace of God was bottom of the list. Scandalous! I wish they'd release more EPs. Grace of God, 4'ever Delayed, Door to the River, plus the b-sides of the era would have made an excellent EP.

Yep. Those three songs (and Judge Yr'self, even though it would've stood out a bit) should've been on an EP or at least given a bit of a promotional push at the time. Four completely lost gems that we'll never hear live again.

Lifeblood was a really good era. A different sound, very interesting songs - I really like The Love of Richard Nixon - the white backline, excellent b-sides, it was released at exactly the right time of year.

Hopefully one day they'll re-visit it.

[Radiomanic]

Futurology is very much an extension of this era, i always said WMTTB sounded musically like it could've come straight after Forever Delayed. Certainly tracks like Between the Clock & The Bed and Black Square would've fitted perfectly on Lifeblood. Of course this album has done better than Lifeblood, so the band will always see it as superior (which i'm not really sure it is).

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by Radiomanic

Futurology is very much an extension of this era, i always said WMTTB sounded musically like it could've come straight after Forever Delayed. Certainly tracks like Between the Clock & The Bed and Black Square would've fitted perfectly on Lifeblood. Of course this album has done better than Lifeblood, so the band will always see it as superior (which i'm not really sure it is).

I think there are songs on Futurology that probably nail the sound and feel there were looking for and might feel they didn't quite achieve on Lifeblood. I agree that had 1985 been the lead off single, then the album may have done better commercially and would maybe viewed a little more fondly (people were probably still buying albums off the back of a great lead off single back then!!).

I know it doesn't work like this, but I've always wished that they'd saved 4 Ever Delayed, By the Grace of God and Door to the River for Lifeblood as they would have made it some album!

[The Holy Bum-Bum]

TLORN is a great song, but still a mystifying choice of single - from it's cold sound to it's too-specific title.

If they had launched with Empty Souls, which is an EMG kinda song with the Lifeblood production aesthetic, then I think it would have made a world of difference to the album sales and their career at that time. KYE weirded out a lot of the TIMTTMY people, and whereas Empty Souls may have reassured them, it seems like TLORN sent them running for the hills.