Album tracks never played live

[darkanddivine]

To repel ghosts from the link posted earlier is so damn good. Nice bit of growlage from Jimmy boy at the end!

[starfucker]

[QUOTE There's a live version on the demos disc of the Generation Terrorists reissue too.[/QUOTE]

Cheers man - I never got around to buying that. Will do so immediately.

[darkanddivine]

Aye, I think Prologue is a good enough to be on an album, yet it would be hard to fit in anywhere in particular. In the alternative Manics history in my head it has quite a prominent position though..... Then again, the recorded version of YSTS kinda doesn't fit in the overall theme of the album. If anything, Prologue would replace that, but I'd also have Montana on the album as well. Love that track, though I imagine I'm in a minority there!

But yeah Be Natural eh?! The old fans were going apeshit at Tolerate being "sellout" or something in those times. I imagine BN would have sent a few over the edge

Been giving Lifeblood a spin lately. Still mega

[Jayseph]

It's not technically an album track, but Leviathan? God, I love that song.

[Automatik]

Originally Posted by darkanddivine

I'd also have Montana on the album as well. Love that track, though I imagine I'm in a minority there!

A minority of two, at least. Montana is one of my favourite tracks of that era, and not far off my top ten Manics tracks. Amazing energy to it (same as Prologue).

[Automatik]

Originally Posted by Jayseph

It's not technically an album track, but Leviathan? God, I love that song.

Should have been on an album. Great song.

[plathandpinter]

Winter Lovers?

[darkanddivine]

Aye remember that one. That was a fine, fine Manics show.

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by starfucker

Cheers man - I never got around to buying that. Will do so immediately.

Oh aye, make sure you do! It's a great little set and the dvd is brilliant.

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

So I read. Just strange to imagine, although I agree with Prologue being a b-side. Not strong enough to be a single and it would not have suited the album.

Originally Posted by darkanddivine

Aye, I think Prologue is a good enough to be on an album, yet it would be hard to fit in anywhere in particular. In the alternative Manics history in my head it has quite a prominent position though..... Then again, the recorded version of YSTS kinda doesn't fit in the overall theme of the album. If anything, Prologue would replace that, but I'd also have Montana on the album as well. Love that track, though I imagine I'm in a minority there!

But yeah Be Natural eh?! The old fans were going apeshit at Tolerate being "sellout" or something in those times. I imagine BN would have sent a few over the edge

Been giving Lifeblood a spin lately. Still mega

Bloody love Be Natural.

Not sure about the old fans being up in arms about it at the time. Heh, saying old fans now, only talking 7 years since Motown Junk, 25 now hah. Well yeah anyway.. I don't think it was single material at all really, but on the other hand looking back I find it kinda weird that anyone ever thought of Tolerate as a sell out. It's a song about the Spanish Civil War for fuck sake, maybe at the time they'd have got anything at all to number one such was the anticipation. I think it was pretty bold. Does fit in with the more miserable late 90s post-Britpop feel of the time. Wonder if the same people accusing Tolerate of sell out would've said the same of Be Natural too. Baffling.

Originally Posted by Jayseph

It's not technically an album track, but Leviathan? God, I love that song.

Been so long since I've listened to that that I can barely remember it... Will have to give it a listen again. Few odd tracks like that, wonder if they'll ever be tempted to do the June Brides or Amy Winehouse covers or even Girl From Tiger Bay on tour. That'd be good..

I wish they'd b-sides more often. I've seen 8... Think they've only actually played about a dozen. Would love to see em chuck out a couple of Tigers or Postcards b-sides, half of them are better than their albums.

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

Winterlovers was played live several times on the May/June 2007 tour. I saw them play it once at Manchester Apollo, the year I bought a standing ticket but was sent a seated ticket in error by the ticket company, but I foolishly didn't check or realise until I actually got there!

Yeah, that was a weird one. Although I'm sure sitting through The Enemy or going for a piss was better than standing through The Enemy.

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Not sure about the old fans being up in arms about it at the time. Heh, saying old fans now, only talking 7 years since Motown Junk, 25 now hah. Well yeah anyway.. I don't think it was single material at all really, but on the other hand looking back I find it kinda weird that anyone ever thought of Tolerate as a sell out. It's a song about the Spanish Civil War for fuck sake, maybe at the time they'd have got anything at all to number one such was the anticipation. I think it was pretty bold. Does fit in with the more miserable late 90s post-Britpop feel of the time. Wonder if the same people accusing Tolerate of sell out would've said the same of Be Natural too. Baffling.

It was more about the old fans staking their claim as I remember it. The "new" fans without boas and makeup and whatnot weren't always accepted, but to be fair my teenage mind probably amplified that at the time. It wasn't like the boys in shirts were always entirely welcomed though, and Mondeo Man was even less so!

Back in that climate, bands were finished when they hit mid 30's (according to NME etc) and there was a definite lifespan to a band. All this heritage rock shit was going on but to a much less polished level I think. Obviously for the band, that whole media cycle and so on inspired Masses against the Classes and KYE in part. I think most rock fans want their favourite bands to consistently make the same kind of angsty guitar stuff with fairly little variation. Almost every incidence of "selling out" involves

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Yeah, that was a weird one. Although I'm sure sitting through The Enemy or going for a piss was better than standing through The Enemy.

I had erased that half hour from my memory. They sucked so bad.

[Magoomba]

Quite surprised they never played Symphony of Tourette live. Though perhaps at the time Richey's limitations on 2nd guitar might've been an issue. Would sound great though surely.

There's definitely a few album tracks that could do with a dusting off. I'd love to hear Miss Europa live again. Great fun on the KYE tour.

[Routine Builder]

Honestly, I'll never understand why bands record tracks they don't want to play live. Obviously there's the matter of sound quality of the live setting but as THB20 proved, the the most sonically difficult song (Intense Humming) can become a show stealer if given the right tweak (Sean's machine gun drumming for instance). I can understand why bands grow to dislike or rediscover older songs but there's pretty much no excuse for not playing a particular album track on a tour promoting said album.

[Magoomba]

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

Around 1993/94 I think they (read: James and Sean) had the chops and intensity to pull off something that heavy. I know it's not a popular one but if they were determined enough I reckon they could give it a good blast now, as they did with Condemned last year. I love it, would be moshing like a fiend if that ever got dusted off. Can't see the band even liking it unfortunately.

I reckon I'd have to drag myself down the front if they ever gave it an airing. My ansgty-teenage-self loved that song. Listened to it before every one of my GCSE exams to psych myself up! (4 B's and 3 C's in case you were wondering. )

Like you say it's hard to imagine the band picking it out themselves. Maybe this needs to become the next Sleepflower/PCP?

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by Magoomba

Quite surprised they never played Symphony of Tourette live. Though perhaps at the time Richey's limitations on 2nd guitar might've been an issue. Would sound great though surely.

Needs 2 lead guitars which would probably explain it. And (sortof) 2 lead vocals. It imagine it would sound quite empty as an (effective) 3 piece. Nowadays I'd suspect the vocals would be the biggest issue for Jimmy.

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Honestly, I'll never understand why bands record tracks they don't want to play live. I can understand why bands grow to dislike or rediscover older songs but there's pretty much no excuse for not playing a particular album track on a tour promoting said album.

I'd say that's for a few reasons potentially. When a band does something in the studio (especially back in the 90's) a lot of shit went down that was never physically possible to recreate live. That was almost the whole point of a record. Some bands would power through a complex song live anyway. But it should be said that as a band gets bigger, then the live show becomes slicker (strings, samples, visuals etc). By the time MSP had done 2-3 arena tours, they were nigh on sounding exactly like the records in places. The difference between the Manics live in their early days and their slick records was like night and day.

There are a handful of bands who are bloody minded about playing most, if not all of the album they are promoting at the time. That said, even of those who play most of their albums there are always a handful of songs that seems to get left out. And the balancing act gets tough if you have anything resembling a long career. So you end up with that trade off. It's then either a case of doing A: The hits/main tracks plus a selection off the album, or B: most of the album and then one song off each record. Sadly both methods mean some amazing songs get left in the dirt. Some folks on this forum (myself included) think MSP have missed a trick in not making some of their later work live staples. Just my 2 pennerth!

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

I can understand why bands grow to dislike or rediscover older songs but there's pretty much no excuse for not playing a particular album track on a tour promoting said album.

The most confusing ones for me have been I Think I've Found It and Don't Be Evil. They were good enough to stick on t-shirts for the merch stall, but not to even touch em? Weird.