What Rating Would You Give PFAYM?

[FacelessSenseOfVoid]

A solid 8/10. The filler is pretty poor stuff (i.e. The Descent and I Think I Found It) but the good songs are awesome (title track and Hazelton Avenue - fuck off anyone who says that one is crap ). I don't mind Nicky's song too much but I would have preferred if the song was elbowed, used as a b-side (best option) or had James singing it. The album could have been a lot better if a couple of tracks were trimmed anyway but all in all, it's a very good effort and can hold it's head up high alongside their best work.

[Takk]

4/10. I await the next album.

Lifeblood was a band doing what they wanted, and they got burnt because they decided the public or the fans didn't like it, which I don't think was necessarily true - and even if it was, they should have ignored it. SATT was an attempt to appeal, but it worked because it had good tunes. This album seems to be an attempt to imitate that, but for me it just doesn't work. It's more like bside material, it has too much filler...I really like a couple of songs, but the middle 4 or 5 songs make it a poor album for me. Quite excited by the packing and the collection aspect, but I'm sad like that .

[Mr Richey]

Originally Posted by Takk

It's more like bside material

I truly think Manics B-Side Syndrome has struck again cos I would totally take "I Think I Found It" and "The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever" off the album and replace them with "Distractions" and "Lost Voices". I still enjoy PFAYM but yeah, like you I await the next album with a lot more anticipation than this one.

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by Embla Claymore

5/10. I know they can do better than this, so I'm not going to encourage them with a higher mark!
Fair enough, a couple of songs (3-4 TOPS) are fairly decent, but they don't make this a great album.

Originally Posted by Takk

4/10. I await the next album.

Lifeblood was a band doing what they wanted, and they got burnt because they decided the public or the fans didn't like it, which I don't think was necessarily true - and even if it was, they should have ignored it. SATT was an attempt to appeal, but it worked because it had good tunes. This album seems to be an attempt to imitate that, but for me it just doesn't work. It's more like bside material, it has too much filler...I really like a couple of songs, but the middle 4 or 5 songs make it a poor album for me.

Both fair points well made.

[Slideling]

5/10. It's good as far as production standards go, but it's bad when there has been some insistence from fans to define it as pop (because Nicky wanted it to be their 'Last shot at mass communication'), although I think it's one of the most old-fashioned sounding records I've heard. They're not moving with the times as to what 'Pop' means, if they really wanted to make a pop record.

[Suicide_Riot_Junk]

7.5/10 for me, possibly even a 8/10 - it is defo a grower as well, seems to be getting better with each listen at the mo, I must be almost upto 10 listens now as well. Faves are still Auto-Intoxication, Billion Balconies Facing The Sun & All We Make Is Entertainment. Really digging Hazelton Avenue and The Future Has Been Here 4Ever as well! Great album - defo one of the best since EMG (bar JFPL - obviously THE best since EMG)

[tuckedaway]

7. It's solid and enjoyable but certainly not without some weak points. It works in its entirety though, I think.

[Backfire]

Originally Posted by Takk

4/10. I await the next album.

Lifeblood was a band doing what they wanted, and they got burnt because they decided the public or the fans didn't like it, which I don't think was necessarily true - and even if it was, they should have ignored it. SATT was an attempt to appeal, but it worked because it had good tunes. This album seems to be an attempt to imitate that, but for me it just doesn't work. It's more like bside material, it has too much filler...I really like a couple of songs, but the middle 4 or 5 songs make it a poor album for me. Quite excited by the packing and the collection aspect, but I'm sad like that .

I agree with this.

[Pricha]

I would give a 8/10.

[cameron33]

I've never given any album a '10'. 9.5 yes, but not a 10.

Surely a ten just represents the very best that can be expected, its not meant to represent perfection. I don't think perfection exists in the art world (although some philosophers would disagree). Anyway, the 'out of ten' is ok as far as it goes but it gets ridiculous when taken to Pitchfork like extremes anyway. How do you know someone's so far up their own arse they can't give even see the sun? When they use a decimal point rating system.

Anyway, trying to look objectively at the album as a nonmanics fans - i'd give it a 7. Part of me wants to give it a lower score - as they can definitely do better, but I'm with this reviewer on this one, nicely summed up in this line:

This is what the Manic Street Preachers do. As it plays, you're struck by the fact that no one else does anything like it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010...ostcards-young

I love the mixture of sounds in their music: the unashamed big melodies, the harder rockers, the politics, the introspection, the acoustic numbers, the pop numbers, the strings, the meancholoy, anger, angst, joyfulness and elegance. Basically the whole unashamed Over the Topness of the thing. They usually fit all those elements into a single album. How many other bands do that, or even attepmt that? So even an average album by their standards is still going to be one of my top ten of the year.

[Frozendiva]

You can always look at the album in terms that the Manics are just a year or so ahead of their time. The world is still in a recession. However, 'Postcards' will be an album that won't really grow old. Like a Chanel bag. Always in style.

[Vogon Poet]

An 8 at the moment for me.

[The Gutless Wonder]

1 10/10! Woo!

[Dancing Kirby]

Originally Posted by Richian

They're not moving with the times as to what 'Pop' means

You say not moving with the times like it's a bad thing. It was considered commendable when they tried and failed to sell 16m copies of Generation Terrorists during grunge and baggy or released The Holy Bible while Britpop was taking over.

Are you another one of those stuck in a 'Lady Gaga or GTFO' phase? If they had tried to 'communicate with the masses' by sounding like everything else currently in the charts, well, I'd have been moaning a lot more than I have been.

[Mr.Selfdestruct]

Very good, I'll give it 7 out of 10