B-side opinions - Page 2 - Forever Delayed

Phil C · #16 11-09-2010, 13:45

OK, based on two listens;

'I'm Leaving You For Solitude' - ok, heard this a few times because of the download but nice to hear it in CD quality through decent speakers. My initial reaction was pretty poor to be honest - not much of a tune, not the best lyric. It's grown on me over the last couple of weeks but still not a classic.

'Distractions' - the verse and chorus have yet to grab me, but then just as it feels like it's going to end non-descript the solo starts, and the ending drags the song to a decent conclusion.

'Ostpolitik' - I'm not a big listener to instrumental music rbut probably the best b-side of the lot. Sounds like it should be played behind motor-racing highlights, if such things exist. Definately sounds like they could have put a vocal to it though, it doesn't sound like a track that *has* to be an instrumental.

'Lost Voices' - like 'Distractions' it hasn't grabbed me instantly but on second listen it started to grow on me a little.

Overall the thing that strikes me is that they're clearly produced as b-sides...and it makes me realise how good the production of 'Know Your Enemy' is. I've said since then that I like rough production but I can't help that the b-sides aren't rough so much as murky and lacking distinction. Obviously my opinions may change with further listens but those are initial impressions.

Phil C · #17 11-09-2010, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil C

'Distractions' - the verse and chorus have yet to grab me, but then just as it feels like it's going to end non-descript the solo starts, and the ending drags the song to a decent conclusion.

I know what this song's riff reminds me of - it's the 'End of Love' riff.

Rottenstain · #18 11-09-2010, 14:42

I Know the Numbers - Acoustic song,
Strongest points is the lyrics and for brief few seconds it reminds me of Enola / Alone, but overall the song doesn't go anywhere and gets quite boring towards the end.

Vinyl sounds good, very good for new vinyl, makes the decision of what to get the actual album on alot harder.

Mirbeau · #19 11-09-2010, 14:55

Really like them! Thus far - i know the numbers is gorgeous - similar feel to the holy bible acoustic bsides but with quite romantic lyrics.

I'm leaving you... we all know. i like it.

lost voices has a glorious and unexpected riff 49 secs in that saves it from plodding, v everything must go but something i won't listen back to much

ostopolitick's the weakest for me, a shame cause it sounded good in the twitter feed.

distractions is a bit fillerish on first listen - quite akin to the faster your love alone bsides.

bristarman · #20 11-09-2010, 15:11

I love Distractions. On the first listen I was thinking 'that's more like it'!

deadmartyr · #21 11-09-2010, 15:36

From one listen for each of them, I like all of the b-sides, I'm Leaving You for Solitude being the favourite, and I had held out on listening to the free download of it.

Distractions is 2nd place for me - it has a nice old sound to it at times.

I Know the Numbers has a great JDB vocal, and I'd put it in the same ballpark as the Autumnsong acoustic b-sides.

Agree that Ostopolitik has the space for a vocal, and it's not quite up there with the fabulous The Vorticists (which I can't ever imagine having a vocal), but it is a good effort, and I don't own many records with instrumental songs on so I do like that MSP seem to be increasing output of them.

Lost Voices is pretty good but it was missing something, and a bit disappointing for the sole b-side to the online-exclusive CD2.

For me, they've continued making some great b-sides with this lot and it's great to have a bunch of new songs before the album.

Takk · #22 11-09-2010, 15:37

Really love the single and i'm leaving you on good quality through decent speakers

. Listening to the others now.

I still think it's funny how James is trying to sing like nicky.

Takk · #23 11-09-2010, 15:47

Distractions was nice, and great in parts, really enjoyed this, but not getting it completely as a coherent song yet, maybe with repeated listens.

Ostpolitik badly needs a JDB vocal, it doesn't feel right without it - it's like it's missing part of itself, his voice is like an instrument in Manics songs. The piano and the song is nice though. A good instrumental.

Lost Voices is a bit murky, vocal needs to be louder...perhaps the opposite of Ostpolitik where the vocal isn't adding very much where it is in the levels and could be lost. I don't like the tune much, although there's some nice bits. This one is the weakest for me, but improves in the second half.

Good Bsides by the manics though overall....not as good as SATTs but still tracks I would listen to again

. I'd say Lost Voices is more like an EMG bside....which I don't like as much.

Mr Richey · #24 11-09-2010, 15:59

I'm starting to think Manics B-Side Syndrome has struck again - after several listens there are now 2 songs I would definitely have put on the album in place of 2 of the lesser album tracks.

Hope the guys will put "I Know The Numbers" up on the official site at some point. It's a bugger having bought the vinyl put having no turntable to play it on

Emperor Tomato Ketchup · #25 11-09-2010, 16:03

Bit disappointed on first listen, will give them another spin later...

Diaga · #26 11-09-2010, 17:04

I'll give my opinions when I've digested them further... but, why oh why does Ostopolitik have to be an instrumental? With some good ol' JDB vocals that song could be fantastic...

slatex · #27 11-09-2010, 18:15

Distractions is brilliant! Noticed a couple of lines from the lyrics borrow from My Little Empire (That is written & is set) and Life Becoming A Landslide (There is no love, only..)

Kieslowski · #28 12-09-2010, 01:10

I'm not particularly impressed with them, making it one of the poorest releases in the Manics' history, if not the poorest. Even Autumnsong's dreary b-sides were more impressive than this lot.

I hated ILYFS the second I heard it - even Oasis wouldn't produce such a blatant Beatles rip off. Play that song to a crowd of people and watch them start singing "na, na na na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, heyyyyyyyy Jude!" This is a personal thing though - I can live with a blatant rip-off if the tune is still good, but it just so happens that I detest the Beatles and anything remotely Beatles-sounding. That bit 45 seconds in is just so desperately latter-Beatles that I can't listen to the song ever again. I might just delete it from my hard-drive in case I accidentally put Media Player on "random" and it plays this.

Lost Voices starts off sounding like (INW)JTEOL played slowly in a different key. The chorus is almost redemptive, but then the Britpoppy twiddly bits at the end of each guitar line spoil it again. This would have sounded right at home as an EMG b-side, and I hate most EMG b-sides.

Distractions isn't quite so bad - this sounds like a poor KYE b-side, which is a step up from a poor EMG b-side in my book - but it's so utterly unmemorable that, despite it finishing about 2 seconds ago, I've already forgotten how it goes. A great solo could have saved this song - instead, we got a JDB-by-numbers solo.

Ostpolitik - I almost love this song, but not quite. The piano is gorgeous, which almost lifts it into Vorticists level of greatness, but the main guitar riff is a bit dull. It's not so bad when the full band is playing, but when it's just guitar and drums, it sounds so dry. Actually no, ignore that - I could get used to this. In fact yes, this is a good song. Not quite in the Deadzone/Vorticists realm of "why the fuck is this only a b-side?", but I can see myself putting this on repeat for an hour or so at some point, and it's certainly the only song from this release I'll be listening to in the future (I include (INW)JTEOL in that). Still, the piano bit is far and away the best part of this song.

I Know The Numbers - Dunno. Like others on this thread, I have no way of playing a record, so I'll have to make a trip to my parents' house to listen to it. Why do they insist on having vinyl-only b-sides? I can't imagine many people out there own USB record players, so I imagine most people will, like me, have to get it by other means. What a needless, avoidable palaver.

napnet86_ · #29 12-09-2010, 01:12

Bought the single off iTunes too so I could get I Know The Numbers without the hassle of trying to record it from the vinyl. Will listen to everything properly tomorrow when I'm able to properly appreciate them.

Kieslowski · #30 12-09-2010, 01:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by napnet86_

Bought the single off iTunes too so I could get I Know The Numbers without the hassle of trying to record it from the vinyl. Will listen to everything properly tomorrow when I'm able to properly appreciate them.

Yeah, I just checked Amazon's MP3 site and saw it there, thus making me look like a total knob. I was hoping no one would have replied so I could have edited my post quietly...