What was your truth?

[darkanddivine]

So this re-issue is interesting for a number of reasons. While EMG and The Bible enjoy both cult and critial acclaim from both band and fans, Truth hasn't always fared so well, and (singles aside) it hasn't always had huge representation in the Manics set.

But it's also coming round to the time when many fans were properly aware of their fandom which is arguably just as interesting. There were plenty of MSP fans at college, so (criticisms of the music aside,) Truth was the soundtrack to a pivotal point in lots of MSP fans lives.

So whether it was Too Many Festivals, the Truth booths, Manic Millennium, This is My Bag, or all those telly appearances and Brit awards; what do you remember of the band and their brief moment in the sun, and what role were they playing in your life at that time?

[Son of Stopped]

Already wrote a piece in the poetry thread about how the album tied in with my LSD period (do not try to imitate etc).
Only had The Holy Bible on tape which squeaked when listening to it, which took me out of the moment. GATS however on CD sounded like all the instruments were smiling at me, maaan!
I remember Donna Air on MTV being freaked out by the ending of the video when she first saw it.
I remember The Everlasting video having people on fire and how that video got banned when an unconnected incident had someone being set on fire.
I was happy the band were successful.
That said a woman who was one of the biggest mistakes in my life laughed in my face when I said it was their best album. (Fucking Travis fans)
Wasn't around in fandom though. That came later. Most of my Manic gig attendance has been from this century.
Looking back, what a fucking good job that was! (That I wasn't in fandom)
No idea where the huge fandom went. Mondeo Man. I remember reading that description in the music press. Still never took a driving lesson (I may be an imbecile but I'm not an idiot! Nothing against drivers but I wouldn't be safe behind the wheel)
Even bands that came after and got bigger like Coldplay, they never had the backlash the Manics got.

[Son of Stopped]

64 views and only two responses? Fucking really?!! (Sorry I broke your thread darkanddivine)

[relic]

My main memory of that time was the special edition embossed CD case, which I loved, and which I cracked the fuck out of when I dropped it getting out of the car.

It was before my first Manics gig, and before I found the fandom, but I do remember that the album made me cry in the car sometimes.

[pineapple]

I was both proud and confused by the fact that the band had become so popular. I could not utter the words 'I like the Manics' without hastily following up with 'I liked them before they became big'

[rosetree]

I love the album and I went to the Millennium concert with my boyfriend the following year. They played some of the songs and also played Masses Against The Classes, which was amazing. It wasn't available to buy until weeks later though. I bought the single that has Tsunami and Found That Soul on.

TIMTTMY is actually one of my favourite albums though, that reminds me of holidays and the millennium.

[Porco]

Loved the album, wasn’t bothered by whoever had a problem with it. I loved that it won the Brits again, that it was huge in every sense; the sound, the success, the cargo pants, the stacked trainers... ! I have almost nothing but good memories associated with it. I strongly recall sitting in a hotel in Paris seeing the video for Tolerate, still one of their best videos I think. Then watching an episode of the Simpsons with a French dub on it. Good times

In my mind now, it was the last hurrah, the end of the era for 90s music. I know not actually, technically, but in a general sense, in terms of the albums that are important to me, it was the album before 9/11 2001, New Labour were still new, it was the time when “everything seemed possible” (to quote Golden Platitudes).

For most of that era I was at college, belatedly due to personal health issues. The widescreen vista of TIMTTMY was my soundtrack. Its accompanying tour was my first Manics gig. I remember being particularly happy Tsunami was to be the fourth UK single from the album.

Everything seemed possible.

Originally Posted by rosetree

I bought the single that has Tsunami and Found That Soul on.

I guess you mean the Tsunami cassette that had Motown Junk on? I remember buying that too. I really loved the artwork for those singles, riffing off the polaroid photos of the album but with those lovely block colour sleeves. Then shocking pink and dazzling orange of the Tsunami releases was so cool, IMHO.

[rosetree]

Originally Posted by Porco

I guess you mean the Tsunami cassette that had Motown Junk on? I remember buying that too. I really loved the artwork for those singles, rigfnig off the polaroid photos of the album but with those lovely block colour sleeves. Then shocking pink and dazzling orange of the Tsunami releases was so cool, IMHO.

I actually mean the Masses single with Close My Eyes and Rock and Roll music on. It says it was recorded in Autumn 1999 on the sleeve, though I wonder why they didn't release it before? I also like the Tsunami pink art and videos from that era.

[kevoutus]

I remember seeing them at Newcastle Arena in Dec ‘98 touring the album and it was the most static standing crowd I’ve ever seen. The performance equalled that. I thought they were on their way out ironically.

[blackflower]

It was a strange era for me. I loved Tolerate and was so happy it got to number one, but was very unimpressed with the album on first listen. I couldn't believe how slow and ponderous and just dull it sounded. It didn't help that Mansun had released Six the week before which was a truly, astonishingly inspired album, which TIMTTMY definitely isn't - though I did grow to love it over the next few weeks and it's probably in my top 5 Manics albums now.

My life was in a very strange place in 1998 and it's not a year I remember happily. I was very depressed and very nearly gave up on my dream life living in London to move back to Australia. I went to the two Wembley gigs and they were amazing, and a few days later did fly back to Australia - but only for Christmas, and I came back to London in 1999, which was a much better year for me. And then the Manics seemed to have regained their fire to with Masses Against the Classes, and the Millennium gig was one of the best nights of my life.

So overall, very mixed memories, but I'd love to go back in time to relive the Manic Millennium. Haven't watched the DVD in ages, I feel a rewatch is in order soon!

[Suicide Aldi]

I remember my dad buying the soecial embossed album after seeing them on jools holland. He only really played the singles off it though as he said the rest of it was "a bit weird". I kind of diacovered the album for myself nine years later when SATT came out which I loved. I listen to truth loads still these days and its probably my second favorite manics apbum after THB.

[UEF]

I remember liking the singles and thinking that 'You Stole the Sun' was about the heaviest thing I'd ever heard

[Europa Gluten Free]

Start of my Manics fandom.

Randomly switched over to a documentary on the band on RTE2 around the time of the Tolerate release and they were showing the ME video. Loved it. I actually didn't hear any of the EMG era stuff so it was all new to me.

I think going to Woolworths and buying the Tolerate single (surely their best in terms of single and b-sides, though maybe Masses runs it close) is in my top 3 Manics moments. Great times. Would kill to go back to summer 1998 and do it all again.

Then my first Manics gig was in June 1999 in Dublin. I was blown away. Remember feeling kinda weird when they turned up Nicky's bass for the last few songs. That was a great gig - we got PCP, Prologue, Yes, Tender and You're Tired, This is Yesterday, Baby Love into Motown Junk.

Loved the album when it was released and still listen to it now. Ready for Drowning and Black Dog on my Shoulder are the ones I always go back to.

It is easily their best b-sides era too.

I don't know if I'll go to any of the anniversary gigs. I'm fed up with the album and then the hits format.

[burnleybassman]

Interesting thread thanks for starting!

The Truth era was when I first got into the Manics so it is a time I remember very fondly. Their gig at Manchester Arena was my first proper gig as well (that I am not ashamed to admit to!) and I remember there being loads of giant video screens behind them. There were 3 plus two others either side of the stage which looked impressive. They opened with EMG and it was a great gig which really opened my eyes to guitar music.

I loved the artwork, and the aesthetic around the whole album/look/theme. I guess I realised I was a fan of melancholia and it really worked with the album being released in the autumn that year. What I did find strange was the moment I started listening to their older output. I really found the Holy Bible un-listenable at first. I rented it out on cassette from the local library and just couldn't get into it. I felt like I had to go back to Truth/EMG just to get some relief haha. Obviously, over time that changed and I came to love THB as well.

I remember there was an advert on TV (can't remember what it was advertising - maybe a credit card?) with these people driving along in an open top car saying that they wanted to do all these life affirming things... "I want to the see the Manics live" being one of them.

I remember buying the NME and Q for the first time when I saw the Manics were on the front cover.

I was very drawn to James as a musician and front man. He looked so cool and had a great voice with a white guitar.

The Tolerate video was everywhere on MTV/VH1. It was a very weird video but really watchable & interesting. I seriously think that the video had a lot to do with their continued success as the music video as a format was hugely popular with more and more people owning satellite/cable TV around that time.

I owned the embossed version of the album as well and I later also bought a special edition which had a 2nd disc with some live tracks on it - Kevin Carter, The Everlasting and another (maybe Motown Junk?).

I was at Manic Millennium - great gig. My one abiding memory of it was Nicky Wire walking right past me and my friend in Cardiff city centre during the day of the gig. I remember him causing quite a stir as more and more people recognised him. Great days!

[blackflower]

Originally Posted by burnleybassman

Interesting thread thanks for starting!

Just wanted to agree with this - great thread! We should do these for all the albums.