:lol:

This is what I'm hoping, even though it turns out I rather enjoy this album, despite fearing it was going to be a steaming pile of turd.

Although in regards to THB, I wouldn't say it was a result of having no commercial aspirations or anything like that; I would say it was just the only album they could have written at that point in their career.

I've listened to the album 3 times through (and the demos CD once) since it arrived in the post this afternoon, and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it! All of the songs are growning on me, especially the second half of the album. I must admit, I have been worried these last few weeks when reading other peoples thoughts and reviews after hearing the album (via naughty means!) - a fair bit of negativity, but there was no need for me to be concerned! And am very pleased that it has exceeded my expectations. I even really like Hazelton Avenue (can't understand why exactly so many people seem to dislike this song?) - It's a really interesting song and starts to differ from what I expect from a Manics track about half way through. But so far my faves are A Billion Balconies and Auto-Intoxication. Tis defo a grower though, I really quite like it at the mo, but with a few more listens I think that I'm gonna love it! :):)

It's a good album. It achieves what it set out to be - a pop album. No complaints from me as I like every song. Rare for me, in that most albums I like maybe two or three songs and I may give 3-5 listens before I pick my faves. The Manics are always full of surprises. I may not like *every* song on their current release, but I'll find enough to make me happy. Something about each release *speaks* to me. I'm of a similar age, and I loved ELO and Queen and all the 70s stuff that this album refers to. I've listened to the CD many, many times already and can't wait til my physical copy arrives.

It's gone from good to great now after listening to it again on the way to London and back yesterday. It justified waiting for the physical release as usual, and I'm happy that they made an album like this; reaffirms why I love the band above any other.

It's got a more experienced, mature sound that I think SATT was lacking and there's no Autumnsong moments at all. I never thought I'd hear choirs on a Manics song, and was a bit wary of their inclusion, but everything fits together well and to me they're at times just like extensions of James' ah-aahs over the years.

James certainly goes far more wild on the guitar than I was expecting too, which is great - playing the sort of expansive treats that I thought JFPL was going to get, not on a pop album.

Standout tracks:

Postcards from a Young Man, Some Kind of Nothingness (the quality of which I've now realised, though I wish Mac could sing a bit more clearly), The Descent (Pages 1 & 2), Hazelton Avenue, Golden Platitudes, A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun.

Auto-Intoxication is a good song and I like the changes of direction and pace in it, but I feel there's no real hook and it doesn't know what type of song it wants to be.

The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever is a good song as well - for me one of the more appealing Nicky vocals, though he didn't need to sing it. His vocals backed by a choir and the great trumpet makes for an unusual song and that's why I like it.

So, am I the only person who really doesn't like it?

Its just so fucking... upbeat.

Listen to it constantly for 3 weeks and you'll like it.

I still don't like most of it but some songs have grown on me and I really love the first three tracks.

Right I've had 24 hours to digest it. I've listened to it whilst reading, in bed with the lights out, whilst sleeping, whilst walking and whilst hoovering. I've now come to the conclusion that I quite like it.

It sounded a bit rubbish on my laptop but I loaded it onto my ATRAC player and it sounds really good. I don't think my laptop soundcard can cope with all of the layers though.

The only thing that I would change is to have Nicky singing on Some Kind Of Nothingness because he has a much better voice than Ian McCulloch.

It's not the pop album that I was expecting, I don't consider this to be pop at all; I was expecting full on disco Manics but it's good in its own right. I don't think this will achieve mass communication though, but you have to go on Pop Idol (or whatever it's currently called) to get that nowadays.

There simply aren't enough mass media publicity outlets for bands anymore for a record like this to have an impact on the national consciousness.

Even Everything Must Go wouldn't register in the current media climate if it was released today.

You know that's an interesting point, and I think you're right.

This is My Truth was their last album before mainstream internet access (I was just about online then and I was a relatively early adopter)... they've never quite been "there" since in terms of commercialism.

Listened to the album for the first time in full today.... Absolutely brilliant! :D

Yes and that was around the time when TV fragmented into mass-access multi-channeldom, Pop idol started to take over the terrestrial music TV market to the point where nothing else got a look in, the four track EP was banned from chart elligibility meaning that you effectively paid 1 quid per track on a single which unless you're a collector isn't worth it. Record labels got lazy and stopped investing in/promoting bands because it was cheaper and easier to manufacture pop via reality TV.

I used to discover bands in one of two ways. I'd see them on TV or I'd see them supporting someone else at a gig. Either way my final decision on whether to buy their album came down to buying their single and if I liked 3 of the four tracks on it then I'd get the album. You just can't do that anymore.

The gig aspect is still there but isn't available to the casual listener, music shops are closing so the browser type person isn't going to stumble across a record and take a punt on it, online sales mean that you have to consciously search for the band. Unless you've heard of them then you're not going to do that. Where is the casual listener going to hear them? Jools Holland (at 11 on a friday when most people are either in bed or in a pub/club), a festival maybe. That's it. I was at a Rugby match the other day and was discussing the Manics with someone and there was a 20 year old lad there who loves rock music who had never heard of them.

All sorta coincides with the death of TOTP really

Possibly, I have found that i have initially disliked many albums I have later gone on to love. However, I somehow doubt it in this case. It just isn't very good.

Interestingly, it's not available on iTunes yet even though the single was the day before.