Knocked together a review for Indie Is Not A Genre

Mildly irritating, but at least it's just a live track that already sounded ok. Assuming it's been remastered for this release I doubt it makes a whole lot of difference, the mix is going to be a lot more basic than the studio tracks.

At least it's not a 'Mirror Gaze' situation where the only way to get a legit copy of the song at all is an expensive import.

Really good review Jimi (by which I mean I think it's very well written not just that I agree with most of it, although I do happen to(!)).

Did you pick the Mitch Ikeda photo used for the piece? I always liked that one.

Fuck it, I think SYMM is one of Nicky’s better lyrics....

Now I’ll slink off without providing a justification....

The tsunami demo is nice... not quite worth the hype it's had over the past X years... but good nonetheless. Apart from the bass in the chorus. It's annoying, somehow...

#55 on the album chart.

(Amusingly the saviours of rock n roll - the 1975 - had their much heralded new album crash down from #1 to #33. Chortle, tee hee).

Suppose in the Christmas market it was never going to chart high being a re-issue. I imagine the price and lack of stuff on there put people off, I know I didn't rush out to get it like I do with all Manics stuff.

Reminds me of the line in the 'Everything' book: "SYMM contains the words 'the reason for this song, well I haven't really thought of one", to which the listener is perfectly entitled to tell Nicky to go away and come back when he has', or something like that

It has been enjoyable seeing stuff do that. I was out gathering winter fuel so couldn't notify.
But yeah, I really should have gotten round to making a chart week by week update. That fucking Showman though! I can't believe there isn't a separate chart for soundtrack albums.
Best thing to come out of it was James saying as a kid he was terrified of whatever Barnum could be.

Now back to box set thread. Wasn't sure if they did any interviews on the radio this week as Skybox from 2010 now massively fucked at changing channels.

I love how Buildings For Dead People further shows what KYE would've sounded like had they not gone with the stripped back demo sound, and instead would've continued the clean, shiny TIMTTMY production only with KYE ferocity.

I can't help but think the rocky b-sides here, from Montana / Autumn to Buildings are a little more energetic that KYE, a little bouncier thanks to their glossy mixes.

Also, I can't fathom how they've never returned to this expensive, ultra hi def sound, when it made them so popular? The remaster sounds like the clean, hermetic, slightly laminated drum machine rock Radiohead started recording then. Also Cardigans' circa Gran Turismo, Suede's circa Head Music, even Kent's with Hagnesta Hill. All from around 97-99 sounded similar recording-wise. Years go by and they've yet to sound this clean and futuristic, even on an album called Futurology.... c'mon James! You can do it!

Last little note -- the two bands are rarely compared but Be Natural could easily be a song off OK Computer IMO.

Nine days post release, still no sign of the CD in Glasgow. Record shops and label not forthcoming with any response. Guess I should just order it online, but it’s the principle of the thing.

Along the same lines....

Has anyone in North America received their pre-orders from the official website yet?

Lifeblood?

Ditto. My favourite Manics album, as it happens. I guess they did, yes -- giving me my all time nr 2 LP, right below Kent's "Du och Jag, Döden" and Einstürzene Neubauten's "Perpetuum Mobile." And then they got incredibly frightened by some kind of singles chart nonsense. Pity. Cause you're right. Lifeblood is the TIMTTY sound only with more luxurious treble, some New Order baselines, lithe lounge piano. Jeesh, even describing it makes me realize how immensely I love that collection of music. TIMTTMY is great, but it's a collection of songs compiled from circa 17-18 candidates.

Whilethey recorded 30 songs in the LB era. What I wouldn't give to go back and see what All Alone Here would sound like with that full production sheen. Or if 4 Ever Delayed was given the same attention TBTGOG was given.

Manics are at their most magisterial, to me, when they're outdoing bands like Coldplay. It sounds like sacrilege but still...

I think that after KYE they maybe tried to get back to the more expansive sound of TIMT which had brought them so much success. Success does seem to be important to them, as they often talk about it in interviews, so I could see them trying to get back to that kind of sound thinking it might bring them that level of success again. I seem to remember the Lifeblood tour was an arena tour, but it was noticeable that the crowds had thinned a bit by then.

I like Lifeblood, but it didn't really have the big singles like TIMT and I guess those really were what made albums sell back then. I like the sound from that era (1985, Forever Delayed, There By the Grace, Door to the River, Song For Departure, To Repel Ghosts, Solitude Sometimes is, Cardiff Afterlife, The Soulmates, Antarctic and Litany are some of my favourite Manics tracks), but there aren't really many standout singles from that time and it just didn't quite come together on Lifeblood (my opinion of course).

Although some really hoopy frood has finally put them both on youtube.

Just to add to the late chorus of why either of these weren't on the album...
mirror gaze is good but holding patterns is bloody great.