[FacelessSenseOfVoid]

Originally Posted by blackflower

I feel like I have a different connection with SATT than a lot of people on this forum, who lump it in with PFAYM as a kind of overly polished, commercial album. I always think of SATT as a continuation of Lifeblood - not sonically for the most part, but in its mood of reflection and memory, in songs like "Indian Summer" and "The Second Great Depression" and yes even "Autumnsong"! I just find it hugely enjoyable from start to finish (apart from YLA which remains my least favourite MSP single). Even on the less reflective songs like "Rendition" or "Imperial Bodybags", the melodies are strong and eminently singalongable, way stronger than anything on PFAYM apart from maybe "Golden Platitudes".

I also have a personal connection to it - I was going through something a bit stressful at the time and my diary at the time is littered with quotes from SATT like "tiger's claws still in my back", "despite it all you made it worse", "inevitable like scars and dust". "I Am Just A Patsy" was my song of that year, it perfectly summed up how I was feeling at the time - a scapegoat for other people's mistakes. So in many ways it was just the right Manics album for me at the right time - even though it was the start of my decline in fandom for the band and I only saw them live twice that year, that was more to do with my personal circumstances than the album itself.

In a sense, Lifeblood, SATT and TUVL have that in common for me - they are or were exactly the Manics album I needed at the time of release, and that's why they're my top 3.

Lifeblood, SATT and JFPL were the three Manics albums that were around at, I guess you could call it my peak fandom and therefore the albums have an extremely special place in my heart for the memories and feelings they give me. I didn't become a fan until 2001 so all the preceeding albums like THB, EMG etc don't give me any chills like the other ones do. That's why I've scored EMG and THB quite low on my list.

Even though for me SATT doesn't have a single duff track, the quality of Lifeblood is pure gold throughout (apart from Glasnost). I found an old thread on here last night where this activity carried out in 2014 and 2018 and the onlt thing I could conclude was that TIMTTMY has always been around 5th favourite for me! One list actually had THB right at the bottom.... oops.