Send Away The Tigers - a success?

[SHR]

I'm just wondering, why do the band consider this such a successful album? Is this just in comparison to KYE and Lifeblood? Did it sell more than those two albums or was it just more critically acclaimed? Interested in hearing thoughts...

[Automatik]

I always presumed it was because it freed them from (what they see as) the Lifeblood cobwebs.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by SHR

I'm just wondering, why do the band consider this such a successful album? Is this just in comparison to KYE and Lifeblood? Did it sell more than those two albums or was it just more critically acclaimed? Interested in hearing thoughts...

Because people were interested in them again. I also think they enjoyed the process of it and playing the songs (quite simple straightforward RAWK!) live.

People need to consider as well that the Manics are a "concept" band in that they start each era with an idea of what they want and this is what makes them feel that an era is a success or failure.

[UEF]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Because people were interested in them again. I also think they enjoyed the process of it and playing the songs (quite simple straightforward RAWK!) live.

People need to consider as well that the Manics are a "concept" band in that they start each era with an idea of what they want and this is what makes them feel that an era is a success or failure.

It must be very hard to ignore the financials. Especially compared to the glory years of multiple platinum sales or whatever. The money is what keeps them in the life of millionaires and on a label. I'd defy anyone to not end up writing songs that work towards that.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by UEF

It must be very hard to ignore the financials.

Absolutely. Which is why they do a lot of festivals every summer now and dress it up as a love for travelling and experiencing new countries.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by UEF

It must be very hard to ignore the financials. Especially compared to the glory years of multiple platinum sales or whatever. The money is what keeps them in the life of millionaires and on a label. I'd defy anyone to not end up writing songs that work towards that.

Yep. I seem to remember an interview when Nick and James were asked about their solo albums the very first thing they said was that the albums didn't sell. No mention of the songs or anything else. It is their livelihood I suppose.

[Porco]

A number 2 hit single helps. It was even top, ahead of Beyoncé, in the midweeks.

I think it also won them a whole new raft of fans, whereas I suspect Lifeblood and KYE lost more than they gained (because people are silly).

Ironically it was probably their one last success "at mass communication", rather than the one last "attempt"... at least by their own particular standards.

[slop101]

Besides hits, it seems like MSP considers a record a success if they had a positive time making it.

I think Lifeblood is better than SATT, but they band didn't have a good time making that record, so they don't like it, even though most fans feel that Lifeblood is superior.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by slop101

Besides hits, it seems like MSP considers a record a success if they had a positive time making it.

I think Lifeblood is better than SATT, but they band didn't have a good time making that record, so they don't like it, even though most fans feel that Lifeblood is superior.

Nail on head.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by slop101

Besides hits, it seems like MSP considers a record a success if they had a positive time making it.

I think Lifeblood is better than SATT, but they band didn't have a good time making that record, so they don't like it, even though most fans feel that Lifeblood is superior.

Yep. I remember an interview where James was rating the albums and he put Journal For Plague Lovers quite low. He said he rated it there because they found it a hard record to make for obvious reasons.

[SHR]

Yet didn't a lot of the singles from Lifeblood chart highly too? Was SATT a success to them because it wasn't panned by the music press like the previous two albums? It seem to me that if the press had praised KYE/LB the band would have loved those albums too. Does anyone remember the 2001 interview (may have actually been in Cuba) where Nick is singing the praises of KYE and saying it's the best thing they've ever done and how he's now finally on par lyrically with Richey? Then came the negative reviews and his opinion flipped entirely.

[Automatik]

Originally Posted by SHR

Yet didn't a lot of the singles from Lifeblood chart highly too?

Curiously, The Love Of Richard Nixon and Empty Souls peaked at 2 in Britain (both higher than all the singles from KYE - FTS 9, SWSS 8, OS 15, LRS 19) - and were the highest charting singles since Masses.

I've always strongly suspected that Cardiff Afterlife was to be released as a single but was shelved after the album sold below expectations.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by Automatik

Curiously, The Love Of Richard Nixon and Empty Souls peaked at 2 in Britain (both higher than all the singles from KYE - FTS 9, SWSS 8, OS 15, LRS 19) - and were the highest charting singles since Masses.

I've always strongly suspected that Cardiff Afterlife was to be released as a single but was shelved after the album sold below expectations.

They played Song For Departure on Jools Holland, so maybe that was being considered as well? Why 1985 wasn't the lead off single remains one of the strangest decisions of their career.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by SHR

Yet didn't a lot of the singles from Lifeblood chart highly too?

Originally Posted by Automatik

Curiously, The Love Of Richard Nixon and Empty Souls peaked at 2 in Britain (both higher than all the singles from KYE - FTS 9, SWSS 8, OS 15, LRS 19) - and were the highest charting singles since Masses.

They charted so highly I think because a) music was really shit around that period, and b) they did a special promo box thing are each single didn't they? Was it two CDs or three? With badges and stuff.

They did get two Number 2s but it was skewed with the promo campaign.

[Automatik]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

They charted so highly I think because a) music was really shit around that period, and b) they did a special promo box thing are each single didn't they? Was it two CDs or three? With badges and stuff.

They did get two Number 2s but it was skewed with the promo campaign.

Can't remember, and a half-hearted search hasn't revealed anything. There were signed postcards in the bulk bundle for Indian Summer much later. My memory, which is utterly unreliable, is that there was some sort of promo aspect to almost every single from KYS onward, particularly once you could pre-order online.

Music was very shit indeed around that period though - you're spot on there.