Lifeblood #10

[Porco]

The variety of the ranking lists just shows what a strong album it is.

Mine would change slightly often, but after re-listening to the album last night I think it'd be:

To Repel Ghosts
A Song For Departure
Solitude Sometimes Is
1985
Cardiff Afterlife
Emily
Glasnost
I Live To Fall Asleep
Fragments
Always / Never
The Love of Richard Nixon
Empty Souls

I don't dislike any of them though. Lifeblood is still my 3rd favourite Manics album, after EMG and THB. And to be honest I'd rather listen to it more often than THB, at least in full.

[River Boy]

Oh go on then, though I really can't decide between the top 3.

Cardiff Afterlife
To Repel Ghosts
A Song For Departure
1985
Glasnost
I Live to Fall Asleep
Emily
Empty Souls
Love of Richard Nixon
Fragments
Always/Never
Solitude Sometimes Is

Solitude was the one I thought much better live, but I've time for all the tracks.

[hummingbird]

Despite me loving the album 2004 was a shittier than shit year for me. Missed the wembley gig cos i didnt want to go

[roi]

The ranking, in my opinion:

1985
To Repel Ghosts
Empty Souls
I Live To Fall Asleep
Solitude Sometimes Is
A Song For Departure
Emily
Cardiff Afterlife
Fragments
Always / Never
The Love of Richard Nixon
Glasnost

Sonically Lifeblood seems like an extremely close cousin of Futurology, the former is much more consistent though. I'm going to go and listen to it now.

Also, I enjoyed this particularly robust interview from the Lifeblood era which appeared recently on the MSPpedia pages. James implies he'd like to shoot the Royal Family with a Kalashnikov.

http://www.foreverdelayed.org.uk/msp..._November_2004

[nocultureicons]

I notice To Repel Ghosts seems to have become the new forum favourite.

[gallafield]

1985
A song for departure
glasnost
to repel ghosts
solitude sometimes is
Cardiff Afterlife
Empty Souls
I live to fall asleep
The Love of Richard Nixon
Fragments
Emily
Always/never

Or something like that. I'd still swap the bottom three for (a lyrically non-repetitive) All Alone Here, Litany and The Soulmates. That would vastly improve the album for me.

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by nocultureicons

I notice To Repel Ghosts seems to have become the new forum favourite.

It was my immediate favourite. I was so happy to see them play it live in 2005, they hardly touched it.

[sculptureofabloke]

To Repel Ghosts wasn't an immediate favourite for me but it grew on me a hell of a lot, especially after seeing it live, didn't realise at the time how lucky I was to see it.

[Europa Gluten Free]

My ranking:

1985
Cardiff Afterlife
Song For Departure
Solitude Sometimes Is
TLORN
Empty Souls
Live to Fall Asleep
To Repel Ghosts
Always/Never
Emily
Glasnost
Fragments

[tomd2103]

Ranking:

1985
To Repel Ghosts
Solitude Sometimes is
A Song for Departure
Empty Souls
LORN
Cardiff Afterlife
Glasnost
Fragments
Live to Fall Asleep
Always / Never
Emily

[Routine Builder]

How do people view Askew Road? Seems to be on of the most overlooked b-sides. Short, simple, brilliant sound bite and clear honest lyrics. Would have made a brilliant inclusion on Rewind the Film...

[tzb]

I like it, I used to love it.. but these days it's a bit too tough to listen to, too personal perhaps, given the meaning. For me it works best as a b-side.

[Colinzeal]

I had purchased Everything must go and This is my truth in the late 90s and although I loved those two albums I didn't really come back to the Manics until about 2006; when I started purchasing all the albums. Everything and Truth remain my two favourites but when I started buying the back catalogue for some reason it was the much maligned Lifeblood that gripped me the most. I listened to it continually for a period of time but hadn't really listened fro a couple of years until I came across this thread last week.
I am once again loving the album, I like the atmosphere of the album, the sincerity of the lyrics, James's vocals and the whole packaging of the album.

Anyway as for song rankings, here is mine:

1985
Cardiff Afterlife
I Live to fall asleep
The Love of Richard Nixon
Solitude sometimes is
Glasnost
Fragments
A song for departure
Always/Never
Empty Souls
To repel ghosts (Surprised this is so popular, really doesn't do it for me)
Emily

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

How do people view Askew Road? Seems to be on of the most overlooked b-sides. Short, simple, brilliant sound bite and clear honest lyrics. Would have made a brilliant inclusion on Rewind the Film...

Love it, but dislike the use of the sample. I've got used to it, but I think it ruins the song slightly. It tends to be popular I think.

[Marat Sar]

A nice track from sleepy-Manics. Probably the sleepiest they´ve ever been really...
Wait. Yeah, that´s a thing now. A list. These are the sleepiest Manics tracks:

1. Askew Road
2. I´m Not Working
3. Door To The River
4. Born A Girl
5. Always/Never