Manics on Twitter

[*Found That Soul*]

PFAYM is stunning end of argument.

[Nikolai]

Originally Posted by foundthatsoul

JFPL proved they had the creativity to make an amazing album again, so why not just throw off the constraints of the pressures of success and just make music.

I agree with that statement but I also think it's harsh to begrudge them a final crack at large-scale success (I'm not going to use the infamous 'mass communication' quote!). Having said that, I've never understood why they feel they can't be successful with a more 'balls to the wall' rock album: sensitivity, melancholia, intelligence, politics, anger, energy and rock. The aural equivalent of a Nicky Wire flying scissor-kick, or Bradders legs spread power stance, with head thrown back and sweet riffage firing out of his Les Paul. After all, their big breakthrough album EMG had plenty of rock amongst the sheen and Journal was good enough to have been huge; if promoted on a mass scale.

I'd have loved them to have popped out a short, sharp raw and rocking record at some point over the last 10 years. A 10 track album with songs purely in the ilk of Masses, Close My Eyes, Leviathan, Anorexic Rodin etc would be fantastic.

They love the Clash and Pistols and Know Your Enemy was well documented as being their attempt at a London Calling, whereas Masses could have been the perfect precursor - the first new number 1 of this century and all that jazz - to have had a crack at a bit of a Never Mind the Bollocks.

I'm sure lots of other people on here would prefer them to experiment and go down other directions though, so it just comes back to that cliched quote again: "you can't please all of the people all of the time."

[Nikolai]

PS: Who in the Bernard Cribbins are Fred One and Brian Cheddar (or whatever they're called)?? Jesus, I'm getting old and out of touch.

[exopotamie]

'You wear your broken heart like a dress You wear your broken heart like an actress'

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by *Found That Soul*

PFAYM is stunning end of argument.

+100!

[*Found That Soul*]

Originally Posted by The Gutless Wonder

+100!

I love them as much as you, I will not have a bad word said about anything they have ever done

[BrianPowell]

Originally Posted by *Found That Soul*

I love them as much as you, I will not have a bad word said about anything they have ever done

100%

[Napoleon Bonaparte]

Originally Posted by MSPKYE

Oh do fuck off Exactly what grounds are there to be optimistic around this whole era? I'm getting fed up of happy clappy people who are deluded to think any of this can be deemed a success, It's been a shambles from the start. Choosing one of the weakest tracks on the album as your lead single, the song that's going to convince people to actually go out and get the album. An album they couldn't get to number 1 despite being up against Phil fucking Collins and some shit boyband who's albums had already been out a week and charted, then being desperate enough to reduce the price to nothing and practically beg people to buy it and still failing. Playing 5 gigs where only like 300 people can see them and making them 'competitions' and just generally shitting over the established fan base in search of new fans in some attempt at apparent 'mass communication'. The setlists have been dull as shit, despite apparently practicing 40 songs for the tour. What they neglected to say was that they were the songs they've been playing constantly for the last decade like the musical equivalent of someone wearing the same pants for a year, and ignoring half (some would say the better half) of the album. They over pushed themselves doing 30 odd gigs leading to James' laryngitis and pissing people off with the cancellations...it's been the biggest fan backlash to an album I've seen in my time as a fan, not even Know Your Enemy or Lifeblood got this reaction. They tried fair enough but now they just need to go off for a year or so and make an album of what THEY want to do, not whats going to be commercial and what the public want(ed...15 years ago). I still love them but this whole era has just been one dissapointment after another.

You forgot to mention the shit videos, although I disagree about the album sales. If sales are up now after Strictly & bad cooking then it was all down to promotion or lack of primetime exposure. If they had that at the start it would have done the job.

[Frozendiva]

Originally Posted by Nikolai

PS: Who in the Bernard Cribbins are Fred One and Brian Cheddar (or whatever they're called)?? Jesus, I'm getting old and out of touch.

And there's me thinking you're 20.

[pennyroyalty]

Originally Posted by Nikolai

Damned by an utterly witless comment yet again. Poor Pennyroyalty.

sorry, on reflection maybe your ringing endorsement should have been in the ads.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS - POSTCARDS FROM A YOUNG MAN
'Some of the band's bigger gestures come off.' - Pitchfork

'cheesier than Red Hot Chili Peppers' sock drawer, but the Manics were always meant to transcend the vagaries of boring good taste.' - NME

'If Postcards had been released in isolation it might have annoyed me too, but on the back of Journal I can't begrudge the Manics for releasing an album like it in any way, shape or form.' - Internet Troll

[riot_star]

Jesus Christ I've never seen such a stupid argument over an album. I personally like it but I'm not going to start having a go at people who don't.

People who don't like it sholdn't be so offended when people are saying that they do like it. People have different tastes. There's no need for a massive argument like this.

End of.

[Midlands_Junk]

Originally Posted by riot_star

. I personally like it but I'm not going to start having a go at people who don't.

mostly

I agree with you but it's been mostly the other way around really. It's more the 'I LOVE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING' people having a go at the PFAYM-haters for not lapping everything up and being 100% behind all of their recent output and decisions.

Originally Posted by riot_star

Jesus Christ I've never seen such a stupid argument over an album. People have different tastes. There's no need for a massive argument like this.

End of.

This is true.

[Blue Cat]

Originally Posted by riot_star

Jesus Christ I've never seen such a stupid argument over an album. I personally like it but I'm not going to start having a go at people who don't.

People who don't like it sholdn't be so offended when people are saying that they do like it. People have different tastes. There's no need for a massive argument like this.

End of.

but equally, or as far as I've seen, more so, people who do like it shouldn't get insulted when people say they don't like it. And shouldn't insinuate that X people are better fans, or shouldn't be fans, or fans shouldn't be critical, or on and on and on and on and on....

Anyway, I'm pretty sure most people know most prominent posters opinions on it, they don't need to be posted a couple of thousand times when someone posts the opposite opinion. Someone saying they don't like it, or they like it, isn't an insult to your taste or "your" band. To be fair, theres no reason for people to care about your opinions either. If you say you like it, or you don't like it, end of, be quiet.

[Blue Cat]

Originally Posted by Midlands_Junk

I agree with you but it's been mostly the other way around really. It's more the 'I LOVE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING' people having a go at the PFAYM-haters for not lapping everything up and being 100% behind all of their recent output and decisions.
.

completely agree with this. Its all so egotistical and patronising and really fucking annoying, but hey ho, that's manics fans for you.

[Midlands_Junk]

Originally Posted by Blue Cat

but equally, or as far as I've seen, more so, people who do like it shouldn't get insulted when people say they don't like it. And shouldn't insinuate that X people are better fans, or shouldn't be fans, or fans shouldn't be critical, or on and on and on and on and on....

THIS. Everybody read this a few times. Write it down if you have to but we should all remember these words.