Journal For Plague Lovers - Retrospective

[Mr Richey]

Everyone on FD who spent nearly every waking moment on here in the lead up to JFPL's release will remember all the comments that were made and the opinions that went around. We all remember that some loved it instantly, others it grew on and others hated it - only to come around later! But now, several months and one awesome tour later, with the US tour now underway, how do people feel about JFPL?

I thought it was really interesting how in a recent thread where everyone rated the albums in order of preference that JFPL is still being placed so high considering that there was a degree on negativity for a while from some FDers when the album came out. You all know my feelings on the record and why I love it, but today on my way back from work I popped my headphones in and listened to it from the opening Christian Bale quote to the dying seconds of 'Bag Lady' - and it still stands up for me as one of the very best records the Manics have ever recorded and, if anything, has only gotten better with each time I've listened to it in it's entirety.

So how do you feel about JFPL now after countless listens and time for it all to really sink in deeper?

[handsome_devil]

I still love it. I still listen to it regularly, it's had by far the longest replay value of any Manics album since Everything Must Go, which is why i'd place it so highly.

[MarilynRoxie]

I loved it when I first heard it, and it has certainly gotten better when listening again! It made me get into this band a whole lot more in general (pushing the transition from casual fan to crazed raving-mad fan ) - I'd currently place it third or fourth for favorite Manics album overall (the first two being The Holy Bible and Generation Terrorists, and the next before or after JFPL is Lifeblood). Aside from just being a seriously epic album throughout, it has some of their best songs, stand-alone, on it ("Peeled Apples" and "Marlon J.D." in particular, for me).

[Alt.Duck]

Still have the same love for it as i did when i first heard it. There is an underlying longevity to it, no doubt about it.

[ooberfan]

I thought this album was great upon hearing it when it got released and its defintely a record that has got better and better with each listen. It definitely still sounds as fresh, if not better, as the day it came out. I would agree its up there in my top 4 fave Manics albums.

[ericstephenson]

I loved it on first listen and still listen to it regularly. In fact, I'm listening to it right now!

[Atrocity Exhibitionist]

Still love it. Since it's release it has been the most played album on the ipod, I'm in the US, but ordered it from the UK as soon as it was available (special edition and vinyl too) I even love the demos, I think there's something raw and even more emotional about them. For instance I prefer Nicky's Bath of Bleach, because it's so cutting.

"Ain't there one damn song that can make me break down and cry?" Yes, yes there is...

[vtn]

I was a bit unimpressed on first listen, but it has now become one of my favorite albums, and has gotten a lot of repeat plays on my computer and iPod. I've felt this way about every Manics album, though. In my opinion it's the sort of music that needs to be heard more than once to appreciate some of its nuances, and its depth.

I also think the initial trepidation about the band using Richey's lyrics prevented me from getting fully into the album for a while. But I think for the most part they did the words justice.

[MDWill]

I'm still very pleased with it, and I hope Richey would agree they've made something great out of what he left them. It's just too bad that everything is only open to interpretation, and it's impossible get any outright clarification. That said, the presumptions I've made have made the Holy Bible that much more disturbing to me, like that window into how sick he was is a bit more open now. Some kind of sick voyeurism. I know that sounds kind of like an odd thing to enjoy, but uh... Well, there you have it.

[oxygen]

Still love it. It's been my second favourite Manics album since the first time I listened to it.
And if I think back to my fear before it was released, I like it even more

[Littlesue]

Still not that keen on it

[Dancing Kirby]

I continue to derive many pleasures from listening to it* from beginning to end, but my overriding feeling is that, for what it was supposed to be, it's a another poor effort from the three surviving members. The 'not a sniff of a hit' boast turned out to be unintentionally ironic, due to nothing on the album being any more challenging than a SATT b-side and James still throwing massive choruses all over the place.

Had they released this on all the promises they made for SATT, I'd be less inclined to find faults. It's a back to basics, moderately-angry-in-places rock album. But this wasn't the case. This was them with the shackles off. Anything goes. Nothing much went anywhere. They're an album behind schedule, frankly. But at least Richey's lyrics wiped away all notions of underdogs and autumn songs, even though he did get heavily edited in order for James to remember everything for the tour...

*But then I also enjoy listening to Temptation by Heaven 17, Rush's Spirit of the Radio and Weezer's Island in the Sun, so why wouldn't I?

[tzb]

The novelty "omg must listen on repeat" has worn off but it sits where I expected it to.

[the_soft_machine]

i've finally accepted it for the album it *is* (and not the album i wanted/imagined)

this is on balance a good thing

[mary]

still love it lots