Futurology

[Frozendiva]

Perhaps Europa Gluten Free would like to release an album and be open to people's 'opinions'.

If EGF doesn't like the album, he or she does not have to listen to it. Sell it or give it away.

[cameron33]

I find the SATT comparison slightly bizarre. SATT was a meat and potato rock album. Fun, perhaps but entirely devoid of anything interesting or 'style' besides some cool guitar riffing and the odd burst of strings. Love it or hate it, this is surely an entirely different beast. For me there's substance aplenty here - ie considered use of dynamics, tempos, instrumentation and lyrical themes both within songs and across the album. Or do we mean substance as in sincerity? For me it is sincere, whereas say the music of Postcards and SATT was just having fun in the studio.

[Dancing Kirby]

Originally Posted by Takk

Or maybe, you know, your opinion isn't fact?

They are mates with a lot of the critics, though. They know how to play the media. Never had a problem with that from day 1. The timing of Simon Price's brief return to reviewing was inspired.

And Generation Terrorists was never a 10/10 album.

[grimlock]

This is why I don't buy music if I don't know if I'll like it.

[Scarecrow]

I really don't like Green's voice but it does kind of work with BTCATB. I really love that track.

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by grimlock

This is why I don't buy music if I don't know if I'll like it.

Personally, I prefer the emotional investment of "I paid money for this!" to decide on if things are good or bad. But that's just me!

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by cameron33

I find the SATT comparison slightly bizarre. SATT was a meat and potato rock album. Fun, perhaps but entirely devoid of anything interesting or 'style' besides some cool guitar riffing and the odd burst of strings. Love it or hate it, this is surely an entirely different beast. For me there's substance aplenty here - ie considered use of dynamics, tempos, instrumentation and lyrical themes both within songs and across the album. Or do we mean substance as in sincerity? For me it is sincere, whereas say the music of Postcards and SATT was just having fun in the studio.

Well with that opening comment you almost describe perfectly Futurology:

"Futurology is a meat and potato Berlin rock album. Fun, perhaps but entirely devoid of anything interesting or 'style' besides some cool guitar riffing and the odd burst of synths"

When I'm talking about substance I'm talking about depth. You say the songs of the SATT era are the band just having fun in the studio - Futurology is even more of that. This is basically a Bowie play about in Berlin. There is nothing forward thinking or original in it at all.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by Takk

Or maybe, you know, your opinion isn't fact?

I never said my opinion was fact...

To use an old Takk line: "This is a forum and a place for opinions!!!" (Love u!)

[tzb]

So far, I definitely prefer RTF.

It's fine and there's a couple of good tracks, but it's a bit.. limp?

[cameron33]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Well with that opening comment you almost describe perfectly Futurology:

"Futurology is a meat and potato Berlin rock album. Fun, perhaps but entirely devoid of anything interesting or 'style' besides some cool guitar riffing and the odd burst of synths"

When I'm talking about substance I'm talking about depth. You say the songs of the SATT era are the band just having fun in the studio - Futurology is even more of that. This is basically a Bowie play about in Berlin. There is nothing forward thinking or original in it at all.

I tend to give more weight to the quality of the music as opposed to where it fits in the rock canon. For me, the quality is very high on this album. EMG and JFPL contained very little in the way of forwardthinkingness/originality and yet were both very solid albums regardless - as there's a fair bit of quality to the song writing on both. You say "substance" means "depth". Well, what on earth is depth? I'm not knocking your opinion, but I think you could do a lot better at communicating your issues with the music, rather than merely knocking if for clearly being derived of a certain genre.

[Dancing Kirby]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

I never said my opinion was fact...

Yes, you are expressing your opinion, whereas I consider Simon Price's "It's a bona fide, solid-as-granite masterpiece" a lie on account of him putting it as their third best album elsewhere. Or maybe his definition of masterpiece differs from mine. Either way, my definition of an artist's 'masterpiece' isn't 'third best work'.

[cameron33]

Originally Posted by tzb

So far, I definitely prefer RTF.

It's fine and there's a couple of good tracks, but it's a bit.. limp?

I'm of the opposite opinion. IMO RTF only had two, possibly three decent songs (Sullen Welsh Heart, 30 Year War and, possibly, ROOF). And it felt like a bunch of unconnected songs. This has six, seven maybe eight songs of comparative quality to those above, and feels like an album. RTF is lightweight in comparison.

[cdrw1992]

Hello everyone, long time viewer, first time contributor but I thought this'd be the perfect time to start posting!

Just received my email from myplay that Futurology has been dispatched - definitely feel for those that've been messed around, especially the signed editions. Hopefully the band might do a few more for those affected since I can't imagine there's very many?

Really looking forward to getting my hands on the album. Even if I have heard most of the tracks by now be great to hear it together as a coherent work. Been fantastic to read all the positive reviews from critics and fans alike, seems to be praise from pretty much everyone whereas RTF was understandably a bit more divisive if that's fair.

Favourite tracks so far have be to Black Square and Between The Clock and The Bed with Futurology just behind but I haven't disliked anything. The former has been going round my head all day! SPLAM hehe has its sheer comedic value, really put a smile on my face. Am a little worried as some people have said that the album may tail off a bit but without hearing The View from Stow Hill or Mayakovsky yet in full can't really comment just from the sampler. As for the notorious "facebooking" bit - it wouldn't be a Manics album without the odd wacky line! Anyway will let you know what I think when I've heard it all together.

Thanks all for a fantastic forum!

Chris

[Dancing Kirby]

The Financial Times review is online.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b9262a42-0...44feab7de.html

3/5

I bet Ludovic Hunter-Tilney has never had a pint with JDB.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Originally Posted by Dancing Kirby

The Financial Times review is online.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b9262a42-0...44feab7de.html

3/5

I bet Ludovic Hunter-Tilney has never had a pint with JDB.

I'm looking forward to reading this. No way in hell this album is a 4/5 album.

EDIT: Ok, that was a shit review.