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#151
19-05-2007, 07:43
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Having the 2005 book that the pictures came from "Monika Monster, Future First Woman On Mars" by Valerie Phillips I can tell you the following.
The book is the 2nd study of Monika (not her real name, but a nickname) the first being I Want To Be An Astronaut. They're not staged photos but real reflections of Monika's life. The other person in the pictures is her cousin Kate. They dress to match the occasion, be it Christmas, Halloween or a thunderstorm. Monika lives in Brooklyn, worked as a lifeguard and wants to be an astronaut. In Valerie's words "Monika is now 22. She studies advanced math and science and astronomy at Stony Brook, a college she chose because it is one of the few with an astrophysics program. She looks less like a Polish schoolgirl, but just as much like a cat. In other ways she hasn't changed either - she still has the same self-possesion and calm. It's strange. Even at times of great silliness, or hilarity, or chaos, or upset, there is an odd tranquillity that never seems to leave her." When asked "Do photographs tell the truth?" Monika's reply is "Mmm-hmmm. Yes. They do. Because they're real. Like, out of real contexts, situations. You know the photographs you see in magazines? They're very fake. There's make-up and different sceneries. And hers do tell the truth." Do they tell the truth about you "(quitely) Yes. I think so."
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Once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand 
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#152
19-05-2007, 09:02
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strongerthantheuzi
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#153
19-05-2007, 10:28
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__________________
Once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand
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#154
19-05-2007, 10:49
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strongerthantheuzi
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#156
19-05-2007, 11:05
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 At first my reaction to the album cover was that it was not one of my favourite Manics album covers... however, after listening to the album for a while now it's growing on me a lot and I think it fits the content very well - certainly I think you can make visual links for most, if not all, the songs on the album. The following is, of course, my interpretation, and I'm not saying any or all of it is intentional or the reason the photo was chosen, but if any of it is right I think some artistic serendipity was involved nevertheless. First of all, I like that it's an image that has plenty in it to think about. It's a very well-taken photo in my opinion. It's a photo of contrasts. The sky is white, the ground is dark. The light/grey bridge in the distance is contrasted by the black railings. There's a sense of distance contrasted by a sense of closeness. The diagonals of the fence/bridge are in opposition. Then of course, there are the two girls; one a blonde dressed as an 'angel' and one a brunette dressed as a 'devil'. Yet the 'devil' has the wings. From what Aestivate posted about the photo's origins it seems we are looking at Europeans in America, which could perhaps be taken as some sort of subtle nod to the fact that it's an album that has European commentary on the US in several places, or the coalition aspect (Poland went to Iraq as part of the coalition). Perhaps the skin and blue is supposed to remind us of Generation Terrorists + Everything Must Go? What time of year is it in the picture? Leaves are in the ground, which suggests Autumn, though some greenery exists on the left side, contrasted by a barren tree on the right. The whiteness of the top half of the photo could almost be Winter. And the girls look more dressed for Summer. The bridge soaring into the overcast sky and black railing fence call to mind Rendition; the contrast of the open, free sky with the prison-like bars. If we understand the photo is taken in America the photo takes on some other interesting interpretations. The overcast sky could already be taken to be symbolic of a 'Great Depression', and the girls' outfits could be seen as a reference to the past..."Remember all those days". Is the photo also telling us something about the albums view on America? The confusion of angel/devil, the country with such power to do good and bad, and perhaps the one being mixed up with the other? The youth of the girls as a linkage to the "children wrapped in home made flags"? Will those children, and their leaders, go to Heaven for their bravery or Hell for being involved in egregious foreign adventures? Your Love Alone Is Not Enough has some symbolism here too. Nicky has written that the song is about how "you can’t solely have religion, or love, or democracy". Perhaps the angel/devil in America has some link there. Also I like to think that in the context of that song, Nina is the blonde and the Manics are the brunette. Or Nicky is the latter at least. So like the contrasts of the photo, the album has its contrasts; Rendition and Imperial Bodybags, sympathy and regret, memories of the past but the message that the "best times are yet to come".
__________________
 'Those Manics are great mun ent'it!' | Miyazaki-San, Arigato | POPCORN!  | PorcoTunes: SC=fdporco YT=PorcoForever | | I know our time has come and gone / At least we blazed a trail and shone | | Yes I knew this thing would end / I did not know where or when |
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#157
19-05-2007, 11:41
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Photographer Valerie Phillips took pictures of the Manics in their early days. Some of her photos are on the inlay to Generation Terrorists.
In all likelihood Nicky has kept track of her work and felt a kind of link to the carefree attitude of Monika.
__________________
Once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand Last edited by Aestivate; 19-05-2007 at 11:50.
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#158
19-05-2007, 12:33
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todays posts seem to have silenced quite a few nameless critcs? Who apparently, if i'm not wrong, male. is there a divide amongst manic's fans? intelligent/stupid, i wonder?
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#159
19-05-2007, 12:36
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I really like it. At first when I saw the artwork for Your love alone, I was worried it would be a bit too reminiscient of The Holy Bible, but I think it works really well.
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#160
19-05-2007, 15:03
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I rather like the cover. And also the theory that it represents Nick and Richey.
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#161
19-05-2007, 15:11
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#163
19-05-2007, 15:35
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Whether the concept, meaning, symbolism is good, this isnt a good enough photograph for the album cover, it looks very insipid and boring.
The girls are highly likely to have been composited onto this background also, the angle that they are walking seems at odds with the pavement, and the girl on the right (devil) seems to be "floating" above the leaves. I preferred the image used on the your love alone singles, a much stronger image, and very strong graphically with the use of red from the flag etc... All in all i think the photograph is okay, but maybe the colours are too weak, its hard to put down exactly whats wrong with the image.
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#164
19-05-2007, 15:55
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 Better than Tim Westwood anyways. "Yo my bitches, your ho game is weak/strong."
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#165
19-05-2007, 16:56
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Linear Mode
