Lifeblood #10

[Takk]

those are largely positive.

[Marconi Delorian]

Fuck Q. Always was a rag.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by db26

Completely agree. Definitely an album made in two minds. Do we continue down the KYE path or try and get back to commercial success? In the end they did neither.

Always wondered if the well documented upheval they had during the recording process may have resulted in that.

[sculptureofman]

Lifeblood to me was a lacklustre affair, nice (in a woold sense of the word) tracks.

There was no definition to it. Couple the album to a very bad broken heart and I rarely listen to it as it takes me back to a bad time.

1985 was the stand out and empty souls live has a (slightly) harder edge, but I felt the manics lost their way a bit with lifeblood, they seemed to lack energy which SATT seemed to bring back.

Nottingham 04 when the soundboard had water spilt on it (10 years ago TODAY) and cut out Australia mid flow will always be a memory. Great gig. Lifeblood comes out better live I think (in measured portions!).

Being honest though (and I may get beaten for this) I find it better than the last two albums, these just haven't grabbed me, at least lifeblood gave me enough enthusiasm to comment!

Still if we all liked the same stuff, life would be boring!

[dustypete]

Love this album, so many good songs on it, apart from TLORN which must always be skipped.

[dustypete]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

I was at that gig! I so so wish it was 2004 again...

me too, great gig.

[framedadolescence]

This is the only time my commitment has wilted as a fan. It felt to me like they were running out of steam and at the time would not have been heartbroken had they announced their split. I didn't go to the Lifeblood tour (was the FPF tour a different one?) but I'm sure I still would have had I not been skint and moving area at the time.

I view Lifeblood with more kindness nowadays and even I get annoyed when the band diss it so much. It has some wonderful moments, Glasnost is staggering and I never get the hate for TLORN (one of my fave singles) Maybe as some have stated previously - it is too one paced and some of the lyrics are shockers. I also cannot understand how Always/Never made it beyond a b-side. On the whole though, it deserves to be listened to with new ears from those who haven't listened to it in a long time.

[scott_laconia]

One of my favourite Manics albums, beautiful music, JDBs vocals are outstanding, the melodies are amazing.

Obviously so different from the rest of the bands albums but if this was the follow up to TIMTTMY instead of KYE I think it would have been hailed as a masterpiece by the press. My opinion of course.

[Bathtub]

Originally Posted by framedadolescence

This is the only time my commitment has wilted as a fan. It felt to me like they were running out of steam and at the time would not have been heartbroken had they announced their split. I didn't go to the Lifeblood tour (was the FPF tour a different one?) but I'm sure I still would have had I not been skint and moving area at the time..

Yeah PPF was April 2005, smaller venues (excellent setlists), the main Lifeblood tour was late 2004, although a couple of dates got postponed until the new year because JDB was ill.

Originally Posted by framedadolescence

I also cannot understand how Always/Never made it beyond a b-side. On the whole though, it deserves to be listened to with new ears from those who haven't listened to it in a long time.

Agreed, my least favourite track on the album, should have been replaced by Litany.

[TheCatInTheHat]

It's a flawed album but has some glimmers of the experimentation they explored with which became the building blocks for Futurology.

I still love 1985. I started listening to The Smiths and Morrissey in 2002 and the "Morrissey and Marr gave me choice" line really resonated with me. I still don't understand how that wasn't the lead single but TLORN was. Who's idea was it for that awful single sleeve?

[framedadolescence]

Originally Posted by Bathtub

Yeah PPF was April 2005, smaller venues (excellent setlists), the main Lifeblood tour was late 2004, although a couple of dates got postponed until the new year because JDB was ill.



Agreed, my least favourite track on the album, should have been replaced by Litany.

AH! So I did go to the Lifeblood tour. It was the PPF tour I missed sadly because everyone says how brilliant those gigs were *sad face*

[Lord Revan]

My favourite Manics album after The Holy Bible, funny how other people have described it as sounding "wintery" as I think the exact same thing. It must be a combination of the whiteness of the album art and the music, which sounds very introverted and there is a lot of space between the intstruments, it's very unlike the "wall of sound" on EMG and Truth. There is a gust of wind at the start of A Song For Departure that sounds just like a quiet winter's breeze carrying small snowflakes past my window here in snowy Norway.

[goldentouch]

Cardiff Afterlife is beautiful

[Automatik]

Lifeblood is unfairly under-rated - on the actual album, 1985, To Repel Ghosts, Glasnost and Fragments are all, in my opinion at least, as good as anything put out after the THB, whereas Litany and All Alone Here are two of my absolute top ten b-sides.

There's a weariness and tenderness to Lifeblood that makes it the perfect Manics record to relax to. It's like a comforting, reassuring lullaby, and in that sense it actually works better than TIMTTMY.

Controversial? I'd hope not.

[Borderliner]

I listen to Lifeblood at least once a week. I love all songs from LB but Solitude Sometimes Is is a supernova. It outshines its host gala .. I mean album. So beautiful <3