Album 15

[Marconi Delorian]

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

They abso-FUCKIN'-lutely should!

Is the Suede album actually titled Sci-Fi Lullabies part 2 though? :|

Vol. 2, but yes. Should have thought of a new name - what's up with Brett's lexicon nowadays, any good repetitive words/phrases?

[Tish]

Originally Posted by Marconi Delorian

Didn't they ignore what the fans voted as the number 1 choice to include on LT? Hibernation, I think?

I think either Hibernation or Too Cold Here topped the fan poll and the rest of it was full of obscure early stuff. And the band just ignored it and filled the record up with B-sides from their biggest hits and a load of cover versions!

[TheUglyLie]

Anyone else struggling to get a picture disc of CT_ from Amazon that isn’t damaged? I’m on my third try

[deadmartyr]

Originally Posted by TheUglyLie

Anyone else struggling to get a picture disc of CT_ from Amazon that isn’t damaged? I’m on my third try

I've not ordered that, so it's a case of good luck with trying to get something from Amazon in good nick with their packaging choices

[TheUglyLie]

Originally Posted by deadmartyr

I've not ordered that, so it's a case of good luck with trying to get something from Amazon in good nick with their packaging choices

It would appear you’ve dodged a bullet there!
Amazon have actually started putting vinyl in a (very flimsy) record mailer inside their massive boxes. But then they don’t seal the mailer so the vinyl just rattles around in it any way
I hope somebody connected to the band can hear our screams of disdain, & will stop working with them in future

Thoughts on CT_ etc coming soon…

[Porco]

Originally Posted by TheUglyLie

Anyone else struggling to get a picture disc of CT_ from Amazon that isn’t damaged? I’m on my third try

Mine arrived in massive box with some paper on top, small splits on the middle edge of the plastic, can't be bothered to return, might try and re-seal the plastic myself at some point.

It also arrived later than my copy from Japan. Yes, really.

Official Store were slight laggards but apart from that didn't mess up this time!

Blood Records get the gold star, perfect and arrived on Thursday.

[almostfamous]

Noooo!!!!!

01 Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet (23,379) [11,937 streaming, 11,289 physicals, 153 downloads]
02 Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking (21,470)
03 PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake - $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (13,397)
04 The Wombats - Oh! The Ocean (10,030)
05 Louis Dunford - Be Lucky (6,437)

[Glyn]

Originally Posted by Tish

I think either Hibernation or Too Cold Here topped the fan poll and the rest of it was full of obscure early stuff. And the band just ignored it and filled the record up with B-sides from their biggest hits and a load of cover versions!

It was Too Cold Here and they claimed they couldn't even remember recording it. It's a possibility as I imagine James recorded it ,and Love Torn Us Under, very quickly and by himself. It might though have also been because it's a painfully miserable lyric.

[Europa Gluten Free]

The interview with Huw is really good as well.

[deadmartyr]

Originally Posted by almostfamous

Noooo!!!!!

01 Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet (23,379) [11,937 streaming, 11,289 physicals, 153 downloads]
02 Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking (21,470)
03 PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake - $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (13,397)
04 The Wombats - Oh! The Ocean (10,030)
05 Louis Dunford - Be Lucky (6,437)

Surely time now to release some special bonus from MSP's own Short N' Sweet drummer to boost sales.

[Tish]

Originally Posted by Glyn

It was Too Cold Here and they claimed they couldn't even remember recording it. It's a possibility as I imagine James recorded it and Love Torn Us Under quickly and by himself. It might have also been though because it's a painfully miserable lyric.

I suspect the latter because they are both brutally sad lyrics. I remember that for years they were pretty much impossible to get hold of. I’ve got four copies of She Is Suffering, despite it being my least favorite song on THB, from endlessly buying the wrong CD single version on eBay.

[The Gutless Wonder]

Got my physical copy today and bought the download Piano Versions. Just gonna stream like crazy now!

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by almostfamous

Noooo!!!!!

01 Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet (23,379) [11,937 streaming, 11,289 physicals, 153 downloads]
02 Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking (21,470)
03 PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake - $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (13,397)
04 The Wombats - Oh! The Ocean (10,030)
05 Louis Dunford - Be Lucky (6,437)

Darn Pop Princesses! lol!

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

Originally Posted by Tish

They should have just sucked it up and stuck with the original date. Coming second to new album by a huge star like The Weekend is far better than coming second to a special edition rerelease of an album that’s already sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

I’m by no means a Sabrina Carpenter fan, but I can’t open social media without seeing something about her lately. She performed at the Grammys, she was just on SNL dancing with Pedro Pascal this past weekend and she duetted with Dolly Parton. I don’t follow anything to do with her yet I’m aware this has all happened in the last couple of weeks, so it’s fair to say she’s having something of ‘A Moment’ right now. A band like the Manics obviously can’t compete with that, nor should they try, so a number 2 album is pretty good going in the current music landscape.

I’ve been reticent to rush to comment on the new album as I need time to sit with any album for a good while before fully gauging how I feel. The second half in particular has started to sink in more these past few days and I keep waking up with different songs in my head every morning. It’s somehow reminiscent of other Manics albums whilst simultaneously not feeling like a typical Manics album (I get people saying it’s like a James solo project meets a Nicky solo project), so at least they can still surprise me after 20+ years. I also can’t help but hear vague echoes of other very random songs amongst it all, including but not limited to Rhinestone Cowboy (My Brave Friend) and Stay Another Day by East 17 (Hiding in Plain Sight)

At the moment I think CT is a more interesting album than RIF and TUVL (neither of which I listen to much at all these days), so I guess time will tell how it sits amongst their back catalogue. Looking forward to hearing more of it live in a couple of months.

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by IntlDebris

Surprises me just how few downloads and streams there are in there. I know Manics fans are generally older and thus more likely to buy physicals, but I barely know anyone my age who buys records anymore, my friends are almost all Spotify users in their early 40s, so for the digital stats to be that low is remarkable to me.

Other than anyone monitoring their socials or fans big enough to be on here/following whatever they do, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of more casual or former fans don't even know they have a new album out.

I know a few people who like them, have been to see them, know their history, but generally checked out in the last 10-20 years besides a couple of gigs. I met one friend recently who admitted he didn't bother listening to RIF or TUVL and only attended one gig after 2011.

Maybe in time it will build some momentum, who knows!

Originally Posted by bgdaniels

International Blue is one of their best singles since their glory days. I don't find it cringe in the slightist. Great riffs, really interesting subject matter (to someone like me who isn't European and not steeped in art history), and a killer final chorus. Maybe the keyboard part is a bit cheesy but they've *always* been a bit cheesy. What do you find cringe about it? Also maybe my perspective is different as I'm American and probably have a different emotional relationship with the band than people in the UK, but just curious.

Well to be honest, I find International Blue to be exactly the antithesis of "one of the best singles since their glory days", it's scraping the barrel with this kind of unimaginative, cartoonish version of a commercial faux anthem that they think fans want (see also: It's Not War, Autumnsong, Decline and Fall, Your Love Alone Is Not Enough).

I find the songwriting lazy and predictable, unmemorable average melodies, a lazy James riff going down a scale instead of crafting something really strong and unique, the lyric being an example of Nicky referencing art without really saying anything of substance (and probably thinking it's intellectual or thought-provoking as a result). Overall, yet another song that sounds like they could have typed "write a Manics anthem" into an AI song generator and then had it mixed for playing on a phone or laptop. The best thing about hearing it live was knowing it would be over and out of the way soon.

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

Ever heard of toxic positivity ? It's a thing, google it! Lotsa peeps barfing rainbows here and in the Decline & Fall youtube comments section. But yeah, each to their own.

I've seen comments on Facebook and YouTube from those who love the new material and have replied expressing as such, but I guess I didn't take it any kind of excessive adulation. There are artists out there who do seem to fall into that "they could release an album of farts and fans would still say it's genius" category but I don't think the Manics are in that territory, definitely not these days.

The boys have some songs that seem to be fairly unpopular with fans so that's why I had some mild surprise at the praise on here. But far be it for me to try and convince anyone otherwise, people often look at me as if I've sprouted a second head when they hear that I love S.Y.M.M. and Gold Against the Soul!

Originally Posted by Abstract Unknown Girl

I’m by no means a Sabrina Carpenter fan, but I can’t open social media without seeing something about her lately. She performed at the Grammys, she was just on SNL dancing with Pedro Pascal this past weekend and she duetted with Dolly Parton. I don’t follow anything to do with her yet I’m aware this has all happened in the last couple of weeks, so it’s fair to say she’s having something of ‘A Moment’ right now. A band like the Manics obviously can’t compete with that, nor should they try, so a number 2 album is pretty good going in the current music landscape.

Every word of this. Also the landscape and industry have changed, I don't think the Manics' perception of success has moved with it.