New podcast about Manics

[Suicide Aldi]

Hahaha i cant believe you asked about th edit in underdogs! His reaction to hearing it again was priceless!

[Tim]

Oh dear, he's been reading this forum? Doesn't sound like it was a mistake he made twice.

What a guy, i really enjoyed all his behind the scenes rock and/or roll stories of the crazy manics work ethic...
James and tom competing to see who can sing the loudest makes perfect sense and i'm left, you're right, she's gone is easily the best track on reload with james being the only singer on there who can match him.

I understand our fandom's obsession with the minutiae sometimes but i didn't understand the underdogs obsession then and i still don't so that was quite a mic drop when he reckons there is no edit, no wonder i could never hear it.
His top 10/16 was a bit mad but i'd rather a top 10 of non-single stuff and more of deep dive into the tracks that eringa gave us and neil from the welsh music podcast.

Really interesting chat though and i'd love to hear what their stalwart collaborator loz williams has to say, if he ever does stuff like this that is.

[Europa Gluten Free]

The Eringa pod was fantastic. Great guy.

You guys mentioned fans things or ideas - being a guitar buff, I'd really love some chat about James' guitars and the various guitars used for recordings or the guitars used live. That would be fantastic.

[Tim]

I've never really had an interest in this idea of 'legacy', it's the kind of thing that politicians and their commentariat get obsessed with but it's an interesting question as to how the manics will be remembered. Radiohead's place in history is probably already assured but then they've had a far wider reach than the manics, especially in the states and for good and bad american culture is an invasive species. Anyway, it doesn't feel like they're ready to slip into being a legacy act yet, i still get the sense they are pushing through to their second (third?) renaissance and still have one more great album left to do. Their lack of influence on newer bands is an odd one i suppose but within the bounds of being a rock band they are quite varied so i agree there's the question of which era you're influenced by. Not that they seem to care much about that and good for them i say, nicky has always said he's more proud of them inspiring people to study politics, history, english etc. At least they won't be remembered for any naff rock and roll tales of excess like trashing hotel rooms or... possibly misquoting sean here - snorting coke off stripper's arses. Eringa is correct though, rock and roll is how you define it and to me the manics absolutely embody that old gustave flaubert quote - be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work.

[Europa Gluten Free]

Their legacy will be as a cult 90s band that briefly succeeded in entering the public consciousness. People talk about EMG and being part of Britpop, but I think with TIMT they are actually a more identifiable part of the post-Britpop group with OK Computer Radiohead and The Verve, etc.

[Anaconda Vice]

Originally Posted by Suicide Aldi

Hahaha i cant believe you asked about th edit in underdogs! His reaction to hearing it again was priceless!

When a question was teased I honestly thought it was more likely to be the (now-debunked) idea that Richey is heard playing on the outro to "No Surface All Feeling"

One thing I found interesting was the talk about how the band has an idea for the direction they want to take an album from the start, and that Everything Must Go, musically at least was taking shape before Richey disappeared. Given comments James made about how he thinks if Richey insisted on the "Pantera meets Screamadelica" thing, he couldn't do it. Here's the quote:

I was worried that as chief tune-smith in the band I wasn't actually going to be able to write things that he would have liked. There would have been an impasse in the band for the first time born out of taste...

Interesting to hear from someone around the band in that capacity then, that the 4th album was taking shape that early.

[UEF]

Been listening to a few of these recently, they're good for long (essential!) car journeys

Whilst it's a little hard to get into when it comes to the relationship between the hosts (I don't get the in jokes and don't want too much preamble before the guest comes on) they are enjoyable and while I thought the sheer length of each episode would put me off, I happily listened to them in full.

[Glyn]

Great interview with The Anchoress, didn't know she was a 'mega fan'. In my head she now owns Little Baby Nothing live so bless her for thinking she was going to be told off about it.

Well done on being polite about Love Torn Us Under. There's no way that's a JDB lyric but perhaps she misremembered that it's possibly one of the first '100% Richey' lyrics. It's reads just like a Journal track so it's likely that Wire had no input into it.

Show your face made me wonder if there's any legs in doing a 'guest appearances' one ? There are some good tracks that could be covered : Lopez, Inertia Creeps, Some kind of bliss, Waiting for today to happen, Girl from Tiger Bay, I'm left you're right she's gone, Turn no more, Die laughing, Ol' red eyes is back, Nothing left to talk about. Probably a few I've missed there too.

[Porco]

Listening to the new RIF episode, laughing at the ‘Oblivion/Vivian’ thing and then no mention of Mirror Gaze(!). Unless they do later. (Edit: they didn't!)

Loved the Anchoress ep!

[Routine Builder]

Originally Posted by Glyn

Well done on being polite about Love Torn Us Under. There's no way that's a JDB lyric but perhaps she misremembered that it's possibly one of the first '100% Richey' lyrics. It's reads just like a Journal track so it's likely that Wire had no input into it.

That's so odd, I think I started that rumour on here some years ago so possibly she's a member? The lyric doesn't really sound like anything off of THB or JPFL, it's very direct whereas Richey tends to use 3rd person views as ciphers. Also James was going through a rough break up (or was it divorce) at the time of writing so it's potentially something he could have been motivated to write. Complete spitballing on my part admittedly but nice to see it floating unchecked across the wider manics community.

[Tim]

I can't say for sure but i would be extremely surprised if love torn us under is a james lyric, fascinating if it is but they kept that quiet and to me it definitely reads as richey's words. I mean - 'love this sex through pity as mangled sheets'... yeah.

Really enjoyed the chat though, she brought an interesting perspective and i knew almost nothing about her going in so i was shocked by how much personal tragedy she's had to deal with. It was very heartwarming to hear her say they would call to check on how she was and that's absolutely in keeping with what we know of them.

Didn't know she was such a longtime fan either so it was sweet to hear her talk about how it's never not surreal working with them and confessing to all her faux pas which i can most certainly relate to. At this point the manics are like a geek/nerd/outsider halfway house, most of the fans have always occupied it so it makes sense their collaborators would as well.

So having listened to all that i was really expecting her top 10 to be esoteric with lots of deep cuts yet it was surprisingly pedestrian except with that mic drop moment of including yourself. Loads of well thought out context for why she chose the tracks she did so i was all there for that.

Her beautiful version of small black flowers that grow in the sky shouldn't be forgotten either.

[Tim]

Can't believe the podding saga is almost over, it's been quite a year...

I've certainly not agreed with all the opinions and whatnot therein but it's made me more engaged with their music and what they mean to me as a band for many a year so thanks for that.

As for resistance is futile, i feel mostly the same way about it now as i did then - better than postcards for sure and they can still delightfully surprise this late in the game but still bottom tier for me. It's left to the extra tracks to pick up the slack i reckon because there's possibly a great album fighting to get out. Sequels to forgotten wars is a standout beast of a track but i still find hold me like a heaven overrated with woah-oh-ohs all over this and people give in, or the "millennial whoop" as we discussed in the album thread when it came out. I distinctly remember nicky complaining about arcade fire and all their woah-oh-ohs while banging a floor tom. Anyway, the warm digits remix of heaven is the best version. I really don't understand the decision not to put international blue as the opening track and carry on the string of great openers, it's big, bold, very very manics and is now the kind of track 2020 was crying out for to make us feel like we do have some future afterall.

I admire the album more for the focused subject matter of many of the tracks but unfortunately the music is the thing that's just not pulling its weight. Maybe this is the result of the turmoil of scummy landlords selling off every bit of unique cultural heritage they could lay their hands on to build more fucking flats and then poor nicky having to deal with his parents being ill around the making of it.

A tribute to slumlords everywhere... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl-un_Rq1kM

[Bobafettish]

Apologies for not checking this out sooner. Dived in to the Dave Eringa episode, one of the funniest and interesting manics related things I've heard in years!

[ron the little seal]

Saddened to see it nearing its end, you guys have made me laugh more than most comedies this year.

[Europa Gluten Free]

I am enjoying the Lifeblood pod at the minute. Still my 2nd fav Manics album and the one I listen to the most probably.