The next step

[vaiden]

noooooo! I love their new output esp J4PL

[StandAndStare]

It might be the end of their "second golden era" but I don't see them calling it a day really. Not with their studio in Cardiff, Nicky's ideas and James saying in recent interviews he doesn't see his future without the band .

[riot_star]

Even if they did split anytime soon James would carry on making music. Music is his life! Nicky will probably become a hermit and sit watching tv for the rest of his life.

I wouldn't think they'd split after this album, I think they'd do at least 2 more albums....may be.

[Kieslowski]

Arrrgh, I hate these threads!!! Why do people always think the Manics are going to split up? I've never heard the Manics say anything that would give me any reason to think they will call it a day (initial one-album-then-split boasts aside). Quite the opposite, since James has stated countless times that he'll always have the urge to make music, and I don't think he got the same satisfaction from the solo album as he does from Manics albums. If you read the interview from the Guitarist magazine JDB was recently in (scans available in the Musicians forum), then you would see him imply very strongly that the end of the Manics is nowhere near in sight. The day the band splits up is the day he'll need to visit a psychiatrist, or words to that effect. Plus, why would Nicky want to call it a day just as he's begun to start really contributing to the Manics' musical composition?

So, the next step? Well, it's hard to predict. "Last shot at mass communication" implies the next album will not be written with the sole intent of getting high in the charts, meaning artistic integrity will be more important (let's hope so, anyway). On the other hand, I think the reacting-against-themselves thing only happens when they feel their previous album was a massive failure. It's difficult to tell exactly how much of a failure or success PFAYM has been yet - you can't really call a number 3 album a failure, although dropping to 11 and then 22 is hardly a monumental success. Who knows, SKON might push the album back up the charts a bit, and perhaps it could become a popular Christmas gift?

Then again, their reluctance to play half the tracks on tour perhaps suggests they're already not entirely happy with the album, and if that's the case then a reaction against themselves is far more likely. Can JDB write dark music without dark lyrics to write against? I'm not so sure, so I don't see a THB/JFPL style album coming any time soon. Nicky has been making sounds that he's realising KYE was a good album after all, and his increasing musical contribution would certainly befit another KYE style album.

Or they could realise their "why would we try and find a third version of ourselves?" idea is a load of auld pish and do something they've not done before. I'd rather enjoy that...

[La_Fouinard]

I'd hate if they called it quits, PFAYM isn't my favourite of their albums but it's still a very good album. It's a little light and poppy at points for my taste but then they were going for the total opposite of JFPL and after having dug up their feelings about Richey who can blame them.

The one thing I'm certain about the next album is it won't sound anything like I expect it to, but then that's a good part of why I love the band so much.

[db26]

great reply Kieslowski

Have to agree with what you (and others) have said. Think a KYE style album is in the offing. Personally have KYE as one of my guilty pleasures. Love the eclectic nature of the album, although, if they do go that way, hope they trim it down better than KYE. Felt KYE would be one of their absolute best if they'd trimmed Epicentre, Wattsville Blues and The Year Of Purification off. Still can't decide to this day if they should have included Intravenous Agnostic or not!

[db26]

ps. apologies for starting a thread that got you so angry

[LoveMeToDeath]

they will tour europe and the US then come back to the UK for festivals and a short winter tour next year doing PPF esque setlists, then we won't hear anything from them for another 2 years when they will suddently return with SATT part 3

[Flint]

I'll start speculating when the b-sides batch for the last PFAYM single's arrived, as those often give a little stylistic peek on what's on their minds regarding future endeavours. But if this is their 'last shot at mass communication' then the next album might be another JFPL-esque affair, perhaps not stylistically but moreso being more a personal project with no huge commercial push - at least if PFAYM doesn't spawn a hit, anyway. Not that this band has a tendency to keep their word.

In an ideal world the band would go back to trying different things with their sound but in a post-"there's the strings-rock side of us and the angry-rock side of us and we do our best to pretend that our other sides don't exist" world I can't really keep that hope up.

[StandAndStare]

Originally Posted by LoveMeToDeath

they will suddently return with SATT part 3

Noooooooooooooooo!

[Tiortranew]

LO-FI INDIE SINGER/SONGWRITER NICKY FRONTED ALBUM. Please.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Tiortranew

LO-FI INDIE SINGER/SONGWRITER NICKY FRONTED ALBUM. Please.

I'd really like a new Nicky solo album to be honest. His demos/contributions lately have been pretty ace.

[Tiortranew]

Me too. He wrote the best songs on PFAYM and I've always loved his voice.

[StandAndStare]

Originally Posted by Flint

I'd really like a new Nicky solo album to be honest. His demos/contributions lately have been pretty ace.

Seconded!

[Mr Richey]

I want my Manics double album - a mixture of JFPL sound and TIMTTMY sound, so that the album has changing moods (rather than one disc rock, one disc acoustic).