Random Manics thoughts...

[Ermintrude the Cow]

So yesterday I went to meet up with the girl who is the women's officer in my local Labour Party, to talk about how to get more young women involved. So we go to this bar, sit down and exchange pleasantries, as you do when you don't know someone very well. I push the trackerball on my phone to check the time, phone lights up, she glances over, sees my display picture of Nicky and Richey and shrieks "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE A MANICS FAN!!"
We ended up trading stories of being silly little CoR teenagers, showing pics of ourselves in leopard print, exchanging gig experiences and generally having one of the uber-geeky conversations you can only have when you accidentally stumble across someone who shares your interest to that scary point. We got no work done, but arranged to go out to a local '90s indie night soon. I'm really happy about this, mainly because I sometimes struggle to make new friends but also because it's pretty amazing to accidentally find someone who loves the Manics, rather than deliberately contacting other fans through FD etc.

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by Ermintrude the Cow

So yesterday I went to meet up with the girl who is the women's officer in my local Labour Party, to talk about how to get more young women involved. So we go to this bar, sit down and exchange pleasantries, as you do when you don't know someone very well. I push the trackerball on my phone to check the time, phone lights up, she glances over, sees my display picture of Nicky and Richey and shrieks "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE A MANICS FAN!!"
We ended up trading stories of being silly little CoR teenagers, showing pics of ourselves in leopard print, exchanging gig experiences and generally having one of the uber-geeky conversations you can only have when you accidentally stumble across someone who shares your interest to that scary point. We got no work done, but arranged to go out to a local '90s indie night soon. I'm really happy about this, mainly because I sometimes struggle to make new friends but also because it's pretty amazing to accidentally find someone who loves the Manics, rather than deliberately contacting other fans through FD etc.

That's brilliant!

[Littlesue]

Originally Posted by Ermintrude the Cow

So yesterday I went to meet up with the girl who is the women's officer in my local Labour Party, to talk about how to get more young women involved. So we go to this bar, sit down and exchange pleasantries, as you do when you don't know someone very well. I push the trackerball on my phone to check the time, phone lights up, she glances over, sees my display picture of Nicky and Richey and shrieks "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE A MANICS FAN!!"
We ended up trading stories of being silly little CoR teenagers, showing pics of ourselves in leopard print, exchanging gig experiences and generally having one of the uber-geeky conversations you can only have when you accidentally stumble across someone who shares your interest to that scary point. We got no work done, but arranged to go out to a local '90s indie night soon. I'm really happy about this, mainly because I sometimes struggle to make new friends but also because it's pretty amazing to accidentally find someone who loves the Manics, rather than deliberately contacting other fans through FD etc.

Nice story, the girl who does my job on weekends turned out to be a die hard Manic's fan. I found out at our first Staff Meeting, she was going to see James at the Barfly that night in town and so was I, we have been good friends since and have always attended Manic gigs together, so much fun after years of never knowing a Manic's fan and having to go on my own.

[Scarecrow]

Seven years ago to this moment, I was most likely heading from Derby to Wolverhampton on a coach with a hangover. That night was my first time at the hilariously tatty Fox Hotel and the Civic Hall, at which was the only time I've seen them play To Repel Ghosts. If there one tour I wish I could've attended more of, it was that one.

[Littlesue]

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

Seven years ago to this moment, I was most likely heading from Derby to Wolverhampton on a coach with a hangover. That night was my first time at the hilariously tatty Fox Hotel and the Civic Hall, at which was the only time I've seen them play To Repel Ghosts. If there one tour I wish I could've attended more of, it was that one.

7 years since the PPF gig at Wolves seems only like a couple of years

[Flint]

Goddamn, Everything Will Be is gorgeous. That deep, steadily flowing bass, those shimmering keyboards, those minimalistic but so perfectly gorgeous guitar parts, the atmosphere... the only thing it'd need is a better set of lyrics and it'd be sheer perfection. Bloody amazing.

[AK47]

I've spent the last week listening to each and every album in full. Oh god how I wish the Manics had ideas again.

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by AK47

I've spent the last week listening to each and every album in full. Oh god how I wish the Manics had ideas again.

When did they stop having ideas then?

[MoMoney MoJunk]

Been listening to their iTunes Roundhouse gig quite a lot this week. With earphones in, you can really hear the bass well. It's only now that I realise how good Nicky has become. Nice work Nicky!

[dora]

I got my copy of JFPL today, and was sitting on a bus on my way to work admiring it, when suddenly a big man sat next to me. I was a little uneasy at first, but then he looked at the lyrics booklet in my hands and said: "Manic Street Preachers? A good band. An excellent band!" I was so happy to know there are more MSP fans in Serbia! Yey!

[Nature's Discontent]

Originally Posted by dora

I got my copy of JFPL today, and was sitting on a bus on my way to work admiring it, when suddenly a big man sat next to me. I was a little uneasy at first, but then he looked at the lyrics booklet in my hands and said: "Manic Street Preachers? A good band. An excellent band!" I was so happy to know there are more MSP fans in Serbia! Yey!

Haha, that's great

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by dora

I got my copy of JFPL today, and was sitting on a bus on my way to work admiring it, when suddenly a big man sat next to me. I was a little uneasy at first, but then he looked at the lyrics booklet in my hands and said: "Manic Street Preachers? A good band. An excellent band!" I was so happy to know there are more MSP fans in Serbia! Yey!

Excellent!

[ManicsTheHedgehog]

Just got done reading a review of The Holy Bible by a friend of mine from another forum, which I will now post here for your viewing pleasure:

The Holy Bible, Manic Street Preachers

Disclaimer: I get pretty damn critical of music, so I apologize if I disappoint anybody.

Right off the bat, thirteen songs, I both like (EIGHT PLUS FIVE) and dislike (WHY SO MANY SONGS) that. I have this assumption that, the more songs an album has, the shorter they tend to be on average. Barring double albums.

"Yes"

..THIS IS IN 7/4. "Yes" is off to a good start, freaking 7/4, that's awesome. ..aw, the chorus is back into common time. Oh I see, the verses are in a 7/4-8/4 (or 7/8-4/4, if you will) done to mimic 13/4, and then it's back to 4/4 for the chorus. Dream Theater often did this on their more radio-friendly songs. It's basically a method to make progressive songwriting sound incredibly catchy.

I'M LOOKING THIS ALBUM UP AND I TAKE IT I'LL HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY GOOGLE THE LYRICS. Fucking bah! I'll waive this one and assume the lyrics are really good because Wikipedia says so. ..OH HEY, INTERESTING ENDING-- oh it's fading out. Boring.

"Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwould fallapart"

GODDAMMIT, YOU MEAN ITS WORLD, YOU FREAKING TITLE

It started in 3/4 but this verse is back to common time. Though I guess 3/4's a pretty common time too. Chorus has interesting march drums. Oh, this song's about empty culture. So this song's about a similar motif as Between the Buried and Me's Colors. I shouldn't compare, though.

This song's certainly trying to mimic a sort of anthemic American feel. I'm reminded of various US anthems just from the melody and drums. Oh hello, distorted guitar. And 3/4 bridge, just as the song started.

Then it ends abruptly, that's nice, I liked the two-chorus structure and ending on the same 3/4 as it began. So far, the sound's pretty unspectacular, but we're only on the second song.

"Of Walking Abortion"

And there's that same distorted guitar effect as heard before and a voice effect, and more lyrics about the wrong sides of politics. I take it that's pretty much this album's "concept:" Political/social commentary put over songs occasionally going into other time signatures with the occasional distorted guitar. It's just my guess, and I still intend on listening to this all the way through.

I'd probably be greatly benefited if I actually looked up the lyrics. But then again, why the hell don't these videos have the lyrics in the description anyway. My job is just to listen to this and give my opinions, not to look up extra supplement.

..this song is nice, but the descending chromatic interval chorus in common time is kinda dull. Okay, very dull. I'm all for chromatic intervals, but goddammit, they get used so much in music. And hey, distorted vocals-- oh it ended.

"She is Suffering"

I found the lyrics to this one! And wow, the intro is nice and different. ..OH HEY, it sounds like an 80s pop-rock song instead of like a 2000s-new-punk song for once! ..so this song's about suffering in order to find peace, playing on the Buddhist teachings. Okay.

Guitar solooo. ..wow, that was short. Okay, and then it ends and.. d'okay.

"Archives of Pain"

Moooore voice files. Woman preaching Christian stuff. Straight into dark bass groove with keys doing atmosphere, giving us backup guitar and a vocal style that I think sounds like Justin Timberlake in French except speaking English.

The subject matter is really interesting; there is a strange fascination with killers and killing out there. Serial killers get obsessed over, capital punishment of said serial killers gets obsessed over. ..and Wikipedia says the band thought this song was too "right-wing?" Last time I checked, this song seems to be advocating the Norwegian way of taking serial killers and putting them through redemption, never death penalty, and that's a very progressive way of thinking. ...at least, I'm assuming that's what's being advocated here, because this song is against both serial killers and killing serial killers. If that is what this song is about, I am in full support of that. Capital punishment has no place in today's world. And I say that as an absolute.

Change of tempo towards the end, nice. The guitar echo gets on my nerves, though. Makes this sound very dated. I find a lot of older music out there has a notable echo and reverb sound that I just.. I just don't like it. Genesis was probably the first example of a band I can think of, back in 1969, to not use this loose airy reverb sound.

"Revol"

"Wire described "Revol" as being about Edwards' idea that "relationships in politics, and relationships in general, are failures"." Wikipedia. I, uh. ...what? That's very vague. Very. Do you mean.. romantic relationships? Platonic relationships? If you're saying all relationships-- meaning platonic as well-- then I wholeheartedly disagree with that. Creatures developed mutual symbiosis as a means to an end, the end being survival, and the means being greatly effective. It's when people get all cynical and "BAH, I WANT TO BE AN ASOCIAL PERSON BECAUSE SOCIAL STUFF DOESN'T WORK" then I get mad. That's an absolute I do not agree with. It may not have worked for you, and that's fine, but don't say it doesn't work in general.

..but I digress. The music's.. 90s British pop rock. Kinda reminds me of Pulp except more tolerable.

"4st 7lb"

Wikipedia tells me the title refers to the minimum weight an anorexic's body can get while still being possible to live with, but what's the song about? Songs and titles aren't always about the exact same thing, you know.

Metallic guitar distortion to open it with voice files, going into.. yep, more 90s British pop rock. I mean, I wasn't expecting an sudden freeform jazz odyssey or anything, but the songs are starting to blend. I think this album's praised because of the lyrics and subject material, isn't it? Not the actual music, I take it. We have a bit of a conflict of interest here; I'm a huge fan of complex songwriting, and complex songwriting, this is not. The lyrics are nice; they're definitely (mostly) telling politics I can agree with. But as it stands, they're represented as nice social commentary over kinda average pop.

..oh hey, the verses are in 7/4. I will admit that these guys do give pop a nice time signature from time to time.

Huh, this segment towards the end is in 4/4 but it's performed to mimic 3/4 where it then throws in the two extra beats every second measure. ..maybe that means this is 8/8, then. It's hard to tell for sure by ear.

"Mausoleum"

A song about concentration camps with a wavy guitar effect. ..does that pretty much sum up the entire song? Let's find out.

Okay, the chorus does not need to be this long. ..huh, it's in 4/4 but the last beats of every few measures are syncopated in such a way as to give off the impression of a more complex meter. The chorus, that is.

Then the break after the second chorus is a reprisal of the main riff with distorty guitar effects okay yeah this is kinda boring now. I feel like I've heard it all before. Many times.

Well, at least the structure is done for only two choruses.

"Faster"

Apparently about self-abuse or something similar. ..yep.

I'm having unpleasant memories of when dad dragged me along to the Download Festival in London and I saw Pulp. They were headlining, so they played a lot of songs. And.. god, all the songs sounded the same. They had pretty catchy choruses, and a guitar solo every now and then, and the subject matter was usually social commentary, but it's just. God. It wasn't my kind of music. I definitely preferred seeing Vintage Trouble and The Hives earlier. I like The Hives.

gredijovkmfg

OH GOD I FUCKING CLOSED THIS TAB BY ACCIDENT
BUT LUCKILY, GOOGLE CHROME SAVED THIS TEXT AND OH GOD

Let's get these last few songs done with.

"This is Yesterday"

Oh hey, this song's about nostalgia. Hopefully, it paints it in the "COMPLETE BULLSHIT" light I'd love to hear it painted in. Is that Ray Wilson, it sounds like Ray Wilson singing. xD It's not, though. I know.

Simple drums, cymbal on the upbeat, that's nice.

Oh hey finally, a guitar solo with some balls-- oh. Only lasted, like, four bars.

"Die in the Summertime"

'Mysterious'-sounding riff, mmkay. Huh, this song's about a pensioner wanting to die with memories of childhood in his mind. ..huh.

God, right now, I'm really in the mood for a proggasm in triple meter. I'll listen to something technical after this album, then.

Oh hey, it ended.

"The Intense Humming of Evil"

"Epic"-sounding bass drums, I know the drill. This is trying to be a big and important song. It's about the Holocaust, so what do I expect? ..huh, I do like this intro. Because it's actually taking its time for once. Took it a minute to get to the proper song, I like that a lot. Took almost two minutes to get to the vocals, nice! The longer it takes to get to vocals in a song, the more I tend to like a song off the bat. I love it when bands go on tangents, get lost in their own music.

And hey, this song's six minutes, so this is probably the token "epic" of the album. I'm sorry, that was a bit of cynical sarcasm on my part.

The chromatics of the.. is that the chorus? I can't even tell anymore. Either way, it's a relatively well-placed chromatic interval. This song's subject matter's pretty clearly serious and dark, and this song-- the longest on the album-- is placed at around the end of the album, so this works as a sort of "climax," musically speaking. Chromatics are appropriate for that.

Sixteen-measure guitar solo, that's a new record! ..I'm sorry, I'm awfully sarcastic today. Ritardando on the ending, a nice and slow, gradual ritardando. That was nice, a good ending to a song I did enjoy a lot.

"P.C.P."

A song about political correctness and how it totally sucks! *sigh* I happen to be a fan of political correctness, thank you very much. At least, I'm a fan of the concept. I swear, it's like people these days have no idea what it means to be offended, so they act like no one knows. Like typical teenagers, people act!

This sounds more punk-y than the rest of the album. Which might possibly be saying something. It sounds like an "ending" song. Probably the combination of chords in the verses. Definitely sounds like something I'd expect to hear in, say, movie credits. Like Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush."

Eight-measure guitar solo! It was actually a nice one, but then it ended so quickly! Yeah, this song's pretty clearly a punk song. It sounds a lot more natural, like these guys are naturally a punk band. And that's not an insult, just an observation.

Voice sample to end the album!

CONCLUSION: ...well. Not a bad album, by any means. There was some.. real political and social commentary to it. I wouldn't call it a concept album, unless you want to be really vague about it. I can sorta see why it's called The Holy Bible, though god that title gives off the kind of pretentious "OUR COMMENTARY IS ALL YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO AND WE DON'T CARE" vibe that I'd expect from.. well, a punk band! Yet the music, itself, was more on the verge of-- as I kept saying throughout-- 90s British pop rock. Then again, considering punk was the pop rock of its time and music naturally progressed from there to the sound of the 90s-- and by extension the sound you hear on the radio today-- I guess it makes sense.

The music wasn't bad. The concepts were certainly towards the "interesting" range of the spectrum. Not my kind of album, but it was... it was something.

[Ermintrude the Cow]

What a load of shit. Revol sounds like Pulp? Your mate needs to have his ears syringed if he thinks that. Also this is generally badly written and, well, gibberish, for the majority of it.

Oh, and re Faster:

Apparently about self-abuse or something similar. ..yep.

Am I the only one to find that a little disrespectful?

[franny]

Yeah seems a bit of an arse, and all that shit about 7/4 time or whatever, that's just pretentious and showy.