Album 15

[Son of Stopped]

I don't think we're getting Postcards. Instead we might get the entire area the postcards were taken of scooped from the ground and thrown at us. Pipes and wires dangling n'all.
I do remember how SATT went back on what they'd done before. Maybe the psychological effect of "Agh! We compromised what KYE would sound like and they hated it. And now they don't like Lifeblood!" caused SATT. I'd rather listen to SATT than PFAYM but would take RiF over those two.
And I'd love People Ruin Paintings to be the next single. But the explicit on it's Spotify listing makes me think they aren't chasing Radio play with that!
5 weeks from now and still no sign of Tracklist. That's incredible! Hate to play cards with them.

[Marconi Delorian]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

Yeah, looking back, I think the best thing about this album is that the period gave them a bit of rejuvenation and the gigs were very exciting and energetic, but some of the songs on that are pretty appalling really.

Yes, it did lead to JFPL which Wire clearly wasn't too keen on doing, so I'm glad James got it done (if that is what happened!)

But with that 2 steps forward, Postcards is another 3 steps back...

[Scarecrow]

It's a real shame they largely ignore JFPL. It's not just my own love of the album, but musically they pushed themselves there. There are moments on subsequent albums that are so predictable they could have been written by AI, but not something like This Joke Sport Severed or Doors Closing Slowly.

[IrelandCalling4]

Originally Posted by FacelessSenseOfVoid

PFAYM is a prime example of where the majority of b-sides of the era are arguably a lot better than most of the album itself. Midnight Sun, Distractions, Lost Voices, I'm Leaving You For Solitude, Red Rubber, Inky Fingers, The Passing Show and I Know The Numbers are brilliant b-sides and quite a few of them are in my top 50, whereas only one PFAYM album track (the title track) is.

Poor and cringy lyrics, overblown production and substandard arrangements litter the album unfortunately. I did like it at the time but looking back it's probably my least favourite Manics album, unfortunately.

Agreed on the PFAYM B-Sides; one of my most listened to Manics albums over the last few years is a 12-track playlist of those B's. I see it as an album with an A and B side; side A in particular below very good!

I'm Leaving You for Solitude
Lost Voices
Ostopolitik
Broken Up Again
Distractions
Evidence Against Myself

Red Rubber
The Passing Show
Slow Reflections
Inky Fingers
Kiss My Eyes for Eternity
Midnight Sun

[Tish]

Originally Posted by Marconi Delorian

Because it's about the time they decided to mine their own back catalogue, not just other artists. It also featured some of their worst ever songs, both musically and lyrically - Underdogs, Autumnsong, I'm Just A Patsy, Winterlovers (UGHHHH) so that's nearly half the album which is bad. The Lennon cover is dreadful. Indian Summer is a DFL rehash in the verses. The whole aesthetic is GT meets EMG, which is so calculated to try and recapture older fans and get NME back onside. Can't really blame them as it worked, they had more hits, NME gave them an award, they played the Big Gig etc. But for those of us there at the time, it seemed like such a shame to throw away the experimentation of the previous years.

I was here at the time and I loved it. It’s what got me back into the band after the disappointment of Lifeblood (which I know a load of you love but I’ve never really understood the deification of, it starts great but some of the songs on the second half like Emily and Fragments are as bad as anything on PFAYM).

SATT the song is brilliant, wonderful interwoven lyrics pulling together numerous stories and images to create a whole, music that rises and falls in unexpected ways and a return of that staccato style singing that I’ve always loved. One of their best opening tracks.

Underdogs never deserved the insane reaction it got at the time, it’s just a big loud rocker like Found That Soul or Masses, not the second coming of Satan.

YLAINE is a great pop single and it was brilliant to see the band back in the mainstream again. The lyrics are great, the tune is great, Nina’s great and the fact it occasionally pops up on those “greatest love songs” CDs they sell in Tesco’s never fails to amuse me. Though I probably never need to hear it live again.

Indian Summer is great, yes it sounds like DFL but so what? If I’d written a song as amazing as DFL I’d want to use it again.

Second Great Depression is great, wistful and sad but uplifting as well.

Rendition is one of those songs that seems to be three different songs smashed together but I like that about it, it just makes it weirder.

Autumnsong is a silly song with silly lyrics but was fun to sing along with at the time. Not everything has to be deep and meaningful.

Patsy is one of the worst songs the band has ever made.

IB is awesome, an absolutely bonkers song that shows even when the Manics are trying to play it safe they just can’t help themselves.

And I like Winterlovers, it’s big and loud and fabulous and every time I hear it I imagine James screaming it out in the studio while rest of the band cower in a corner and it makes me smile.

And that’s why I like SATT. It’s not one of their greatest albums but it’s fun and uplifting, and short enough to listen to on the way to work, and some mornings that’s really all you want.

[Tish]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

It's a real shame they largely ignore JFPL. It's not just my own love of the album, but musically they pushed themselves there. There are moments on subsequent albums that are so predictable they could have been written by AI, but not something like This Joke Sport Severed or Doors Closing Slowly.

Hard agree on that. Those Roundhouse gigs were the best. This Joke Sport Severed could surely be revisited as part of James acoustic spot?

[Routine Builder]

So many alternative PFAYM tracklists are willfully excluding Engage With Your Shadow. You are monsters.

[Tish]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

So many alternative PFAYM tracklists are willfully excluding Engage With Your Shadow. You are monsters.

My iPod mashes the single and the album together for some reason, which means I get Engage With Your Shadow wedged between PFAYM and SKON whenever I play it. Improves the album no end.

[Marconi Delorian]

Originally Posted by Tish

I was here at the time and I loved it. It’s what got me back into the band after the disappointment of Lifeblood (which I know a load of you love but I’ve never really understood the deification of, it starts great but some of the songs on the second half like Emily and Fragments are as bad as anything on PFAYM).

SATT the song is brilliant, wonderful interwoven lyrics pulling together numerous stories and images to create a whole, music that rises and falls in unexpected ways and a return of that staccato style singing that I’ve always loved. One of their best opening tracks.

Underdogs never deserved the insane reaction it got at the time, it’s just a big loud rocker like Found That Soul or Masses, not the second coming of Satan.

YLAINE is a great pop single and it was brilliant to see the band back in the mainstream again. The lyrics are great, the tune is great, Nina’s great and the fact it occasionally pops up on those “greatest love songs” CDs they sell in Tesco’s never fails to amuse me. Though I probably never need to hear it live again.

Indian Summer is great, yes it sounds like DFL but so what? If I’d written a song as amazing as DFL I’d want to use it again.

Second Great Depression is great, wistful and sad but uplifting as well.

Rendition is one of those songs that seems to be three different songs smashed together but I like that about it, it just makes it weirder.

Autumnsong is a silly song with silly lyrics but was fun to sing along with at the time. Not everything has to be deep and meaningful.

Patsy is one of the worst songs the band has ever made.

IB is awesome, an absolutely bonkers song that shows even when the Manics are trying to play it safe they just can’t help themselves.

And I like Winterlovers, it’s big and loud and fabulous and every time I hear it I imagine James screaming it out in the studio while rest of the band cower in a corner and it makes me smile.

And that’s why I like SATT. It’s not one of their greatest albums but it’s fun and uplifting, and short enough to listen to on the way to work, and some mornings that’s really all you want.

I'm glad it hit the spot for you. I loved YLA at the time (overplayed to death now so its appeal has wained). Title track is decent, IB is actually my favourite on there as it felt genuinely joyous musically - much of my problem stems from the way most of it feels shallow and contrived. I can appreciate they needed a reset and may have split if they had gone through with the more electronic direction they mused on when Lifeblood came out and received another kicking by the press, but the backwards looking approach never sat well with me.

[blackflower]

Why the hate for I'm Just A Patsy? It's one of my absolute favourites, it encapsulates the rage at being made a scapegoat perfectly. 'Inevitable like scars and dust' is a fantastic line. Also love Autumnsong - 'wear your love like it is made of hate'! And Indian Summer. SATT is one of my favourite Manics albums overall, probably in my top 5. Definitely love it more than PFAYM, RTF and RIF.

(Can't stand YLAINE though!)

[TheUglyLie]

From the Manics Insta
“Faces spoil the view/People destroy the truth."
New single 'People Ruin Paintings' is out this Friday. Sign up to the mailing list to hear a preview snippet”

[*Found That Soul*]

Can anyone the preview snippet yet ?

[less than zero]

Nope, seems to be a fuck up

[MSPKYE]

Or wait till 11am tomorrow and fly to New Zealand to hear the whole thing….

[rosetree]

Originally Posted by blackflower

Why the hate for I'm Just A Patsy? It's one of my absolute favourites, it encapsulates the rage at being made a scapegoat perfectly. 'Inevitable like scars and dust' is a fantastic line. Also love Autumnsong - 'wear your love like it is made of hate'! And Indian Summer. SATT is one of my favourite Manics albums overall, probably in my top 5. Definitely love it more than PFAYM, RTF and RIF.

(Can't stand YLAINE though!)

One of my favourite albums too, I love Autumnsong and the freeness in the lyrics that aren't over thought and simple even though the band may not like the song or album so much I think it's as great as some of their favourite songs.I also love the melody and lyrics of Indian Summer, Winterlovers, Underdogs and YLAINE - though I think has mostly been over played live. I love the actual video where Nina Persson on stage with female musicians and then eventually the stages are put together, then she is next to James and then he sings into her microphone. I think it's one of their best videos.