Send Away The Tigers - a success?

[Porco]

I seem to recall that the Lifeblood singles were out around the time (maybe the exact weeks?) that had some of, if not *the* lowest sales ever recorded in the singles charts or something, and it was just before downloads were included. So that arguably skews things when comparing Lb singles to SATT singles, even if in chart position YLAINE and TLORN/ES were all 'number 2'. I'm fairly sure YLAINE must have sold far more copies.

And by copies I mean both individual people buying either one or more chart-eligible format, as well as total copies when you add up each sale across all formats. I think more people own at least one copy of YLAINE than at least one copy of TLORN or ES, but then when you consider there were numerous digital versions as well as 3 physical formats again, the number must have ballooned by comparison.

[hummingbird]

I remember the lifeblood singles sold low quantities. All the singles behind them sold even less those weeks though

[Porco]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

I remember the lifeblood singles sold low quantities. All the singles behind them sold even less those weeks though

lol, yes, that is how charts work

But of course I am referring to the perception that the band care about sales and perceived success, so if they get to see the sales figures and they're minuscule by comparison it could be at least part of the reason they feel how they do.

But I still think ultimately that they just liked what they made with SATT better than Lifeblood, and it felt more 'them'. *shrugs*.

[hummingbird]

Originally Posted by Porco

lol, yes, that is how charts work

But of course I am referring to the perception that the band care about sales and perceived success, so if they get to see the sales figures and they're minuscule by comparison it could be at least part of the reason they feel how they do.

But I still think ultimately that they just liked what they made with SATT better than Lifeblood, and it felt more 'them'. *shrugs*.

Oh I know .. I just remember the criticism about low sales .. that was my answer to them

I'm not bothered that the band doesn't like lifeblood. They've never said that anyone that does has cloth ears or anything as far as I know. I'm more bothered by them not wanting GATS remastered. Some of their best singles on there dammit !

[Aestivate]

Lifeblood was released very shortly before THB 10. All the press was focused on how classic THB was, and LB was overshadowed.

EMG 10 released and classic album status given by the press. Shortly after SATT released, sounding like EMG.

Futurology released and praised, but overshadowed by live THB gigs.

Fact is THB/EMG are the 2 albums which will always be used as the markers.

[IntlDebris]

The Lifeblood singles had cardboard box sleeves that you could get to hold all three, but then so did There by the Grace of God.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by Aestivate

Lifeblood was released very shortly before THB 10. All the press was focused on how classic THB was, and LB was overshadowed.

EMG 10 released and classic album status given by the press. Shortly after SATT released, sounding like EMG.

Futurology released and praised, but overshadowed by live THB gigs.

Fact is THB/EMG are the 2 albums which will always be used as the markers.

To put it into Olympic context, that would be the gold medal match. Bronze match for me would be Futurology v Journal For Plague Lovers.

[Suicide Aldi]

Originally Posted by tomd2103

To put it into Olympic context, that would be the gold medal match. Bronze match for me would be Futurology v Journal For Plague Lovers.

What would be the silver medal match? TIMT vs Lfeblood?

[Europa Gluten Free]

Gold medals:
THB
EMG

Silver:
TIMT
JFPL

Bronze:
GT
KYE
LB

Did not place:
GATS
PFAYM
RTF
F

[everlasting]

YLAINE sold about 25,000 copies to get to No.2 in its second week of release - it managed No.26 the week before on downloads alone. If I remember correctly, Nixon and ES sold something in the region of 15,000 each to get to No.2, sales were at an all time low at the point for singles and albums, before the download and now streaming thing came into play (however that even works!). Either way, all their singles charted highly which I think looks nice when you see that Shame their stuff from the past few albums can't make the top 100, although Show Me The Wonder did make No.77!

[Son of Stopped]

I remember the look from this period was described as the helicopter pilots of MyChemicalRomance.
I don't think there's many bands to write them alongside now except Radiohead.
I think their Singles era is over. But SATT was the better celebration of the Singles era than PFAYM.
That said I'm startled RTF and F didn't pass as RTF is the new Lifeblood to be championed in future!

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by SHR

I'm just wondering, why do the band consider this such a successful album? Is this just in comparison to KYE and Lifeblood? Did it sell more than those two albums or was it just more critically acclaimed? Interested in hearing thoughts...

Suppose a combination of things really. Know Your Enemy was always going to struggle to follow up the critical and commercial successes of Everything Must Go and This Is My Truth, and I think the change between Know Your Enemy and Lifeblood remains the biggest change between two consecutive Manics albums. They don't seem to look back too fondly over that period, often seen em and they've avoided both albums.

Can't remember where off the top of me head, but have read bits about em feeling kinda rudderless as if it were a make or break time for the band, and how they kinda felt revitalised between the solo albums and Send Away The Tigers. I think from the Past, Present and Future tour onwards, they've kinda thrived on the overall drop from arenas to academies. At the same time, I've probably heard Your Love Alone on the radio more than any of the half dozen singles before that combined... Yeah, they had that run of number 2 singles from Love Of Richard Nixon, Empty Souls and Your Love Alone, so chart success is fairly comparable.. Maybe it's an expectation thing, wonder if Know Your Enemy, Lifeblood and Send Away The Tigers would've been any better or worse received if they'd been released at different points of their career. Maybe they were feeling on the decline, before they started working on Send Away The Tigers.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by Suicide Aldi

What would be the silver medal match? TIMT vs Lfeblood?

No silver medal match in the Olympics! Loser of gold medal match gets silver!!

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Gold medals:
THB
EMG

Silver:
TIMT
JFPL

Bronze:
GT
KYE
LB

Did not place:
GATS
PFAYM
RTF
F

My groupings would be:

Classics - EMG + THB

Excellent -JFPL + F

Could Have Been Great - TIMT + GT

Solid if Unspectacular - SATT, PFAYM + RTF

Mixed Bags - KYE, GATS, LB


Despite what they say, I don't think they have released any real howlers.

[tomd2103]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Suppose a combination of things really. Know Your Enemy was always going to struggle to follow up the critical and commercial successes of Everything Must Go and This Is My Truth, and I think the change between Know Your Enemy and Lifeblood remains the biggest change between two consecutive Manics albums. They don't seem to look back too fondly over that period, often seen em and they've avoided both albums.

Can't remember where off the top of me head, but have read bits about em feeling kinda rudderless as if it were a make or break time for the band, and how they kinda felt revitalised between the solo albums and Send Away The Tigers. I think from the Past, Present and Future tour onwards, they've kinda thrived on the overall drop from arenas to academies. At the same time, I've probably heard Your Love Alone on the radio more than any of the half dozen singles before that combined... Yeah, they had that run of number 2 singles from Love Of Richard Nixon, Empty Souls and Your Love Alone, so chart success is fairly comparable.. Maybe it's an expectation thing, wonder if Know Your Enemy, Lifeblood and Send Away The Tigers would've been any better or worse received if they'd been released at different points of their career. Maybe they were feeling on the decline, before they started working on Send Away The Tigers.

I watched that EMG film last month and was thinking after just what a steep curve of success they experienced in the next three years. In the UK alone, they went the success of EMG - Brit Awards - MEN gig - number one record - another massive album - more Brit Awards - arena tour - headlining Glastonbury - Millennium Stadium gig - first number one of the new century. They were a massive band at that point, so it's not surprising that they felt conflicted.

I've always thought that would have been the ideal time for a 'back to basics' approach and there is a good 'back to basics' album in KYE if it were stripped down a bit. I can imagine that there was a definite conflict at the time between trying to recapture the raw sound of previous albums but still maintaining the levels of success they had experienced. I think that is where that 'rudderless' feeling that you mention came from and resulted KYE being a bit of a confused album overall.