Manic Street Preachers - '(It's Not War) Just The End of Love'
Sometimes art and life are too contradictory to fully process, as an observer.
In the same week that Manic Street Preachers make their return to the UK charts with a song which sonically owes a lot to their Imperial Period - the 'Everything Must Go' album, released after the disappearance of their lyricist/guitarist Richey Edwards - extracts from a new novel appear on the internet. It's called 'Richard', it's been written by Ben Myers, and it tries to capture Richey's internal monologue during the band's early career, and therefore tell his side of a very sad story.
Had the book been written a couple of years ago, when the Manics put together 'Journal For Plague Lovers' - an album based on unused Richey lyrics - it would have at least been timely. Now it just seems pointed and a little insensitive that the two things are around at the same time.
Having read the , all I can add to the debate is to say that I hope Mr Myers had a lot of fun writing it.
(. Checkmate!)
I don't know to what degree the band had endorsed or encouraged the book view of what Richey may or may not have thought. I don't know if their love of literature and fantasy glamour made them curious as to how their tale could be re-told through a novelist's eyes. Or if they have become so used to people prodding this issue that they've become hardened to it.
Nicky Wire even told that he tried to read the finished book, but found it hard going: "I found it too upsetting to read the whole thing. The notion that somebody thinks they knew who he was... I mean, I thought I knew Richey, but maybe I didn't."
But the timing is strange. The band are calling their new album "one last shot at mass communication", implying they want to establish themselves as a continuing cultural force into the tenties, and here's a book re-imagining the period in the band's life when they were at their most scabrous, cultish and catty.
Meanwhile, here's a dignified, engaging pop song, played by grizzled old men in their forties, one of whom single-handedly killed and skinned nine seperate feather boa constrictors in order to construct his microphone stand. It's not a big leap from their other attempts at mass communication, like 'Your Love Is Not Enough', but it's officially a Good Song, and the video has quality thespians copping off in it (look, that's Michael Sheen and Anna Friel! I know!).
In short, it's a song that deserves attention for what it is, not what happened to the band who made it, before they made it.
Oh wait...I just did it as well, didn't I? Dammit!
Download: Out now
´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
"A pretty splendid introduction to the new album."
"It would be reasonable to assume they're keeping the drive-time radio market in mind."
"I hate songs that have (((brackets))) at the beginning of the title. Looks wrong."
Comment number 1.
At 17th Sep 2010, OddOne wrote:Well spirit, that's what you get when you rush Fraser.
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Comment number 2.
At 18th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:Can't help but agree with you Oddie .
After all the build up , we get a moany , cynical "review" by a grizzled old man in his forties .
;)
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Comment number 3.
At 18th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:Manic Street Preachers - '( It's Not War ) Just The End Of Love '
The Manics are set to release their tenth studio album , Postcards From A Young Man , and have a wonderful array of brilliance from their musical history .
The only band to have a number 1 single about the Spanish Civil War , another number one about class divide , and the biggest selling Welsh band of the 90's .
They have won trophies for Best British Band and Best Album at the 1997 and 1999 BRIT awards .
They still remain an extremely popular and entertaining live band , and have the ability to evoke many emotions with their lyrical intelligence and musical songcraft .
.
If I had to pick ten essential Manics tracks, they would be :
1)Motorcycle Emptiness
2)Stay Beautiful
3)Life Becoming A Landslide.
4)A Design For Life .
5)Little Baby Nothing
6)Tsunami
7)You Stole The Sun From My Heart .
8)Faster.
9)Australia.
10) La Tristesse Durera.
The three essential albums would be :
1)The Holy Bible
2)Gold Against The Soul
3Everything Must Go
Moving onto the current single , this is a strong slice of radio friendly rock-pop , predictably ignored by Radio 1 , but on the cusp of the Top 10 radio airplay chart.
The song should be knocking on the door of the Top 20 tomorrow , after a performance on Later With Jools Holland.
It boasts a very strident chorus , some sterling guitar work , and a chess based video featuring the talented Michael Sheen and the gorgeous Anna Friel .
P.S Isn't it wonderful to see Anna Friel finally doing "pawn" ?
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Comment number 4.
At 18th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's more like it !
:)
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Comment number 5.
At 18th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:I should also say that James Dean Bradfield has one of the best voices in rock music , and that the Manic's version of Rihanna's Umbrella is one of my favourite cover versions ever .
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Sep 2010, thranjax wrote:I absolutely agree with everything Spirit has said here. A first!
"Meanwhile, here's a dignified, engaging pop song, played by grizzled old men in their forties".
Does that mean there is something surprising about a dignified engaging pop song being written by the grizzlies? I don't get it! Apart from the nonsenicalness of the statement, I suspect that, historically, most pop songs are in fact written by grizzled old men out of tin pan alley style studios.
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Comment number 7.
At 22nd Sep 2010, spirit wrote:Wow ! Everyones agreeing with me at the moment , maybe a career in politics beckons .
Failing that , maybe I could be the next England manager .
:)
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Comment number 8.
At 22nd Sep 2010, spirit wrote:Back to the Manics , thay are heading to number 1 , with their album , Postscards From A Young Man .
It is fully deserved , it's a very good album .
This is the best revenge for the very ill advised and increasingly puerile put downs that seem to litter these so called "reviews" .
The Manics may sing "It's Not War " but they are looking favourites to win this battle .
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Comment number 9.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:My point being...they've moved a long way from being the people portrayed in the Richey book. They're not those people any more, and they've got the scars to prove it (hence "grizzled" etc).
So it seems a shame that this song and album should come out at the same time as the book, something which drags them once again back to the darkest period in their illustrious history.
Or to put it how I already have, again "it's a song that deserves attention for what it is, not what happened to the band who made it, before they made it."
I don't mind when we don't agree on things, but I draw the line at deliberately twisting what I've said and then overreacting to it.
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Comment number 10.
At 22nd Sep 2010, spirit wrote:The word "grizzled" means grey or greying of the hair , or beard so says the Chambers dictionary .
As neither James , Sean or Nicky appear to be greying ,or have beards , this description seems to be rather unfair .
Also why the need to say "grizzled old men in their forties " ?
Why the need to mention ages ? And why the need to call them old ?
Good music is a joy to experience , irrespective of the sex , age or colour etc. , of the artist .
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Comment number 11.
At 23rd Sep 2010, stocksy wrote:Calm Down :')
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Comment number 12.
At 25th Sep 2010, thranjax wrote:Fraser - I asked what you meant, and said I don't get it, that isn't really twisting your words (or melons). Anyway, there are always going to be books and articles written about the manics early days, most of which will be uninformed and speculative, it shouldn't colour our judgement of their current output.
Spirit - Agree absolutely about appreciation and creation of music being irrespective of age. You're going on about it a bit now though... you haven't got a significant birthday coming up have you? Feeling the tendrils of mortality etc? :)
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Comment number 13.
At 25th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:Thranjax ...
I have already questioned the world of mortality....
You could say , I have been to Hull and back !
:)
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Comment number 14.
At 26th Sep 2010, spirit wrote:In this wonderful world of ironic twists and turns and an absolutely awesome marketing campaign , The Manics are leapfrogged to number 1 , by a new young teen sensation !
His name ?
PHIL COLLINS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;0
Isn't that ironic ?
Don't you think ?
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Comment number 15.
At 26th Sep 2010, OddOne wrote:Do I think?
*Contemplates*
Yes.
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