Postcards From A Young Man Thread

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by *Found That Soul*

Am i right in thinking James wrote the lyrics to "I Think I Found It" ?

I thought that to seems like a lyrics james might wright but im not sure if theres any truth in it at all sorry.

[*Found That Soul*]

Thought as much what with his love of Jack Lemmon. Seems to be a few lines lifted from the days of wine and roses.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by pennyroyalty

no it just means it wasn't immediately comprehensible and has depth you couldn't appreciate at first. i don't really give a shit about someone's opinion on music after they've listened to it once- it's the least informed opinion, just like someone's first reaction when it comes to every other artform or subject. there are entire genres of music, huge stretches of my record collection, that i thought were shit when first exposed to them because i'd been raised on a narrow diet of indie and pop.

Fair enough, there is certainly an element of that in everything. I suspect that I'm right on this one though. This is a badly executed album, from a collection of half arsed songs to some astonishingly bad production.

I often think MSP are doing themselves a disservice by releasing albums this frequently at this stage of their career. After their most instinctive urges (GT, THB, EMG) have been satisfied they have seemed to struggle to really nail down anything. It's strange, because if they spent more time building up a collection of songs and settling on some coherency, I have little doubt that they could produce something really solid. They're talented enough, but unfortunately I think they're on the same downfall that many bands hit at this stage (last 10 years).

[Clarence Pistoldinner]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Fair enough, there is certainly an element of that in everything. I suspect that I'm right on this one though. This is a badly executed album, from a collection of half arsed songs to some astonishingly bad production.

I often think MSP are doing themselves a disservice by releasing albums this frequently at this stage of their career. After their most instinctive urges (GT, THB, EMG) have been satisfied they have seemed to struggle to really nail down anything. It's strange, because if they spent more time building up a collection of songs and settling on some coherency, I have little doubt that they could produce something really solid. They're talented enough, but unfortunately I think they're on the same downfall that many bands hit at this stage (last 10 years).

I've always thought most bands produce their best work when they keep going. It's when they take 5 years out to sit by the pool they usually come back with self indulgent rubbish. And, for what it's worth, I feel the Manics have shown this to be true. First 4 albums where (IMO) brilliant, as were the last 2 (which closely followed thge solo albums). I've not listened to the album yet, but I want them to keep busy as that is when they do their best stuff. Or at least the stuff I like best! (I realise that's not necessarily the same thing...)

[Napoleon Bonaparte]

Originally Posted by Clarence Pistoldinner

I've always thought most bands produce their best work when they keep going. It's when they take 5 years out to sit by the pool they usually come back with self indulgent rubbish. And, for what it's worth, I feel the Manics have shown this to be true. First 4 albums where (IMO) brilliant, as were the last 2 (which closely followed thge solo albums). I've not listened to the album yet, but I want them to keep busy as that is when they do their best stuff. Or at least the stuff I like best! (I realise that's not necessarily the same thing...)

Yeah I'm a great believer that taking a break can be harmful sometimes, with the loss of momentum.

[The Vorticist]

For me it's nowhere near THB/EMG or even JFPL (not that I expected as much) but I definitely would say I like it a bit more than SATT and maybe as much as TIMTTMY.

So far I'd place it...:
1. THB
2. EMG
3. JFPL
4. TIMTTMY
5. PFAYM
6. Lifeblood
7. SATT
8. GT
9. KYE
10. GATS

But thats just my opinion.

[MRK]

I need to add that I haven't listened to The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever because the first couple of bars of Nickys vocal affronted me so much that I had to put it off. I couldn't sit through it.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Clarence Pistoldinner

I've always thought most bands produce their best work when they keep going. It's when they take 5 years out to sit by the pool they usually come back with self indulgent rubbish. And, for what it's worth, I feel the Manics have shown this to be true. First 4 albums where (IMO) brilliant, as were the last 2 (which closely followed thge solo albums). I've not listened to the album yet, but I want them to keep busy as that is when they do their best stuff. Or at least the stuff I like best! (I realise that's not necessarily the same thing...)

Originally Posted by Napoleon Bonaparte

Yeah I'm a great believer that taking a break can be harmful sometimes, with the loss of momentum.

I see what you're saying, but I just think they need a better screening process. I think there is nothing wrong with collecting songs, but sometimes you need to take a step back and think 'hang on, is this really as good as i think it is?' rather than just throw it out there. Perfectionism could potentially come into place of course, and that is a whole different ball game, but I think a band who has the intelligence to manage those conundrums successfully meets a measure of a great band.

[AnotherJDB]

Originally Posted by Daniel

I see what you're saying, but I just think they need a better screening process. I think there is nothing wrong with collecting songs, but sometimes you need to take a step back and think 'hang on, is this really as good as i think it is?' rather than just throw it out there. Perfectionism could potentially come into place of course, and that is a whole different ball game, but I think a band who has the intelligence to manage those conundrums successfully meets a measure of a great band.

i personally think it is a great album - does more for me than SATT did and i like that. I think its pretty diverse without being KYE which i also like. There are at least three tracks on it that could of sat on Journal For Plague Lovers pretty comfortably in Auto Intoxication, Don't Be Evil and Billion Balaconies.

As for the rest, it sits somewhere between EMG's bside sound and SATT and a few new sounds like The Future has been here 4 ever which easily the best nicky track the manics have put out to me, followed by William's Last Words

I seriously think the band don't get enough credit on here, which is hugely depressing considering this is their primary forum these day, few people ever seem to be happy with a band who are generally consistently good at pretty much at the top of their game live again. Some people maybe need to give up. Sorry if this upsets anyone but i genuinely consider this about the last place to get a reasonable verdict on any new material, i hate the thought that anyone from the band would even look on here.

For whats it worth i've been a fan since THB, i think they are on a high at the moment. Maybe some people can find some solice in the fact that there will likely be so many bsides to this album that they can come up with a tracklisting they really like. I would rather they put out an album every year and miss the mark every now again, not sure a single album in history that has taken 5 years has been anywhere near great

[Brent_Bradfield]

i really like the first half of the album .. they sound like they belong as an entity and its big dumb fun ... the second half i just cant help but feel theres alot of songs that could be b sides...

all in all me thinks i wont be listening to the album in 4 months time

[Tiortranew]

Ranking after 10 listening sessions:

1) Golden Platitudes
2) Some Kind of Nothingness
3) The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever
4) All We Make Is Entertainment
5) It's Not War - Just the End of Love
6) Auto-Intoxication
7) Postcards from a Young Man
8) The Descent
9) A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun
10) I Think I've Found It
11) Hazleton Avenue
12) Don't Be Evil

[napnet86_]

After my first 10 listens, and still subject to change once I get the album...

1. All We Make Is Entertainment
2. Auto-Intoxication
3. The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever
4. A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun
5. Some Kind Of Nothingness
6. (It's Not War) Just The End Of Love
7. The Descent (Pages 1 and 2)
8. Postcards Of A Young Man
9. Don't Be Evil
10. Golden Platitudes
11. Hazelton Avenue
12. I Think I've Found It

... and I said I wasn't going to listen, tisk tisk.

[Tiortranew]

Although I really like AWMIE, its lyrics are really terrible. And Nicky should be getting slapped for "We're so postmodern, we're so post-everything".

[franny]

Really in love with The Future Will Be... I think there's a lot of hidden emotion under the surface.

God I sound like a ponce.

[nocultureicons]

Originally Posted by Tiortranew

Although I really like AWMIE, its lyrics are really terrible. And Nicky should be getting slapped for "We're so postmodern, we're so post-everything".

I liked that line.