Album Review: Futurology

Last year, one of my favorite bands, Manic Street Preachers, recorded a large number of songs  - more than would be needed for a "normal" album. In the wake of this, one plan I read they had was to release it as a massive single album with a title like 70 Songs of Hate and Failure...or something like that.

I am glad they didn't. Not because the music is bad. To the contrary, those songs turned out great.

No, singer/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, bassist/lyricist Nicky Wire and drummer Sean Moore smartly realized they had two distinct albums on their hands - musically and thematically. One is a muted, toned down reflection on becoming older put to mostly acoustic arrangements. The other is more like adventurous rock themed around the future and feelings the band experienced in many of their European travels.

Futurology-era MSP left to right: Moore, Wire, Bradfield

The former came out as Rewind the Film in late 2013. The later just came out as Futurology.

I wrote a review of Rewind the Film that you can read HERE. I loved it, for the music itself, but also for the Manics for trying something new and succeeding wonderfully.

As for Futurology, a lot has been written about it already - almost universally good. Instead of me repeating what other have said so well in analyzing the album, I'll point you to an enlightening review by the site The Quietus. They run down the album song-by-song with some excellent observations.

I will, however, give a quick thought on each tune and a rating:

The Cover of Futurology

• Futurology ****A big, bright tune that'll have you tapping your toe and rocking along.
• Walk Me to the Bridge *****An intense rocker about change with a big riff and lyrics.
• Lets Go To War ****A minor key song against the damage done by the upper class with a chanty vocal and PiL-like bass line.
• The Next Jet To Leave Moscow****Back to up tempo, melody and a propulsive beat, this one reflects on how the band's left-leaning approach has been co-opted and their own hypocrisy.
• Europa Geht Durch Mich ***It means Europe Passes Through Me. An odd one for the Manics, but I like it! Guest vocal by a German actress.
• Divine Youth.*** This one could have been on Rewind the Film. Slower, guest female co-vocal, more basic instrumentation in a song about youth losing its way in the modern world.
• Sex, Power, Love and Money****A little reminiscent of the band's song Repeat from their very first album, this one chants and rocks out a message about "four small words that won't be denied."
• Dreaming A City**An instrumental. Sounds like it could be a theme song for a cop show or something. OK, but probably not one I'll listen to much.
• Black Square****Disembodied German voice repeats key lines from Europa Geht Durch Mich at the start, then the tune begins. The title refers to an opera and work of futurist art from the early 20th Century symbolizing the end of objects and time. The mid-paced song references the eternal "newness" of any art. 
• Between the Clock and the Bed***The title references a piece by Edvard Munch. Guest vocal by former Scritti Politti lead singer. The song seems to be about self doubt. 
• Misguided Missile**A meditation of the perils of self-obsession and the distractions that causes. 
• The View From Stow Hill***A slower tune, this one appears to be talking about the relatively unknown, un-talked about violent history of a Welsh city...Newport. 
• Mayakovsky**Another instrumental. A bit more upbeat and rocking that the other one on Futurology. Echoey, quiet voice at the very end speaks in English the key phrases of Europa Geht Durch Mich.

Must Have
These are the best songs on the album to me and show off the interesting, diverse sounds on the record:

• Walk Me To The Bridge
• Europa Geht Durch Mich
• Lets Go To War
• Black Square
• Sex, Power, Love and Money

If You Want More

• Futurology
• The Next Jet To Leave Moscow
• Divine Youth
• Between The Clock And The Bed

Could Skip

• A View From Stow Hill 
• Misguided Missile 
• Dreaming A City
• Mayakovsky

Manic Street Preachers Go Acoustic with New Album Rewind the Film

A few years ago, Manic Street Preachers put out a fiery album called Journal for Plague Lovers that, in my mind, truly brought that band back to life as a vital, important force in rock and roll. You can read my review of that album HERE.

Cover of Rewind the Film

Well, flash forward to last month. They did it again. Vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, bassist/vocalist Nicky Wire and drummer Sean Moore have delivered the goods anew. But this time it isn't aggressive, electric rock and roll with lacerating lyrics on all types of political and social issues. Nope. The new album, called Rewind the Film, is a distinctly subdued, personal and introspective affair that touches on feelings and ideas around getting older, nostalgia, missing friends and staying vital despite the inevitable changes life doles out. And, its mostly acoustic with warm guitars, horns, strings and subtle percussion creating the sound. And it's good.

Actually, "genius" in my book. No, seriously. This is a great album and proof positive that smart, adult music is still out there and comes in many forms. Throw in a couple guest lead vocals and a song sung by Wire and you've got something diverse and special. And good for the Manics for pulling back from their usual sound of the last few years to try something different.

Here is my song-by-song review of the album. At the end, I've made some recommendations on what you may want to get from Rewind the Film.

This Sullen Welsh Heart. "The hating half of me has won the battle easily." This is an appropriate song to start the album, not only because it points the way forward to the tone, texture and sound present on the rest of the songs but also because of its subject. Pointedly, this song is about growing older, recognizing some of the traps you might have fallen into and understanding that as great as days gone by may have been, you are not the same as you were back then. People change and you've changed. Introspection for the 40-something crowd if  you will.

Hopefully those changes are in the whole for the better, and also hopefully - despite your mellowing and evolution - there is some little element or spark left that fuels your now more mature self in an older and wiser way. Or at least that's what I get out of the song.

Vocally, the song features a duet with guest singer Lucy Rose who delivers a very touching female voice to James Dean Bradfield's male lead - making the point that the subject of the song is equally applicable to women as it is to men.

A contemplative acoustic guitar and distant synth or strings are the only music to accompany those voices, ensuring you are definitively going to hear the words and ponder their meaning. Put it all together and however subdued the song is, it's a highlight of the album right off the bat.

Show Me the Wonder. "There is no threat just an invitation, a sense of belonging, a sense of inspiration." By far, this is the most upbeat, pop-y and toe tapping song on Rewind the Film and compared to the prior song it is an explosion of sound. Bright and catchy horns, upbeat acoustic guitar strum and belted out vocals all combine to make this one a joy to listen to. Great stuff!

Thematically, the song seems to be commenting on just how unpredictable the world can be - in a good way. Isn't it a "wonder" the way certain things work or don't? And isn't it fun to embrace that uncertainty? Some things are just not understandable on a rational level.

Another thing about this song is that the video is really good. For all their musical talent, the Manic Street Preachers have a long history of putting out videos that just come across as lame to me. Not this time. Check out "Show Me the Wonder" by clicking HERE. It's a fun romp that pulls on nostalgia and revels in budding love. I think you'll like it.

Promo Shot of the Manic Street Preachers - 2013. L to R: Sean Moore, Nicky Wire, James Dean Bradfield

Rewind the Film. "Rewind the film again. I'd love to see my joy, my friends." No matter how old you are, most of us think from time to time how it might be nice to go back and re-live some of the best moments of our lives - to embrace youth once again, feel things again for the first time or just "listen to your old records." And this is the topic of this song. Sung by guest vocalist Richard Hawley, this is a narrative as told by an old man wishing he could go back and experience life again. Normal singer Bradfield belts out the chorus lines to punctuate the point even further.

Musically, this is one of the more complex songs on the album. Articulate acoustic guitar, synth, strings, drums and subdued bass all combine to create a rich backing for Hawley's "old man" voice. Also, the video for "Rewind the Film" is touching - so, the Manics are two-for-two on videos! You can see it HERE.

Builder of Routines. "How I hate middle age, in between acceptance and rage." Featuring verses with a sparse James Dean Bradfield vocal backed by muted music box chime and strummy choruses and middle-eight sections, this song is a pretty straight forward comment by the band about getting older, their struggle to continue on as a vital musical force and not relying on their storied, glorious and tragic past.

To that end and to the point, there appear to be a couple of clear references to former band member, lyricist and stylist Richey Edwards in the choruses. Edwards of course famously went missing in 1995 never to be seen again and is presumed dead. Bradfield sings "only in you do we see ourselves," which I take as a comment on how profound Edwards was to the band and how the band views its ideal but now unattainable selves as vital, youthful and fueled by rage.

The other reference is the line, "so sick and tiered of being 4 real, only the fiction has appeal," which is the other side of the story. Guess what? The other three in the band have gotten older and had to try and live up to the fury of the Edwards years. The line references the "4 Real" that Edwards carved into his arm with a razor in front of a journalist when the writer questioned his and the band's sincerity. The fact is that the surviving band members have had to live up to that all these years - so much so that now that is not possible...with only the "fiction" of those times is the only appealing part of it any more.

The Manics Perform Acoustically on BBC2

4 Lonely Roads. "And if we can, we must hold our heads up." This song is sung by guest vocalist Cate Le Bon. I assume the Manics chose her to sing this one because a) she's from Wales like they are, and b) her haunting voice is a match for the feeling of this song.

Lyrically, this one appears to deal with the need to rise above difficult times with love. There are many lonely roads that we all follow at times (four of them? could be for all I know) and sometimes you just have to walk those roads so to speak to get to a better place...a place where, as the song says, "darker Hell stood up on high, then disappeared." And at the end of one of those lonely roads, what does a traveler learn? That "if we can, we must hold our heads up...a little love."

Musically, Le Bon's lilty voice is an asset against the subdued but enjoyable little mid-paced melody. I'd also add that this is the third song out of the four to start the album where the music definitely takes a back seat to the vocal and lyrical content. Don't get me wrong, nice music here and very complimentary for the vocal. But, for a band that has built so much reputation on bombast and big, thematic hooks and fireworks, this song and others on Rewind the Film really show a change...and in my book a great new direction.

(I Miss the) Tokyo Skyline. "Feeling like an alien is so much fun." From comments I've read by the band about this song, it's really an homage to the wonderful time they had on their first visit to Tokyo back in the early 1990s when they filmed their video for Motorcycle Emptiness.

According to the lyrics, the feeling of being totally alien in a foreign land and the almost universal inability to communicate with the people is appealing to James, Nicky and Sean. Placed in the middle of such technical wonder and a massive city filled with people...but yet not able to communicate. Beautiful isolation in the midst of millions. So very Manics.

I love how the Japanese sounding violin complements soothing electronic waves that begin this song - a nice contrast between people's perception of traditional Japan and modern Japan. After that, the music serves once again as a nice, clever but subdued background for the vocal delivery - this time back to Bradfield.

Anthem for a Lost Cause. "So it seems that every song is now just one last chance." Acoustic guitar opens this one up with strings and horns joining, then Bradfield's voice. The music takes a step up in the mix and importance in this song compared to earlier numbers on this album. More pronounced are the horns and guitar, the pace picks up a little and we hear a few crescendos as the voice hits its emotional peak in the choruses.

The theme of the song seems to be a lament over something lost - a love, a career, a battle of some sort. Something that was once "a glittering prize" is now just ashes. Is this the Manics commenting in a morose way about their past career and inability (or desire) to "kick out the jams" with the fury of days gone by? Or, is it more a more universal idea about how loss hurts and at some point becomes a lost cause. I think it may be some of both.

As Holy as the Soil. "Would it be that hard, just for once, we could save the world." Here we have song that's rare on two counts. First, it's sung by bassist Nicky Wire and not normal singer Bradfield. Second, unlike most other songs sung by Wire, this one sounds really good. His monotone talk-sing style has evolved since he first took on a clear lead vocal years ago on "Wattsville Blues" off their album Know Your Enemy.

Piano and acoustic guitar introduce Nicky's now more tuneful, but still unconventional, voice. Horns soon join in as flourishes, and Bradfield chips in singing on the chorus as drums and guitar kick in together in a deliberate beat. Later in the song, the horns are back as more substantial backing. A nice touch to build the song.

Now, as for the meaning of the song, well, Wire's lyrics describe a number of things - people, places, feelings, things...even the Roman Empire...as "as holy as" and then transitions into a statement of "I love you so will you please come home." He is saying as holy as those things are, so too is love for the person he is singing to.

It could be about brotherly love for missing band member Edwards and the sad truth that it would be great for him to be there with them now, but knowing he never will. Or, the song could be more general about the longing for the return of a love currently gone or somewhere else. Either way, a surprise tune on the album.

3 Ways to See Despair. "There are three ways to see despair, and I've seen them all I'm scared to say." This is a minor chord, downbeat drudge that's really unlike the other songs on Rewind the Film. From comments I've read by Nicky Wire, it's about how things once great and promising sometimes turn into something tragic. This is a similar theme to "Anthem for a Lost Cause," but that song delivers the goods in a more appealing and interesting way. I might not be listening to "3 Ways..." very often.

Running Out of Fantasy. "My obsession with change has bled me dry." From the sludgy, slowness of the last song, "Running Out of Fantasy" re-establishes tunefulness and melody to the album. Whew. Very simply, the song is about losing one's sense of wonder and innocence as one gets older and experiences the often all-too-cruel world. Musically, we're back to acoustic guitar, strings, a little piano and Bradfied's voice - and this is great. A very nice delivery and quite listenable.

Manobier. This is an instrumental with the only vocals appearing as background toward the end. It's an atmospheric tune that opens with a distinct acoustic guitar riff and builds up into a "chorus" of spooky synth sounds. And what you may ask is a Manobier? I didn't know, so I looked it up. It's a coastal village in Wales. OK, so that's not surprising given where the Manics are from.

30 Year War. "Its the longest running joke in history, kill the working class in the name of liberty." If the start of Rewind the Film was a soft, melancholy personal introspection about getting older, then the last song is a spikey salvo of social commentary.

The Manics have always been a political band, commenting in songs on things they dislike in modern political landscape or referencing things they do like - or find ironic - from history. "The 30 Year War" is just such a song and by far the most political track on the album...perhaps pointing the way their next album, out in early 2014 and to be called Futurology, will head.

The "war" referred to here is the three decade long slide into conservative politics and corporatism in the UK in particular, but I think the message works for the U.S. too. The notion that convincing the working class that it is their best interest to vote for politicians who will enrich the already rich while simultaneously destroying the very institutions that keep the working class educated and employed is clearly a point of scorn. All the "Eton scum" graduating into "front bench" MPs in the British Parliament to ensure that "the old boy network has won the war again."

Also, there's some commentary in the song about cultural elitism through the part of the song that talks about putting away "Lowery's paintings" because he (a British artists in the mid-20th Century) refused a Knighthood from the Queen.

Against this landscape of right wing and upper class domination, the lyric then moves in an ominous direction with the line repeated "I ask you what is to be done?" This clearly references Lenin and the potential of revolution.

Yes indeed, a whiff of revolution to leave you thinking - about the point of the song, about the state of our world and about what might be coming next from the surprising Manic Street Preachers.

What To Get
Show Me the Wonder, This Sullen Welsh Heart, Builder of Routines, 30 Years War

Want To Try More?
Rewind the Film, Tokyo Skyline, Anthem for a Lost Cause, 4 Lonely Roads, Running Out of Fantasy

Might Not Be Your Cup of Tea
Manobeir, 3 Ways to See Dispair, As Holy As the Soil

Best Rock Music From 2011

Best new rock and roll of 2011

Below are a few new rock bands I found in 2011 that I really liked. Also listed are new sets of music by already existing bands that are worth a listen in my opinion.

New Bands, New Music

• Mona - Mona
• Funeral Party - The Golden Age of Knowhere
• The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

Older Bands, New Music

• Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man
• Social Distortion - Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes 
• British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall 
• Glasvegas - Euphoric Heartbreak
• The Beach Boys - The Smile Sessions

If you're someone asking "where has my rock and roll gone?" the above from 2011 may start helping you answer the question.

Quotes To Ponder

One of my favorite bands is Manic Street Preachers. They are literate, diverse in style, epic an a band that has put out quality rock and roll for 20 years.

Usually their singles come with a quotation printed on the inner sleeve, and usually those quotations offer something to ponder or learn.

Below are the quotes included in the various singles the band has put out from their recent Postcards From A Young Man album.

Check 'em out, ponder, noodle, investigate, agree or reject...


"To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June." - John-Paul Sartre

"There is no such thing as simple. Simple is hard." - Martin Scorsese

"We are all transistors in the literal sense." - Karl Heinz Stockhausen

"One thing that success taught me is censorship." - Tracey Emin

"The middle class is a luxury capitalism can no longer afford." - John Gray

"The worst immortality is to give in, give up." - Andrea Dworkin

2010: A Bad Year for Rock....Or Was It?

I just read the latest issue of Rolling Stone. The one with Bieber on the cover. No...I did not read the article about "the Bieb." I don't care about him.

But, there were two articles that caught my attention.

The first and most obvious one was the concise, honest and passionate history of my favorite band, the Clash. I know the story well...so nothing new for me except a couple pictures I had not seen. However, two thoughts here. One, if you don't know much of the Clash or their records, read the article. You may find yourself compelled to check them out. Two, the last line of the story says, "The tragedy of the Clash is that we no longer allow the room for their sort of voice."

Which leads me to the other story in the magazine that caught my attention - a story outlining how in the entire history of rock, 2010 was a commercial low. Rock. OK...not dance, country (or what passes for it these days), pop, techno, rap or anything like that. Rock. Rock and roll has hit an all time low in terms of selling music. The article goes on at some length as why this is and that rock bands actually can do well by just touring and/or releasing their music on their own via the Internet. However, it's disconcerting to know that frickin' ROCK AND ROLL is not something the American public wants to hear enough to buy records. That's just depressing. Of course, it may just be the thing the doctor ordered as often when things get stale, boring and predictable...along comes a blast of aggressive great music. See the UK in the late 1970s or the USA in the early 1990s.

Anyway, the article does not mean there were not some really good rock and roll albums out new in 2010. For example, check these sets out if you have not:

• The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
• Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man
• The Courteeners - Falcon
• Sound of Guns - What Came From Fire
• Vampire Weekend - Contra

Throw in new ones in 2011 already by Social Distortion (Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes) and British Sea Power (Valhalla Dancehall) and things are not all that bleak for the last 12-14 months.

Oh, and finally, there were two other really good stories in the same issue: apparently Bevis and Butt Head are coming back as a TV show and Matt Tiaibbi's expose on why key figures on Wall Street are not in jail.

Album Review - Postcards From A Young Man by Manic Street Preachers

The new album by one of my favorite bands, Manic Street Preachers, is out now. It's called Postcards From A Young Man.

While it may be overly simplistic to say so, the Manics have essentially put out two types of music over the past 20 years. One is overtly pop-rock and meant to engage mass tastes, and the other is darker, more enraged and meant - I think - to challenge mass tastes. Both types are intelligent, articulate, passionate and a cut above what passes for rock music these days. Seeing them live in Seattle last year was truly a great experience.

Postcards is more in the pop vein after the magnificent Journal for Plague Lovers. In fact, lead singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield describes the new record as "one last chance at mass communication."After giving it a listen, I would agree that the music is more major chord, soaring, pop hook, string embellished and tunefully written in a way designed to appeal to the common ear. But, make no mistake, the lyrics - mostly written by bassist Nicky Wire - are as always thought provoking and challenging with themes of society's downfall, the ills of self indulgence, moving forward despite doubts and nostalgia for the more sure minded days of youth.

I tend to like the darker, noisier and aggressive Manic's efforts (The Holy Bible, Journal for Plague Lovers, Know Your Enemy, Generation Terrorist), but the new one is a strong outing from the guys from Wales.

Look, you like U2? Queen? The Clash? Echo and the Bunnymen? How about The Replacements or Rush? If you do, I think you should check out Postcards.

If that's not enough, below is a recent picture of the band, and my rundown of the songs on the new record for your consideration. Best listened to with the volume up high of course...

• It's Not War, Just The End of Love - "You pay your dues, and I'll pay mine." A great album opener. This is a rockin' tune the likes of which the Manics specialize replete with challenging lyrics, soaring choruses and strings. Opening with a deliberate guitar lead-in and those strings, James Dean Bradfield fires off the first shot of the record with the line, "To feel forgiveness, you gotta forgive..." you know you're in for a corker. From there the song explodes into pop rock goodness with the chorus (title of the song) that includes the line "...its never enough, it's never enough." For my humble tastes, this is about as good as it gets for modern pop-oriented rock. (*****)

• Postcards From A Young Man - "This world will not impose it's will." This song deals with looking back from the perspective of a wiser, older and a bit more cynical person on the idealism, naivete and passion felt in younger times - those days seeming like "postcards from a young man" and perhaps never to be "posted again." Toward the end, Bradfield sings out for both the young and old versions of the protagonist - and certainly for you, the listener - of the song, "This world will not impose its will, I will never give up and I will never give in." Compelling stuff when paired with a mid-tempo beat that builds to a crescendo toward the end and that highlights both the epic backing sound the band have arranged for this album, along with Bradfields expert guitar work. Simply one of the best tracks on this album. (****)
• Some Kind of Nothingness - "Remember you, stretched out in the sun." Featuring a guest vocal by Echo and the Bunnymen main man Ian McCullough, this starts as a slowdown song compared to the first two numbers. Touching on nostalgia, the simplicity and safety of not meeting expectations, the tune slowly builds as the singers contemplate foregone conclusions and that perhaps, in the end, "death is our only friend." Eventually, roiling and ecstasy-inducing backing vocals from an unseen choir kick in and build...upping the ante to a song-ending celebration about eventually getting what you want when your "final search for truth as stopped." (***)
• The Descent (Pages 1 & 2) - "Do I have the courage of the books I've read?" This quirky tune jauntily seems to be addressing doubts that people may have even after they've taken precautions in their lives and eliminated issues such as phobias and paranoia. Asking questions such as, "will my kingdom fade away?" and "have my expectations gone too far again?" the singer also acknowledges obvious things in odd ways like "my baby teeth are gone into a better place I have yet to go" and for sure that there is a challenge to contend with the "the winner takes it all" mentality in society - all things that pose doubts to someone trying to move ahead in life. Ultimately, we're learning here that these doubts and these questions are "the last descent" that the singer is going to experience and contemplate before a better (or is it worse?) fate unfolds. (***)
• Hazelton Avenue - "Yes I worship a the alter, I am a happy consumer." Back on the pop rock tip, this one is a winner in my book. To me, it's about a few good or interesting things associated with "Hazelton Avenue," (a street in Toronto, Canada) such as the numbness but simple joy of consumerism on this avenue, as well as the comfort of a bed and bold thoughts of writing a best seller in a loft overlooking the street. Again, strings play a significant role in this song along with Bradfield's guitar to create a comfortable texture for the song's words. (***)
• Auto Intoxication "A new economy embraces the ruins." This is a musically exciting song with challenging lyrics. It seems to be addressing the fact that as much as we all talk about wanting to succeed and do well, we ourselves and the society we live in keep distracting us or pulling the rug out from underneath us - or as the Manics put it, a sort of "auto-intoxication." With lines like, "Drained of delusion and buried in debt, how the hell do we find each other suffering auto intoxication," you get the drift. Musically, the song starts at a mid-temp chug with the versus delivered diligently across strumming guitars and well placed fills. Then, right in the middle, like a grenade suddenly going off in a field of daisies on a sunny afternoon, the Manics pull the pins and hurl their bombs as they rip into the chorus where we get the information that as bad as things are, at least you've survived, "but disaster isn't coming, it's already arrived. I am so lucky, I think that I survived." All distorted guitars and Bradfield yelling at the top of his lungs.  Boom! We're at war, the combat happening all around! Juxtaposed with the rest of the song and, indeed, the rest of the album, this one's a stand out to me. (****)
• Golden Platitudes "Why colonize the moon when every different kind of desperation exists?" This song is quite straight forward. Where did our assured, youthful and all-knowing view of the world go? What happened to those "golden platitudes?" This is the one song on the album that starts and maintains a slower, mellower pace all the way through, accompanied by those strings and choir backing vocals. (**)
• I Think I Found It "I think I found it, and I think I love it." Here again we are challenged by the lyrics. Certainly a song with this title and main chorus line would be about love, right? Well...probably that is the case here. Following an intro section featuring the sounds of tightly strummed mandola that might be more at home in an ad for an Italian restaurant, we transition into more traditional mode to hear about a person who has found what he was looking for (buried and hiding in the dirt) and once liberated from that place walks freely to the sea, enjoys some "days of wine and roses," and - despite some blunt words and letters - is happy to the ask someone else to "live with me through the threads of our lives." Delivered in a jubilant and upbeat tune featuring hammering guitar breaks in the chorus, this one gets you back on track and in an upbeat mood after the previous song on the album. (***)
• A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun - "A billion lies becoming the truth." With a head of steam now built back up with the previous song, A Billion Balconies kicks it into high gear. This very squarely is a song about the ills of modern society - the denial of humanity in a world obsessed with instant gratification. Under a bed of ominous guitar, it starts out with anger over how people are now so enamored with themselves, technology, celebrity, pop-culture and other self-indulgent crap. The other main verse expresses how people nowadays have "found expression for our hate without any kind of consequence," and points out that, well, "who needs patients when all our pleasures are virtual." The chorus uses the imagery of "a billion balconies facing the sun," as a beautiful setting, but then informs the listener that inside those dwellings with all those balconies featuring a spectacular view are people with their faces "turned to the screen" - uninterested in reality and all to susceptible too prettily packaged lies. Musically, this one's a rocker with brooding versus and bright, blazing choruses that hammer the points home. Together with It's Not War and Auto-Intoxication make up the three stonking rock songs on this album. (*****)
• All We Make Is Entertainment "Pointless jobs lead to pointless lives." Under a buildup of thumping drums, we get "1-2-3" and then launch into the song where we first learn that "I'm no longer preaching to the converted, that congregation as long ago deserted" - a line implying that the Manics' audience of 1992 or 1994 is no longer satisfied with the band's more pop inclinations. Which is a perfect start for this song as most of it is a long-arrived at admission that, guess what, all we do here in the Manic Street Preachers - at the end of the day - is make entertainment. This is a good thing, but simply "part of the grand delusion." This last little bit does then give the band license at the end to reverse field a bit on the theme for indeed...the all-encompassing grand delusion of entertainment is a major societal ill. Strip that away and you get the fact that millions are trapped in "pointless jobs" that lead to "pointless lives." Musically, this song is big, bombastic with clever guitar (especially right at the end) and dynamic vocal delivery by Bradfield. (*****)
• The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever "Like Godfather Three, I never can escape." Bassist Nicky Wire takes lead vocal on this song, which also incorporates a backing choir, trumpet from drummer Sean More and - how about some cowbell? The lyric is about not fearing the future, addressing it head on as you get older - even if you have doubts or concerns about doing so.  (***)
• Don't Be Evil "Fool the world with all your own importance." A chiming, driving guitar riff opens this rocking tune up. Built on a basic power chord progression, the music here is both simple, but classic and motors through the entire song - peaking with the chorus lines. Not so much with the lyrics. Stuff to ponder here. Over the top of the tune, we get Bradfield telling us that in a world where "the lines have been blurred," and "sickos and bullies praise your name," that today one doesn't have to be overtly "evil," but merely "corporate" to get dirty deeds done...and of course implying that "being corporate" is just another, more palatable form of being "evil." But the Manics also seem to be commenting not on the classic cliche of "corporate" when calling this out, but more the young, seemingly hip, seemingly anti-corporate corporate types of the Facebook generation. In attempts to blow their cover, Nicky Wire's lyric chastises this type with "as corporate as the suits you won't wear, as stupid as the jeans you tear" among other things. Finally, along with avoiding the baggage of being seen as evil by acting neo-corporate, this song suggests that such a maneuver also opens the door for a person indulge their own narcissism - "your own movie star." In the end, despite the complexities, the name of the song and clear chorus says it all. In whatever form you can think of, very simply - don't be evil. (***)

Postcards From A Young Man is not yet out in the U.S., but I assume it will be at some point. For now, you can get it by ordering directly from the store on band's web site HERE. A suggestion for those interested in hearing some of the record before considering whether or not to buy would be to switch to the UK iTunes site and find the record there and sample it. Sure, you can't buy it from the U.S., but you can hear parts.

Review written by Marc Osborn. Not for re-publication without written permission.

Marc's 2009 "Best Of" Top 10 List

It's the end of another year. I don't know about you, but this one ZIPPED by fast for me.

Last year I put together a list of the "best of" 2008 as a way of signing off from one year and moving into the next. That post can be viewed by clicking HERE.

This year, I'm going to do something similar. However, with all the stuff that happened around the world, there are plenty of Top 10 lists re-capping the best and worst of the past 12 months. For example, see the Time Magazine "Top 10 of Everything" story by clicking here. So, I'll leave it to Time and others to judge the world's top tens and instead give you a list of ten more personal things that were significant or meant a lot to me in 2009...

1. Another great year married to my sweetheart - simple and very true. The most important.
2. Staying employed - I rate both Diane's and my continued employment in 2009 - one of the worst for unemployment in recent memory - as a significant accomplishment.
3. Our Trip to the South - Diane and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting a part of the U.S. that we had not been to before. You can read about our vacation by clicking HERE.
4. My 40th Birthday Bash in Hawaii - along with a number of friends from the mainland, we celebrated my entrance into my fourth decade on the planet with a big bash over on Maui. A very good time and memory. You can read about that adventure by clicking HERE.
5. Seeing the Manic Street Preachers Live in Seattle - this is one of my all time favorite rock bands. Over in the UK and Europe, these guys play big venues, but when they come to the U.S. they play small clubs. My buddy Paul and I were thrilled to see the Manics and meet their lead singer. Read my review of this show by clicking HERE. A close second was seeing Glasvegas live. More on that show HERE.
6. My Alma Mater Wins the Pac-10 Football Championship and Goes to the Rose Bowl (And So Do I) - OK, only the first part of this headline happened in 2009, but based on that achievement in 2009 the Oregon Ducks are playing in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2010 and I will be going there with some friends to see the game and have fun.
7. Going to the U2 Show in Vancouver - we love Vancouver. We really like U2. The combination made for a delightful weekend up north.
8. Our Ski Weekend at Whistler/Blackcolmb - we don't go skiing very often, but not because we don't want to. When we do go, we like to make it count, so in February we went to Whistler/Blackcolmb to downhill and cross-country ski. A great time and good memories.
9. Discovering Delancey in Ballard - discovering new restaurants is something both Diane and I really like. We also like pizza. Finding this new, wood-fired pizza joint on a residential street in Ballard rated as our best "find" of 2009.
10. The hot summer we had - I loved it! Except for a couple days in the 100s, the hot summer helped us enjoy the summer more with hikes in the Cascade mountains, bike rides on the Burke Gillman trail, walks around our neighborhood and generally being outside much more than we were able last summer when temperatures were more often in the 60s.

So there you go. My personal 2009 Top 10. No, no political observations, comments on the good and bad going on the world, celebrity f-ups or similar. Just ten things that struck through as the most important and/or interesting in my own little life.

As a reminder, you can see my own "2009: The Year in Pictures" feature by clicking HERE.

Here's to a good 2010.

Manic Street Preachers Play Seattle - A Review

As readers of this blog know, one of my favorite rock bands is a group called Manic Street Preachers. They’re huge in the UK and most the rest of the world, but not so much in the U.S.

As a result, they don’t play here very often. In fact, it’s been 10 years since the last time they ventured to the States to play gigs.

That is until this week.

Riding on a wave of success and critical acclaim for their most recent album titled Journal for Plague Lovers (read my review of that album and some background on the group by clicking here), this three piece band from Wales at long last decided it was time to come back to the USA and play some shows.

And where did the band pick to play their first US show in a decade? Yep, Seattle.

And so it was that last Monday – Sept. 21 – my buddy Paul and I went to see the band at Neumos on Capital Hill. (Below - Manic Street Preachers on stage in Seattle on Sept. 21, 2009. Photo by Marc Osborn.)

Naturally, our expectations were high and, I have to say, they were exceeded as the band threw down an exciting, impassioned and extremely entertaining set – all in a very small venue where you could get right up close. For those of you unfamiliar with the Manic Street Preacher’s sound, it’s rock and roll with the standard set up of guitar, bass, drum and a few effects. The band’s style has ranged from raging but melodic punk, epic and soaring rock, chilled art rock and a bunch of sounds in between...all with intelligent and thought provoking lyrics.

The other thing to know is that in their early years, the band had four members. In early 1995, their primary lyric writer and second guitarist, Richey Edwards, went missing. He’s never been found and is presumed dead - leaving surviving members James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitar), Nicky Wire (bass, vocals) and Sean Moore (drums) to carry on. Journal for Plague lovers is the Manic’s ninth studio album and its first featuring all-Richey lyrics since that time.

But anyway, back to the show. Our evening started out as Paul and I walked past the venue and heard the band running through the sound check. As the song Peeled Apples boomed out beyond the walls of Neumos, we knew we were in for a good show.

Meeting James Dean Bradfield
Later, after we’d had a bite to eat, we were again walking near the venue in the warm late-summer evening on our way to a bar when we ran right into lead singer James Dean Bradfield. Yep. He was out on the street corner. So, I walked up to him and thanked him for coming to Seattle. After a hand shake he quickly asked, “What’s your name?” I thought this was a really great response and one that was instantly engaging. I mean, he could have easily said thanks and walked away. Instead, we introduced ourselves and he mentioned that it had been 10 years since they’d been to Seattle and that the band members were huge REM fans – and they know Peter Buck lives in the area. I mentioned to James that indeed Buck is still around and that he comes out to shows pretty regularly. I also mentioned that they were playing the same Seattle venue a decade later, and he asked what the name of it was back then. I told him it was called Areo.Space ten years ago. He said, “This place?” I confirmed. At that point, I just said thanks again and let him know we were looking forward to the show. James graciously said thanks and was on his way. The whole conversation was about a minute. So, was this short chance meeting some sort of serious intellectual exchange or bonding moment? No. But, it was great because James was approachable, nice and willing to talk. Sometimes when you meet people you admire in person, they disappoint. This was clearly not so this time. Thank you James for taking a minute to talk to us.

Pleased as punch to have met the lead singer for one of our favorite bands, Paul and I did then make it to the bar right next to Neumos. As we passed through the door we saw James again…this time snared by a few guys asking him to sign a bunch of records and other Manics items. In hindsight, I’m really glad I didn’t do that to him as that action tends to simply come across to the performer as “this is just about me getting something from you” rather than any other type of conversation you could have.

The Venue and Vibe
After some conversations at the bar with some cool guys from a band named Post Adolescence, we headed on into the main venue to get a spot for the show.

By my assessment, Neumos was more three-quarters full. Not sold out. While it was tightly packed near the stage, toward the back there was plenty of room. This must be a bit strange for the band because everywhere else in the world they play its in big stadiums or arenas…and that’s why this was an even more special gig. Great band, small venue, cheap ticket.

The crowd seemed to be people age 40 and under with the majority looking to be in their late 20s, early 30s…and a few of us geezers right at the 40 mark. As you might expect, the crowd was also majority male – but not dominantly.

The Show
Finally, the band came on stage to loud cheers looking ready to go. Bradfield was dressed in black and began the show with his white Gibson Les Paul, Wire sported a red glittery bass and wore a white jacket that he kept on the entire time - concealing what appeared to be an Elvis Presley t-shirt - and Sean Moore...well, you could barely see him, but it looked like he was wearing a black t-shirt with some soft of design on it. You can see more pictures I took at the show here and here.

The band quickly ripped into one of their older but best songs, Motorcycle Emptiness. The full set list is below:

Motorcycle Emptiness
No Surface All Feeling
Peeled Apples
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
La Tristessa Durera
Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
Let Robeson Sing
You Love Us
Everything Must Go
Faster
Take The Skinheads Bowling
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Small Black Flowers (acoustic)
This is Yesterday (acoustic)
Send Away The Tigers
You Stole The Sun
All or Nothing into Motown Junk
Me And Stephen Hawking
Little Baby Nothing
This Joke Sport Severed
Design For Life

The sound system they set up was perhaps the best I’ve heard at Neumos as all instruments and vocals were clear and dialed in.

I was impressed with the diversity of the songs from their back-catalogue and that they played some of the best stuff off their latest album. For my expectations, this set really delivered with my favorites being Jackie Collins Existential Question Time, Peeled Apples and Faster. However, all songs were great. I like that they sprinkled in a few surprises like their cover of Take the Skinheads Bowling and the ode to singer/actor/athlete/activist Paul Robeson called Let Robeson Sing. I assume the later was a cheeky dig at the U.S. But, it’s a good song with intelligent lyrics. I liked that it was included.

In terms of performance, I have just say this…it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I cannot underscore this enough. This show had it all - talent aplenty, great songs, engaged, passionate and energy to burn. This band was by my observation really glad to be there and put on a great performance. James Dean Bradfield in particular delivered the goods with his powerful vocals, jumping around, spinning around and generally kicking ass. I was also glad that at one point near the beginning of the show, Bradfield announced that it had been 10 years since they’d been in Seattle and that the last time they played here the venue was called “Aero-Smith or something like that.” I had to laugh. I assumed he was going on our little exchange on the street…at least that’s what I’ll go ahead and believe.

Nicky Wire did something that I noticed in the show 10 years ago…he played almost the entire set with his eyes closed. I’m not sure if that’s a regular thing with him or if the small venue was the reason. But, he also jumped around and did his scissor kicks a few times and had a few words for the audience.

Details for Fans
For fans out there who might be wondering small details, here are some to report:

• After a few seconds of Your Love Alone…James stopped the band and said that “one thing about getting older – not old, but older – is a low tolerance for an out of tune guitar.” He then promptly swapped out his white Gibson for another guitar and re-started the song from the beginning.
• When introducing the song Faster, bassist Nicky Wire said that, “Richey never made it to Seattle, but his music did. He would have loved it here for all its beautiful pretentiousness.” After the song, Wire said, “I meant pretentiousness in a good way.”
• The Manics are selling t-shirts at the US gigs. The ones we saw were the Working Class Hero shirt and two slightly different black shirts – both with the cover art from Journal for Plague Lovers on them. While I like the cover art for the album, I’m not too keen on wearing it around on my chest. But that’s me.
• As mentioned, Nicky Wire did seem to be fully mobile and no longer suffering from his previous back problems.
• Drummer Sean Moore got quite a few shout outs during the show…more than I thought he would.
• There was not Manics stage backdrop art. Just a basic stage setup. In fact, the stage was so small that Moore really was pretty invisible as his drums were not on a riser (that I could see anyway).
• There were two other performers on stage with the band. A second guitarist and a keyboard player. Both were clearly part of the band (in other words not hidden in back or anything), but also clearly off to one side of the small stage.
• The concert closed with Bradfield announcing that “this is our last song tonight. It’s called Design for Life.” And with that followed with a note-perfect performance of that great tune. After their thank-yous and leaving the stage, the crowd cheered mightily for them to come back for a few more songs, but it was not to be. Normally, I might be disappointed in this. However, the Manics played about an hour and a half of great rock and roll – so, I’ll give them a break.

After the show, Paul and I went across the street for one last drink and to go over what we’d just witnessed. We summarized many of the points I’ve made above in this post and concluded that this one is right up there with the best we’d seen. I mean, in the end…when you get to see a band of this caliber that’s one of your all-time favorites in such a small venue with great sound and oh by the way meet the lead singer (and he’s cool)…well, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Ears ringing, smiles on our faces and full of the knowledge that we’d just seen a truly unlikely but spectacular show…we headed home.

Journal for Plague Lovers - A Return to Glory for Manic Street Preachers

Sometimes, one of your favorite bands hits their peak and, despite your undying devotion, just doesn't quite deliver the goods after that. Sure, they might put out a song or two - even an album - that is a cut above what else is going on in music, but for the most part...you starting thinking that their day has come and gone. I think we all have these feelings about one band or performer that we love.

But sometimes, that same band comes back and knocks your socks off when you’re least expecting it with a masterpiece that has you believing once again. They return to glory...and they do so on the merits of new work rather than a "greatest hits tour" or the like.
This happened with me for one of my all time favorite bands, Manic Street Preachers with their new CD Journal for Plague Lovers. For those of you not versed in the ways of the Manics, check out some info on them here, here and here.

To set up Journal for Plague Lovers, however, you need to know more than just this is their ninth studio album. Rather, we need to begin things with a short history of Manic Street Preachers.

The Band Forms

In the late 1980s, four university students in Wales started a rock band. The members had known each other most of their young lives and their goals were, among others, to shock the rock world, shake things up in a boring music scene, cause a little controversy and get people thinking. After a street vagrant described the sound of band member James Dean Bradfield as he busked for change on the street as that of a "manic street preacher," the band took that as its name. (Below right: The Manics in the early days: Sean Moore, Richy Edwards, James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire. Picture from the Elbo.ws blog.)

By the early 1990s the Manics and worked up a set of songs, moved to London, got some gigs and were taking the music scene by storm with their direct confrontation of the prevailing rave, Britpop, “baggy” culture, authority and more.

They Produce Exciting Early Work

Citing Guns ‘n Roses, the Clash and Public Enemy as heavy influences, Generation Terrorist was their first full release and their glam punk rock and catchy hooks proved an exciting mix that certainly got my attention. In addition to the music, the lyrical content of the Manics songs emerged as worthy with guitarist and chief lyricist Richy Edwards penning songs that challenged people’s assumptions around such things as gender, government, consumerism, music censorship and more…expressing anger at these societal issues. Glory was sniffed and perhaps even partly achieved with this first outing.

Their second effort was Gold Against the Soul. It built on their sound a bit and saw Edwards cover more personal subjects covered in songs like “From Dispare to Where,” “Life Becoming a Landslide,” and “Roses in the Hospital.” Glory was knocking.

In 1994 came The Holy Bible, their third CD. This is – in my opinion – their very best. Dark, aggressive, tender at a few times and always thought provoking, this was truly art just as much as rock and roll. This time Edwards clearly expressed his disgust with humanity and what people are willing to do to themselves and others. Glory was clearly achieved here. (Left: The Manics in the mid-1990s -- Bradfield, Edwards, Wire and Moore. Picture not taken by me...copied from the So Well Remembered blog.)

Edwards Disappears, Things Change

Soon after this, the troubled Edwards went missing and has never been heard from again. Now declared legally dead, most assume he killed himself by jumping off the Severn bridge in the UK. Perhaps this is not surprising given the progression of themes Edward explored in the Manics first thee records. However, before he disappeared, Edwards left his other band mates a folder full of lyrics for their next record.

Devastated by the loss of their friend, but deciding to carry on as a band, some of these lyrics made their way on the band’s following record, Everything Must Go, which went on to be a massive album in the UK – clearly their commercial height and solidifying them as a glorious band.

However, the bulk of Edward’s lyrics in those folders remained unused. And so it remained as the band put out several other albums including This is My Truth Tell Me Yours, Know Your Enemy, Lifeblood and Send Away the Tigers. Each of these had their high points, but each also seemed to be one slightly less interesting effort than the last with Send Away the Tigers perhaps an exception in a positive direction. (Above: The Manics in the 21st Century -- Bradfield, Wire and Moore. Picture not taken by me. Copied from The Line of Best Fit blog.)

That is until now.

Now we come to the current day and the main event. Namely, the new CD by the Manics called Journal for Plague Lovers. Last year, Bradfield and the other two members of the band – Nicky Wire and Sean Moore – decided it was time to revisit the bulk of the lyrics Edwards left them before he vanished.

With a decade to help heal the shock and sadness of their comrade’s apparent suicide, the band decided it was time to base an album solely on this last trove of Edwards’ words. Doing so was seen at the time as a risky proposition. Would 10 year old lyrics really be relevant today? Would they be able to make sense of Edwards thoughts? Would the listening public see this as desperation or a bold move?

Well, in hindsight they need not have worried because from beginning to end, the album they created - Journal for Plague Lovers - is a first class piece of rock art. Equal parts dangerous, brooding, aggressive, thought provoking and literate, the new CD evokes the best of the band's The Holy Bible high point with their subsequent chart success sensibilities. Glory has clearly been achieved again.

(Above: Cover of Journal for Plague Lovers.)

Here's a run down of the songs on Journal for Plague Lovers:

• Peeled Apples – a dark, aggressive opener with a killer guitar riff. This song open things up on the right note and lets you know that serious business is afoot. Firing off sets of imagery in each verse that set up ironies or fears, the chorus pays these off with a couple ways to deal with those. The one suggested I like best is "trespass your torments, if you are what you wanna be."
• Jackie Collins Existential Question Time – a catchy tune with a funny, disturbing and thought provoking theme that’ll have you pondering a number of things. Situationist sisterhood of Jackie and Joan, indeed.
• Me and Steven Hawkings - a song about (I think) the dangers of cloning and using chemicals/genetics in farming. What will such activity lead to? How would "me" and scientist Steven Hawkings feel about that? Just some of the fun territory explored in this romper of a rocking tune.
• This Joke Sport Severed – things slow down here. Starting with just Bradfield’s voice and acoustic guitar, it builds musically with strings and more instruments. This is a sorrowful song in which the distraught person (Edwards presumably) is seeking "the place where I became untethered." There is a well placed "disconnect" in music to underscore this point song about half way through.
• Journal for Plague Lovers - a mid-paced rocker with radio-wave guitars, this song tackles the power, improbability and perfection of deities. At least that's my take. The song opens with some doubting lines about how "pretend prayer and pretend care makes everything fair" and then the song goes on to state that "Only a god reserves the right to absolve the ones who revile him." Heavy stuff and not easily deciphered. But that's the cool part. You can ponder it. Plus, making logical sense of great poetry, art or Richy Edwards' lyrics isn't meant to be easy.
• She Bathed Herself in a Bath of Bleach - the driving rock riff and emotional belt-it-out chorus return here with a song about...well, I'm not too sure. There are some clear lines in here about what a person would do for love and the power of love. So, I'll go with it's about the power and pain of love.
• Facing Page: Top Left - this is a beautiful song with simple acoustic guitar. Clear divided between contemplative versus and a more upbeat chorus, Bradfield delivers perhaps the best vocal on the entire CD as he expresses Edwards' thoughts on how he feels truly down in side - both at times ready to smile and at other ready to cry.
• Marlon J.D. - kicking off with an electric drum beat, this is one of the more musically interesting songs on the album. The lyrics suggest an admiration for certain type of discipline - in particular the ability to live very basically "without clutter or luxury"...as well as the ability to take abuse and loneliness. All of these are traits from the character played by Marlon Brandon in the movie Apocalypse Now and this is referenced in a few different ways here. Musically, the song does not disappoint. Another highlight.
• Doors Closing Slowly - here we have the third slower song on this CD. Heavy on imagery again, Edwards seems to be communicating his despair with the way society is going...and the loneliness of knowing that, but not being able to do anything about it.
• All is Vanity - a very straight forward and powerful song in terms of music and lyrics and very strong for that. This song simply says that the question in life is not "what's wrong?" but rather "what's right?" What is the right thing to do? And for that, it's also a comment on the phoniness many people display or put up with every day. These are the "facts of life - sunshine" as the song's searing chorus repeats.
• Pretension/Repulsion - lyrically, this song is the musical equivalent of a Jackson Pollack painting. It's scattered, going in different directions with a jumble of phrases that don't seem to go together. Musically, it rocks hard...and for that you can enjoy it thoroughly.
• Virginia State Epileptic Colony - a nice mid-paced rocker that lyrically describes what it might be to live a life inside an institution.
• William’s Last Words - this one is sung in the flatter tone of the band's bassist, Nicky Wire, and it's a clear "song for departure" penned by Edwards as he pondered whatever he felt he needed to do. Deploying a slower, acoustic, almost plodding approach musically as Richy Edwards articulates his farewell wishes to his friends and family. A sad song in that respect and a testament to the the love they felt for their friend that the band decided to record it.
• Bag Lady - perhaps more similar to the sound of songs on The Holy Bible than any others on Journal, this song to me is about the fallacy of following the the path of narcissism and self delusion about the world. The music, combined with Bradfield's powerful deliver makes for a powerful ending to the set.

I highly recommend Journal for Plague Lovers for anyone looking for authentic, legitimate rock and roll - rock as a statement, as art, as catharsis, as a release and certainly in this case a tribute to a fallen comrade. These guys are producing stuff you ain't gonna hear about or get anywhere else. Throw in the compelling performance by each band member and the diversity of sounds you hear, this is a record you can listen from beginning to end...always something I look for. I suggest you check it out.

Know Your Enemy

Rock band Green Day will release their first album in years in May. It's called 21st Century Breakdown - which is a halfway or more rip-off of the title of the album put out by Joe Strummer's band the 101'ers called Elgin Avenue Breakdown. After it's release, Joe promptly left and joined a little unit you may of heard of called The Clash. So, given all that Green Day owe to Joe and the Clash musically, parodying an album title is certainly understandable. 

Anyway, I've not heard any of the new Green Day set yet, but I have to say that I like the Bay Area band quite a bit. Especially over the last few years as they've upped their game to sing about political issues instead of "I'm board and poor me" topics.

Another naming coincidence (?) is that the first single from Green Day's new album is called Know Your Enemy. You can buy the song now in iTunes if not elsewhere. But, Know Your Enemy is the name of an entire album of songs by an excellent political rock band you probably have never heard of - Manic Street Preachers. 

If you have never heard the Manics, you need to go out and get their debut Generation Terrorist, their artistic peak album The Holy Bible and their commercial hit Everything Must Go. The Welch band has many other good albums out, but those are essential. In early 2001 they also put out a CD called...Know Your Enemy. 

The Manic's Know Your Enemy was a return to a more aggressive rock sound after a couple more commercial outings. 

And there's lot to admire on this one - including that they kicked off their tour that year with a show in Havana, Cuba. You think Green Day is going to make that political statement? No, they're not.

At any rate, whether it's the ripping Found that Soul, the touching Ocean Spray, the polemic Intravenous Agnostic, the sunny Why So Sad, the disco (disco mocking that is) Miss Europa Dancer, the beautiful and educational Let Robeson Sing or political My Guernica or Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children...this record has a lot of songs to like and to ponder.  

So much so that I'd recommend that you check it out at the same time as you get Green Day's single Know Your Enemy and new album. Compare 'em. Who is singing about real issues? Who is more musically adventurous? I love me some Green Day...trust me. But, if you like them too I think you're gonna love the Manics.

Check it out. Oh, and if you've never heard the 101ers, you should check that too. Joe Strummer in his early days and definitely rockin'.