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30 Days of Manics - Day 14
Jul. 29th, 2010 10:36 pm(Yes, I know I've missed 11-13, I'll come back to them when I have time to go get my books out and work out what my favourite quotes are, life is *way* too busy right now)
Day 14: Have you listened to Nicky’s or James’ solo-albums?
Yes. Sort of. Partly.
I've listened to James' album many times over. It's basically soft Manics with mediocre to poor lyrics but good vocals and pleasing melodies. I distinctly remember making time to listen to radio 2/the Ken Bruce show every day for a week as The Great Western was the album of the week from the Monday before it was released. It has some really mainstream-radio-accessible tracks on and every now and again I like to just sit back and enjoy as James' voice trickles over me with it's honey-ed glow.
It may not be cool, or hip, or critically brilliant, but a) neither are the Manics and b) it fills a gap in my music collection with much needed....pleasantness.
Nicky's album is another matter. I got the free I killed the Zeitgeist download on...Christmas Day was it? Anyway, I got it. Listened to it with eyes widening with every bar before immediately listening to it again to confirm that yes, it really was THAT BAD.
I dutifully bought the album...some time after it was released and got the nice cardboard case/special edition one. It sat in said nice case for several months before I gave listening to it a whirl, and managed to get through 3 tracks before turning it off in horror.
Since then I have tried to listen to the album several times, it's actually a painful experience. Even having it on low in the background while I do something else hasn't worked, it is too pervasively bad to make it through the whole thing - you notice it's on because it offends your ears so unrelentingly.
I read an article on the Manics a while back, I forget where, it was discussing the rock star credentials of Nicky Wire and quipped that he was the solo artist ever to release an album, play one gig and then unceremoniously split up with himself. I laughed at the truth in that. Nice to know that they managed, on a small scale, to fulfill their promise from way back when.
When I worked at HMV part of my job was to restock the Rock and Pop section. I would move stuff around so 'Nicky Wire' was a header card at the front of that section and used to bring as many of the hundreds of copies that were in the stock room of the album out as I could. We sold about 4 of them in the 2 months I worked there. I entirely credit myself with those sales. I'm expecting my commission any day now.
Day 14: Have you listened to Nicky’s or James’ solo-albums?
Yes. Sort of. Partly.
I've listened to James' album many times over. It's basically soft Manics with mediocre to poor lyrics but good vocals and pleasing melodies. I distinctly remember making time to listen to radio 2/the Ken Bruce show every day for a week as The Great Western was the album of the week from the Monday before it was released. It has some really mainstream-radio-accessible tracks on and every now and again I like to just sit back and enjoy as James' voice trickles over me with it's honey-ed glow.
It may not be cool, or hip, or critically brilliant, but a) neither are the Manics and b) it fills a gap in my music collection with much needed....pleasantness.
Nicky's album is another matter. I got the free I killed the Zeitgeist download on...Christmas Day was it? Anyway, I got it. Listened to it with eyes widening with every bar before immediately listening to it again to confirm that yes, it really was THAT BAD.
I dutifully bought the album...some time after it was released and got the nice cardboard case/special edition one. It sat in said nice case for several months before I gave listening to it a whirl, and managed to get through 3 tracks before turning it off in horror.
Since then I have tried to listen to the album several times, it's actually a painful experience. Even having it on low in the background while I do something else hasn't worked, it is too pervasively bad to make it through the whole thing - you notice it's on because it offends your ears so unrelentingly.
I read an article on the Manics a while back, I forget where, it was discussing the rock star credentials of Nicky Wire and quipped that he was the solo artist ever to release an album, play one gig and then unceremoniously split up with himself. I laughed at the truth in that. Nice to know that they managed, on a small scale, to fulfill their promise from way back when.
When I worked at HMV part of my job was to restock the Rock and Pop section. I would move stuff around so 'Nicky Wire' was a header card at the front of that section and used to bring as many of the hundreds of copies that were in the stock room of the album out as I could. We sold about 4 of them in the 2 months I worked there. I entirely credit myself with those sales. I'm expecting my commission any day now.
