Bulldog

They used to be one of my favourite bands, especially when they released Lifeblood (very adventurous and criminally underrated album). Then they released Send Away the Tigers, which just smacks of pandering to the masses by giving them exactly what they want which, needless to say, is an artistic venture I don't respect.

Mojo

When you say "pandering to the masses" and giving "them" exactly what they want then what do you mean by "them?"

The general public, Manic Street Preachers fans or the more "old school" Manic Street Preachers fans who have actually heard any of their records before Everything Must Go?

Bulldog

I mean fans of This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours and Everything Must Go - so basically, yeah, basically the newer breed of Manics fans. People who just want catchy, guitar-driven anthems out of them. However wrong I may or may not be (I've only got through Send Away the Tigers once - really not my cuppa tea) that's how I see it.

Don't get me wrong, I love This Is My Truth... and Everything Must Go, but Send Away the Tigers to me seems like a mediocre rehash of the formula behind those two albums.

Mojo

Hmm thats interesting. I ask because had you said the general public I would have assumed that you were of the opinion that the songs on that record were what they wanted. That would make sense to me, whether I would have agreed or not. Had you said the old school Manics fans I probably would have agreed too.

Send Away The Tigers is far from The Manics the way they used to be, and without Richey Edwards it's impossible to ever be that band again or to make a record that sounds like the records they made with him. Also Send Away The Tigers has songs like Your Love Alone on it which is a very catcy, infectious pop song not too far away from the stuff on This Is My Truth etc. Even with that said though I get a feeling of, not returning to roots because they certainly haven't but a feeling of the beginning of writing more rock and roll orientated music again and personally I think its probably been better recieved by the old school fans than anything sice The Holy Bible and Everything Must Go (although is very hard to measure of course). They even used The Holy Bible font on the artwork and included older songs like Born To End in the tour for the record.

I guess I just assume that the newer generation of Manics fans, the fans that havent heard anything pre EMG and to whom the whole leopard print and feather boa's thing makes no sense would much rather listen to their slower records like TIMT and Lifeblood than the rockier, faster tunes on their newer record.

almauro

I discovered Holy Bible from Urban's Top 100. It's one of those rare very melodic Brit-pop/rock albums that's intense all the way through. One of my favs.

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