Suicide Alley that far down? Hmm....not sure if it bodes well for the higher portion of this rate.

Damn, I wish I'd seen this rate sooner and could have contributed to it :(

 

29 Repeat 6.89

 

 

A song that always stuck me as bit gimmicky - essentially an easy way for the band to fill every line with a slogan and also to encourage crowd participation, plus the usual guitar heroics. Which I guess is clever.

 

 

Highest - grebo(11)

Lowest - chez wombat (4)

Edited August 17, 201311 yr by AnthonyT

 

28 There by the Grace of God 7.00

 

I can see how some people think this is dreary, far too polished, featureless and without any of the edge that made people fall in love with the Manics in the first place but maybe because I was a "new" fan I didn't mind when they came out with elegance like this. Singles released to promote Greatest Hits albums are rarely critically smashes and There By the Grace of God didn't do anything to change that. I always use the word glacial when describing the music for this and it does excel at the sort of sound that they wanted to perfect with Lifeblood but rarely matched it. It could have done with a fantastic solo that would have placed it in the Top 10 Manics songs, for me but alas it didn't happen.

 

 

Highest - Jester(10)

Lowest - richie, Dandy*(4)

 

29 Repeat 6.89

A song that always stuck me as bit gimmicky - essentially an easy way for the band to fill every line with a slogan and also to encourage crowd participation, plus the usual guitar heroics. Which I guess is clever.

 

 

Highest - grebo(11)

Lowest - chez wombat (4)

Hmmm see this more as a compete anti-monarchy rant comprised of situationist sloganeering. Plus the usual guitar heroics(!).

Nothing in the latest batch that I'm too sorry to see go, although I do have a soft spot for Repeat

 

27 Found That Soul 7.10

 

Released on the same day as So Why So Sad this really was much better than its twin single. It rocked like a bast*rd but had a single-note piano phrase that gave it an unhinged nature. The chorus may lack the melodic nature that we had become accustomed to but it did the trick for me. A nice little raucous solo makes it so much more enjoyable.

 

 

Highest - AnthonyT(10)

Lowest - RabitFurCoat, Dandy*(5)

 

26 From Despair to Where 7.10

 

Lead single from Gold Against the Soul, From Despair to Where lacked some of the edge of the singles from Generation Terrorists but it (sorta) made up for that with a soaring, melodic riff which acted as a powerful hook. James' vocals took on a distinctive American tone which carried throughout the album. It was all carried off with the now characteristic muscular guitar work.

 

 

Highest - AnthonyT, Sinner(8)

Lowest - gooddelta(6)

Edited October 30, 201311 yr by AnthonyT