They say you never forget your first love and I can honestly say the torch I've held for the Manic Street Preachers still burns as brightly as it did for the 13-year-old that discovered them.
To my young, impressionable ears, the Manics were he most exciting and important thing I'd ever heard or seen. Coming from a small town that was so lacking in everything it felt like the arse-end of nowhere, they gave a voice to the boredom and banality felt by teens like myself who were stranded in exactly the same existence.
It was the critically acclaimed 'Everything Must Go' that brought them to my attention, but it was immersing myself in their back catalogue that led me down the path of music awesomeness and onward to an eternal love of good music and good books.
I have the Manics to thank for drawing my attention to a lot of things that have been life changing. Without them I'd never have found The Clash, a band whose presence has made my life all the richer for it, or Jack Kerouac, whose 'On The Road' beatnik adventure completely captured my heart and made me fall in love with America long before I got there.
From the aggression and attitude of 'Generation Terrorists' to the dark, thought-provoking depths of 'The Holy Bible', the Manics' music has always encouraged he listener to think outside the box. While other bands worked hard to fit whatever music mould was trendy that year, they distanced themselves with lyrics inspired by the library, rather than the ladies.
They supplied their fans with not just a list of musical influences, but a whole library's worth of books that would enrich lives. Joining the Manics clan was only partly about expanding your CD collection, mostly it was about expanding your mind and your bookshelf. For every single, every album, there was a specially selected quote, a clue to the possibilities that lay ahead were you to just tag along on their educational ride.
The Manics also revelled in being different. In the early days their sound was an awkward fit, but their look was even more striking. Eyeliner, feather boas, women's blouses and the tightest of tight white jeans. You think the emo look was an odd one? The Manics took the best and worst of female style in the early '90s and ran with it.
They were a band out there on their own - what's not to love?
Showing posts with label The Clash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Clash. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
D is for Debuts
It's often said a band's classic work comes together in their third album - think Radiohead 'OK Computer', Metallica 'Master of Puppets' and Manic Street Preachers 'Holy Bible'.
After testing the water with the debut and getting past that difficult second album, things usually come together to create a masterstroke the third time around.
Personally, I like the uncertainty of a debut, the sound of a band discovering themselves and in some cases a rawness that just can't be captured again.
Here's my list of debuts that defy the third album rule:
* The Clash - The Clash
Yes, I know 'London Calling' is cited as the classic here and while that album is a true work of art, there's something about 'The Clash' that just speaks to me. Edgy, stripped down and angry, the lyrics and sound just give me that same rush of adrenaline I felt the first time round. If you don't own it, you should.
* Killing Joke - Killing Joke
I own a few of these, including the just released 'MMXII', but their 1980 eponymously titled debut and its unmistakable brand of industrial post-punk simply can't be beaten. Want to know what the impending apocalypse will sound like? It's already been recorded here.
* Guns n Roses - Appetite For Destruction
It's got 'Welcome to the Jungle', 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child o' Mine' - how could a band possibly top that? Not to mention that Axl Rose was already well on his way to becoming an asshole the moment this album was released.
* Pearl Jam - Ten
Born into grunge and yet still going strong, Pearl Jame have successfully managed to dodge the curse of pigeon-holing and a passing music trend. This stunning collection has some awesome riffs and hasn't aged a day.
* Arcade Fire - Funeral
A modern classic with amazing moments throughout and completely captivating when performed live. Also one of the best albums of the last decade and while their later stuff is also worth a listen, I don't think this one can be topped.
After testing the water with the debut and getting past that difficult second album, things usually come together to create a masterstroke the third time around.
Personally, I like the uncertainty of a debut, the sound of a band discovering themselves and in some cases a rawness that just can't be captured again.
Here's my list of debuts that defy the third album rule:
* The Clash - The Clash
Yes, I know 'London Calling' is cited as the classic here and while that album is a true work of art, there's something about 'The Clash' that just speaks to me. Edgy, stripped down and angry, the lyrics and sound just give me that same rush of adrenaline I felt the first time round. If you don't own it, you should.
* Killing Joke - Killing Joke
I own a few of these, including the just released 'MMXII', but their 1980 eponymously titled debut and its unmistakable brand of industrial post-punk simply can't be beaten. Want to know what the impending apocalypse will sound like? It's already been recorded here.
* Guns n Roses - Appetite For Destruction
It's got 'Welcome to the Jungle', 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child o' Mine' - how could a band possibly top that? Not to mention that Axl Rose was already well on his way to becoming an asshole the moment this album was released.
* Pearl Jam - Ten
Born into grunge and yet still going strong, Pearl Jame have successfully managed to dodge the curse of pigeon-holing and a passing music trend. This stunning collection has some awesome riffs and hasn't aged a day.
* Arcade Fire - Funeral
A modern classic with amazing moments throughout and completely captivating when performed live. Also one of the best albums of the last decade and while their later stuff is also worth a listen, I don't think this one can be topped.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Challenge #2: Sarah vs. Museum/Art Gallery
Overwhelmed
I am stood in a room full of stuff belonging to Mick Jones. 'My guitar hero' of The Clash fame, Mick Jones. Words fail me right now as to how awestruck I am.
Tucked beneath the Marylebone Flyover in Joe Strummer Subway, found just round the corner from Edgeware Road tube station in the nation's capital, I am standing gawping at a treasure trove of goodies collected by a punk legend.
A former key cutting shop in this underground passage has been commandeered and transformed into something much more exciting. The Subway Gallery, as it is now known, provides a quiet and wonderful escape from the chaos of the flyover and the chance to lose yourself for a while - it's another world hidden away from the bustle of they city's Saturday shoppers and fun seekers.
The Rock 'n' Roll Public Library
Until 31st March, the Subway Gallery is showing an eclectic exhibition of items collected by Mick Jones during his youth and early punk days, meaning the chance to get close to this stuff is a must for any Clash fan. The collection includes a mass of comics, fanzines, toys, Clash-related coolness and just a heap of stuff I would love to fill my bag with right now, all belonging to the man himself. Books and paraphernalia that influenced the music and opinions of the band also line the shelves, along with many cans of London fog.
A Rock 'n' Roll Library of My Own
On the journey home - completed by a soundtrack of The Clash debut, naturally - I got to thinking about what I'd put in my own Rock 'n' Roll Library were I to create one.
As previously mentioned, I am the proud owner of a pretty awesome ticket stub collection, which would have to be included, along with a mountain of band t-shirts, a million and one itens relating to the Manic Street Preachers, my battered Doc Martens (bought 1997, now cracked, mouldy and in a very sad and sorry state of decay, but ultimately impossible) and a stack of magazines I've accumulated over the years.
There's also an adorable pile of fanzines that would offer an interesting snapshot of music from 1996 to 2001 and mentions of bands now long forgotten, plus a shoebox or two full of mixtapes.
Oh, and the DIY clothes I spraypainted The Clash/Manic Street Preachers-style and wore so proudly back in my youth, set lists and parts of set lists, and photos of bands and signed stuff from over the years would also get chucked in there.
I am stood in a room full of stuff belonging to Mick Jones. 'My guitar hero' of The Clash fame, Mick Jones. Words fail me right now as to how awestruck I am.
A former key cutting shop in this underground passage has been commandeered and transformed into something much more exciting. The Subway Gallery, as it is now known, provides a quiet and wonderful escape from the chaos of the flyover and the chance to lose yourself for a while - it's another world hidden away from the bustle of they city's Saturday shoppers and fun seekers.
Subway Gallery hosts a different exhibition every month
Until 31st March, the Subway Gallery is showing an eclectic exhibition of items collected by Mick Jones during his youth and early punk days, meaning the chance to get close to this stuff is a must for any Clash fan. The collection includes a mass of comics, fanzines, toys, Clash-related coolness and just a heap of stuff I would love to fill my bag with right now, all belonging to the man himself. Books and paraphernalia that influenced the music and opinions of the band also line the shelves, along with many cans of London fog.
By far my favourite items were the surviving copies of Sniffin' Glue and Ripped & Torn all lining one wall (sadly, I wasn't allowed to paw them). These '70s fanzines come from a now unimaginable pre-internet age, when music fans spent hours locked away in their bedrooms lovingly handcrafting these cut 'n' paste beauties to share their love of punk with the world.
Fanzine collection
Avid Commando comic collector
Goggles
Shirts from The Clash wardrobe
Punk wellies
I wonder how many non-related books there are titled 'The Clash'?
Keeping my hands in my pockets to ensure the urge to steal this awesome stuff doesn't overwhelme me.
(The dude with the hair is my mate Steve)
As the preferred busking spot of the late Clash frontman, the subway under Marylebone Flyover was aptly christened Joe Strummer Subway on the anniversary of his death, 22nd December 2009.
The sign was designed by artist Robert Gordon McHarg III, also the man responsible for the Subway Gallery.
(postcode: W2 1DX)
Verdict: a very over-excited WIN!
A Rock 'n' Roll Library of My Own
On the journey home - completed by a soundtrack of The Clash debut, naturally - I got to thinking about what I'd put in my own Rock 'n' Roll Library were I to create one.
As previously mentioned, I am the proud owner of a pretty awesome ticket stub collection, which would have to be included, along with a mountain of band t-shirts, a million and one itens relating to the Manic Street Preachers, my battered Doc Martens (bought 1997, now cracked, mouldy and in a very sad and sorry state of decay, but ultimately impossible) and a stack of magazines I've accumulated over the years.
There's also an adorable pile of fanzines that would offer an interesting snapshot of music from 1996 to 2001 and mentions of bands now long forgotten, plus a shoebox or two full of mixtapes.
Oh, and the DIY clothes I spraypainted The Clash/Manic Street Preachers-style and wore so proudly back in my youth, set lists and parts of set lists, and photos of bands and signed stuff from over the years would also get chucked in there.
All in all, it'd be a pretty awesome record of the music that's accompanied me over the last 29 years and, come to think of it, would probably look exactly like my flat. Feel free to come round and take a look...
Friday, 2 March 2012
Web Stuff I Love
Lose Yourself
It's easy to lose hours when you get drawn into searching for random crap on the internet. Like most people, I love a good fail video and odd crazes involving putting bread round a cat's face, but I also like things that are a little more creative.
Here are my faves at the mo:
Sleeve Face
This one has been going for a few years now, but whenever I take a look it always gives me a few giggles. The basic premise is to use a record sleeve with a face on and recreate the rest of the scene. My favourite ones are where people have really gone to town to make the background and outfits match those on the actual album cover. Check out A Festive Christmas by Carl Morris, now that's what I call effort.
Dear Photograph
The idea is to take a picture of the past and put it in the present, using the original setting as a frame around a photograph. I love the contrast of colours and focus, and how time seems to stand still in some of the pictures - THIS is one of my favourites. I really need to dig out my childhood photos so I can do one of these.
1000 Journals
This is such I clever idea I feel that it really should have been mine. A thousand journals are being passed from artist to artist around the world, in what must be one of the biggest and most inclusive art projects going. Drawings, stories and photographs can be used to fill a couple of pages before the journal is passed onto the next person. Images are added to the website as the books get filled and it's really interesting to see what different ideas people come up with.
The Burning House
We've all thought about this. John Peel even prepared for it with a pre-packed box of vinyl he said he would save were his house to burn down. A box that allegedly contained several copies of the 'Teenage Kicks' 7" by The Undertones. While my CD/record collection is one of my life's companions, as well as being one of my most treasured possessions, I feel that most of them could probably be replaced if needs be. I think higher up the list of must-rescue items would be my ticket stubs - a grubby catalogue of paperwork dating the majority of my musical movements over the last 16 years. I would be devastated if I lost this record of my youth as there is no other way to trace my gig movements and as I can't remember most of them without using the stub as a little reminder, all of those wonderful moments would be lost forever.
Last year I went to the Home of Metal exhibition in Birmingham. A beautifully compiled display of all things Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death-related cool stuff. Old posters from gigs that took place before I was born, old ticket stubs for amazing gigs in grubby sweatboxes that changed the lives of those that witnessed them for the small price of about two quid and some fantastic black and white photographs. One of the items that caught my eye was an obsessive Judas Priest fan, who had travelled across the globe and documented every gig he had been to in an A4 book - the venue, the city, the country, the date, the support acts, all the details were their for him to pour over and look back to in old age. I can't tell you how jealous I was of that guy and his book. If only I'd logged all this stuff I'd have a complete record of every band I've seen live. Damn it.
Keri Smith
My amazingly talented friend Dina Thanki drew my attention to this crazy lady, who creates activity books that help you feel like a kid again. Forget traditional journalling and sketch books, Keri Smith encourages you to break all the rules with her series of books. From chucking coffee over the pages to wiping your feet on them, paper disguises to random doodles, these books let you let go of being an adult for a while.
Louder Than War
For the best in new and old music, this one can't be beaten. There's loads of interviews and reviews, but I find articles like the top anti-Thatcher songs and what if only 30 bands could exist really get me thinking and unleash the music-list loving beast within. I see a list coming on...
Sabotage Times
For daily laughs and much-needed pick-me-ups this is the website I turn to. It's really well written in a lad mag kinda style and has a sense of humour that just kills me. I love people who don't take themselves too seriously, so this really is my kind of thing. As well as its stupid side, there's really interesting articles on music, such as this interview with Clash legend Mick - you're my guitar hero - Jones
Want to see the world's tallest giraffe, a burger that looks like Chewbacca or find out how having a hard on gets you priority seating on Japanese public transport? Sabotage Times has got it all covered.
Cassette From My Ex
A must for anyone who remembers dedicating hours of their life to perfecting the art of the mixtape in the name of love and who still has shoe boxes full of the things hidden in the wardrobe.
In the wise words of High Fidelity's Rob Gordon: "The making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. There are many dos and don'ts. First of all you are using someone else's poetry to express how you feel - this is a delicate thing..."
Ahh yes, a 'subtle' combination of songs whose lyrics would reveal to the recipient in no uncertain terms that you wanted a shag. About as subtle as filling an entire tape with this sexy little Nine Inch Nails number.
It's easy to lose hours when you get drawn into searching for random crap on the internet. Like most people, I love a good fail video and odd crazes involving putting bread round a cat's face, but I also like things that are a little more creative.
Here are my faves at the mo:
Sleeve Face
This one has been going for a few years now, but whenever I take a look it always gives me a few giggles. The basic premise is to use a record sleeve with a face on and recreate the rest of the scene. My favourite ones are where people have really gone to town to make the background and outfits match those on the actual album cover. Check out A Festive Christmas by Carl Morris, now that's what I call effort.
Dear Photograph
The idea is to take a picture of the past and put it in the present, using the original setting as a frame around a photograph. I love the contrast of colours and focus, and how time seems to stand still in some of the pictures - THIS is one of my favourites. I really need to dig out my childhood photos so I can do one of these.
1000 Journals
This is such I clever idea I feel that it really should have been mine. A thousand journals are being passed from artist to artist around the world, in what must be one of the biggest and most inclusive art projects going. Drawings, stories and photographs can be used to fill a couple of pages before the journal is passed onto the next person. Images are added to the website as the books get filled and it's really interesting to see what different ideas people come up with.
The Burning House
We've all thought about this. John Peel even prepared for it with a pre-packed box of vinyl he said he would save were his house to burn down. A box that allegedly contained several copies of the 'Teenage Kicks' 7" by The Undertones. While my CD/record collection is one of my life's companions, as well as being one of my most treasured possessions, I feel that most of them could probably be replaced if needs be. I think higher up the list of must-rescue items would be my ticket stubs - a grubby catalogue of paperwork dating the majority of my musical movements over the last 16 years. I would be devastated if I lost this record of my youth as there is no other way to trace my gig movements and as I can't remember most of them without using the stub as a little reminder, all of those wonderful moments would be lost forever.
Last year I went to the Home of Metal exhibition in Birmingham. A beautifully compiled display of all things Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death-related cool stuff. Old posters from gigs that took place before I was born, old ticket stubs for amazing gigs in grubby sweatboxes that changed the lives of those that witnessed them for the small price of about two quid and some fantastic black and white photographs. One of the items that caught my eye was an obsessive Judas Priest fan, who had travelled across the globe and documented every gig he had been to in an A4 book - the venue, the city, the country, the date, the support acts, all the details were their for him to pour over and look back to in old age. I can't tell you how jealous I was of that guy and his book. If only I'd logged all this stuff I'd have a complete record of every band I've seen live. Damn it.
Keri Smith
My amazingly talented friend Dina Thanki drew my attention to this crazy lady, who creates activity books that help you feel like a kid again. Forget traditional journalling and sketch books, Keri Smith encourages you to break all the rules with her series of books. From chucking coffee over the pages to wiping your feet on them, paper disguises to random doodles, these books let you let go of being an adult for a while.
Louder Than War
For the best in new and old music, this one can't be beaten. There's loads of interviews and reviews, but I find articles like the top anti-Thatcher songs and what if only 30 bands could exist really get me thinking and unleash the music-list loving beast within. I see a list coming on...
Sabotage Times
For daily laughs and much-needed pick-me-ups this is the website I turn to. It's really well written in a lad mag kinda style and has a sense of humour that just kills me. I love people who don't take themselves too seriously, so this really is my kind of thing. As well as its stupid side, there's really interesting articles on music, such as this interview with Clash legend Mick - you're my guitar hero - Jones
Want to see the world's tallest giraffe, a burger that looks like Chewbacca or find out how having a hard on gets you priority seating on Japanese public transport? Sabotage Times has got it all covered.
Cassette From My Ex
A must for anyone who remembers dedicating hours of their life to perfecting the art of the mixtape in the name of love and who still has shoe boxes full of the things hidden in the wardrobe.
In the wise words of High Fidelity's Rob Gordon: "The making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. There are many dos and don'ts. First of all you are using someone else's poetry to express how you feel - this is a delicate thing..."
Ahh yes, a 'subtle' combination of songs whose lyrics would reveal to the recipient in no uncertain terms that you wanted a shag. About as subtle as filling an entire tape with this sexy little Nine Inch Nails number.
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