Bored Out Of My Mind

Bored Out Of My Mind: 3/Good

An unusual B-Side to go along with the anthem of Motorcycle Emptiness, but an interesting counterpoint. The title says it all, as this mainly acoustic cut discusses boredom, failure, lethargy in typical Manics phrasing, and with a lazy tone of procrastination. The music still manages to be interesting, and the melodies are engaging from start to finish, while the atmosphere created does achieve that dull sense of lying in a heap on the floor without being arsed to do or see anything. There’s a neat little guitar outro, overall a good B-side but not one I can imagine having too many fans.

Misheard Lyrics: I tried everything to get alone with you

2: The night’s too long son when he doesn’t care.

Actual Lyrics: I tried everything to get along with you

2: The nights too lonesome when the heat doesn’t care

Last Christmas

Generic Ratings: 1: Crap. 2: Okay. 3: Good. 4: Great

A cover of the Wham classic, and another cover which manages to surpass the original. This is essentially a Bradfield solo effort, but in only two minutes he manages to wrench so much emotion from the words. He doesn’t even sing the whole song, but he doesn’t need to, doing more than a million annual re-runs of the original could ever achieve.

Recorded at the most 90s of 90s shows – TFI Friday – must have viewing for music fans back when music mattered, but filled with more than its fair share of dickheads, James bashes this one out to rapturous applause, so much so that they decided to stick it on Lipstick Traces. Check out the hilarious comments on some of the youtube videos – George Michael a better singer than James Dean Bradfield – seriously?

Last Christmas: 3/Good

Been A Son

Generic Ratings: 1: Crap. 2: Okay. 3: Good. 4: Great

I’ve long said that the Manics are one of the better bands at recording covers, but this is just horrible. It should work wonderfully given how similar they are to Nirvana, how similar in viewpoint the bands were and even lyrically this is the sort of song the Manics may have written themselves. Bradfield is one of the few singers who could echo Cobain’s majesty, but for some reason this just meanders along into nothingness. Bradfield has a couple of okay moments, but mostly it’s aimless yelling over some country sounding bullshit.

Been A Son: 1/Crap

 

Just A Kid

Generic Ratings: 1: Crap. 2: Okay. 3: Good. 4: Great

One I often forget about, but one I’ve always liked. It feels like a calling back to the days of two albums ago when I first heard it as a B-side to Ocean Spray. It doesn’t have the anger or politics of that album, instead yearning for simpler times. The tone of the guitars even sounds like Everything Must Go, but overall musically there isn’t anything spectacular here. Having said that, I do like the melancholy atmosphere,the verse and chorus are both strong and there are plenty of likable, quotable lyrics. Decent central riff too.

Just  A Kid: 3/Good

We Are All Bourgois Now

Generic Ratings: 1: Crap. 2: Okay. 3: Good. 4: Great

Another cover now, a pretty good one this time, and another McCarthy song. I haven’t heard the original, and this cover doesn’t do enough to make me want to get out there and listen to the original. I do like the lyrics – politically charged but more satirical than angry, and I do like the melodies, in fact I don’t have anything negative to say about it. I must actually go back and find those McCarthy albums to see what all the fuss is about.

We Are All Bourgois Now: 3/Good