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| note6 = feat. [[Georgia Ruth]]
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| title7 = Sex, Power, Love and Money <ref>{{cite web |url=http://records1001.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/sex-power-love-and-money-manic-street-preachers-futurology/ |title=Sex, Power, Love And Money / Manic Street Preachers |publisher=1001 Records |accessdate=2014-12-04}}</ref>
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| title8 = Dreaming a City (Hughesovka)
| title8 = Dreaming a City (Hughesovka)

Revision as of 11:26, 4 December 2014

Untitled

Futurology is the twelfth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 7 July 2014 through Columbia Records.[1] The album features contributions from Green Gartside, Nina Hoss, Georgia Ruth, Cian Ciaran and Cate Le Bon.[2]

When it was released, the album was presented with astonishing reviews. Among critics, it is one of the best ever received Manic Street Preachers albums. Commercially, it is their highest charting album since Send Away The Tigers; Futurology peaked and debuted at number #2 on the UK Album Chart.

Background

Futurology was the Manic's second new album to be released in the space of a year, having been recorded alongside 2013's Rewind the Film, an album described as being "gentle and delicate" in contrast to the icy, multi-layered and angular Futurology. The album was recorded in Germany with Alex Silva, with whom the band worked on The Holy Bible in 1994, and at Faster Studios, Wales. The album was described to be inspired by modern art and the sense of motion that the band experienced touring the heart of Europe in 2011 in support of National Treasures - The Complete Singles.

About the European inspiration that took over the band in the new record, singer and Guitarist James Dean Bradfield stated that: "We started touring mainland Europe in late '91 so obviously we've seen Belfast change in front of our eyes, we've seen Berlin change unbelievably and parts of Belgium… every city in Britain we've seen change. I'd never been abroad before I was in a band, Actually, I'd been abroad once, I'd been to Bristol."

Bradlfield also tackled the subject of the many guest that have appeared on the last two Manic Street Preachers records, Rewind the Film and Futurology: "One of the saddest - or rather most telling - things about collaborations is that our first was with [Eighties porn star] Traci Lords and none of us had seen a Traci Lords film. Can you imagine that happening now? Ever? But seriously, there are two simple things: I sing in quite a girlie register, let's face it, so it's easy to imagine a woman's voice in our music. And, secondly, I'm 12 albums in - I know my voice can only do certain things, and if I can't take other people singing on the track then I really have got a Napoleon complex. I'm short enough to have one…".

Two songs from Futurology - "Europa Geht Durch Mich" and title track "Futurology" - were debuted on the first night of the 2014 UK Tour, at the First Direct Arena on 28 March 2014.[3] A third one, "Let's Go to War", was first heard at the Brixton Academy, and described by bassist Nicky Wire as a "nice marching song".[4] The track "Walk Me to the Bridge", and its accompanying music video, was released on 28 April 2014.[2] In May 2014, the band released the video for "Europa Geht Durch Mich". The second single from the album, "Futurology", was released 22 September 2014.

The band themselves have stated that this album was very important for celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal album The Holy Bible because the band said that after releasing two critically acclaimed albums they now think it was the right time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album.

In an interview with Gigwise when asked what influence The Holy Bible had on Futurology, frontman and singer James Dean Bradfield replied: "That we could still trade in a language that is still exclusively ours, that we could still want to write songs that other people are just never going to go near. I just don't think that anyone else would go near that subject matter. We never laid claim to being the most 'original' band, but I think we're unique in that sense." [5]

The Manic Street Preachers have also said that this album is the opposite of last year's Rewind the Film, Futurology, according to the band, is an album full of ideas and one of their most optimistic yet, as Wire said to the NME magazine in an interview: "There's an overriding concept behind 'Futurology' which is to express all the inspiration we get from travel, music and art – all those ideas, do that in a positive way. 'Rewind The Film' was a harrowing 45-year-old looking in the mirror, lyrically. 'Futurology' was very much an album of ideas. It's one of our most optimistic records, the idea that any kind of art can transport you to a different universe." [6]

Release

Futurology was released in standard and deluxe versions. It was also released digitally and on vinyl.

The standard edition contains all the thirteen tracks of the album, while the deluxe version contains all the demos from thirteen songs from the record, plus three new tracks: Blistered Mirrors, Empty Motorcade and The Last Time I saw Paris, which most of the lyrics are in French. In Japan the band released bonus tracks, which includes Antisocialmanifesto and Kodawari, live versions from the O2 Arena performance were also available, Ocean Spray and You Love Us were the two songs featured on the Japanese version.

The band promoted the album with a tour around the UK and Europe from March to May 2014, they also made appearances in festivals like T in the Park in Scotland and Glastonbury Festival in the summer.

Singles

Two singles were released from the album, Walk Me to the Bridge was the first released on 28 April, it leaked prior to its release. The subject of the lyrics were questioned whether they were about the former band member Richey or not, but Wire said that he wrote the song at a critical time, when he was tired of being in the band, and he wrote the lyrics thinking of that subject.

The title track, Futurology, was the second and final single released from the album on September 22, the video debuted on YouTube on August 10. The video was directed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts winner Kieran Evans, who worked with the band on videos from their previous effort Rewind The Film.

"Futurology"
"Futurology" was the second single released from the album.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Commercial reception

The album was released on the 7 July 2014. It entered the UK Album Chart at number #2, the highest new entry on the chart, selling approximately 20,000 copies in its first week.

The album remained in the Top 40 in the UK for 3 weeks, something that Rewind the Film didn't manage to do. The album reached number #8 in Ireland and also charted within the Top 40 in Finland, Germany, Denmark and Japan. The album peaked and debuted at number 18 on the World Chart, for sales all over the world, the album sold above 30.000 copies worldwide in the first week.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Clash8/10[9]
Gigwise9/10[5]
The Guardian[10]
The Independent[11]
Mojo[12]
NME8/10[13]
PopMatters8/10[14]
The Telegraph[15]
Q[16]

Upon its release, Futurology received rave reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 82, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 18 reviews.[7]

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "They're more infatuated with Neu! and Kraftwerk or Public Image Ltd, but these jagged, difficult sounds are filtered through the trio's now instinctual arena-filling gestures and that tension is what gives Futurology a resonant richness."[8] Gareth James of Clash magazine described the album as "Manics doing what they do best, with added Krautrock, Georgia Ruth and Green Gartside."[9]

Andrew Trendell of Gigwise wrote: "As a record that embraces the constant sense of movement and progress throughout Europe, it establishes the band themselves as artists in constant revolution."[5] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stated: "Futurology never feels like a pastiche, and sounds unmistakably like the Manic Street Preachers while sounding unlike any other album they've made."[10]

The Independent critic Kevin Harley commented that ″Elsewhere, the Manics’ band identity proves robust enough to withstand the tweaking.″[11] Ben Hewitt of NME stated that ″the Manics prove they are still the enemies of greed, conformity and corruption."[13] The Telegraph declared: ″...the dark pulse of that Krautrock influence gives the songs a steely sleekness of purpose (and real cohesion), while the band layer a vigorous variety of sounds and tempos on top to keep things interesting."[15] PopMatters associate music editor John Garratt wrote that the album "can just about stand toe-to-toe with any of their past albums."[14]

Writing for The Quietus, Simon Price described the album as "bona fide, solid-as-granite masterpiece", stating: "Futurology is more than just THAT version of the Manics, and one of THOSE albums."[17]

Sputnikmusic staff reviewer Joseph Viney stated that the album "wraps up the ideals of what has come before it, mixed it with their present experience and forged ahead with songs that demonstrate a group with a lot more life in them yet."[18]

MusicOMH awarded the album four out of five stars, saying that " (...) Futurology is full of glam-pop hits that demonstrate the Preachers’ ability to write good songs with a distinct sense of Britishness." Finishing with: "Futurology is a welcome return by Manic Street Preachers to the forefront of pop, featuring no lack of technical prowess or instrumental capabilities. Every track is quite full of life and holds no lack of energy that characterizes good, classic British rock ‘n’ roll. Despite past hardship, the future continues to be bright for these modern legends."[19]

Recognition

Futurology was a critical and commercial success, the album was presented with very positive reviews from music critics around the world and was well received by the fans. In the end of the year lists, the album achieved the following accolades:

  • NME magazine stated that Futurology was the 41st best album of 2014.[20]
  • NME magazine also choose the title track Futurology as one of the best tracks of 2014.[21]
  • The Telegraph placed the album in number 38 in their list of 50 best albums of 2014.[22]
  • While Mojo placed Futurology in number 20 in their 50 best albums of 2014.[23]
  • XFM placed the album in number 11 in their end of the year list.[24]
  • The Quietus placed Futurology in number 8 on their end of the year list for 2014.[25]
  • Q placed the album in number 4 on their list of 50 best albums of 2014.[26]

Reflecting on the album XFM stated that Futurology was very different from their last year's effort: "After the acoustic experimentation of Rewind The Film, here's classic rabble rousing Manics, with massive choruses."[24] While Q said that the album was "Exhilaratingly dense with new sounds" and it had " ideas and conflicting emotions..."[26] On the other hand, talking about the title track, NME stated that: "The title track serves as a manifesto for all that follows: a declaration of positivity to tee-up the rest of the LP and a reminder that right can trump wrong in the end. There’s a bubbling urgency and vibrancy and vitality here that was lacking from ‘Rewind The Film’, and a chorus that’s a mantra for belief in a greater good."[27]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Futurology"3:05
2."Walk Me to the Bridge"3:14
3."Let's Go to War"2:58
4."The Next Jet to Leave Moscow" (feat. Cian Ciaran)3:23
5."Europa Geht Durch Mich" (feat. Nina Hoss)3:24
6."Divine Youth" (feat. Georgia Ruth)3:22
7."Sex, Power, Love and Money [28]"3:13
8."Dreaming a City (Hughesovka)"4:39
9."Black Square"4:07
10."Between the Clock and the Bed" (feat. Green Gartside)3:35
11."Misguided Missile"4:19
12."The View from Stow Hill"4:08
13."Mayakovsky"3:38
Total length:47:05
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Antisocialmanifesto"3:01
15."Kodawari"3:20
16."Ocean Spray" (live at The O2)4:35
17."You Love Us" (live at The O2)3:31
Total length:61:35
Deluxe edition bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."Futurology" (demo)3:03
2."Walk Me to the Bridge" (demo)3:16
3."Let's Go to War" (demo)1:51
4."The Next Jet to Leave Moscow" (demo)3:05
5."Europa Geht Durch Mich" (demo)3:22
6."Divine Youth" (demo)3:09
7."Sex, Power, Love and Money" (demo)3:14
8."Dreaming a City (Hughesovka)" (demo)4:20
9."Black Square" (demo)3:42
10."Between the Clock and the Bed" (demo)3:30
11."Misguided Missile" (demo)4:11
12."The View from Stow Hill" (demo)4:08
13."Mayakovsky" (demo)3:04
14."Blistered Mirrors"2:51
15."Empty Motorcade"3:57
16."The Last Time I Saw Paris"4:04

Personnel

Charts

Charts (2014) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[29] 2
Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 8
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[31] 17
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 33
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[33] 35
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[34] 36
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[35] 42
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[36] 50
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] 57
World Chart 18

References

  1. ^ a b "Futurology (Deluxe Version)". itunes.apple.com. Apple. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Manic Street Preachers announce new album 'Futurology'". NME. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Manic Street Preachers debut two new songs as UK tour begins - watch". NME. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Manic Street Preachers debut new song "Let's Go To War" at Brixton gig – watch". Uncut. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "MANIC STREET PREACHERS ANNOUNCE UK HOLY BIBLE TOUR + REISSUE - TICKETS". Gigwise. Cite error: The named reference "Gigwise" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire: Futurology' is one of our most optimistic records'". NME.
  7. ^ a b "Futurology - Manic Street Preachers". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  8. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Futurology - Manic Street Preachers". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. ^ a b James, Gareth (26 June 2014). "Manic Street Preachers - Futurology". Clash. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Manic Street Preachers: Futurology review – startlingly fresh and different". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  11. ^ a b Harley, Harley (7 July 2014). "Manic Street Preachers, Futurology, album review". The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. ^ Gilbert, Pat, MOJO. July 2014 issue. New Albums. Germanic Makeover. The Manics confront a radical retro future. P.87
  13. ^ a b Hewitt, Ben (2 July 2014). "Manic Street Preachers - 'Futurology'". NME. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  14. ^ a b Garratt, John (15 August 2014). "Manic Street Preachers: Futurology". PopMatters. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. ^ a b Brown, Ellen (8 July 2014). "Manic Street Preachers, Futurology, review: 'energetic'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ^ Lynskey, Dorian, Q. July 2014 issue. New Album Reviews. Germanic Makeover. A new career in a new town. P.113
  17. ^ "A Masterpiece: Simon Price On Manic Street Preachers' Futurology". "the quietus".
  18. ^ Viney, Joseph (19 July 2014). "Review: Manic Street Preachers - Futurology". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  19. ^ "Manic Street Preachers – Futurology". MusicOMH.
  20. ^ "NME's Top 50 Albums Of 2014". NME.
  21. ^ "NME's Top 50 Tracks Of 2014". NME.
  22. ^ "The Telegraph's Best 50 Albums of 2014". The Telegraph.
  23. ^ "MOJO's Top 50 Albums of 2014". Mojo.
  24. ^ a b "XFM'S 50 BEST ALBUMS OF 2014". XFM.
  25. ^ "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2014 (In Association With Norman Records)". The Quietus.
  26. ^ a b "Q's Top 50 Albums Of 2014". Q.
  27. ^ "NME's Top 50 Tracks Of 2014". NME.
  28. ^ "Sex, Power, Love And Money / Manic Street Preachers". 1001 Records. Retrieved 4 December 2014. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 42 (help)
  29. ^ "Manic Street Preachers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  30. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week {{{week}}}, {{{year}}}". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  31. ^ "Manic Street Preachers: Futurology" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  32. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  33. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Manic Street Preachers – Futurology". Hung Medien.
  34. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: {{{date}}}" (in Japanese). Oricon.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Manic Street Preachers – Futurology" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  36. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Futurology". Hung Medien.
  37. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Futurology". Hung Medien.
  38. ^ "Ultratop.be – Manic Street Preachers – Futurology" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
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