James Dean Bradfield - The Great Western

The Hustler · 05-06-2009 02:20PM #1

Anyone else heard/got this album? I imagine most Manics fans would have, but even for non-Manics fans, I can't recommend this album highly enough.

He even does an amazing cover of a Jacques Brel tune:)

Alan Noir · 05-06-2009 07:23PM

Great Album. High point of anything manics related this side of the century. (Well the new one is almost as good)

05-06-2009 07:44PM

I reckon it's patchy. The first single was really good though.

Love JDB, but prefer any Manics album to his solo effort tbh.

Red Sleeping Beauty · 22-06-2009 05:03AM

Some of the songs sounded better live than on record I thought, like Wrong Beginning and Which Way to Kyffin. I loved the little design on the CD which was reminiscent of them "old" solo albums from the 70s that Columbia released. Oh and Jeff Buckley.

The Hustler · 22-06-2009 07:36AM

The cover art is fantastic I think!

Red Sleeping Beauty · 22-06-2009 07:38AM

The vinyl looks great. It was a shame the CD version didn't have the lyrics. I don't know if he placed that must emphasis on the words though so hence their abscence perhaps. The b-sides are well worth seeking out and having a listen.

Days Slip Away is a good little sister tune to "Tell a Lie"
Kodachrome Ghosts is good
and you'll be wondering why Don't Look Back never made it further than a measly b-side.

The Hustler · 22-06-2009 07:58AM

Alan Rouge wrote: »

The vinyl looks great. It was a shame the CD version didn't have the lyrics. I don't know if he placed that must emphasis on the words though so hence their abscence perhaps. The b-sides are well worth seeking out and having a listen.

Days Slip Away is a good little sister tune to "Tell a Lie"
Kodachrome Ghosts is good
and you'll be wondering why Don't Look Back never made it further than a measly b-side.

The Wire-penned 'Bad Boys and Painkillers' would have made a great single I thought.

I'd have loved to have seen JDB live when he toured this album - anyone know if he made it over here on tour?

Red Sleeping Beauty · 22-06-2009 08:01AM

Nope, he didn't play outside of England, Wales or Scotland save for two Euro festivals I think.

http://msppedia.org/index.php?title=Category:2006#James_Dean_Bradfield_Solo_Gigs

The Hustler · 22-06-2009 08:20AM

ARGH! I was in Leeds 2 days before he played there!

Red Sleeping Beauty · 22-06-2009 02:15PM

There were some audience audio recordings and one video recording as well I think and there's some watchable phone vids on the boobtube.

I think as the tour wore on he was dropping more album tracks and replacing them with Manics tracks so by the end of the gig you got a fairly hefty role call of Manics tunes.

He did a bleedin savage cover of Clampdown down.

The Hustler · 22-06-2009 02:40PM

Alan Rouge wrote: »

There were some audience audio recordings and one video recording as well I think and there's some watchable phone vids on the boobtube.

I think as the tour wore on he was dropping more album tracks and replacing them with Manics tracks so by the end of the gig you got a fairly hefty role call of Manics tunes.

He did a bleedin savage cover of Clampdown down.

That was f*cking brilliant! Cheers for posting it!

Tchaikovsky · 22-06-2009 03:28PM

Was 'That's No Way To Tell A Lie' the only single off the album??

Red Sleeping Beauty · 22-06-2009 03:31PM

Nope, there were two singles. "Lie" was the first and the second was An English Gentleman

Elliemental · 23-06-2009 09:26AM

The Hustler wrote: »

Anyone else heard/got this album? I imagine most Manics fans would have, but even for non-Manics fans, I can't recommend this album highly enough.

He even does an amazing cover of a Jacques Brel tune:)

Yeah I have this album (plus Nicky Wire`s solo effort-oh dear:eek:). The Great Western is brilliant and basically completely second what you`ve said above.

walrusgumble · 23-06-2009 06:38PM

The Hustler wrote: »

Anyone else heard/got this album? I imagine most Manics fans would have, but even for non-Manics fans, I can't recommend this album highly enough.

He even does an amazing cover of a Jacques Brel tune:)

fair play for highlighting this surprisingly good album, it kind of went off the radar a bit when it was released, not that jdb would have whored himself too much over it - loved still a long way to go

Red Sleeping Beauty · 23-06-2009 11:28PM

walrusgumble wrote: »

fair play for highlighting this surprisingly good album, it kind of went off the radar a bit when it was released, not that jdb would have whored himself too much over it - loved still a long way to go

I think he was too really push the album that much but he was on a fair few shows like the Ch4 album chart thing and Sharon Osbourne even.

Trafford Lad · 24-06-2009 01:44PM

The song "Still a long way to go"...is one of my favourite songs ever, just love it. It should definitely have been on a Manics album at some stage.

Alan Noir · 24-06-2009 06:07PM

Trafford Lad wrote: »

The song "Still a long way to go"...is one of my favourite songs ever, just love it. It should definitely have been on a Manics album at some stage.

What a shame that a song like that is forever buried on 'that bloke out of the manics' solo album. It'd put Coldplay, Keane, Snore Patrol etc. in their place if it was released tomorrow as a manics single.

Trafford Lad · 24-06-2009 07:14PM

Totally agree Alan, it's well up there with something off Everything Must Go in terms of production and "epicness". It's strange that he didnt release it as a single. It's the stand out song on the album.

The Hustler · 24-06-2009 07:25PM

Well I dunno about ye, but I've been doing the Volvic challenge ever since I first saw the ads. And what can I say? Y'know, I feel alert, I feel active. Yeah, gonna keep it up. I feel great!

James Dean Bradfield - The Great Western

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