| Lifeblood | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Manic Street Preachers | ||||
| Released | November 1, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2003; New York, Wales, Ireland | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, pop rock, synthpunk | |||
| Length | 45:26 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Tony Visconti, Tom Elmhirst, Greg Haver | |||
| Manic Street Preachers chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | 2004 |
| NME | (6/10) 2004 |
| Drowned in Sound | (9/10) 2004 |
| BBC | (favourable) 2004 |
Lifeblood is the seventh studio album by Manic Street Preachers. It was recorded at studios in New York, Wales and Ireland by Tony Visconti, Tom Elmhirst and frequent collaborator Greg Haver. Released on November 1, 2004 and preceded by the number two single "The Love of Richard Nixon," the album entered the UK Albums Chart at #13 and only spent two weeks in the top 75.[1]
Contents |
The album includes a song about Emily Pankhurst, a leader in the British woman's suffrage movement ("Emily"), but otherwise the band's earlier political lyrics have been replaced by personal reflection, such as on the band's past ("1985") and former member Richey Edwards ("Cardiff Afterlife"). The album was also a departure musically, replacing the band's traditional guitar walls with more subtle and melodic playing, emphasis instead being given to keyboards and synthesizers. This results in a softer sound, something Nicky Wire described as "elegiac pop" throughout the recording process.
"Empty Souls" was the second single released and like the previous single, it debuted and peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. No further singles were released. Two tracks recorded during the Lifeblood recording sessions ("Antarctic" and "The Soulmates") remain only on the Japanese version of the album.
The album's title is likely taken from the lyric "My lifeblood spills over" from the song "2112", by Rush, one of Wire's favourite bands. The working title of this album was Litany, hinting that the song "Litany" recorded during the Lifeblood sessions was originally intended for inclusion. The track, however, only featured as a b-side to the "Empty Souls" CD single.
All tracks written by Bradfield/Moore (music) and Wire (lyrics), unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "1985" | 4:08 |
| 2. | "The Love of Richard Nixon" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Empty Souls" | 4:05 |
| 4. | "A Song for Departure" | 4:20 |
| 5. | "I Live to Fall Asleep" | 3:57 |
| 6. | "To Repel Ghosts" | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Emily" | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Glasnost" | 3:14 |
| 9. | "Always/Never" | 3:42 |
| 10. | "Solitude Sometimes Is" | 3:21 |
| 11. | "Fragments" (Additional lyrics by Patrick Jones) | 4:02 |
| 12. | "Cardiff Afterlife" | 3:27 |