Postcards From a Young Man
Encyclopedia
Postcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock
band Manic Street Preachers
, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album (provisionally titled It's Not War - Just the End of Love) in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff
. Released on 20 September 2010, the album was supported by the Manics' most extensive tour of the UK to date. James Dean Bradfield
and Nicky Wire
have both referred to the album as "one last shot at mass communication".
." Nicky Wire has said, "We've always been about infiltrating the mainstream. It was a conscious decision this time to want to hear ourselves on the radio. Our mantra at the start was, 'If you've got something to say, say it to as many people as possible'." In pre-release interviews, Wire also compared the album to the Aerosmith
album Pump
, saying that "It's going to be an amazing album...Send Away the Tigers
was Permanent Vacation
, this next one is our Pump."
In July 2009, Wire said that the band's forthcoming album would "be heavy metal
Tamla Motown. Van Halen
playing The Supremes
! I know there's a lot of creativity in us and obviously because I didn't write lyrics on the last record, I've got tons of words done." Manics biographer Simon Price
reacted to Nicky's announcement with amusement: 'Heavy metal Motown? I’ll believe it when I hear it. That Nicky Wire certainly can talk a good game. The thing is with those three lads is they'll sit around before writing any songs and come up with all these wildly juxtaposing ideas and styles, all of which sound great in theory, but when they actually start working towards them it always comes across sounding very much like a Manics record ... I remember just before the Lifeblood
album came out in 2004 Nicky had been telling me it was going to sound like Goldfrapp
-meets-late ’70s era David Bowie
. And I could see what he meant, but when I actually heard it just reminded me of a more subdued version of their other stuff. In a good way though. A lot of the time Nicky goes public with these bold statements and then it comes down to it, it's up to James to try and back them up. That's a lot of pressure to put one person under and sometimes I’m positive James is at home half the time going, "Oh no, what have you said this time?".'
Ex-Guns N' Roses
bassist Duff McKagan
guests on one of the album's songs, "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun," and four other tracks on the album feature a gospel choir. On their website on 24 June 2010, the Manics posted the message: "Magical day in Cardiff: Ian McCulloch
singing duet & John Cale
playing on a new Manics track in LA. Of the album's lead single, "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
," Nicky Wire claimed: "I believe in the tactile nature of rock 'n' roll. There's a generation missing out on what music meant to us...You can only elaborate on the stuff that compels you to. But "It's Not War..." is kind of saying, "Alright, we're not 18, but even at 40 the rage is still there"."
Postcards from a Young Man was recorded with producer (and longtime Manics collaborator) Dave Eringa
and was mixed in America by Chris Lord-Alge
. It was released in a standard version, 2 CD deluxe version, and limited edition box set. The album cover art uses a black and white photograph of British actor Tim Roth
.
The album went straight into the UK album charts at #3. In January 2011 the album was certified Gold status in the UK. The album was met with very good reviews from critics and fans described it as "Manics back at their best!".
All tracks written by Bradfield/Moore (music) and Wire (lyrics), unless otherwise noted.
Deluxe Limited Edition - CD2 Demos.
Tracklisting as above, excluding the two Japan only tracks (later released as b-sides).
Additional personnel
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album (provisionally titled It's Not War - Just the End of Love) in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. Released on 20 September 2010, the album was supported by the Manics' most extensive tour of the UK to date. James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
have both referred to the album as "one last shot at mass communication".
Background
In an interview for the NME, Bradfield said that "We're going for big radio hits on this one ... It isn't a follow-up to Journal for Plague LoversJournal for Plague Lovers
Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 18 May 2009, and features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who vanished on 1 February 1995, and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album...
." Nicky Wire has said, "We've always been about infiltrating the mainstream. It was a conscious decision this time to want to hear ourselves on the radio. Our mantra at the start was, 'If you've got something to say, say it to as many people as possible'." In pre-release interviews, Wire also compared the album to the Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
album Pump
Pump (album)
*After the end of "What It Takes" there is a brief, untitled, instrumental hidden track composed and performed by Randy Raine-Reusch. This was not included on all the releases in all countries.-Bonus track :-Lawsuit:...
, saying that "It's going to be an amazing album...Send Away the Tigers
Send Away the Tigers
- Album Charts :- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals*Sean Moore – drums, percussion*Nicky Wire – bass, backing vocalsAdditional personnel...
was Permanent Vacation
Permanent Vacation (album)
Permanent Vacation is the ninth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in August 1987 by Geffen Records.The album marks a turning point in the band's career. It is their first album to employ professional songwriters, instead of featuring material solely composed by members of the...
, this next one is our Pump."
In July 2009, Wire said that the band's forthcoming album would "be heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
Tamla Motown. Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
playing The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
! I know there's a lot of creativity in us and obviously because I didn't write lyrics on the last record, I've got tons of words done." Manics biographer Simon Price
Simon Price
Simon Price is a British music journalist and club promoter, born on 25 September 1967 in the Welsh town of Barry. He is now best known for his weekly review section in The Independent on Sunday and his book on Manic Street Preachers.-Career:...
reacted to Nicky's announcement with amusement: 'Heavy metal Motown? I’ll believe it when I hear it. That Nicky Wire certainly can talk a good game. The thing is with those three lads is they'll sit around before writing any songs and come up with all these wildly juxtaposing ideas and styles, all of which sound great in theory, but when they actually start working towards them it always comes across sounding very much like a Manics record ... I remember just before the Lifeblood
Lifeblood
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Sean Moore – drums, drum programming*Nicky Wire – bassAdditional personnel*Patrick Jones - additional lyrics on "Fragments"*Nick Nasmyth - keyboards*Jeremy Shaw - keyboards...
album came out in 2004 Nicky had been telling me it was going to sound like Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
-meets-late ’70s era David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. And I could see what he meant, but when I actually heard it just reminded me of a more subdued version of their other stuff. In a good way though. A lot of the time Nicky goes public with these bold statements and then it comes down to it, it's up to James to try and back them up. That's a lot of pressure to put one person under and sometimes I’m positive James is at home half the time going, "Oh no, what have you said this time?".'
Ex-Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
bassist Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
guests on one of the album's songs, "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun," and four other tracks on the album feature a gospel choir. On their website on 24 June 2010, the Manics posted the message: "Magical day in Cardiff: Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
singing duet & John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
playing on a new Manics track in LA. Of the album's lead single, "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
(It's Not War) Just the End of Love
" Just the End of Love" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and both the opener and the lead single of their tenth album Postcards From a Young Man....
," Nicky Wire claimed: "I believe in the tactile nature of rock 'n' roll. There's a generation missing out on what music meant to us...You can only elaborate on the stuff that compels you to. But "It's Not War..." is kind of saying, "Alright, we're not 18, but even at 40 the rage is still there"."
Postcards from a Young Man was recorded with producer (and longtime Manics collaborator) Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa is an English record producer from Essex who has engineered, mixed, produced, and played on albums by such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Idlewild, 3 Colours Red, South and Johnny Boy...
and was mixed in America by Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
. It was released in a standard version, 2 CD deluxe version, and limited edition box set. The album cover art uses a black and white photograph of British actor Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
.
The album went straight into the UK album charts at #3. In January 2011 the album was certified Gold status in the UK. The album was met with very good reviews from critics and fans described it as "Manics back at their best!".
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) | 55 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 62 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 20 |
| German Album Charts | 65 |
| Greek Album Charts | 8 |
| 61 | |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 45 |
| Swiss Album Charts | 88 |
| UK Album Chart | 3 |
Tracklisting
The official tracklisting is as follows:All tracks written by Bradfield/Moore (music) and Wire (lyrics), unless otherwise noted.
Deluxe Limited Edition - CD2 Demos.
Tracklisting as above, excluding the two Japan only tracks (later released as b-sides).
Personnel
Manic Street Preachers- James Dean BradfieldJames Dean BradfieldJames Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
– lead vocals, guitar, mandola on "I Think I Found It" - Nicky WireNicky WireNicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
– bass, acoustic guitar, lead vocals on "The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever", backing vocals - Sean MooreSean Moore (musician)Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
– drums, percussion, trumpet
Additional personnel
- Ian McCullochIan McCulloch (singer)Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
- second lead vocals on "Some Kind of Nothingness" - John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
- keyboards and noise on "Auto-Intoxication" - Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- bass on "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun" - Loz Williams - piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron
- Nick Naysmith - piano, Hammond organ
- Catrin Wyn Southall - vocal arrangement and backing vocals
- Melissa Henry - backing vocals
- Osian Rowlands - backing vocals
- Gareth Treseder - backing vocals
- Fflur Rowlands - backing vocals
- Roland George - backing vocals
- Aled Powys Williams - backing vocals
- Andy Walters - string arrangement and string player
- Joanna Walters - string player
- Carly Worsford - string player
- Bernard Kane - string player
- Simon Howes - string player
- Nathan Stone - string player
- Richard Phillips - string player
- Claudine Liddington - string player