Let's Be Shiny Happy People...Name Your One Favorite NMA Track

[Tony S]

I DO love the song and sentiment of Higher Wall - and loved the moment Justin did it here during one of the acoustic tours in the last decade - he spoke of all the talk about "theres too many foreign people coming here" and said " we are rich they are poor - they are going to come, its not a political position, its a fact of life"
That quote stuck with me as I am living in a place with a LOT of illegal immigrants, never mind how crazy this has become since 9/11 and talk of how they are ruining everything - but I couldn't agree with Justin's sentiment more.

"Weve learned from you not to expect, the little that we're given".
LOVE that lyric.

Isn't it "We've learned from you not to accept, the little that we're given" ?

I agree though, wonderful song that one.

[Tony S]

Once upon a time my favourite track was 225, but as time goes on it just gets harder and harder to choose one favourite. I just can't do it anymore !  A couple of years ago, I burnt myself a compilation cd taking one or two songs from each studio album, and arranging it chronologically, so career-spanning - just choosing some of my favourites from each album, until I had as many songs as I could fit on a standard cd. It was pre-BDAW, and for some reason I missed out B-Sides and Abandoned tracks. But this was the listing I finally settled on;

The Price
Vengeance 
Better Than Them
Love Songs
Master Race
225
Purity
Marrakech
Understand U
Big Blue
Snelsmore Wood
Paekakariki Beach
Higher Wall
BD3
Red Earth
High
Into The Wind
Disappeared
North Star

Any thoughts? What tracks would you choose if you made up a 18-20 track cd now, featuring something off each studio album ?  If I did it again, no doubt there'd be some changes. It's always harder deciding which ones to leave out !

[Master Ray]

For my part, I'll have to go along with Modern Times as 'my personal favourite New Model Army song... ever!' (as a certain fine gentleman once said... )   

It's the perfect mix of melancholy and anger.  It's so relentless, never lets up after the intro and until the three and a half minute fade out.  Best use of keyboards on any NMA track, from the Hammond organ-y thing in the early parts to the wash of sound in the final section.  The acoustic-y guitar line that comes in and out at all the right moments.  The lyrics... just perfect.  Especially for someone of my age who remembers fellow passionate people who have now drifted away into what I would describe as 'dull' lives.  I'm still keeping the faith, if I can use that awful expression... is that a good thing?  A question I sometimes ask myself when I get a bit low...  and then I listen to this ******* brilliant tune and it always tell me 'hell, YEAH!'   

Only ever heard it live once, I see it's back in the set these days, can't make it to any of those dates so it'd be better be in the set come Christmas in Nottingham... 

[Willard]

225 is my favorite, has been for a long time. 

"we never asked for any of this"

just seems so NMA, if anything really can be...

[ldopas]

Favourite Track by a mile for me; Deadeye.

Not mentioned much, but it rocks like hell, got a great chorus, good lyrics and great to drive to.

[peternotbaldyet]

Far Better Thing. The juxtaposition of cancer victim and political assassination.

[Master Ray]

That is a superb track...

[Amandistan]

Today it is "Stranger".   

[texaspete]

Stranger - great song. Has that really bluesy outro that is just fantastic. Unique to an NMA song I think ?

TXP

[c]

Reading through this list makes me change my mind a dozen times.

But my current favourite is Ghost of Your Father. And as an aside, if Amandistan reads this, 14 hours....

I want to do that list of 2 tracks per CD like Tony - but I might never make my mind up....!

[Tony S]

I want to do that list of 2 tracks per CD like Tony - but I might never make my mind up....!

It did take a long time to make my mind up !  I think I might do another one, with totally different tracks, and then maybe a 3rd !

[dilla]

Currently reading "Oliver Cromwell" by John Buchan so it's fitting that Rumour and Rapture is in my head all the time.Great song.

[Amandistan]

Today it's "These Words" and I swear if ever I hear it live I will probably burst into tears.  I wish it was played live more often.

[Guillaume]

Negativity has creeped into this place, time for a change.

I know this is going to be difficult. We all will want to say, "Can't name just one." But that's the challenge, that's the fun. Try to name your one favorite New Model Army track of all time and give your reasons.

"Western Dream"

1 - lyrically it is Justin's best work. I marvel over how each stanza is a complete, perfect picture. He's dealing with rather complex issues in this song -- the entire idea of western capitalism! -- and yet, he can somehow succinctly come to grips with it in each stanza.  And his imagery of the laborers hands "stretching out like children for a crumb that they can chew" is both dead on and frightening.

But the real bullseye in the lyrics is how Justin breaks capitalism down to two ways to go: "the bitterness in failure and the dirt in success." In just a few words Sullivan was able to encapsulate an entire economic/social structure. And then, remarkably, Justin is able to do it again in the chorus: "Every winner means a loser in the western dream." The song is so extraordinary in its economy of words to perfectly hit on such a complex idea.

2 - and of course the music is bad-ass. Quick tempo, a drum/bass rhythm that propels us along like a speeding train, crashing power chords from Justin's guitar, tasty guitar lick intro, and the best guitar solo in all the NMA catalogue. Plus there is my favorite guitar work in all of music. The guitar stabs that punctuate the bridge sections ("they tell when to laugh, they tell you when to cheer") still to this day amazes me. Nothing Van Halen/Satriani/Hendrix complex in what Justin is doing with his guitar there, but his guitar chops there are just so perfect and they are my favorite bit in any NMA song.

"Western Dream"
Killer music, brilliant lyrics. New Model Army's high point.   

Here's a cover!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgSYO2YN3Fo

[Red]

For such a long long time my favourite has been Smalltown England

Mainly because of the line

'Is it a crime to believe in something different'

Also have this as a tattoo using the lyrics scanned from Vengeance so it's perfect

Where I grew up I've always been judged by the way I look,dress etc..
piercings, tattos etc

Also the town I grew up with everyone knew what was going on so definitely a Smalltown England

Just lately though there's a new contender and this is Born Feral