Rethinking my opinion on the 'old' stuff...

[Master Ray]

Now... I've posted several times (even started a couple of threads) about how I think NMA have been producing their best music over the last few years... I think that High / TIAGD  / BDAW is as fine a trilogy of albums as was ever put out by anyone ever...

... and yet... I listened to 'Better Than Them' just now for the first time in ages.  What a truly perfect song.  And it led me back to the early, stripped-down, basic stuff from NRFTW back, which I haven't listened to in ages...

I always love hearing those tracks live, but listening to them again on CD... I just got a new found appreciation for them.  The Price, 1984, Great Expectations, Betcha, Spirit Of The Falklands, A Liberal Education and, of course, the magnificent 'Smalltown England'... even 'unreleased' stuff like 'The Dam' and 'Living A Lie'... 

I dunno, I still rate the later stuff as their best (and I still think IMPURITY is their finest album!) but putting fresh ears on that old stuff for the first time in ages... it was a nice surprise.

 

[Bever]

Something I do find, is that Justin's voice sounds better with aging...

[c]

I find that listening again to an album often re-ignites how much I like it or certain tracks on it. Unlike you, I've stopped appreciating High - but listening to some of the tracks live on the new CD/DVD made me realise that I need to go back and listen again. What a shame my CD player has broken (and with a limited edition Chameleons Script of the Bridge stuck inside)

I had a phase a while back of remembering how much I loved Ghost Of Cain - Love Songs has always been a fave of mine but remembering how good Poison Street and Lights Go Out sounds was great too.

With so many albums to choose from, I do find myself neglecting albums for a while - only to rediscover them!

[Pol]

Don't forget,-- The cause  !

[Shush]

Me to C.

It is easy to neglect an NMA album as there is so many of them. I did on the way home on the bus the other day play "Carnival" for the first time in ages. An album which usually gets picked out as peoples least favourite NMA album, but I enjoyed it a lot. The only track I skipped was Carlisle Road. Particularly  enjoyed listening to  BD3, Island and Fireworks Night.

[Amandistan]

I have read that Carnival was not the most popular.  I never got why though. I liked it very much.
The one that did the least for me was No Rest. Perhaps I will give it a listen. It has some great moments.

[lotus]

I love Carnival and I can`t understand the problems of other fans with that album,
ok, often some have problems with this or that song, but with a whole NMA album? 

[Master Ray]

Glad my new post struck a chord!

For the record, I also wasn't too keen on Carnival initially, but listened to it a few months ago and really liked it... 'Too Close To The Sun' and 'Fireworks Night' are deffo in my top 20 NMA tunes...

[lotus]

Something I do find, is that Justin's voice sounds better with aging...

Sorry Bever,

Justin lost his warm voice, the e-ciggy can`t bring back the various tunes of the former years

[c]

Me to C.

It is easy to neglect an NMA album as there is so many of them. I did on the way home on the bus the other day play "Carnival" for the first time in ages. An album which usually gets picked out as peoples least favourite NMA album, but I enjoyed it a lot. The only track I skipped was Carlisle Road. Particularly  enjoyed listening to  BD3, Island and Fireworks Night.

Funnily enough Carlisle Road is one of my fave tracks of all. 

[Shush]

Ha, well it would be boring if we were all the same !!

[Pol]

I feel a bit that some people think its uncool to like the early stuff. " oh nma have moved on" as i fan of the band since 84 vengeance has been the most important album for me as its the record that got me into the band and 31 years they are still my favourite band and always will be

[Guillaume]

The one that did the least for me was No Rest. Perhaps I will give it a listen. It has some great moments.

NRFTW is a very good album, full of good songs and energy, but the "80""s production is "dated", so in a way this album ages less well than THE GHOST OF CAIN and THUNDER AND CONSOLATION.

[mancunian]

The one that did the least for me was No Rest. Perhaps I will give it a listen. It has some great moments.

NRFTW is a very good album, full of good songs and energy, but the "80""s production is "dated", so in a way this album ages less well than THE GHOST OF CAIN and THUNDER AND CONSOLATION.

Would it be possible to do something with NRFTW like the did with Carnival?

[Master Ray]

The one that did the least for me was No Rest. Perhaps I will give it a listen. It has some great moments.

NRFTW is a very good album, full of good songs and energy, but the "80""s production is "dated", so in a way this album ages less well than THE GHOST OF CAIN and THUNDER AND CONSOLATION.

Would it be possible to do something with NRFTW like the did with Carnival?

IMHO, I prefer it if this album, great though it is, is left alone.  'Dated production', for me, sounds like a true sign of the times and the era that the songs were produced in.  I don't fancy a 21st Century remix of what is a great album as it stands.  I'm not a fan of remixes.

Carnival was, as Justin has said, an album that they weren't happy with when it was released.  And the re-envisioning of that album was a fine thing indeed, one that genuinely improved on the original.  I can't imagine such a thing being the case for an album as beloved as NRFTW.

But, hey, NMA are a band who constantly surprises us so who knows?