Record Collector: Manic Street Preachers new album "Critical Thinking" review/Nicky Wire Q&A - song re: Morrissey "Dear Stephen" (December 30, 2024)

Record Collector - #566, January 2025.

Web version of the above:

Critical Thinking - Record Collector Magazine

Over 30 years and 15 albums in and, thankfully, Manic Street Preachers have yet to call a truce with their furies. Critical Thinking lashes out against

recordcollectormag.com

Something previously missed in MOJO asserts the same re: Dear Stephen:

"A tender exploration of teenage fandom and adult disappointment, Dear Stephen is inspired by the time in 1984 when The Smiths played Cardiff University. Wire’s mum wrote to the group explaining that her teenage son was desperate to see the band but was too ill to attend. The Smiths wrote back, with Morrissey scribbling “get well soon Nick” on a postcard. "An almost spiritual antique" is how Wire describes the note, which he recently rediscovered."

Regards,
FWD.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Sweet
Nicky and Richy , like Brett and Damon and Noel and Justin were MEGA Smiths fans , you could see them at Smiths and M gigs
Not that I knew who they were at the time

 

[Redacted]

This actually sounds pretty awful

 

[Young And Alive]

Sweet
Nicky and Richy , like Brett and Damon and Noel and Justin were MEGA Smiths fans , you could see them at Smiths and M gigs
Not that I knew who they were at the time

The Manics used to have flowers on stage with them in the early days. Maybe that was a Smiths influence.

 

[Thewlis]

They sang about Morrissey and Marr, too, on one song, on Lifeblood.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

Nicky Wire needs to write a song
about nicky wire's legs.
Then he'd be on to somethin'.

 

[gordyboy9]

This actually sounds pretty awful

only you would say that.

 

[gordyboy9]

Nicky Wire needs to write a song
about nicky wire's legs.
Then he'd be on to somethin'.

good one turk.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

Saw them live when they were promoting Generation Terrorists and saying they'd break up afterwards. I am old.

 

[Iamhatedforloving]

Love the Manics but don't like the sound of this....Morrissey In 80s does a thoughtful thing and now in 2024 when his relative popularity is down Nicky rediscovers the letter, writes a song about it and suddenly the "I loved you in the 80s but not now" line is revealed....itd be really disappointing and a bit harsh to get publicity off Morrissey' s initial good intentions. If this transpires to be the case it'll be disappointing on a Manics front for me but let's hold judgement till lyrics are revealed ...fingers crossed Dear Stephen is positive vs negative

 

[dallow_bg]

Love the Manics but don't like the sound of this....Morrissey In 80s does a thoughtful thing and now in 2024 when his relative popularity is down Nicky rediscovers the letter, writes a song about it and suddenly the "I loved you in the 80s but not now" line is revealed....itd be really disappointing and a bit harsh to get publicity off Morrissey' s initial good intentions. If this transpires to be the case it'll be disappointing on a Manics front for me but let's hold judgement till lyrics are revealed ...fingers crossed Dear Stephen is positive vs negative

If you read the article, it previews some of the lyrics and the theme.

 

[Iamhatedforloving]

If you read the article, it previews some of the lyrics and the theme.

What is your point...of course ive read the review and Mojo interview but what im suggesting is the hope that when the Lyrics are confirmed they are not taking advantage of an initial good intention from Morrissey from the distant past and using it jumlp on the Morrissey is so wrong and he needs to repent....fact Morrissey has had no releases in so many years yet every bit of news related to him is headline on the NME site...why is that? ...no doubt this will too
love the Manics and I really hope they don't stoop so low so let's hope.im wrong with the lyrics assumptions

 

[saintssmileshyly]

His name is Steven. To write a song about a person and to not know the spelling of their name is odd

 

[nicky wire's legs]

I love nicky so much!!!!!!!!

 

[nicky wire's legs]

Nicky Wire needs to write a song
about nicky wire's legs.
Then he'd be on to somethin'.

Yes!! That would be amazing!!!

 

[Redacted]

Having seen the Manics, they are not all that and their pretentiousness is pretty unbearable. 'A spiritual antique', ok douche canoe. It's pretty rotten to take an act of kindness and turn it against the person. And the thought of Bradfield 'summoning Johnny Marr through his fingertips' is just so stupid, the entire ass licking article is ridiculous.
I am not Morrissey's biggest fan these days, but people taking needless shots at him is getting old.
I hope Nicky Wire falls on his big fat face and breaks his sunglasses the next time he does one of those splits as he leaps into the air while trying to play.

 

[Eldritch]

I love Manics as an idea. Their interviews and lyrics are always enjoyable and thought-provoking. But musically they have always been too stodgy rock for me and I've never liked Bradfield's voice. This Morrissey song sounds promising though -- the lyric quoted in the review is lovely.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

Yes!! That would be amazing!!!

It'd be great!

 

[Mike Rourke]

I love Manics as an idea. Their interviews and lyrics are always enjoyable and thought-provoking. But musically they have always been too stodgy rock for me and I've never liked Bradfield's voice. This Morrissey song sounds promising though -- the lyric quoted in the review is lovely.

Yep, I like the concept of the MSPs too but the singing is awful. A Welsh bloke singing in a horrible, grating fake American accent.
Love the duet they did with Nina from The Cardigans though.

 

[uwotm8]

I don't know why people are being so defensive here Morrissey has been a bit of an arse for years now hasn't he? I agree that some people seem to jump on a bandwagon of bashing him but maybe wait and see with this new song. I really like the manic street preachers and James dean Bradfield though I think he has a great voice, is a great player and he seems like a decent guy based on interviews - they might not be to everyone's tastes but they are clearly a talented band.