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Name: Steve
Birthday: 8th July
Occupation: University Student
Location: Stafford

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September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
January 2007
April 2007
 

 

d
Friday, April 13, 2007
Send Away The Tigers Review
Send Away The Tigers 7.5/10 It sounds like it could sit well on Generation Terrorists but lacks energy in the verses, however when the chorus kicks in James' voice soars, taking the song to the whole new level. Some of the best lyrics on the album too, referring to tigers as the militant forces (may be wrong but that's what I got from the song) and a great title for the album.

Underdogs 6/10 Raw, punk and for those who haven't heard it, it's not as bad as a lot have been making out. Suprisingly it was Seans playing that let the song down for me, the snare roll building up the chorus always makes me cringe when I hear it. James voice is great again as per usual.

Your Love Alone Is Not Enough 8/10 Great choice for a single, bouncy pop/rock. I haven't decided yet whether it's pretentious for the band to pay homage to themselves in the lyrics "You stole the sun, straight from my heart". I'm guessing that this tune is about Richey in the same vain as Nobody Loved You. Only issue I have with this song is Nickys shout singing style and how much stress it sounds like he's putting his voice under singing those two line... meh good song.

Indian Summer 5/10 Seems to be the most over hyped song on the album so far, possibly because of it's simalarities to design with the bouncy 6/8 rhythm and the crunchy riffs into each line of the chorus. Great lyrics to the verses and a lovely melody throughout, but musically it felt mis-matched.

The Second Great Depression 8.5/10 This song (fantastic as it is) starts my one big problem with the album. This is the first of four consecutive songs (excluding Rendition which I've yet to hear) where the songs title is the starting lyric. It may be a bit of a petty issue but it constantly reminds me of the way old hymns would be named taking the first line as the songs title... not making much sense I know. That aside this song has one of the catchiest choruses since Australia and once again a lyrically sound song.

Autumn Song 9.5/10 Favourite song of the album. Not a lyrical piece or even musically complex, but that's what makes it great, it's so simple and involves you in it straight away. James' octave jump kicks the song off with such excitement and power that you almost forget that he's just reeled off cosmetic tips. All I can say is for those who haven't heard this autumn song, remember the best is yet to come... okay debatable but a great tune and I'm sure it'll be fantastic live.

I Am Just A Patsy 7/10 Still not taken by the lyrics and can't say I have any idea of how it relates to Lee Harvey Oswald other than the line "I'm just a patsy" however I'll put that down to James motoring off the lines at rate that would give superman a challenge to transcribe. Similar to Everything Must Go's Interiors with James' voice once again making the song, roaring out each line and rarely taking a breath.

Imperial Bodybags 8/10 Good song that felt to me like it could have sat well towards the end of the Holy Bible (3rd Manics Album). Dark lyrics mixed with James' lead echoing each line throughout the 1st and 3rd verse with James building the song with another octave jump to allow for a truely electric chorus. Sean's really on form for this song, taking on a militant style beat on the toms before crashing into his usual controlled rhythm. Even Nickys bass sounds great, simple but thudding along as always.

Winterlovers 7.5/10 The one song that I felt lived upto Nickys promise of Guns 'n Roses singing the White Album. It actually felt like quite a warm, optimistic song despite the obviously intended coldness for a song titled Winterlovers. There's also an excellent stadium rock section, where the music momentarily comes to halt with just James voice and the drums still crashing along in unison for several seconds. That said the song doesn't come across as well on the studio recording as I think it potentially could live, it's the only song on the album that I'd describe as slightly over-produced.

Working Class Hero 8.5/10 As with their previous covers like "Been A Son" and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" he knocks it up the octave allowing for him to really roar out the lyrics. The low production value is definately a positive with the song being effectively a live track it shows off how tightly they can play together. There's also a nice irony to them covering a Lennon song 15 years on from them laughing over his death. I'm sure they'll be very mixed views on this track but for me it's a great bonus track and a pleasure to hear them cover it.

 

posted by Steve @ 4:45 PM |174 comments

d
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Posting
New years resolution: Post more often and make use of the blog :P

 

posted by Steve @ 12:08 PM |2 comments

d
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Sample Portfolio

Just a collection of my favourite films and recordings I've made, I'll put this on a seperate page sometime soon, in the mean time watch or listen and let me know what you think.

Films:

Remus' Moralless Matchsticks (6 1/2 minutes, 119mb)

Gruff (2 1/2 minutes, 4 mb)

Housebound (5 minutes, 15mb)

Song Recordings:

The Endless Plane Of Fortune

Spider

Faster

We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Out of season, I know, but a fun piece all the same)


 

posted by Steve @ 4:30 AM |16 comments

d
Saturday, June 03, 2006

Just a quick update for those interested (will write a more detailed update soon), starting work in Leeds on June 5th for a few weeks. Then working with a film company called Mezzo Studios in Headingly, while staying with Rosie for the year, starting in September. More to come soon.

 

posted by Steve @ 5:09 AM |2 comments

d
Monday, May 01, 2006
Send us your DVD's...
We want your DVD's and we want them now! ...just finished writing up a DVD wish list with Rosie and to make this post seem longer than it is here they are:

Ellen
Caroline in the city
new adventures of superman
nightwatch
easter parade
it
summer stock
on the town
vertigo
psycho
superman box set
jurassic park 1-3
family guy
american dad
Brittas empire
simpsons 5-7
malcolm in the middle
educating rita
smallville
on moonlight bay
calamity jane
king of the hill
scrubs
red dwarf 1-8
24
curb your enthusiasm
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder 1-4
I'm Alan Partridge (Knowing me, knowing you and Series 1 & 2)
Dad's Army
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
Caberet
An American Paris
Anchors Away
Seven Brides, for seven brothers
Showboat
Sleepy Hollow
the partridge family
chocolat
practical magic
demolition man
a time to kill
terminator
rocky anthology
indiana jones
sabrina
star wars
casablanca
notting hill
citizen kane
singin' in the rain
sleepless in seatle
some like it hot
gone with the wind
mermaids
bambi
dumbo
pinnochio
sleeping beauty
alice in wonderland
snow white and the seven dwarfs
fantasia
cinderella
the sword in the stone
robin hood
goodmornin' vietnam
dead poets society
mrs doubtfire
aladdin
good will hunting
Awakenings
jumanji
patch adams
hook
ferngully
lady and the tramp
toy story
the rescuers
bedknobs and broomsticks
ghost
point break
dirty dancing
lawrence of arabia
it's a wonderful life
to kill a mockingbird
LA Confidential
roxanne
amadeus
forest gump
splash
sixth sense
the deer hunter
brief encounter
scent of a woman
3 colours
amelie
roman holiday
frasier
corpse bride

 

posted by Steve @ 9:40 AM |1 comments

d
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Fun, fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun.
Woo all work is finished, had a fantastic easter, went home and relaxed taking Rosie with me while she went off and became a farmer for a week (and an extremely cute one at that - reminds me I must get a picture of her in her dungarees... so gorgeous!) Had a family meet up which was fun, fun, fun and then went off to Cornwall (St Ives with her and her family, brilliant week!

Feeling on quite the high at the moment, have an interview with a company in Leeds on tuesday and just finished my studio report oh and have a new film to stick up on here (will do that shortly). So now I've finished all the written work side of things and just have a bit of revision. I'm thinking about trying to get a small scale film project on the go in the near future, just need to get a little team together to help me out. I'll post the script on here once it's begging for help then.

Oh and it's nearly summer definately coming up to the best time of the year (not to mention my birthday), speaking of Birthdays, Rosie's was brilliant, great to meet her friends, lovely people. Anyway I've got more to add but I'll leave it at that for now, got some new drawings to post up as well so I'll do that soon to.

 

posted by Steve @ 5:30 AM |12 comments

d
Thursday, April 06, 2006
The Endless Plain of Fortune
As requested:

Old Taylor said
Old Taylor meant to cry -- oh my
Field Marshall meant
Field Marshall went away again
Watch out below; the tides
Lean heavily like wine
We are all innocent in spite of you and me

Then Martha went
Yes Martha went away again
Down in Transvaal
Where Crocodiles and men fight on
They would have played all night
Even with loaded dice
It's gold that eats the heart away and leaves
The bones -- to dry

 

posted by Steve @ 6:15 AM |1 comments

 

STEVE CRANSTON © 2005. COPYRIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DESIGNED BY ROSIE MANNING