| The Great Western | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 July 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:19 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Dave Eringa, Guy Massey, Alex Silva, Greg Haver | |||
| James Dean Bradfield chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Great Western | ||||
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The Great Western is the debut solo studio album by the Manic Street Preachers vocalist-guitarist James Dean Bradfield. It was released on 24 July 2006 by record label Columbia.
The majority of the lyrics are written by Bradfield, who had previously only contributed lyrics to the Manic Street Preachers songs "Ocean Spray" and "Firefight". Bradfield's lyrics feature a theme of looking to the past and are largely personal rather than political. [3] Manics bass guitarist-lyricist Nicky Wire contributes lyrics to the song "Bad Boys and Painkillers", and two songs feature lyrics co-written with writer John Niven. [4] Also included is a cover of Jacques Brel's "To See a Friend in Tears". The album features the drummer Dafydd Ieuan from the fellow Welsh band Super Furry Animals on "Run Romeo Run".
The title refers to the Great Western Railway, which is reflected in the album's artwork. Much of the album was written on the train journey between Cardiff and Paddington. Bradfield uses the train journey as a metaphor for soul-searching while away from home. [5] He refers to his journeys between his home in South Wales to London on the GWR in the song "Émigré".
All tracks are written by James Dean Bradfield, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's No Way to Tell a Lie" | 3:05 | ||
| 2. | "An English Gentleman" | 3:05 | ||
| 3. | "Bad Boys and Painkillers" | Nicky Wire | 3:49 | |
| 4. | "On Saturday Morning We Will Rule the World" | 3:17 | ||
| 5. | "Run Romeo Run" | 3:24 | ||
| 6. | "Still a Long Way to Go" | Bradfield, John Niven | 3:50 | |
| 7. | "Émigré" | Bradfield, Niven | 3:29 | |
| 8. | "To See a Friend in Tears" | Jacques Brel | Brel | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Say Hello to the Pope" | 3:24 | ||
| 10. | "The Wrong Beginning" | 3:15 | ||
| 11. | "Which Way to Kyffin" | 2:57 |
The album spent two weeks in the UK Album Chart, peaking at #22. [6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| BBC Music | generally favourable [2] |
| The Observer | [8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| musicOMH | [10] |
| NME | 8/10 [11] |
| Q |  [12] |
| Uncut | [13] |
The Great Western was generally well received by critics.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic opined that the album is the sound of "a sensitive, vulnerable Bradfield, something that hasn't been captured on Manics albums even when they strayed toward colorless mature-pop." The website further described, "Sonically, this album isn't far removed from This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours —it's anthemic yet soft, dramatic yet hushed—but unlike on the Manics albums since, it doesn't sound labored." [7] Q magazine echoed similar sentiments, opining that the album is "even stronger than either of the last two Manics albums [ Know Your Enemy and Lifeblood ]". [12]
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore, plus Nicky Wire. They form a key part of the 1990s Welsh Cool Cymru cultural movement.
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This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 14 September 1998 by record label Epic.
James Dean Bradfield is a Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He is known for being the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.
"Kevin Carter" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as the third single from their album Everything Must Go in 1996. The song peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
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I Killed the Zeitgeist is the debut solo studio album by Manic Street Preachers bass guitarist and lyricist Nicky Wire. It was released on 25 September 2006 by record label Red Ink.
"An English Gentleman" is the second single from the album The Great Western by Manic Street Preachers vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, released on 25 September 2006 on Columbia Records." The title track pays tribute to the late Manics publicist Philip Hall. Also featured on the CD version of the single is a cover Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind", Bradfield's favourite song.
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"Anthem for a Lost Cause" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It is the second single released from the band's eleventh studio album, Rewind the Film.
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"Futurology" is the second single released by the Manic Street Preachers from their twelfth studio album, Futurology. The song features keyboards from Super Furry Animals member Cian Ciaran. The single was released on 22 September 2014. It is a duet between James Dean Bradfield, the main vocalist, and Nicky Wire, the band's bassist.
Resistance Is Futile is the thirteenth album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 13 April 2018 through Columbia Records.
"International Blue" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a single in December 2017. This song is the first single for the album Resistance Is Futile (2018), written by James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore.
"People Give In" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers. It was released in July 2018 as the sixth single from their thirteenth album Resistance Is Futile.
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Even in Exile is the second solo studio album by the Manic Street Preachers vocalist and guitarist James Dean Bradfield. The album is a concept album based on the life and death of the Chilean activist, singer and poet Víctor Jara, with lyrics by poet and playwright Patrick Jones. It was released on 14 August 2020 by record label MontyRay, and reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.
