Song of the Night (#20) Manic Street Preachers - Judge Yr'self

It's hilarious to think of how long and how badly I'd misjudged Manic Street Preachers. I'd heard the band's name in passing a few times and seen their CDs in HMV, but this was during the nineties, when it felt like every band from the UK was a Britpop band and recorded nasally, emasculated whining.

One can only tolerate so much hype, so I assumed Manic Street Preachers to be more of the same and dumped them into my mental rubbish bin alongside Oasis, Radiohead and Blur (the latter three remain there to this day). It turned out that this was a colossal mistake, and I wouldn't reverse my opinion for another fifteen years.

My current impression of the band? Imagine Big Country, only meaner and a great deal angrier. Or perhaps you could imagine Rage Against The Machine's Welsh counterpart, minus all the rapping. While famous for their ambitious lyrics and revolutionary image, I'd argue that MSP should be better known for their forceful and intense brand of hard rock.

"Judge Yr'self" is an unusual song, though not in regards to its melody or composition. Originally written for the 1995 Judge Dredd film (yes, that one), "Judge Yr'self" was left off of the film's soundtrack after the disappearance of the band's chief lyricist and rhythm guitarist - the legendary Richey Edwards. Similarly to the band's seminal album "The Holy Bible", it is almost impossible to avoid interpreting the song in light of Edwards' mental condition and character (you could write a book on this topic, and several already have).

Musically, this is the band at their best, combining searing melodies with shout-worthy anthems. The legacy of Edwards' contributions only serves to make an already powerful song a punch to the gut.

Song of the Night (#19) Gary Numan - We Have a Technical

I suspect that I'm frequently going to be writing about Gary Numan, simply because I adore his music.

"We Have a Technical" isn't dissimilar to "Cars". This isn't surprising, considering that both were recorded perhaps a year apart, during Numan's fertile years with Beggars Banquet. 

During these early years (right after taking full control of Tubeway Army), Numan wrote consistently excellent songs marrying sweeping, glacial synthesizers with conventional rock structure. "Cars" is one of his best songs from this early period, but "We Have a Technical" is better. 

Remarkably enough, "We Have a Technical" was an outtake of the Replicas recording sessions; I have no idea why such a compelling song wasn't a part of the final album (which would have been better off without, say, "The Machman"). 

All the hallmarks of a great Numan song are present:

Propulsive beat? Check. 

Jagged hard-rock guitars? Yup. 

Paranoid sci-fi inspired lyrics? You betcha!

Synths? Damn straight!

In short, imagine "Cars" with more pessimism and an extended second half given entirely to showing off that gorgeous melody. In recent years, "We Have a Technical" has found a welcome place in Numan's live set. It will undoubtedly never receive the recognition that "Cars" has gotten, but I'm hopeful that any who come across this song can appreciate its power.