Man Made

Teenage Fanclub, Jonny | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Merge Records
• ASIN: B0009G3BEC
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,476 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The title Man-Made runs the risk of messing with diehards' notion of what Teenage Fanclub is all about--melodic, classic-era indie pop a la Badfinger and Big Star--but concerns that the Scottish four-piece has swerved from its organic sensibility in favor of something souped-up and synthetic are unfounded. Back in the studio for the band's seventh disc (and its first recorded in the U.S., with Tortoise's John McEntire producing) are the trio of gifted songwriters and instrumentalists that have supplied this outfit with a surplus of talent since it formed in 1990. Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley each contribute four songs; parsing who wrote what, as usual, makes for the perfect rock-geek parlor game: is the straightforward, jaunty "It's All in My Mind" (Blake) stronger than the harder-rocking, riffy "Time Stops" (Love) or the earnest "Feel" (McGinley)? In the end the correct answer is who cares: Teenage Fanclub is back. Their vibe continues to be timeless, accessible, and as satisfyingly cool as it's ever been. -Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

Their first studio album since 2000's "Howdy". A classic Fanclub record in every sense, with more songs of wisdom, change, and love. In tone and arrangement, the record handsomely demonstrates the less-is-more maxim, being both airier and lighter of touch than its predecessors. Magazine "Uncut" gives it 4 stars out of 5, noting, "MAN-MADE is full of texture and shade, a record of constantly unfolding pleasures....[They] remain the perfect assimilation of West Coast craft and old-school indie-guile."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cool doesn't necessarily mean tepid, June 17, 2005

By 

Howlinw (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man Made (Audio CD)

For those of you who (unfairly) criticize this latest effort by the vastly underappreciated Teenage Fanclub as being lackluster, I wish to offer a different interpretation. Yes it is a subdued and carefully-produced effort, in keeping with their later work rather than the Bandwagonesque-era looseness and feedback-drenched Big Star rock. But it is not without soul or passion. It is simply a more relaxed record, more sculpted, more careful. The music still flows nicely, the lyrics are stronger than usual, and hooks abound. Just about every song has worthwhile aspects anda high level of attention to detail. It is obvious to me that the band put a lot into this one, from picking a new producer to writing a collection of grade-A material. Why only 4 stars then? Well, Bandwagonesque is classic, and a high, high bar was set way back when. If this came from anyone else, maybe 5 stars would be more in line.

For those of you who are new to Fanclub and have stumbled onto this page by accident, let me tell you, you have to buy either the best-of collection or Bandwagonesque, or both. Really. Then you will want all the rest. I cheered when Nirvana kicked Michael Jackson off the charts in 1991 or whenever that was, but I would have cheered far more if Fanclub had subsequently booted Nirvana from those charts. It could have happened- for all the Cobain-tragedy publicity, Fanclub writes better songs. This band has been quietly and unpretetiously chugging along since 1990 at least, while nobody seems to really notice. Give them your support, they are a treasure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hang in there, June 30, 2005

By 

S. Moore (Redwood City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man Made (Audio CD)

I am a huge fan, but I admit this one really disappointed me...at first. The vocals are often very low in the mix and the TFC keep getting mellower with every record. I put this one away for a week and just went back to it. It really is starting to grow on me...it's taken longer than any of their other records, so hang in there! It'll be worth it!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They live!, July 17, 2005

By 

arturobandini (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man Made (Audio CD)

Throw my hat in with the double-thumbs-up crowd. I think "Man-Made" is TFC's best album since "Grand Prix," and perhaps their most consistent. They had me worried after "Howdy," with its opening track ("I Need Direction") suggesting a crisis of professional confidence. And then the liner notes to their subsequent greatest hits anthology blatantly insinuated that the mighty Fanclub had called it a day.

Now "Man-Made" shows up a few years later, and what a euphoric surprise. Mellower, yes, but no less melodic or meticulous. (No band does 3-part harmonies this wondrous except for The Byrds.) While their previous albums may contain better stand-alone tracks, on "Man-Made," everything flows.

I'm so grateful they're still with us. And even happier that they sound stronger than ever recording for their own label.