Oh my god, I’m being serious
“This Is the Day” had two b-sides, and they both represent the flipsides of the Manics at their most speed-dialled. “We Were Never Told” was James’ acoustic solo spot, and so appropriately “Rock n Roll Genius” is Wire’s equivalent: a scruffy lo-fi singer/songwriter affair that he probably banged together in the studio one lonely evening (and maybe asked Sean to spare a couple of minutes to lay out a quick drum track).
Much like its Bradfield counterpart, “Rock n Roll Genius” is a pleasant jingle that doesn’t really offer anything we haven’t heard before, and comes with the air of even Wire realising that – why would he waste a genuinely good song as the 7″ b-side of a single they knew they were going to forget the moment the campaign finished? “Rock and Roll Genius” does elicit a bit of a smile though because of its entertainingly self-deprecating lyrics, and though a little bit of introspection creeps up in them occasionally, Wire’s tongue does feel fairly firmly lodged in his cheek. The jauntily strolling tune helps carry the feeling too, and there’s generally some nifty detail running through the song that gives it a little bit of personality: the organ in the chorus is a real stand-out, and the guitar? hyper-speed piano? (the vinyl rip isn’t making this very clear) after the chorus is delightfully perky. They’re begging for a stronger song to be in, but it’s nice that they’re there to begin with.
[edited 14/12/22]
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