12th Doctor.....

So I am a huge fan of Peter Capaldi and had the absolute pleasure of meeting the beautiful man in 2011. He is kind, incredibly generous, humble, and utterly hot. For these reasons, I feel I have to say something about his new role as the 12th Doctor and comment on the backlash.

Peter Capaldi is one thing. Versatile. He continues to surprise and gain respect with the types of roles he takes on...you never quite know what he'll do next. Which is why being chosen as the 12th Doctor was such a wonderful surprise for us PCap lovers. Because we just don't know what he'll bring to the role, but whatever it is, it's gonna be GREAT.

It's disappointing that some fans feel unsettled about the choice, but then didn't they feel uncertain about the announcement of Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor? Hell even I remember wondering who he was and how he would make his mark. But he did, didn't he? He blossomed as a wonderfully kooky and much loved Doctor.

I don't pretend to be a huge Doctor Who fan (I have a Paul McGann series on VHS somewhere) but I am a proud PCapper and I cannot wait until he steps into the role at Christmas.

Manic Street Preachers: My Top 50

I bloody figured it out. Finally.

So...hi. I am Pluralistbaby (known in real life as Gem) and I am about to share with you my Top 50 Manics tunes.

1. Tsunami
I still remember the day I ran home from Our Price, put TIMTTMY on the cd player and Tsunami was the song that bowled me over. The lyrics, the music, the Silent Twins, the video - all perfection.
2. Kevin Carter - The song that made me fall in love with the Manics, aged 13.
3. So Why So Sad (Avalanches remix) - The remix improves this song dramatically.
4. Rewind The Film - A new offering from the Manics but straight in the top 10 because it made me cry on the first play. Beautiful and melancholic.
5. A Design For Life - Obviously.
6. Firefight - Always loved this and it should have been an album track.
7. The Girl Who Wanted To Be God  - anything about Sylvia Plath and written by the Manics is automatically awesome
8. Motorcycle Emptiness - the classic Manics song. Epic.
9. Indian Summer - \SATG is a brilliant album, and this is my favourite track from it. Associated with personal memories.
10. Umbrella - Excellent cover version.

11. No One Knows What It's Like To Be Me  - I listened to this aged 14 and (angsty teen) identified with it immediately. It reached out to me at a time when not much else did.
12. Forever Delayed - Really love this - another wasted album track.
13. Judge Yrself - JDB at his screamy shouty guitar-thrashing best
14. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - first Manics no 1. Preach.
15. She Bathed Herself In A Bath of Bleach - I love the story behind this song. The fragility of the words and the subject.
16. William's Last Words - Another one that made me cry on first play. This song actually haunts me.
17. My Guernica - Something about this song just lifts me, its brilliant
18. Intraveneous Agnostic - Most orgasmic guitar solo from JDB I think I've ever heard.
19. I Live To Fall Asleep - the best song from Lifeblood in my opinion
20. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough - Duet with Nina from the Cardigans. Can't go wrong.

21. Prologue To History - I love the lyrics! such a punchy, jaunty tune
22. Bored Out Of My Mind - One of the first Manics b-sides I ever heard. Love it.
23. Some Kind of Nothingness - sad, sad song. Such a shame it didn't chart well.
24. Unstoppable Salvation - I like the harmonies.
25. This Is The Day - really positive song, makes me feel good
26. Masses Against The Classes - First number 1 of the Millennium. Manics go into history books. Godlike moment.
27. Everything Must Go - Very, very powerful song. Even 17 years I can still hear the need for the Manics to let go of the past. Although how well they've done that is debatable.....
28. Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky - perfect song. JDB's vocal is heartbreaking.
29. Door To The River - 'Baby I lost my way following a star.....'
30. Suicide Is Painless - Another perfect choice for a cover version.

31. Born To End - I always liked this song on GT.
32. Sleepflower - One of the strongest tracks on GATS
33. Life Becoming A Landslide - My dream came true when I finally heard this live at the O2. Bliss.
34. Symphony of Tourette - Always one of my favourites on GATS.
35. 1985 - Really brilliant song on Lifeblood. One of the very few.
36. The Second Great Depression - Kind of like a lullaby. Very gentle.
37. Show Me The Wonder - Of course this is on the list. This is a proper grower.
38. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You - sexiest thing JDB has probably ever done. Apart from just being JDB.
39. Yourself - Favourite GATS track. Really dark and appealed to my goth 14 year old self.
40. Baby Elian - Great track but even better acoustic (see Cuba dvd)

41. This Is Yesterday - I couldn't believe it when I found out Nicky wrote this.
42. Faster - Classic Manics live track.
43. You Love Us - No Manics gig would be complete without this. Fact.
44. Born A Girl - for the simple fact that JDB sings the lyrics without flinching. The contrast between Nicky's sadness at not being born female sung by the very macho JDB continues to startle me.
45. Bright Eyes - saddest song ever, JDB absolutely kills this live.
46. Its Not War (Just The End Of Love) - I love the video.
47. Just A Kid - great tune.
48. Miss Europa Disco Dancer - so cheesy its actually brilliant. I had the video all sorted in my wildest dreams.
49. Postcards From A Young Man - I will not give up and I will not give in.....need I say more
50. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - always a childhood fave, then I found JDB's version and loved it even more.

I know I'll change my mind on these but, as at 28th July, these are my 50, show me yours.