The Mercy Side: Post Match Thoughts (Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool) 23/8/10

Hey people, this should be one of the columns I'll be posting on this site hopefully on a semi regular basis, depending on time and other works I might be doing. We'll see how this goes, and how you respond to it, if you do. Any feedback is appreciated.


Bad result, but it's the start of the season!


Well what a disaster yesterday was in some respects. Then again in other respects it's not that bad. I mean, thankfully we were away from home, and thankfully, the display wasn't awful, it's not like we played so bad we made them look good, it was that they were that damn good. Manchester City were pretty much flawless last night, they had their tactics spot on, they stopped us from playing, nullified our better players and worked their socks off to disrupt our play. It fricking worked.


Yesterday for me was the first time I've properly seen Mancini in the Sky Blue actually be a tactical genius. He played THREE defensive midfielders yesterday, and that just broke us. Yaya Toure was playing as an attacking midfielder, but tracked back when needed, which, in honesty, wasn't as often as we would have liked. He then played Barry and Kompany as the two settled defensive midfielders and it was perfect. Tevez, being the machine he is, just run our defence ragged and got himself two good goals.


Enough about City, I'm a Liverpool supporter. Where did we go wrong? Well, it's no excuse, but Mascherano was required yesterday. One thing that does annoy me about football is that players "aren't in the right frame of mind" to play. I have to work if I like it or not, footballers should be the same. Mascherano, unlike some players, play well despite being unhappy. He was well enough to play last week, but the Barcelona bid took his attention. Why? It's not like it's going to get sorted out in match time. Put it aside and talk about it the next day. It's frustrating.


The leaders on the Liverpool side were very disappointing as well, particularly Gerrard. He was trying his hardest to annoy Milner, instead of motivating our team to try and stay composed and work harder. We just lacked ideas, everything we tried failed. In those situations it's up to Gerrard to stay cool, stay relaxed and use his world class ability to try and come up with something magical. Not go and hound the opposition. Carragher lacked his usual leadership skills also.


Torres was a mixed bag, and I don't hold it against him, he will get sharper and sharper in the next few games. If this was 5 more matches down the line we then have an excuse to have a go. N'Gog was relatively quiet, apart from the only spell in the game where we put them under immense pressure. The words "if only" come to mind when I think about hitting that post...


I don't know if I need to talk about anymore individual players, but we did desperately lack energy yesterday, we lacked quality and creativity. I know some people have said Aquilani would have been good yesterday, but I'm still not convinced that he would have. He wasn't at all consistent last year; a year at Juventus will do him the world of good. We did lack Joe Cole in my opinion, the man just unlocks defences.


The main concern about yesterday is, how are we expected to get in the top 4 if Manchester City play so much better than us? It's a concern, but I'm not going to lose faith, it's only 2 out of 38 games into the season. Let's hope we can finish off Trabzonspor comfortably. West Bromwich Albion on the weekend, it's a good match to recover from this setback, let's hope we can do just that.


Date: 24/8/10

New Blog!

Hey everyone, Thanks for viewing my new blog.

I don't know how many of you have seen my work in the past, it's all pretty much disappeared off the internet now, but I have been doing my own thing for the past seven years. In this blog I'll just quickly go through a bit of history.

I've been writing freelance on the internet for seven years or so. That's not consistently, I have done nothing pretty much for three years due to actually being an adult and living.

But prior to that, I used to have a few websites where I would do my journalism on. I've done music album reviews, live gig reviews, video game reviews amongst other things. I had a little fanzine at one point also. I aspired to be a journalist greatly, but ambitions don't often work in reality.

For the past three years I've been on what I'd call a forced hiatus. When I moved from North Wales to Portsmouth, my computer broke on it's travels. I then worked in the Co-op, so all my concentrations were lost. I then got my fiancée pregnant, and moved to another job that requires equal attention. For the past three years I've grown up a lot, I'm a father, I earn a small wage.

But in the past three years all I've wanted to do is write again. Thanks to a good friend, namely Michele, I now have a computer again. I can interact with my old friends, and new friends too. I want to make a name for myself, I think I'm better than some of the people out there. I wouldn't say all, I have respect for most journalists, but I think I can add something.

So here I am again, writing. I will write mainly on four topics, those being music, video games, football, and wrestling. I will write other pieces I'm sure, and I'll probably do personal pieces once in a while. Also by all means, suggest things for me to write about. Any ideas are welcome. I will also include polls, Top 10 lists amongst other things. I have a gazillion ideas, I just don't know where to start. I want you to help me with that. Can you vote on the poll on this site, help me choose a subject to start with. I don't know what I will write on the winning answer, but I will do anything at the moment. I'd like to also say that I, naturally as you do with age, think I can write much better than I did three years ago. So we will see won't we!

One last thing, please, PLEASE, give me feedback. Help me out. Constructive criticism or compliments are both welcome. I just want to go in the right direction and I want to show you what I can do. I hope this is the beginning of a good journalism career! Thanks for hearing me out, and take care.

JohnnyMercyside

Retro Review: Final Fantasy XII

Hallo everyone, it's unlikely I'll be able to get another retro review in until my computer is fixed, but here is my review on Final Fantasy XII, which I did in April 2008. It's possibly the last review I did, I can't remember doing one since. But as that was the highest vote tally in my first poll, I'll do my first proper review on this site as a video game review. To your right is four options of game review, choose which game you're most interested in. Anyway, onto the review.

 

"It has great qualities, but it’s just when you compare it to the storytelling of previous games, it’s just disappointing."

It's hard to review this game and give it a rating because as everyone who knows me is aware I adore this series with a passion. But, it's a disappointment. I asked my girlfriend, “What would you rating FF12?” She replied, “6 or 7 at the most.” But I gave it an eight, because it's not a bad game. Not by far. It's a great game in fact, but when you put it up on the wall next to Final Fantasy VI, VII and IX it really does not shine out.

The game is set in a world called Ivalice, the world of Final Fantasy Tactics, where the main character Vaan and his childhood friend Penelo dream get caught in a war between Archadia and Rozarria, two nations where the battlefield is about to be set in their kingdom of Dalmasca which was taken over by Archadia two years prior the beginning of the game. Ashe, the princess of Dalmasca and Basch both thought to have died two years ago eventually join forces and create a resistance movement against Archadia. Balthier and Fran are sky pirates along with Vaan and Penelo who get caught in the resistance movement. That's… pretty much the storyline. It's not great to be honest, and when you compare it to some of the others, it's as brief as comparing the Saw series to Cabin Fever. I mean, when people ask me to describe Final Fantasy VII's storyline, I gasp and say “Well… it's complicated.”

The graphics on the game are absolutely fantastic, there are no glitches no patches and they are as smooth as can be – it gives the Playstation 3 a run for its money. There is a small load scene between FMV's and the action but apart from that the scenes move smoothly. The best word to use here as you have probably already noticed is smooth. There is some gorgeous scenery in the game, especially in the latter stages of the game.

The sound is great – the voice acting is better than Final Fantasy X's and the soundtrack is decent. Once again if you compare it to some of the soundtracks of the other series then it stands out as pretty bad.

When it comes to replay value, something that the Final Fantasy series masters, it's not bad. I mean there is actually only one really, which is disappointing. It's called “Mark Hunting” which is basically hunting a monster that is pestering people in the game, they get harder and harder and eventually you go against some of the hardest monsters in the game. There is no “Blitzball” or “Card Game” like in the other series which is disappointing. Even the smaller side quests don't offer much.

The main thing I would like to talk about is the battle system. Ever since Final Fantasy IX the people at Squaresoft/Square Enix believed they had to change the battle system. In the old series, there was an ATB gauge, and until it fills up the characters stand still and do nothing. In Final Fantasy X they got rid of the ATB gauge which made the game flow much more. In X-2 they brought it back but instead got rid of all the waiting and delays and made the fighting flow even more. Final Fantasy XII works in exactly the same way but you can control the character in a 3D environment rather than in a set screen battle like the other games. The world map and battlefield is the same field this time around, the monsters can be seen as you scroll across the deserts, mountains and plains you go through. This sounds like a vast improvement doesn't it? My only problem is, the original way of fighting in the Final Fantasy series was not a problem whatsoever in the first place. I have no idea why Squarsoft/Square Enix think they need to improve the battle system. I've never seen anyone complain about it. Yes it has gotten mocked over time but games do! How many games in the past have got mocked but have kept the system the same over time? Game Developers always think they need to improve the game if it gets mocked, mainly games that contain scrolling or 2D graphics. Sonic went downhill and only makes one or two decent games every five years now because they tried to go 3D – Mario as good as their 3D games are no match for 2D Mario.

The Final Fantasy series has not been “great” since Final Fantasy IX, and this game follows that trend. Look how much time has past since Final Fantasy X – six years nearly? Six years and they make a tolerable but simple storyline with an improved battle system. It really isn't good enough. Where is the plot is twist? The complex storyline? The dark/hidden side of the main protagonist? The great female counterpart? The sick but great villain? The scenes that make you want to cry, that get you hooked on the game? There is nothing. Oh, but the battle system is good and improved. So for the past six years they think that all these things are best to be sacrificed in order to get a super battle system. Also, the storyline is so basic, they make you travel the whole world and stretch out the small storyline by making you have hours of battles in between. Basically, you go to one place which is all the way across the world, fight loads of monsters for hours, get there, beat the boss and *Insert story progression here*. And repeat. It's not good enough. Vaan, supposedly the main protagonist has nothing to do with the storyline, nothing, well he lives where the Archadian army took over. That's it. There's no love story, the villain is disappointing, Penelo is just annoying. The best qualities this game has, is Balthier, the awesome sky pirate who is arrogant, witty and sounds like David Bowie, it's fantastic! The graphics are great the battle system is good too. That's about it.

As you can tell judging on this review I should be giving it less than 8/10 but it is a good game. It has great qualities. All the series does. But it's just when you compare it to its great history of storytelling, it's just disappointing.

Overall: 8/10

 

I do maintain the opinion that FF12 is just a shadow on the Final Fantasy games around it, Final Fantasy 13 is a much better game, although I'm yet to complete it, so can't do a full review on it. I'll hopefully be doing a review in the next fortnight, we'll see how fortune works in my favour first. Have a good day.

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Retro Mixtape: Best of Non-Single Nirvana

Hey everyone, I've had a ridiculously busy day today, I was going to write my next album review, which is the soundtrack to the second series of True Blood, but my brain is nearly as exhausted as my body.

I have however just dug up another mixtape I did a good 4 years ago, this was a band mixtape, for Nirvana. A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! We all know of Nirvana's great singles, but they did some great work on all of their albums, which in some cases are actually better than their singles. I collected my favourite non-single Nirvana tracks and came up with this list. Remember this was 4 years ago, not that I'd change much of it now if I did it again anyway.

1. Territorial Pissings (Nevermind)
2. Very Ape (In Utero)
3. Big Cheese (Bleach)
4. Turnaround (Incesticide)
5. Breed (Nevermind)
6. Floyd the Barber (Bleach)
7. Pennyroyal Tea (In Utero)
8. Stay Away (Nevermind)
9. Aneurysm (Incesticide)
10. Serve the Servants (In Utero)
11. Drain You (Nevermind)
12. Negative Creep (Bleach)
13. Dive (Incesticide)
14. On a Plain (Nevermind)
15. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (In Utero)
16. Downer (Bleach)
17. Lounge Act (Nevermind)
18. Scentless Apprentice (In Utero)
19. Love Buzz (Bleach)
20. Hairspray Queen (Incesticide)
21. Milk It (In Utero)
22. Endless Nameless (Nevermind) 

I usually have 5 extra songs that you can use as alternatives for the mixtape but for this list I've lost it unfortunately. Do you want to suggest me a mixtape theme? Let me know what you're interested in and I'll think about it.

Retro Mixtape: Best of Teenage Angst

Hallo peoples, I found this by chance, I doubt it will happen again, if it does it will be a while away because I don't know if I'll be able to post again for a few weeks, we'll see.

Mixtape: Teenage Angst

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren’t to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! Anyway, this is the best of Teenage Angst, songs that either represent musicians moaning and groaning, or music attracted to teenagers who moan and groan. I haven't got much emo here, because the challenge in my eyes was to choose songs that are actually good, but that have moaning and cursing as well. It's a decent list, let me know what you think.

This Mixtape is now available to listen to fully on YouTube so subscribe to me if you want to listen to it properly.

1. She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd
2. Last Resort – Papa Roach 
3. Creep – Radiohead 
4. Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades – Brand New 
5. I Don’t Wanna Be Me – Type O Negative 
6. My Generation – The Who 
7. She’s Attracted To – The Young Knives 
8. Anarchy in the U.K. – The Sex Pistols 
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana 
10. Outtathaway! – The Vines 
11. Chop Suey! – System of a Down 
12. I Hate People Like That – Jerk 
13. Start a War – Static X 
14. Die MF Die – Dope 
15. Down With the Sickness – Disturbed 
16. March of the Pigs – Nine Inch Nails 
17. Duality – Slipknot 
18. Institutionalized – Suicidal Tendencies 
19. I Hate People – Anti-Nowhere League 
20. Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit 
21. Stupid MF – Mindless Self Indulgence 
22. Killing in the Name – Rage Against the Machine 

I haven't got a 5 extra songs list because I've lost it unfortuantely. Do you want to suggest me a mixtape theme? Let me know what you're interested in and I'll think about it.

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Retro Mixtape: Best of Punk

Here is a Retro Mixtape I did when I did my Disaster Fanzine stuff. This was in July 2006, which made me 17 years old. I do like this Mixtape, and if you like Punk music I'd recommend you look at the list. If you think there are other songs that are missing by all means comment at the bottom of the blog and recommend your own!

Mixtape: Punk

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren’t to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! Here is a list of The Best of Punk, and no that is not Green Day, The Offspring or Blink-182 but pure 1970’s and 80’s Punk. We’ve added some Post-Punk and New Wave in there too, aren’t I nice! So here is a recommended list for your Spiked or Mohican-bearing friends! 80 minutes of pure punk bliss!

1. Babylon ’s Burning – The Ruts
2. Automatic Lover – The Vibrators
3. Into the Valley – The Skids
4. Smash it Up! – The Damned
5. Anarchy in the UK – Sex Pistols
6. Ever Fallen in Love – The Buzzcocks
7. Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
8. Jilted John (Gordon is a Moron ) – Jilted John
9. Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps - Splodgeness Abounds
10. Who Killed Bambi? Edward Tuderpole (with The Sex Pistols)
11. Oh Bondage, Up Yours! – X-Ray Spex
12. Don’t Dictate – Penetration
13. Typical Girls – The Slits
14. Sweet Gene Vincent – Ian Dury and the Blockheads
15. I Wanna Be Your Dog – Iggy Pop and the Stooges
16. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
17. Jocko Homo – Devo
18. No More Heroes – The Stranglers
19. 500 Miles – Toy Dolls
20. Teenagers from Mars – The Misfits
21. Banned from the Pubs - Peter and the Test Tube Babies
22. I Hate People – Anti-nowhere League
23. Angels with Dirty Faces – Sham 69
24. California Uber Alles – Dead Kennedys
25. White Riot – The Clash
26. Baby I Love You – The Ramones

Don’t like some of the songs? Here are some alternatives:

1. Cool for Cats – Squeeze
2. Dead Beat Descendant – The Fall
3. Hanging on the Telephone – Blondie
4. Spellbound – Siouxsie and the Banshees
5. I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats

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Retro Review: Black Holes and Revelations by Muse

I'm on my partner's sister's laptop so this isn't me being back officially, but I do have the resource to put up a review or two. Vote on the new poll if you can be so kind. I'll be back officially, and writing officially hopefully in the next week or two. In the mean time, enjoy another retro music review.

 

Black Holes and Revelations by Muse

It’s safe to say that Muse have made a great impact on the rock scene and it’s undeniable that they have produced some of the greatest guitar riffs in rock history. “Origin of the Symmetry” has been called one of the best albums in the past ten years. But this is not about the past, this is about the future. Do Muse still have “it” or are they going to join a number of other bands who fail to maintain an impact on the music scene?

Of course they still have “it”, but it’s a different kind of “it” this time around.

If you have heard “Supermassive Black Hole”, the thundering tech-rock (and, in a slightly amusing way, very Prince-esque) new single by the trio from Devon then it’s clear that they have took a new route into their music. There is a lot more dance and pop in this album, and as much as it sounds like a bad thing for the rock scene, it surprisingly enough isn’t. Muse’s previous attempts have all sounded slightly similar; their powerful riffs and pianos were the two diverse but recognisable trademarks on all three albums. However there is no main sound on this album, some of their trademarks are visible; the piano makes a reappearance in the beautifully tranquil “A Soldier’s Poem” and powerful ruffs are easily evident in the ever-so-slightly “Bohemian Rhapsody” influenced “Knights of Cydonia”, “Starlight” represents similarities to the previous Muse sound with Matt Bellamy’s bellowing vocals, the deep bass and passionate lyrics. However the rest of the album sounds very different. “Map of the Problematique” is a great example of their new direction its rumbling drum solo and its electronic sounds make the whole song sound so otherworldly it cannot possibly be compared to their previous attempts; whilst “Hoodoo” is completely different again, starting off with a mixture and Indian and Mexican sounds before building into something resembling an early twentieth century opera.

Despite all this, change is still a debatable subject, even in music. A change in sound can also mean a change in appreciation; many people may think this is a poor attempt from the trio because of its diversity. I personally found this album hard to get into at first because of how different its sounds were and how much anticipation I had for hearing new tracks with amazing riffs like “Stockholm Sundrome” and “New Born”. This album for previous Muse fans may be hard to absorb at first but it’s definitely worth trying to do so. For new fans and listeners, it is hard to say “But this album now!” because of how different it is. If you like “Supermassive Black Hole” and are expecting ten other mind-blowing tech-Prince-pop-Prince-rock-Prince-electronic tracks then don’t bother. If you are expecting songs like “New Born”, “ Muscle Museum ” and “Time is Running Out” then listen to one of their previous albums. BUT if you are looking for a new musical experience that can mix in so many influences and sounds, then you are in the right place. This album is definitely a new, complex, diverse and fascinatingly difficult route into Muse’s world.

Rating: **** stars

Stand-out tracks: Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia, A Soldier’s Poem

This is more the type of layout I'll be leaning towards in my new work, the review is quite short, but in terms of what it covers and how well it's written, it's probably the best review I've ever posted in the past. Feedback would be most welcome. Have a good day.

Another note: If I were to review this again it'd get a much higher rating, around ****1/2 stars because it's a brilliant album.

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