CityLife

Barlow's hailed a genius by Nicky Wire

PRAISE INDEED: Barlow

WELL knock me over with a wet kipper - Manic Street Preacher dishes out shock Take That praise.

Famed for his fiercely punk rock sensibilities, bassist Nick Wire has proclaimed the renaissance boyband’s 2006 single Patience as the ‘best comeback single ever’.

In an interview with the Guardian’s G2 supplement, the outspoken Welsh rocker exclaimed: "It's the greatest comeback single in history.

"If Neil Young had written it, people would be calling it a masterpiece."

Wire went on to laud the chart-topping record’s subject matter too: "It's got such a dark lyric: 'My heart is numb, has no feeling/So while I'm still healing/Just try and have a little patience'. There's also a maturity about it that suits the boys all grown-up.

"Gary Barlow is a genius, I won't have anyone argue against him. When [Arctic Monkeys frontman] Alex Turner slagged off Take That [at an awards ceremony in 2006] I nearly lost it. James [Dean Bradfield, his band-mate] was grabbing me by the arm, saying, 'Don't lose it, Nicky.'

"You get so many alternative bands banging on about how to make perfect pop, and this kicks all their arses."

For what it’s worth CityLife whole-heartedly agrees with Wire in exclaiming Patience’s majesty and believes it was about time Barlow got the credit his lush songwriting deserves, Turner too seems to have had a change of heart – recently revealing he apologised to Take Thatter Mark Owen for his actions at the Q Awards.

With indie icons Turner and Wire both firmly in the TT support camp, it caps quite a remarkable year for the quartet who slayed all before them with their Circus tour – one thing’s for sure they’ve come along way since that infamous semi-naked/jelly rubbing video shoot!