MANIC STREET PREACHERS
"I am stronger than mensa, miller and mailer. I spat out Plath and Pinter."
Generation Terrorists (1992)
Rating (Out of 10): 7.5
Tracklisting: Slash n’ Burn/Natwest-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds/Born To End/Motorcycle Emptiness/You Love Us/Loves Sweet Exile/Little Baby Nothing/Repeat(Stars and Stripes)/Tennessee/Another Invented Disease/Stay Beautiful/So Dead/Repeat(UK)/Spectators of Suicide/Damn Dog/Crucifix Kiss/Methadone Pretty/Condemned to Rock n’ Roll
Formed in Wales in 1991, The Manic Street Preachers planned on releasing one album, selling 20 million copies, and then splitting up. Firm believers in the power of music to make things happen, they wanted to burst onto the music scene, cause havoc and then disappear leaving the world to come to terms with their destruction. The Manic Street Preachers weren’t just another rock band, there was something different about them, an intelligence, a sensitivity, they were the thinking man’s rock band. Their lyrics were inspired by the poets Sylvia Plath, Philip Larkin and Rimbaud; they wore make-up, fur coats, t-shirts with political slogans sprayed painted onto them; their songs told stories of misery, suicide, self-harm and destruction. The world of the Manic Street Preachers was a world that was falling apart, a world with no future, where everything was hopeless, a world where dressing up and making music was more important that growing up and getting a job. The man behind the lyrics, direction and image of the Manics was Richey James who had originally only been hired as the bands van driver but had somehow persuaded them to let him join as rhythm guitarist even though he couldn’t even play guitar. A manic depressive who struggled with alcoholism and self harm, Richey used the Manics to air his opinions and outlook on life, and every teenager who had ever felt lonely and unloved became obsessed with him.
‘Generation Terrorists’ is a very ambitious 18 track affair which is full of energetic rock songs. Vocalist James Dean Bradfield spits out the lyrics in his own unique way, his voice shouting and screaming yet still managing to sound tender and sincere. ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’ with it’s unforgettable guitar intro and the wonderfully arrogant ‘You Love Us’ remain Manics anthems and firms favourites amongst the fans to this day. ‘Little Baby Nothing’, a duet with porn star Tracy Lords, was originally intended for Kylie Minogue, but not surprisingly she turned it down. ‘Stay Beautiful’ is like the Manics manifesto. “We’re a mess of eyeliner and spray paint/DIY destruction and channel chic/deny your culture of consumption/this is a culture of destruction”, and it is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album. The Manics desire to shock is evident most clearly on ‘Repeat’. I can remember seeing them perform that on British T.V show The Word, a show that became synonymous with swearing and nudity and shocking behaviour in general, but the Manics were one of the first to cause havoc on that show. Having been asked to come to perform their single ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’ James Dean Bradfield began screaming out the lyrics ‘Repeat after me fuck queen and country, Repeat after me death sentence heritage’. The camera swung back to a confused and bewildered looking Terry Christian and then back to the Manics who by this stage were smashing their guitars and jumping up and down on the amps. Now that’s what I call rock and roll! Unfortunately, as with many albums containing so many tracks, the album is overlong and lacking in cohesion, and there are tracks such as ‘Loves Sweet Exile’ and ‘Born to End’ that are little more than filler. But all that set aside, Generations Terrorists is a great debut album full of energy and enthusiasm and a general amateurish quality that only adds to its charm.
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Jay from Cardiff - 02/11/03
"The first Manics album is the best in my opinion. Punky, engergetic, and ahead of it's time, it's truly a masterpiece. It shows that it is possible to change the world through music. And apart from that, it's welsh music at its best"
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Gold Against The Soul (1993)
Rating (Out of 10): 8
Tracklisting: Sleepflower/From Despair To Where/La Tristesse Durera/Yourself/Life Becoming a Landslide/Drug Drug Druggy/Roses in the Hospital/Nostalgic Pushead/Symphony of Tourette/Gold Against the Soul
O.K, so their debut album didn’t sell 20 million copies and they didn’t split up. Instead, they released a second, much more mature and accomplished album, and became tighter than ever as a band. ‘Gold Against The Soul’ is a much more serious affair than the debut and lacks its raw energy and enthusiasm. Instead, it is more polished and professional; it is the Manics all grown up. Leaving behind their punky idealism, this album involves much less aggression and shock-value, with music clearly becoming more important than image. The dark, serious subject matter is still there, in fact, it is much darker and more serious than before. But it’s no longer about raging against the machine, this time its serious and heartfelt. As Richey took more and more control of the lyrics and artistic direction, the songs became more and more introspective, revealing, and at times, disturbing. Outside the band, Richey’s personal problems were becoming more and more heightened, and this is clearly evident in the album with the lyrics of ‘Sleepflower’, ‘From Despair To Where’ and ‘Life Becoming A Landslide’ telling tales of self-harm, deep depression and an overall sense of hopelessness. Musically, this album is more polished than the first, it’s still very much guitar led, but it’s less chaotic and more structured than the first album and Bradfield’s vocals are softer and clearer than before.
‘From Despair To Where’, ‘La Tristesse Durera’, ‘Roses in the Hospital’ and ‘Life Becoming a Landslide’ were the four singles released from this album, and along with ‘Sleepflower’, are the strongest tracks on it. James Dean Bradfield has said that when writing ‘La Tristesse Durera’ he wanted to write a song that people could dance to. I find it difficult to imagine anyone dancing to a song based around Van Gough’s dying words (the sadness endures) and that contains the line ‘I retreat into self-pity, it’s so easy’, yet it does have an upbeat, indie-dance sort of tune. ‘’Life Becoming A Landslide’ is easily the most beautiful and evocative song on the album. Bradfield’s vocals and guitar are both subtle letting the lyrics speak for themselves. ‘My idea of love comes from a childhood glimpse of pornography, for there is no true love, just a finely tuned jealously.’ The majority of tracks on ‘Gold Against the Soul’ are strong and well crafted, although there are a few weaker moments, namely ‘Yourself’, the title track, and ‘Symphony of Tourette’. But on the whole it is a good album, yet the best was still to come.
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The Holy Bible (1994)
Rating (Out of 10): 10
Tracklisting: Yes/Ifwhiteamericantoldthetruthforonedayitsworldwouldfallapart/Of Walking Abortion/She is suffering/Archives of Pain/Revol/4st 7lbs/Mausoleum/Faster/This is Yesterday/Die in the Summertime/The Intense Humming of Evil/P.C.P.
Artistically, ‘The Holy Bible’ was the Manic Street Preachers finest hour, but commercially, it never quite lived up to its promise. Widely known as Richey’s album, Nicky wire played only a very small role in the lyric writing, penning only a few lines here and there while Richey wrote the majority of the 13 tracks and took artistic control of the album as a whole. It is, of course impossible to listen to this album without taking into account the fact that less than a year after its release, Richey would walk out of a London hotel room and never be seen again, leaving the world to speculate as to whether he had killed himself or carried out the prefect disappearance and was now living a life in another country under a different identity. The fact that he had done either of these acts didn’t come as much of a surprise. His struggles with depression, alcoholism and self-harm had become very serious and very public. He had famously carved the words ‘4 Real’ into his arm with a razor when journalist Steve Lamac asked him whether his self-harming was for real or just a publicity stunt. He had become an icon for the depressed and disillusioned; teenagers would send him photos of their bleeding limbs, something he found very difficult to handle. It not surprising, that in the end he disappeared.
It’s easy to see the lyrics of The Holy Bible as reflecting Richey’s state of mind, ‘I hurt myself to get pain out’, ‘Scratch my leg with a rusty nail, sadly it heals’. But contrary to popular belief, he never forays into self-pity, keeping his lyrics sophisticated and self-analytical. And his personal, introspective moments only make up a small percentage of the album with the majority of the lyrics being political, and highly intelligent and dealing with issues such as anorexia, political correctness, the criminal justice system, nazi concentration camps, and gun law. Perfectly titled, ‘The Holy Bible’ it is the alterative gospel, telling of a world that is full of decay and corruption. Musically, the album is almost a return to their punk-rock, heavy guitar roots, only more sophisticated and accessible. The music was written around the lyrics and James Dean Bradfield really proves himself as a vocalist as he delivers the complex lyrics, performing vocal acrobatics at times in order to make the words fit with the music. Something which works to great effect in this album is the little snippets from films, documentaries and news broadcasts that are used as introductions to almost every track. They work to ground the songs in a realistic context, reminding us of the reality of these issues, and they create an intense and almost haunting atmosphere.
The album’s opening track ‘Yes’ is full of energy and enthusiasm and with lyrics about pimps and prostitutes it provides a good introduction to the tone of the album. ‘Ifwhiteamerica……..’, ‘Mausoleum’, ‘Revol’ and ‘The Intense Humming of Evil’ all carry on the political themes while ‘She is Suffering’, and ‘Die In The Summertime’ takes a softer, more personal approach. ‘4 Stone 7 lbs’ is a great track both musically and lyrically. Tackling the subject of anorexia in a sensitive, yet controversial way, Ritchie displays an understanding of the disorder that he himself was suffering from. ‘Faster’ is an absolutely amazing track. Bradfield has said that he wrote this song 23 times before he got it right. The lyrics are like a poem written by a mad genius. From the bizarre ‘I am idiot, drug-hive, the virgin the tattered and the torn, life is for the cold made warm and they are just lizards’, to the poignant ‘I know I believe in nothing, but it is my nothing’, the lyrics take you on a roller coaster journey that evokes a myriad of reactions and feelings . It is easy to dismiss the Holy Bible as something that can only be appreciated by teenage anorexic self-harmers, but to take that view is to miss the point completely. It is a highly accomplished album, musically, lyrically and artistically. It is the work of a highly talented individual who would be sorely missed.
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Oleg Sobolev - 30/11/03
A great review, really. And a great, great album. I really dig the
lyrics
here, they express the whole nature of depression itself. And songs are
wonderful too. Catchy, energetic, rocking and everything. The first two
tracks are some of the best songs I've ever heard. "4st7lb" is like
that too
(the second part of the song is like requiem). "This Is Yesterday" is
frightengly relaxing and flows really great, with melancholical
arrangement.
"Archieves Of pain' has a great solo that proves that Bradfield is a
great,
understated guitarist. "Revol" is the best Clash song ever. The only
track I
don't like is a Joy Division homage of "The Intense Humming Of Evil",
which
is quite boring. Anyway, this album is one of the best ever, without a
doubt. A ten from me.
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Everything Must Go (1996)
Rating (Out of 10): 7.5
Tracklisting: Elvis Impersonator, Blackpool Pier/A Design For Life/Kevin Carter/Enola Alone/Everything Must Go/Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky/The Girl Who Wanted To Be God/Removables/Australia/Interiors(Song For Willem De Kooning/Further Away/No Surface All Feeling
Richey was gone. Speculation was rife as to what the future held for The Manics. No-one was sure as to whether they would continue without him, replace him or split up. About a year after his disappearance they returned as a three piece and released ‘Everything Must Go’, an album that marked a completely new direction for the band. Drenched in luscious orchestration, catchy melodies and with a sleek, professional production, it was a million miles away from ‘The Holy Bible’. Perhaps, as the album title suggests, everything that was characteristically Richey had to go; perhaps the other band members felt that Richey’s Manic Street Preachers needed to be put to rest and a new band had to be invented that was different in everything except name. And it worked. ‘Everything Must Go’ catapulted The Manics to a level of fame they had never experienced before. The album was well received by both fans and critics and won many accolades and awards.
‘A Design For Life’ and the title track were the first two singles to be released and are definitely amongst the strongest tracks on the album. Similar in style, they are both fully orchestrated with rousing choruses and strong vocals. The title track is like the Manics’ post-Richey manifesto. ‘Free from the memory, escape from our history’, and it really is a beautiful song. The centre piece of the album for me is ‘Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky’, written by Richey before his disappearance it tells of the horrific nature of animals bred in captivity. Bradfield’s vocals sound tender and sincere and accompanied only by a harp and acoustic guitar, the result is luscious and beautiful. ‘Kevin Carter’ was written about the Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who gained world-wide fame from a photograph of the dead body of a Romanian child lying on a roadside with a vulture just a few yards away ready to pounce. Unable to cope with achieving fame and wealth from something so horrific, he took his own life. ‘Kevin Carter’ is a good track, but it never quite captures the depth and poignancy of its subject matter. ‘Enola Alone’ is another strong track and contains probably the most positive Manics lyric ever written. ‘All I want to do is live no matter how miserable it is’. It’s difficult not to search through this album looking for lyrics about the band’s reaction to Richey’s sudden disappearance, and ‘Australia’ and ‘Further Away’ can both be seen as containing thoughts and feelings about their ex-band member. ‘Australia’ is a particularly strong track, and along with ‘Interiors’, ‘Removables’ and ‘All Surface, No Feeling’ contributes well to the second half of the album. ‘Everything Must Go’ is a good follow-up to ‘The Holy Bible’ and a good response to the Richey situation. It is well written, performed and produced and marks the beginning of a new era for the Manics.
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This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours (1998)
Rating (Out of 10): 5.5
The Everlasting/If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next/You Stole The Sun From My Heart/Ready For Drowning/Tsunami/My Little Empire/I’m Not Working/You’re Tender And You’re Tired/Born A Girl/Be Natural/Black Dog On My Shoulder/Nobody Loved You/S.Y.M.M.
With the success of ‘Everything Must Go’ it seemed like the Manic Street Preachers would survive the departure of Richey pretty well, and not only that, but a few voices in the music press even hinted that it had been Richey who had been holding them back from achieving a high level of success, and his departure would herald a whole new lease of life for The Manics. For a while that seemed quite possible, but with the release of ‘This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours’, it was evident that this just wasn’t the case at all. ‘This Is My Truth…’ is most definitely the dullest, most boring record that the Manics have ever released. If the previous album was called ‘Everything Must Go’ to indicate a change in direction after the disappearance of Richey, then this album should have been called ‘Everything Is Now Dead And Buried And Is Totally Unrecognisable’! Everything that The Manics had previously stood for is totally missing from this album. Gone are the early punk influences, the charisma and energy, the defiant appeal. Even the softer approach that characterised ‘Everything Must Go’ with its beautiful string arrangements and depth of emotion is totally gone, and all that is left is a dull, boring nothingness.
‘This Is My Truth…’ is the first album to have all the lyrics written by Nicky Wire, and although the same influences are there as before, the same political stances and poetical leanings, he just doesn’t manage to pull it off, proving once and for all that Richey had been the dominant one in the writing partnership. Ironically, the Manics worst album was to be the one that produced them their first ever UK Number 1 hit single. ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’ was a strange, unexpected hit. It’s a good song with good lyrics and a reasonable sort of tune, and there’s something quite amusing about a song about the Spanish Civil War going to Number 1 in the charts; but for this to do better than ‘Faster’, ‘Everything Must Go’ and ‘A Design For Life’ is totally inexplicable. But it is one of the better songs on an album full of boring, ordinary tracks which don't contain very much to make them stand out. There are exceptions of course. ‘You Stole The Sun From My Heart’ injects a much needed boost of energy into the album, and sees a good performance from James Dean Bradfield, who for most of the album isn’t in very fine form at all both musically and vocally. ‘Black Dog on My Shoulder’ is another good track and contains some beautiful strings and provides possibly the only genuinely poignant moment on the entire album. ‘This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’ is lacking in just about everything you can think of – emotion, quality song writing, charismatic performance - and it is definitely a huge disappointment coming from a band who started off wanting to change the world. The whole album just reeks of boredom and compromise, and it would be fair to stay that when Richey disappeared he took much of the band’s originality and appeal with him.
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Know Your Enemy (2001)
Rating (Out of 10): 6.5
Tracklisting: Found That Soul/Ocean Spray/Intravenous Agnostic/So Why So Sad/Let Robeson Sing/The Year Of Purification/Wattsville Blues/Miss Europa Disco Dancer/Dead Martyrs/His Last Painting/My Guernica/The Convalescent/Royal Correspondent/Epicentre/Baby Elian/Freedom Of Speech Won’t Feed My Children
With the release of a new Manic Street Preachers album came the promise of a return to their energetic, punk-influenced roots; a decision that seemed very wise in the light of the dismal failure of ‘This Is My Truth…’, and was something they should have probably done a long time ago. The last three Manic Street Preachers albums had each heralded a new direction for the band, had each been distinct and original, and ‘Know Your Enemy’ is’ no different in that respect. The strings and lavish production are gone, and instead there are a selection of different styles and paces all with a rawer, more energetic appeal. On first listen, ‘Know Your Enemy’, comes across as ‘Generation Terrorists Part II’. ‘Found That Soul’ is a great track to open the album, containing much of the raw energy of their earlier material, it is a great track that summons up much of their youthful appeal. ‘Ocean Spray is another great track and sees James Dean Bradfield write his very first ever set of lyrics. Bradfield has always done such a good job singing other people’s lyrics as if they were his own, but this track has that extra special personal touch, as he tells the poignant tale of his mother’s death. ‘Miss Europa Disco Dancer’ with its genuine disco influence, and ‘The Convalescent’ with a great falsetto vocal from Bradfield provide other highlights of the album.
But despite it’s good start, and the fact that several of the tracks almost herald a return to the old days, the rest of the album is a bit of a disappointment. It is too long and has too many tracks that don’t quite gel together. The album that contains James Dean Bradfield’s first ever lyrics also contains Nicky Wire’s first ever vocals, and as much as I love the man and have always enjoyed his rendition of ‘You Love Us’ during many a live gig, ‘Wattsville Blues’ is a terrible, terrible track that comes across as a novelty song, and doesn’t fit in at all with the rest of the album. Rather than heralding a return to their punky roots, ‘Know Your Enemy’ sees the Manic Street Preachers claim their place in the genre of safe adult rock, and it’s my guess that they’ll probably stay there. James Dean Bradfield would probably have had a good solo career a few years ago, but it’s probably too late now. It’s hard to know what the future holds for the Manic Street Preachers; whether they’ll continue to churn out average albums for years to come, or whether they’ll just split up. Maybe Nicky Wire will run for a seat in the Welsh parliament. Or maybe the unthinkable will happen and they really will make a return to their energetic roots, when music had the power to change the world and the Manic Street Preachers were going to be the ones to do it. And I really sincerely hope that happens.
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Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of The Manic Street Preachers (2003)
Rating (Out of 10): 8
Tracklisting: CD1: Prologue To History/4 Ever Delayed/Sorrow 16/Judge Yr'self/Socialist Serenade/Donkeys/Comfort Comes/Mr Carbohydrate/Dead Trees And Traffic Islands/Horses Under Starlight/Sepia/Sculpture Of Man/Spectators Of Suicide/Democracy Coma/Strip It Down (Live)/Bored Out Of My Mind/Just A Kid/Close My Eyes/Valley Boy/We Her Majesty's Prisoners
CD2: We Are All Bourgeois Now/Rock And Roll Music/It's So Easy (Live)/Take The/Skinheads Bowling/Been A Son/Out Of Time/Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head/Bright Eyes (Live)/Train In Vain (Live)/Wrote For Luck/What's My Name (Live)/Velocity Girl/Can't Take My Eyes Off You/Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel/Last Christmas
With a title borrowed from Griel Marcus’ esteemed text “Lipstick Traces: A Secret History Of The 20th Century’, this is a 2 CD set packed full of b-sides and rarities. Whereas some bands release a collection of supposed rarities which in reality comprises of a sort of greatest hits collection with perhaps one or two (if you’re lucky) previously unreleased tracks, this is actually the real thing. There isn’t a single track on here that has been released on album before. Disc one is crammed full of wonderful goodies including the marvelous ‘Prologue To History’ which originally featured as the B Side to ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’ and it could easily have been a single itself – it’s that good! Another highlight is ‘Judge Yr’self’ with was the last track written by the Manics before Richie disappeared as for that reason has major sentimental value, and makes the album a must-have for fans. Tracks like Mr Carbohydrate and Dead Trees and Traffic Islands are fantastic proves that the quality of Manic Street Preachers’ material is so high that their B-Sides tend to be every bit as good as their singles.
Although Disc One includes many brilliant tracks, it is the second disc that is the real gem. At last, the Manics’ wonderful cover versions are finally gathered together in one record! It’s what all fans have been waiting for! Throughout their career the Manics have always had a thing for covering a vast array of artists and songs and using them as b sides as well as during live performances, and on ‘Lipstick Traces’ they finally bring them all together for everyone to marvel at. ‘Raindrops Keep Failing on My Head’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes’ off you and ‘Bright Eye are tracks that any self-respecting Manics fan shouldn’t be without in their collection, and for the uninitiated they are tracks that show off the Manics’ diversity and in particular James Dean Bradfield’s ability to sing just about any song ever written and make it sound like a Manics song. You’d never really compare the Manic Street Preachers to Wham, but Bradfield’s version of ‘Last Christmas’ is amazing and manages to sound very credible. The best track for me is a cover of Chris Farlow’s ‘ 1966 hit, ‘Out Of Time’, complete with beautiful orchestral accompaniment that dominates the song and sounds fabulous.
‘Lipstick Traces’ is an excellent album and is a definite must-have for all Manics fans. It is a fantastic example of exactly how a ‘rareites’ type album should be. There really isn’t one thing on here that shouldn’t be there and there is rarely a dull moment. The Manics deliver yet again!
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Lifeblood (2004)
Rating (Out of 10): 8.5
Tracklisting: 1985/The Love Of Richard Nixon/Empty Souls/A Song For Departure/I Live To Fall Asleep/To Repel Ghosts/Emily/Glasnost/Always Never/Solitude Sometimes Is/Fragments/Cardiff Afterlife
I must admit to being very dismayed upon seeing the manics performing their new single 'The Love Of Richard Nixon' on Top Of The Pops' a few weeks ago. Their past couple of albums had been disappointing to say the least and I had great faith that their new album would hearld a return to their previous greatness; perhaps to the excitement and raw attitude of 'Generation Terrorists', the sheer originality and vision of 'The Holy Bible' or the serene beauty of 'Everything Must Go'; or maybe they would go in a completely different direction and surprise us all with the whole new sound they they have been desperately in need of for the last few years. But seeing them perform on 'Top Of The Pops', it seemed that the evitible had happened - the band that were once full of anarchy and hope and enthusiam were now just another guitar band that had aged and had nothing new to say. 'The Love Of Richard Nixon' seemed a very lacklustre song which just made the band seem old and past it. It was definitley a very disappointing moment for me. But I went out and bought the album on the day it was released just like every other self-respecting Manics fan that remembers them in their hay day and believes that one day that they'll be able to equal all of their past achievements, and I must admit to being very pleasantly surprised. If I had expected to take the album home and spend the day listening to the same old tracks and be almost bored, then I was most definitely proved wrong, for 'Lifeblood' is a great album that really does signal the return of the Manics at their best and hearlds a new era for the Manic Street Preachers. It is not an album that jumps out at you as being amazing, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious Manics anthem of the likes of 'Motorcycle Emptiness' 'You Love Us', 'Faster', or 'Everything Must Go', but there is a subtle beauty about it. 'Lifeblood' is a much softer album that anything they have previously released and James Dean Bradfield seems to have given up his manic screaming and shows us what a beautiful, tender voice he really has. Whereas 'Know Your Enemy' had been too long and just came across like a best of, 'Lifeblood' manages to come across like a coherent album with each track complimenting each other, blending in and out of each other seemlessly.
The first track '1985' was most definitley the biggest surprise of the whole album for me to the extent that I had to run and find the lyric booklet to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me! But they weren't, and James Dean Bradfield really was singing 'Morrissey and Marr gave me choice'! How could I not love a song that mentions Morrissey! But that's not the only good thing about it. It is a great opening track with a fantastic upbeat melody and an overall well-rounded sound. After my initial dislike of 'The Love Of Richard Nixon' it took a few listens, but it eventually managed to grow on me to the extent that I now think it is a good song and one that is very typical of the Manics, but I still don't think it was a wise choice for a first single. 'I Live To Fall Asleep' is a beautiful track with moving lyrics and a warm and comforting melody. 'To Repel Ghosts' is a track which very surprisingly has a very Johnny Marr influenced guitar intro. You know, all these years of loving both the Manics and the Smiths I have never once noticed any Smiths influence on the Manics' music, but thinking about it now it's obvious for all the see - the cult status, the obsessive fans, the enigmatic idol (Richie), the intelligent lyrics, and now blatant reference to the band both in lyrics and music. 'Glastnost' is another beautiful track which sees the manics really show their softer side. 'Solitude Sometimes Is' is a perfectly titled track. Only the Manics could name a track that and get away with it. But rather than being the self-pitying song that the title implies, it is actually a very uplifting song.
'Lifeblood' is extremely beautiful album which is very different to anything the Manics have done before. The differences are subtle; they don't jump out at you, but wait patiently to be discovered. And in a way the main difference is the subtlety itself. The Manic Street Preachers by definition are usually a band that don't pull any punches, their music hits you where it matters, it's there in your face refusing to go away; but this time they have created something serene and tender and soft; something that caresses rather than punches, something that niggles at your brain for days after listening to it rather than something which hits you in the face straight away. The political and introspectively poetic lyrics are still there as are James Dean Bradfield's trademark vocals and guitar, but there is a much greater use of keyboards and backing vocals which give it that little bit extra. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about 'Lifeblood', a certain mysterious quality that really gives it an edge, that leaves the listener feeling warm and whole. And I think the main difference and beauty of 'Lifeblood' lies in its overwhelming positivity. Positivity is not something widely associated with the Manic Street Preachers, but it is something that definitely suits them. For all you Manics fans who were starting to lose faith, this is definitely the album to listen to, the album that will make you begin to believe again.
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Send Away The Tigers (2007)
Rating (Out of 10): 8.5
Tracklisting: Send Away The tigers/Underdog/Your Love Alone Is Not Enough/Indian Summer/The Second Great Depression/Rendition/Autumn Song/I’m Just A Patsy/Imperial Bodybags/Winterlovers
I wasn’t actually expecting a new Manic Street Preachers album so soon as it is less than a year after both James and Nicky released solo albums. I thought it would take a while for them to decide what to do next, regroup, find direction. But obviously not. They must have just dived straight back into the studio and got stuck in. And you know what? It worked! Their solo ventures have definitely given them a new lease of life, for this new album is strong and enjoyable. Lifeblood had represented somewhat of a revival for the Manics after a few weak albums, and Send Away The Tigers sees them going from strength to strength. They use what has come to be the Manics characteristic sound of heavy rocking guitars and shouted vocals backed up with delicate strings of many of the tracks and it’s something that really works for them.
Lyrically this album really hails back to the Manics roots.
“This one's for the freaks
For the lost and weak
For the butterflies and devotees
For the disciples of our destiny”
These are sort of lyrics that Manics fans love. These are the sort of lyrics that make the Manics what they are.
“I've got problems I've got too many of them
Throw away your yesterdays I did it all for you
Blank horizons & hotels rooms
Cheap Whiskey & god-awful truths
Look at me I'm honest & I'm free
I was born to underachieve”
The first single released from the album is Your love alone which features Nina Persson from The Cardigan’s on guest vocals. It’s a good song, one that it’s difficult not to sing along to, but it’s not the best on the album. A definite contender for the best song on the album is ‘Autumn Song’. Bradfield gives an excellent vocal performance and the brilliant vocal lead up to the chorus sounds very like Queen and works really well. ‘Rendition’ is another great track that sees another great vocal from Bradfield. It is a typical strong, bouncing, rocking Manics song and a great one at that. A bonus track hidden at the end of the album is a cover of the John Lennon song Working Class Hero. The Manics have always been fans of cover versions, although they’re usually kept for b-sides rather than album tracks. But this song is perfect for them, and is a really good surprise for the listener.
“As soon as your born they make you feel small,
By giving you no time instead of it all,
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all,
A working class hero is something to be”
This is exactly the sort of thing the Manics have been singing about for years. They could have written this song themselves. It absolutely suits them down to the ground.
The manic Street Preachers have been around for nearly twenty years and it’s good to see them still going strong. They’ve survived the disappearance and possible death of a band member and close friend. They’ve evolved a lot over the years to the extent that at first glance the nearing forties sensibly dressed rock stars appear to have little more than a passing resemblance to the eye-liner and leopard skin clad angry youths of two decades ago. But if you look deeper, it’s still all there. The angry lyrics, the revolutionary sentiment, the yearning for something better, the sticking up for the underdog; it’s still are there, just more subtly packaged than before.
There is an overwhelming positivity to this album. You can hear the energy and passion oozing out of it. And lets face it, that’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from the Manic Street Preachers.
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