Manic Street Preachers

if you are a manic street preacher fan you will love this album it is a must have! i can''t stop playing track 4 Indian Summer it is addictive.

I have only recently gotten into the MSP's. Funnily enough from hearing the track "Your Love Alone" from this album. And I loved it so much I just went mad and got 3 of their albums including this one. As I said I am new to them, so I don't know anything about their politics, in fact I don't usually like music that is too political. But this album is just full of great songs. From the title track to of course "Your Love Alone",
"Autumnsong" is a big favourite, "Indian Summer", the whole album is just great music. The sad part is, like alot of great music these days it seems to be getting no air play at all.

Manics are back!

This is an outstanding collection of music which brings back the energy and "most of" the rawness of Generation Terrorists with the melodic backing found in EMG. After the last couple of releases I am happy to say that whatever it is they wanted to get out of their system seems to be gone, hopefully for ever. Having been a fan of this band since the early 90's, I have been extremely disappointed with their recent offerings. The good news is that this is melodic but not another weird attempt at 'clever' pop. If we can forget everything they have done since EMG, this would have been a brilliant follow up. Simply fantastic. There are no bad songs on here, and trying to pick highlights is very difficult to do. This is simply the Manics back to what they do best, strong, energetic, melodic songs with strong lyrics. Welcome back guys!

A lot of reviews make it clear that people are tickled pink over this album. After about 10 runs through it, I ended up somewhere on the other side. Interestingly, many have have made mention of it being reminiscent of the Holy Bible (which is a fabulous album). I'd say this is more like the holy new testament, and they're at the crucification scene in the story where it all seems like a flop.

I'm imaging that this could be a really great album to hear live, but the recording unfortunately suffers from being way to clean and controlled. Also, JDB doesn't sound passionate so you're mostly left with reused hooks and well known riffs that have been repeated from their catalog.

"I'm just a patsy" is the only song that makes my head turn the other way. Autumnsong and Imperial Bodybags, while suffering from the same challenges as their siblings on the album are what I consider to be the highlights. As much as I like the cardigans, YLAINE should be a B-Side. I guess they had to include it since the total play time is barely more than 30 minutes with it. BOO =( *Thumbs Down*

On the whole, the album is decent (maybe 3/5), but for a 12 year fan it left me reaching for the salt.

Send Away The Tigers is packed with loud, up-tempo guitar songs with riffs and catchy choruses, often backed by grandiose strings. Where the music might lack memorable riffs, it charms with pure energy. Even something like James Dean Bradfield's background chant of "na na na" in "Winterlovers" sounds manly and strong. There are some obvious retreads -- the opening riff in "Autumnsong" is very similar the one in "No Surface All Feeling" -- but overall the music sounds fresh. Songs like "Send Away The Tigers," "I'm Just A Patsy" and "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" are full of sing-along lines. And each song is short, so the album feels concise and tight.

But alas, the Manics still look old. I don't mean their age. Trent Reznor is over forty, and he just released a creative and original album that differs greatly from the music that made him famous. The Manics are old by choice. Ever since Know Your Enemy, if not Everything Must Go, they've been fixated on their own past. Many times, they've gazed back at their own legacy, re-summarized and re-packaged it. They eulogized Paul Robeson and Emmeline Pankhurst, and sang about the Spanish Civil War, attempting to assert themselves as the rightful successors to their historical heroes. They've returned to Richey Edwards' disappearance on every album except Know Your Enemy, which was scorned by critics. Everyone expects them to live in the past, and they do.

Here, they look back again with a song called "Underdogs" dedicated to their fans. It is so hilariously vain that it's actually very enjoyable. Nicky Wire affectionately describes his loving fans as "freaks" who are "lost and weak," "beaten down and crushed," and "shy and withdrawn." Which means precisely that their favourite band, the Manic Street Preachers, are nothing less than the noble champions of the beaten down and crushed. Wire then explains the Manics' latter-day career as follows: "And like the underdogs we are / Shining bright but now disappeared." The last time the Manics could credibly call themselves underdogs was in 1994. Then they became the biggest band in England. For that matter, U2 are past their peak now also, but that don't make them underdogs, sugar. Wire finishes with some hilarious obscene lines ("People like you need to...") that Manics fans everywhere have doubtless heard many, many times from annoyed friends. Now it's official!

This time, however, Nicky actually makes an honest effort to comment on some of the issues of the day. That puts this album above Lifeblood, where he demonstratively avoided saying anything specific about anything. Unfortunately, the credit is for effort only. "Rendition" sounds like Wire just copied the headlines from the evening news. It has words like "revolution," but these are just stock Manics words with a slight topical veneer, although the line, "Oh, good god, I sound like a liberal," is funny. The music just makes Wire's political commentary sound even more tossed-off and obligatory. There are scary martial drums in the beginning, but then they kick into an upbeat groove fit for a party song. Which basically is what this is. Compare it with the dark, paranoid sound of Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails, or Demon Days by Gorillaz. Or even the longing sound of the Manics' own "Motorcycle Emptiness."

The other topical song is better, since it has the best music on the album (including some great bass playing from Nicky himself). And yet, it feels toothless. Remember, when these issues were at their most pressing, Wire flatly refused to comment on them. Only now, after Green Day, Neil Young, Nine Inch Nails, Gorillaz, Massive Attack and all of their grandmothers have expressed their opinion and that opinion has become more accepted, do the supposedly controversial Manics decide to join in. What could Nicky possibly add to the discourse now?

The only song on the entire album with the same effect that the Manics' best songs used to have, is the single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough." It's about Richey, the only subject that still truly inspires Nicky. But unlike all of his previous songs about Richey, this one takes a downright condescending, paternal tone. Wire portrays his former bandmate as weak and ineffectual: "Traded all your heroes in for ghosts / They're always the ones who love you most" and then "With no excuses, just fell apart / No, you won't make a mess of me / For you're as blind as a man can be."

This description is very convincing, probably accurate, and thus devastating to Richey's myth. It may be that Wire just got tired of hearing all the praise for the band's best albums showered on Edwards. But even so, his tone is refreshing and honest. And after all, what else could Nicky possibly say about Richey at this point?

The album ends with a hidden track, a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero." Many years ago, the Manics ridiculed Lennon specifically for this song, on the grounds that he was too rich and famous to have any claim to being a working-class hero. I could now make a snide remark about their change in attitude, but I won't -- the cover is the second-best song on the album. Say what you will about Lennon's motives, but this song shows that he was a fine writer. The verses are more observant and incisive than anything Nicky has written on this album. The bass-heavy, rumbling music strongly accentuates the hopeless situation described in the lyrics.

Well, if you need some music to listen to while you're driving to the park, or while your friends are over for a barbecue, then I strongly recommend this album. But if you're one of the old guard who still listens to the first three albums, your idols have left you. Perhaps you should start your own band.

Sure, there are a lot of great songs on this CD - MSP are extremely talented, one of the best British groups of the 90's. The casual fan just getting into MSP will love what they hear. Who could not love classics such as A Design For Life, If You Tolerate This, or Motorcycle Emptiness?

But it's too incomplete. There's just too many songs left out that are essential listening to getting the full picture of the band. It's OK to emphasize the commercial aspects of the band to hook in new fans, but there's no reason not to have more from Gold Against The Soul and Know Your Enemy, both very underappreciated CDs with plenty of very good songs. Also, it's kind of annoying to have single edits - usually it subtracts from the songs (as in the shortened The Everlasting, for example, not having the great acoustic intro)

But more importantly it is CRIMINAL that there is only one song from The Holy Bible. I disagree that it can't fit with the rest of the catalog - precisely the reason it is a masterpiece is the ability to combine dark, nihilistic lyrics with great hooks. In my mind, Richey disappearing is the defining event in the history of MSP - you have to have at least five or so songs from The Holy Bible to truly appreciate the despair that Richey was going through and how it defined the band's sound. Novice fans who only have Forever Delayed are missing this important piece.

To be honest, this really needs to be a 2-CD set. There are about 30 or so equally worthy and essential songs in the MSP catalog, so to have to cut out any 10-12 to fit it all in and include a few songs is a lose-lose task. No matter what get booted, it's not going to be the right call. Doing it my way, you can put in all the essential songs (in their proper original lengths), and have the obligatory new songs and non album songs.

I would suggest that they break it into a "Richey days" CD and a "post-Richey days" CD. As much as possible, songs should be chronologically arranged. My "wish list" would be:

Richey Days

Slash And Burn, Motorcycle Emptiness, You Love Us, Love's Sweet Exile, Little Baby Nothing, Stay Beautiful, From Despair To Where, La Tristesse Durera, Roses In The Hospital, Life Becoming a Landslide, Yes, Ifonlywhiteamerica..., She Is Suffering, Archives Of Pain, Revol, 4st 7lb, Faster, and This Is Yesterday

Post Richey Days

A Design For Life, Kevin Carter, Everything Must Go, Removables, Australia, The Everlasting, If You Tolerate This, You Stole The Sun From My Heart, Ready For Drowning, Tsunami, Found That Soul, Ocean Spray, So Why So Sad, Miss Europa Disco Dancer, The Convalescent, Suicide Is Painless, The Door To The River, and There By The Grace Of God (the last two are the new songs)

Notice I dropped The Masses Aginast The Classes and Motown Junk, two songs which I feel are OK, but not essential listening. So overall, a generous collection - two CDs with 18 songs apiece.

I'm sure this would never happen, as you still want people to buy all the albums. And I'm sure some reviewers will debate my song list. But to be a true MSP fan, all of these songs need to be at your disposal. But until that point, Forever Delayed does its job reasonably well.

i love the manic street preachers first few albums were they had that guns and roses[they were big fans]being molested by punk
"the holy bible" "generation terroist" "gold against soul"
three amazing classics with not a single dud on each
these albums i must add have the depressiant genius of richie edwards whom mysterially disappeared in 1995 and has never been
found yeah he never played Rhythm Guitar but he wrote some of yrics with nicky wire and artwork he also contributed too some of the darkness that the manic's have been missing for nearly ten years

this greatest hits collection focuses on the career
that the manics forged for themselves with the radio friendly
album after the event they could of broke the band
"this is my truth tell me yours" is not a bad album is just isn't energntic and challenging that you would expect from the manics
then came "everything must go" getting back to the early days
but still on the verge of radio friendly
then came "know your enemy"
some reviewers and fans state as their worst album far from it
it's there best since the days of "the holy bible"
it has "found that soul" which doesn't feature on this album and it disapponits me
"ocean spray" again doesn't appear yet being a classic soundin' track
this complitation is just a cash in done by the record company and the manics because they haven't made a classic album in years
and felt it was time to cement their pop career in a dismal
album that should of been a double disc
take it or leave it? i think i'll stick with the holy bible thankyou

This cd doesn't contain the second cd. The limited edition does. The limited edition doesn't list the second cd.

Forever Delayed ain't no Best Of as the listing on amazon leads us to believe, but rather a Greatest Hits. If you simply want an introduction to the band, than this CD serves its purpose perfectly.

Of course, more hardcore fans will criticize the exclusion of some tracks. IMHO, I would have liked it to be more something like this:

1. A Design for Life
2. Motorcycle Emptiness
3. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
4. Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)
5. There by the Grace of God
6. You Love Us (US mix version) (*)
7. Australia
8. 4st 7 lbs (*)
9. Kevin Carter
10. Roses in the Hospital (*)
11. Masses Against the Classes
12. From Despair to Where
13. Stay Beautiful (*)
14. Everything Must Go
15. Faster
16. Little Baby Nothing
17. Suicide Is Painless {Theme from Mash}
18. Life Becoming a Landslide (*)
19. The Everlasting
20. Motown Junk

Anyways, it is a crime that "Stay beautiful" and "Roses in the Hospital" have not been included!

First off I will say this is the first Manic Street Preacher I bought. After listening to it, I ended up buying all their albums. All the songs on the album are great but after listening to all their albums, you realize that there are so many songs that should have been put in and others that shouldn't. Like many reviewers say, it was disappointing that one only song from the Holy Bible was put on there. The Holy Bible was the Manic's best album yet only Faster was the only song on there. This album is still a good way to start if you want to get into the Manic Street Preachers.

While this album may not be everyone's tastes this is probably one of my favorites from the Manics. For some their departure from their rawer earlier sound where they were closer to their indie/punk origins is a let down while for others this is just too pop, too synthetic for them to get into I think this really does require a second listen.

The Manics always have been an enigma musically but their lyrics still display something of their left wing credentials. If you tolerate this is a haunting anthem sung to the Spanish civil war while songs such as Tsunami show that the manics while not having the most powerful vocals in the world can still carry a message with anger.

Well worth buying and well worth listening to.

All these glowing reviews and not one mention, 'cept from the Editorial Staff, of their majestic masterpiece, 'The Holy Bible'? Blasphemy, I tell you! Blasphemy!!! =B=

Every song is compelling. The tracks are chock full of good melodies, harmonic richness and intrigue, some good hooks, a bit of politics and a bit of lyrical weirdness, punk attitude, melancholy, love, anger, and overall musical lushness. This is one of the best largely unheralded bands (they come from Wales and came to prominence in the 1990's with some alternative radio airplay); they would appeal to a much wider audience if given the chance. This particular recording is their best one overall, in my opinion, and certainly their most accessible. The earlier albums are even more political, edgy, raw, punky, and gritty but still just
as oddly compelling and melodically and harmonically rich.

I love the Manic Street Preachers. Always have. I even loved it when they changed direction and went off doing If you Tolerate this. I still like them when they further went on and released their next album know your enemy (Rage Against the Machine Fans maybe???). But both albums lack the direction of Holy Bible or Everything must go. Although singular tracks such as "nobody loves you", "if you tolerate this then your children will be next", "Black Dog", "Ready for Drowning" and "You stole the sun from my heart"; the album slowly plods along playing tracks that sound too similar and too unlike the manics to be memorable. Although it complete's my record colletion its not one that is played often... or at all

This 1998 follow-up to Everything Must Go isn't as good as it's predecessor, but it still has some great songs. My favorites are The Everlasting, If You Tolerate This (Your Children Will Be Next), Tsunami, and My Little Empire. However, this album gets really ponderous and sluggish towards the end, and songs like Black Dog on My Shoulder and Born a Girl are bordering on rubbish.

Given the scope and urgency of the lyrics,
the absolute refusal to compromise a lyric or two for a shot at commercial success is something that should tell any music lover that this band are something special.
Dumbing down to get success or chart action in the US is an intelligent middle finger to the charts that are loaded with the same band with a different name singing the same song.
Since America will never wake up from their self-bestowed right to somehow be the gold standard that everyone reaches for,thank goodness for a band as tough and uncompromising as the Preachers.
As is rightly stated they truly do make Nirvana seem middle-brow and if you dont believe it listen to this album and read the lyrics.
I am not purposely stepping on the U.S scene,it just amazes me that a band with this much to give and so much intelligence within their music are not given even a chance in a market that in to many instances wants to cultivate their stars through shows such as American Idle.
Good luck with it.
I will keep listening to the Manics and feel that i am not wasting my time.
Ian.

Además del cd remasterizado y otro de remixes, el dvd contiene impresionantes actuaciones en vivo, vídeos y una entrevista (se echan en falta los subtítulos). Imprescindible!!
Manics, I Love You!!

Like The Clash's London Calling and The Jam's All Mod Cons, The Manics' Holy Bible pulled the band out of their sophomore slump (1993's Gold Against The Soul) and is nothing short of brilliant. But it is far from an easy listen. Lyrically dense in a claustrophic mix, The Manics address the political, social and personal demons of the world: the underage sex trade ("Yes"), anorexia ("4st 7lb"), the Holocaust ("The Intense Humming Of Evil"), the preposterousness of the American world view ("ifwhiteamericatoldthetruth..."). The Holy Bible is the fabled last album to feature guitarist / lyricist Richey James; he disappeared in early '95 and remains missing to this day. The album to follow Bible - 1996's Everything Must Go - is far more musically accessable (which, coupled with the band's very public mystery and tragedy, undoubtedly fueled that album's commercial success), yet it lacks the disturbing anxiousness that is palpable across all of The Holy Bible, which one can only assume is the product of James' input.

This 3-disc expanded edition features the original mix of the album on CD1. CD2 is the abandoned US mix which, though subtly different, one can hear an intensified aggression, which probably would have resonated more with American ears in the mid-'90s. The third disc is a DVD; being in the UK's PAL format (versus the US' NTSC) makes viewing difficult, though some computer-based DVD applications can play it back.

This album stands up against London Calling, What's Going On, Exodus, and any other album of the past forty years that has been christened a Classic. It just takes a certain fortitude to spin it.

Stand-out tracks are "Yes," "Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruth...," "Of Walking Abortion," "Faster," "4st 7lb" and "Die In The Summertime."

One of the great albums of the last two decades. Makes Kurt Cobain's shrieks of "a denial, a denial" seem rather middlebrow. I have played this music to um death over the years so the new package was a nice way to revisit...what stuck me most on listening with fresh ears were the dicey politics of some of what Richey is saying. "Archives of Pain" for instance is perhaps the best plea for the death penalty I've ever heard. And his argument is coming from an almost primal place...though ultimately he confesses "I preach extinction" so it's hard to go down this road too far. Take also "Walking Abortion" which seems to be a brutal assault on abortion yet Richey also points out that those who do make it onto "life" are little better than maggots...so again perhaps a moral dead end but that's not the point anyway, this is poetry, raw visions of the world...and who but Richey would dare to put into a song about the holocaust the notion that even if many of those slaughtered by the Nazis had lived their lives might never have amounted to much - and he means this in the sense that most people crawl meekly to humdrum reality. Richey also notes that Churchill wasn't that different than Hitler since both chained the worker to a machine. To say these are provocative points would be the sort of understatement the British might appreciate.

The US mix is well worth hearing. "Yes" with the pumped up guitars may even work better than the original (and the notion talked about on the DVD that this might have been a single is utterly hilarious) and even when it doesn't it's like having another snapshot another way to scale this masterpiece.

Easily one of the greatest albums of the 1990's, The Holy Bible has been given the same kind of treatment The Clash's London Calling got on its 25th anniversary. I much prefer what they've done with The Holy Bible. There are just two demos, but they sound great! There are 3 live radio sessions and 4 live concert tracks - all are excellent! There is not a whole lot of difference between the U.K. and the U.S. mixes of the album, but there's enough to notice, and on a few tracks, ("Yes", for example) the U.S. mixes are superior, but the original U.K. mix is the best, and it has been beautifully remastered here. The DVD is excellent, but I admit I was a bit disappointed - I wanted to see more of Richey, and the DVD shows he was very much not needed in the band as a musician - he looks like a spazz playing the guitar, and it's obvious he's not really playing much of anything. His lyrics, of course, are superb! And he is very good-looking. But the boy can not play guitar! Still, I wanted to see more of him in on the DVD, and the main focus is on James and Nicky (not a bad thing!). Otherwise, the DVD is very satisfying in length and content. Overall, an excellent package!!! Couldn't have been done much better. While I have your attention, check out the Manic's latest, Lifeblood (2004), It's a very strong album, very melodic and emotional, and their best since The Holy Bible (though it's nothing like The Holy Bible - NOTHING is!!!)

I've heard this album over 50 times now, after hearing it for the first time a few months ago. The album is dissonant and violent while at the same time being well-written and completely sincere, with the band's main lyricist at the time, Richey James, actually living what he wrote about. I wasn't really a fan of MSP until hearing this album, but after that it seemed like everything else made since.

There are some creative things on here, granted. But I've listened to the album many times now and I just don't get it. It really doesn't deserve all the fanfare, because so many other rock / punk bands do it much better. The album doesn't really blend well either, the songs are really disjointed like its a mix of two or three different bands. I was not impressed, would rather listen to Stone Roses, Blur or another band with some real skill or creativity.

I got this album two years ago on the reccommendation of way too many people I didn't know. After multiple, multiple listens, I can finally say that the music on this album is lacking in something... let's call it listenability. Yes, it's dark, yes, they're good musicians, yes, they're very passionate. But it's British punk music with the trappings of early 90s alt-rock, not-so-glorious guitar riffs included. It's not that I dislike this music- but I don't like it, either. Where the songs should lift my spirits, they distance me, where they should burst out with blazing glory, they mumble and drift off into people's navels. They lyrics, really, aren't all that great-- they read like the diary entries of a depressed, angsty pretentious schizophrenic. Just read the excerpt from "The Torture Garden." It's a feat to work them into the music, but even there they don't satisfy. It's a turn-off. I can't relate to any of the emotions expressed in here, not anymore. I grew up. Perhaps this was something new at the time, but the music is dated, overdone, and predictable. It doesn't stand the test of time.

I'm one of those people who is very turned off by hype. Usually I read about a band or album being "the greatest" this or that, and when I finally hear it I'm horribly let down.

The first Manics album I ever bought was their debut, Generation Terrorists. I liked it, but I couldn't quite understand how they had gotten so much respect and such great reviews. A few years later I tracked down a copy of This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours and I couldn't believe I was listening to the same band. I set out on a mission to get everything else by them in hopes of understanding the huge transformation that seemed to have taken place in a few short years. I held off on buying this album until last because of all the hype. With so many fans and critics alike calling this their masterpiece and with it being named to so many best of lists, I thought there was no way it could possibly live up to all of that and I didn't want to waste my money.

Wow was I wrong. I've had this album for a few months and I still listen to it all the time. From start to finish it's perfect. The music is unlike anything else they've done - darker, heavier, yet at the same time so catchy and melodic, even, dare I say it, fun! The lyrics and music are pretty brutal, I don't recommend this for anyone with a weak stomach. The guitar riffs are heavy and creepy enough to send chills down your spine. There's a ton of explicit language and a lot of gruesome subject matter going on here too, so this might not be a good CD to buy for a younger listener. But who can help but sing along with "Yes", as perverse and twisted though it may be? Who can help but be moved by "4st 7lb", one of the most chilling rock songs of the past 20 years? Every note of every song, every twisted lyric, every bizarre audio sample, all perfectly placed for maximum effect.

If you're new to the Manics, starting here is akin to jumping into the deep end blindfolded, but if this album doesn't make you a fan than nothing will. If you're already a fan and don't yet have this one, do yourself a favor and pick it up. By the end of the first listen you WILL be rearranging your list of favorite MSP songs, I promise you.

This is the Manics' signature album and one of the most underrated masterpieces in the wider pop music world.

The presumptuous title is more than backed up by the content.
The existential lyrics are just as powerful and evocative as the music itself.

Insightful, profound.

The pick of the bunch for me are - 'Yes', '4st 7lb', 'Mausoleum', 'Faster' and 'PCP' although all the songs are top notch.

The only Manics album that definitely contains no radio-friendly tunes yet their best.

"In these plagued streets of pity you can buy anything"

I read that some reviews say this is too long. And of course when you get right down to it, you'll pick favorites, I can't get enough of "Loves Sweet Exile" and the piano duet wonderous quality of "Little Baby Nothing" Not to mention the sheer power of "Motorcycle Emptiness" Everyone should own this album who loves rock and roll. It's that simple. Many good albums have some near misses, close calls and forgetful tunes. This, though. You can hear their enthusiasm pouring through every track. They're bleeding on these songs with that true spirit, that's so gone nowadays. Sure, it comes and goes in pockets of brilliance. But this kind of elegance with a wild thrash punky hair metal ballad fine line is a tricky one to walk and still look dignified. I really like the later stuff but in a different way. This is youthful it's fun, full of life and energy and power rockin' to the very last second. I think it's a good place to start with them.

In the early 90's came from Wales one of the decade's finest rock outfits in the form of the Manic Street Preachers.

Welding together the Clash's political agenda and the Guns&Roses' rambunctiousness they were notorious even before releasing a note of music for taking their opinions to extremes that even the aforementioned influences would hesitate in following.

Among several interviews in which they alternatively proclaimed their political beliefs or lambasted the music business(and its members) came the infamous carving of 4Real in the arm by Richey James which made them the talk of the town.

When it came to recording their debut they promised to part ways after its release but while the failed to disband they did offer us some of last decade's best rock&roll.

Due to their inexperience the álbum is less musically complex than later offerings(especially than their masterpiece"The Holy Bible") but hás enough high energy rockers(with"You love us"and"Slash&Burn" at the top of the heap)to put to shame all competition.

Moreover it features one of the 90's defining songs-"Motorcycle Emptiness".

Fans of any kind of rock should find much to please them here.

I first heard the Manics on the radio, at the time "This Is My Truth Tell me Yours" had been released and the charts had "If You Tolerate This..." but it was a wee bit earlier in 1996 that "A Design For Life" made the top five, would have made the top slot too.

"Motorcycle Emptiness" I first heard on a tape done by my girlfriend last year, and following this I bought "Generation Terrorists". Most of the songs, if not all are pretty amazing - consider Clash mixed with Pistols mixed with Guns & Roses. Some of the riffs are very similar.

Listen to the drums on "Motorcycle Emptiness", listen to the way the Bass throbs behind the attack and swoop of JDB.

Consider that the single is about [$$$] and that the album is around the same price and then go buy it. If you only like "Motorcycle Emptiness" you will NOT have wasted your money.

Spring is finally upon us, it would seem - after winter's last gasp, it's finally warm, dazzlingly sunny, the sweaters and coats and various other garments have been shed, and the intoxicating springtime scent is in the air. It is the time of youth - narcissistic, confused, invulnerable youth, of the sort that Yukio Mishima was hopelessly obsessed with. Doubtless, there is no album that reflects this better than the Manic Street Preachers' loud, angry, ridiculous and brilliant 1992 debut. These were the days when the boys strutted around dressed in boas, eyeliner and shirts bearing incomprehensible slogans, roared as if possessed from miniscule stages, threatened to record one multiplatinum album and split up, announced their plans to light themselves on fire live on television, and in the case of Richey James Edwards, engraved "4 REAL" into their arms. Truly, this is the way youth was meant to be lived, this is what the concept of youth is all about - fighting like furies, sloganeering with glorious eloquence, laughing in the face of one's own ridiculousness, caring nothing for money but dead-set on victory, preening, crashing and burning with a most manly energy yet possessed of a certain feminine elegance in the meantime. Is there anything more beautiful and haunting in the middle of a smouldering summer night or a clear spring day than James Dean Bradfield's mournful yet aggressive wail, evocative of gorgeous flowers growing on a desolate highway underneath a dirty billboard, of such timeless lines as "H-bomb the only thing that will bring a freedom to life," "You are pure, you are snow, we are the useless sluts that they mould," "Rock and roll is our epiphany, culture, alienation, boredom and despair," "Daylight bores the sunshine out of me, I need to be alone amongst the weeds," "Love's sweet exile," "Repeat after me - imitation demigods" and "All we want from you are the kicks you've given us"? The answer: no. It is an unfortunate fact that too many people waste their youth on meaningless pursuits, too much in a hurry to become old, not realizing that they'll never have another chance. Others take the course of fashionable decadence without getting to the essence of it. But thankfully, they have all now been redeemed, since the Manic Street Preachers have lived their youth for them the way they themselves should have lived it. Generation Terrorists isn't the best album ever made, but as a record of this redemption, it is absolutely timeless, even if the boys themselves eventually grew up and things turned much darker just a little bit down the road. And hey, "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "Little Baby Nothing" must surely rank among the ten best rock anthems of all time. This is most certainly required listening.

We need and we will always need
Another invented disease
We need and we are taught to need
Another invented disease

There`s nothing I wanna see
There`s nowhere i wanna go

This was the last Manics album to feature the genius of Richey James Edwards. Richey was a great poet, so I decided to write my review as a poem. Also, I'm not going to give stars because I don't think Richey wrote his heartfelt lyrics to get stars on Amazon, at least, not the Richey I knew. (But I have to give him at least one star because Amazon doesn't allow you to give zero stars)

RICHEY
(Written on the 29th of September 2003, in the early hours of the morning after listening to all the Manics albums that had Richey on them.)

richey richey richey
come back from the pain!
What was it that drove you insane?
The motorcycle emptiness
of a World that don't care
for the blood on your arm
or the gel in your hair?
Or was it the landslide
that life had become
when they don't understand you
the music press skum!?
There were roses in the hospital
but richey wasn't one
The petals of poetry flow
on the Severn's red tide
but their beauty don't tell us
if richey really died
but even if he did
he still lives deep inside
us, 4ever 4 real

Others have described the songs with more detail than I ever could but for raw passion, integrity, grit, determination and bloody mindedness, this album reaches places where few bands have succeeded in achieving. The Manics' haven't always been this good or even this consistent but here the intensity is relentless and that can be only a good thing. Unfortunately Richey Edwards went missing to which he hasn't been found. The case still remains open even though by now the right thing would be to let it be. However you have to respect the wishes of Richey's family.

The US mix of this CD isn't really all that much. It gives you clarity but that was never the point of the album. If you want to put it pretentiously, it underlines the murky goings on in everyday life. Though having said that I know one guy who felt it was a bit of an improvement to the CD but I'm not sure. You may feel otherwise.

The DVD is an assorted mixture of TV sessions including that Top of The Pops session and a rare video. All good but the interview is the most interesting given that the band admit themselves that they haven't made anything as good as that in the 11 years since this album was made and they released this as way of closure on the Richey saga.

Well worth the money - non Manics fans may enjoy this more than they would of the others ( which I admit myself ). Manics fans will love this no matter what. And.....well a fitting tribute to Richey as well. There's nothing left to say

I heard that this is one of the most depressing albums in the world. I heard that the main songwriter disappeared without a trace (yes, disappeared as in Jimmy Hoffa) but presumed to have committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Before his "disappearing act", Richey James wrote a bunch of songs about tough subjects such as anorexia, prostitution, abortion, and The Holocaust. Then, his band, Manic Street Preachers, released these songs on the"The Holy Bible" album (70% of the songs were written by Richey, the rest were written by Nicky Wire). I finally listened to it and it is depressing, eccentric, bombastic, and weird:

Yes- A song about being used by others as a benefit, with prostitution as an example. Even the downside of it is mentioned, such as illegitimate children ("He's a boy and you wanted a girl...")

Ifwhiteamerica...- Maybe the second largest song title in the world (behind "I'm a Cranky Old Yank..." by Hoagy Carmichael). It complains about how the right-winged whites of America view the rest of the world. I liked the "just another drive-by thing" stanza and "There Ain't No Black In the Union Jack/There Ain't Enough White In the Stars And Stripes".

Of Walking Abortion- About how everyone wastes life away although life is a gift.

She Is Suffering- About the perils of striving to be the most beautiful.

Archives of Pain- About how murderers and their victims are exploited in a sensationalist way by the media. Also features evil dictators.

Revol- A weird song with German text and of the various love relationships of world rulers. "Revol" is "Lover" backwards. It just doesn't fit with the rest.

4st.7lb.- The best song in the album. It not only rocks, but it has honest lyrics about wanting to lose weight, only to deal with anorexia. It is kind of related to "She is Suffering" (the main characters in both are females who want to be beautiful,, only to suffer as a result). It is finally at its best when the song slows down with darker lyrics (the final line, "I've finally come to understand life through staring blankly at my navel" is the best way to sum up this song and of anorexia itself)

Mausoleum- It's of basically The Holocaust, but it is done in a general manner compared to "Intense Humming of Evil" (does not openly mention time period or people involved).

Faster- Second best song in "Bible". It's about how you have self esteem and how you think you are the best when everybody else doubts you ("I AM AN ARCHITECT, THEY CALL ME A BUTCHER, I AM A PIONEER, THEY CALL ME PRIMITIVE, I AM PURITY, THEY CALL ME PERVERTED"), ending with the repeated chant of "It's so damn easy to cave in, man kills everything".

This Is Yesterday- A bleak, eerie "day-in-the-life" song.

Die In the Summertime- A simple, stupid song about suicide (what Richey might've done). The lyrics are clearly obvious and there is no inner meaning the way there is an inner meaning in a few other "Bible" songs. At least the music rocks.

Intense Humming of Evil- Related to "Mausoleum", but openly about The Holocaust ("Six Million Screaming Souls, Maybe Misery, Maybe Nothing At All").

PCP- The Grand Finale. What better to end an album of bleak views and opinions with a statement about political correctness?

There's also the previously-unreleased US version (plans to release "The Bible" in the USA fell through after Richey's disappearing act). It's the same songs, but with clearer lyrics and louder guitar, adding more bite to the songs compared to the murky production of the UK version.

Also, there is the Holy Bible DVD, with live versions of the songs, "unplugged" versions of a couple songs from "MTV's Most Wanted", a new video for "Yes" (which is basically murky video of the band performing thrown together with pictures of the band members and imagery in the booklets), and a long band interview about the reissue. There is a music video of another song, not on "Bible", called "Judge Yr'self" which shows the group hanging out together, signing autographs while touring, and funny footage of a woman with "4 Real" written on her arm with marker (a reference to Richey, who mutilated "4 Real" on his arm). There's also MSP's "infamous" (as described in cover) appearance on a show called Top of the Pops, where James Dean Bradfield sings "Faster" while wearing a ski mask with "JAMES" written on it (I find a guy who sings a song wearing a ski mask with "JAMES" on it absolutely hilarious instead of infamous).
I liked this album, but I don't like James Dean's voice that much. Also, I don't like the fact that you can't get just the thirteen tracks without importing it and that you have to pay the $30 for two versions of the same album with a DVD with poorly done music videos (the live footage was good and the TOTP appearance, along with "Judge Yr'self was funny). I don't care about the package as long as there is good music in it and that's why I give it five stars.

This is the best Manics album. What attracted me to this collection was the DVD of TV and live performances. The DVD captures the Manics at the peak of their career with a great look and performances. I have been thirsting for any of the DVDs produced abroad to be released in America but the Manic never took off in the states and have never been released. Our loss really.
The inclusion of the US mix is great because you hear a familer album almost for the first time.In the band interview, included on the DVD, Nicky Wire and James Bradfield both admit that they like the US mix better than the orignal on some songs, and I would have to agree. "Yes" is almost a new song!
For those Richey fans this is perhaps may be the only way to see Richey onstage at the Manics best. And that is worth the price of admission alone.

well, i have reviewed this album before, and i will now review the new edition of it. as most of you know by now, this is one of the bleakest albums in recorded music history, and for that, i love it. richey james edwards lyrics on this are the most poetically depictive, and heartbreaking, masochistic lyrics ever put on an album. every song on this album is near perfection, except maybe the intense humming of evil, which always seems to bore me. but besides that, it sounds like a modern recording of a joy division, PiL, or magazine album. the uk mix anyways. one of the main reasons people are buying this is because of the new mix of the holy bible, which to me sounds like modern american radio, too polished, and not aggressive enough to suit my liking, with the exceptiong of she is suffering and pcp. tracks like yes, ifwhiteamerica..., faster, and die inthe summertime are polished to the point of not having any intensity at all. but the us mix does sound much better when listened to with headphones than the original album did. but the dvd is fantastic, although i think 5 versions of faster is overdoing, and the new video for yes is terrible. the live cuts are terrific, especially the version of pcp on butt naked. if you're a fan, you're going to get this obviously. if you're an american fan, this will be obtainable in february from what i've heard, with a fully compatible dvd and all(i got mine at tower records because they have imports, and the dvd works fine on my computer)

The Manics, while producing some great music, have always struggled for quality control, with The Holy Bible being their only truly consistent effort which sustains top-drawer songwriting throughout. So it's pretty unsurprising that their B-sides and rarities album would be somewhat patchy. There's some good stuff here: notably the two 'new' tracks: '4 Ever Delayed' blends driving synths with an Everything Must Go-era anthemic quality to good effect, while 'Judge Yr'self' is simultaneously intense and accessible, like a bubblegum version of The Holy Bible, which is better than it sounds, and makes for an awesomely savage track. Of the B-sides, highlights would be the would-be single 'Prologue To History', a catchy, driving, piano-led rocker and 'Just A Kid', which is gorgeous and aching. Elsewhere 'Comfort Comes', 'Donkeys' and 'Sepia' are reasonable tracks, though they replicate the typical formulas of their respective periods. Beyond this, though, quality dips drastically, from the awful ('Socialist Serenade' - political Manics at their worst) to the simply boring ('Horses Under Starlight', an ill-fated attempt at instrumental chillout).

The covers disc adds very little, consisting mainly of either faithful tribute band performances (their initial idols of Guns and Roses and The Clash: here 'It's So Easy' and 'What's My Name' respectively) or complete murderings (their savage assassination of Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music'; the sheer inappropriateness of James Dean Bradfield trying to do Paul Robeson on 'Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel'. Ironically, it's only when they drop their desire to choose trendy tracks and cover Wham's 'Last Christmas' that they actually hit upon genius, transforming it into a tear-soaked acoustic ballad that suits Bradfield's tender voice perfectly. In conclusion then, some interesting material for fans, but certainly not for the newcomer, and for all but the totally undiscerning rabid fan, wildly varying in quality.

This is a b-sides and covers compilation from the Manics. CD 1 contains the self-penned b-sides, and wow, are some of them great. Prologue to History, 4 Ever Delayed, Donkeys, We Her Majesty's Prisoners....the entire disc is as good a Manics album as you'll hear. Fantastic. CD 2 rarely gets played by me...some interesting yet painful-to-listen-to cover, including some uncharacteristic kitsch from the Manics. But this is worth it just for disc 1, so if you can find it, check it out.

Disc One gets 5 stars. It's better than a lot of the songs that made the regular studio albums. Certainly better than 95% of Know Your Enemy! It's a MUST for MSP fans!! Disc Two is less impressive - mainly a bunch of cover versions - kind of fun, but by no means necessary. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, but the first disc makes it worth it, and I figure the second disc is just kind of a bonus disc, so that's why I give the whole set 5 stars.
Most bands don't have enough great B-sides and rarities for even one great disc, so this proves what a truly great band the Manics are! I am VERY pleased with this!

it was very surprising to me how good this album was, even though the manics are an amazing band, and they can do no wrong(sarcasm intended, know your enemy was pretty bad)anyways, the manics never really cracked the american market, probably for the better though, so i can have a band that I, and only I like. The songs here stand up much better than some of the tracks put on the albums these rarities were recorded for. donkeys should've been included on gold against the soul, instead of something like symphony of tourettes. same with sorrow 16, bored out of my mind, democracy coma, and strip it down, all of which would've been better on generation terrorists then tracks like damn dog, natwest barclay midlands loids, tennessee, or repeat(US). but then there are songs that would not have gone well on the albums, but stand up good on their own terms, like sculpture of man, would not have fit in well with the holy bible. the 2 best tracks on this disc though, seem to be relatively new:4ever delayed, and judge yr'self, the latter written, lyrically speaking, by the still missing richey edwards. in whole disc one is very good, not great. this album does not deserve the title of great. that is reserved for albums like the holy bible, the third big star album, or jeff buckley's grace. but this is a fantastic listen. the second disc is not even a good album, but just, entertaining. their cover of wrote for luck, by manchesters happy mondays is on par completely. better than the original. but the second disc isn't much. in conclusion, if you're a fan, you either own it already, or are starving to have it. if you're not one of the dedicated yet, buy it. it would be good listening for a beginners ears. this is one of the few pieces of manics music available here in teh states, meaning that getting your grimy paws on the richey era albums is a difficult task. but new fans, search for the holy bible. if you don't seem succesful at that, buy this or everything must go. thank you for your time and attention.

P.S. tracking down the holy bible is worth the time and money.

German, they are not recognised by the "official records industry" because of the topics they talk about in their songs. Specially, a hard critic against imperialism ("Slash and burn" , song that talks on yankee militarism 'from Somalia to Vietnam'). Another song example is "Dead yankee drawl" which title describes the racism and social contradictons in the US. Another one is "IfwhiteAmerica...".

"Let Robeson sing" talks on the gallard black people activist Paul Robeson who suffered Mccarthysm in the 50's.

Of course, I like and have some Oasis and Metallica disks but they have no and will never have the irony, efficacy and political direct songs MSP have.

Indeed, Wales MSP is for me the best english-lyrics group. And it doesn't matter to me if yankees prefer to convert Brittney Spears in idol.

I suggest you LA POLLA RECORDS, a basque rock group.

A lot of people love this band in their punkier early years. Me, I'm a big fan of the bombastic anthem rock of "Everything Must Go" and "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours." The last two albums have been spotty, as if the MSPs don't know what they wanted to say, or how they wanted to say it. James Dean Bradfield's solo record was better than either "Know Your Enemy" or "Lifeblood." The Nicky Wire album was just a mess.
That being said, this new album has some wonderful songs. The title track, "Underdogs" and the very poppy first single "Your Love Alone is Not Enough" get the album off to a great start. The rest of the album is good, certainly more thoughtful than most stuff out there, and the version of "Working Class Hero" is neat. The lyrics are as usual funny, touching and exasperating. It's a shame they've never made it big in the USA (much like The Jam before them). Maybe it's the politics (they're very Stalin) or maybe we're just too busy holla-ing back. Anyway, if you have nothing by this band, you should do yourself a very big favor and pick up "This is My Truth, Tell Me Yours," "Everything Must Go," and "THe Holy Bible."

ok, so manic's new album is sweeet. if you like them, come join the "lets get physical" campaign. let's get a physical is a campaign to encourage the sales of physical product at independent/tastemaker retailers and maximize the awareness and sales of indie artists and their accounts. pretty much we want you to go get the cd yourself at local ma and pa record shops!

[..]
CHECK IT OUT!!

The manics never do things in a half-baked way. If it is good it is excellent and if it is not I am not that interested. After reaching their high point (OK the previous efforts were also great) with Everythinng must go, they had soemehow lost breath but now they seem to have bounced back with new energy. The first song "Send away the tigers"statrs of in their typical instantly recognizable rocking and epic way. there is no doubt that this is their nest record of the last 10 years.

And that's a good thing, unlike some Manics' records that grow a bit tiresome in the latter songs. This is quick stuff - not a single song over 4 minutes. The guitar and vocal hooks leap off the disc. Probably the most immediately accessible thing the Manics have ever done. Bradfield continues the vibe on his solo disc and is absolutely brimming with energy and verve. His vocals and solos soar merrily along, backed by steady Wire and tight Moore. I could have used another 2 or 3 songs, but like one reviewer pointed out - there's no filler here. All the fat has been trimmed off. I have a friend who has a theory that every band has 3 and only 3 really good albums in them. He thinks the Manics' 3 good albums are Holy Bible, Everything Must Go, and This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. He hasn't heard Send Away the Tigers yet. I can't wait to see which he revises: his list or his theory. Something's gotta give! Hope the boys tour the States this time around. I would love to see them perform some of these songs live.

The Manics are back! Not that they had gone anywhere, they just, faultered, a little bit.

Their last two albums are not favorites of mine. Know your enemy was unfocused and for the first time, their views and oppinions felt like they weren't delivered, as much as rammed down my throat. As for their next effort, lifeblood, it just seemed so wishy washy. Squishy even.

This time they have gotten their house in order. The songs are delivered right away. You hardly get time to relax before one sharp hook is delivered after another. The lyrics are a lot more of everything this time as well. And when things might start to sound a bit too familliar, in comes 'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough'. Bringing in a female voice, the wonderful Nina Persson of The Cardigans, ads another dimension, and lets you sing along to what should be deemed as the pop/rock singel of 2007.

I was a bit worried when I saw the cover. It looks like a Beautiful South album (not that I don't like that band, I do, and they will be sorely missed). I thought perhaps they had gone in some sort of nostalgic pop tune direction.

But, one song in and my worries were laid aside.

This is easily one of my top 5 albums for album of the year, so far, in 2007.

It's tempting to say that Nicky Wire is a bad lyricist, but that would over-simplify things. Even on 2001's Know Your Enemy, which critics hated, he managed to come up with "Freedom Of Speech Won't Feed My Children," arguably the most nuanced and sophisticated thing he ever wrote. And in any case, he wrote half of the lyrics before 1996 too, and the works of Richey James weren't always divinely inspired either.

But now, Nicky hath declared, "Conquer yourself rather than the world." On this very boring album, he proceeds to say nothing about the state of the world, and instead reveals his innermost thoughts and dreams. And as it turns out, Nicky's innermost thoughts and dreams are not really all that special.

In "1985," Nicky declares that "God is dead, like Nietzsche said." The Manics quoted Nietzsche on their first album, too, but back then at least they put in enough effort to find a more obscure quote. Nicky then reminisces about his youth. What Nietzsche has to do with it is beyond me. Maybe Nicky is trying to encourage his young listeners to read more.

In "Solitude Sometimes Is," Nicky explains that sometimes he likes to be left alone. But he's not antisocial! He just gets tired of other people's company sometimes. One might point out that this is a minor issue that only matters to someone who is happily married and has at least two good friends, and thus wants for nothing in the way of human company. But to Nicky's sensitive soul, it's the kind of philosophical topic perfect for a mid-tempo song towards the end of an album.

Then there's "Emily." It's about Emmeline Pankhurst, who was an important figure in the women's suffrage movement. I remember this from history class. If you don't, then Nicky doesn't like you. Why, you're probably the kind of person who is obsessed with Princess Diana! Nicky doesn't like Diana, because he thinks that her image is "obviously empty." You see, unlike Pankhurst, Diana didn't really contribute to pressing social issues. Therefore, Nicky praises Pankhurst, in an album that completely ignores all pressing social issues. And even then he's just repeating himself, because he already did this in "Let Robeson Sing" on the last album. Back then he complained that nobody wrote protest songs anymore. So naturally, instead of writing them, he prefers to gaze vacuously at the distant past.

Only once on the whole album does Nicky say something sort of topical. This occurs in "The Love Of Richard Nixon," where he attempts to rehabilitate the disgraced president by pointing out his trip to China and his "war on cancer." To which I might add that Nixon supported environmental conservation and ended the war in Vietnam. But that was only after he escalated that war and covertly invaded Cambodia. Nicky, ever the defender of the common man, ignores this. The song is permeated with the self-pity that characterized Nixon. In this one regard, it's actually quite accurate.

In "Glasnost," Nicky encourages his listeners to open themselves up to love. If they do this, he says, they can find their own "glasnost." And afterwards, I guess, their lives can collapse and become governed by gangster capitalism. This is a very tasteless metaphor. Let me guess, Nicky votes Labour, watches BBC News, and likes to eat ice cream. Actually, maybe he votes Conservative now. Is there even a difference anymore? But either way, I'm sure he likes to eat ice cream. Maybe that can be the subject of the next Manic Street Preachers single.

"Cardiff Afterlife" is a wistful farewell to Richey James, the band's former lyricist and rhythm guitarist who disappeared without a trace over ten years ago. The thing is, Nicky already wrote a wistful farewell to Richey James. That was "Nobody Loved You," from the band's 1998 album. Why is Nicky returning to this topic eight years since? Maybe it's the only topic which still inspires him to any genuine emotion. Or maybe that crisis was the most interesting time of his life, and he wants to relive it.

Musically, the band has hopped onto the eighties-retro bandwagon, which allows Bradfield and Moore to use synthesizers, acoustic guitars, echo and other accoutrements. Some of the beats have a bit of an electronic tinge, and Moore's strong drumming adds energy to the right parts. But as the band's technical skill grows - James Dean Bradfield doesn't strain his voice anymore, and it sounds smoother and more confident than ever - the total fatuousness of Nicky's musings becomes obvious.

What does Nicky even do nowadays? In the last interview of his that I read, he made fun of the White Stripes. Now he can add them to his growing list of easy targets. Maybe next time he can make fun of musicians who coast on their decade-old successes and can't think of anything interesting to say.

OK, so I'm well over a year late in writing this. I remember how excited I was late in 2004 when my friend Arron came back from London - he happened to be there when this CD was released and brought a copy back to the US for me. After the erracticness of "Know Your Enemy" (which I think, overall, is better than most give it credit for), I was interested to see what direction the Manics would take. While it doesn't have some of the epic highs that previous releases have had, I personally think this is the most consistently listenable "as a whole" album the group has released.

"1985" gets things going in grand style. Being a child of the 80's, references to George Orwell, Nietzsche (yes, he was very much someone worth reading back in my high school and college days), Morrissey and Johnny Marr brought back some memories. The song is one of those powerful openers - I recall cranking the song with the windows down zooming down Queen Anne hill in Seattle the first time I heard it. First single "The Love of Richard Nixon" is a different sound for the Manics, but it works. It's bouncy and lyrically interesting, trying to shed a positive light on one of America's more infamous presidents. Second single "Empty Souls" (along with "To Repel Ghosts") are about the closest things this album has to a burner - nice guitar work by James on both tracks.

The jewels of this CD, in my opinion, are three of the non-single tracks, "A Song for Departure", "Solitude Sometimes Is" and the closer, "Cardiff Afterlife". "A Song for Departure" has a great bass groove by Nicky and lyrically takes us to a place most of us have been at one time or another - the end of a relationship. "Solitude Sometimes Is" is my personal favorite - one of those songs that starts out quietly and builds up to a big ending. Once again, it hits home lyrically - we've all been at a point in our lives where we feel alone be it intentionally or through the events of our lives. I feel this song captures that essence perfectly. The closer, "Cardiff Afterlife", is a thing of beauty with some nice harmonica work.

"Glastnost" has some nice guitar work and is lyrically simple yet profound ("Embrace with us - make your own glastnost"). "Always/Never", "I Live to Fall Asleep" and "Fragments" also add to the overall mood of the CD. The only track that I'm not a huge fan of is "Emily". It's certainly not awful, but it's just kind of there and in my mind also the weakest song lyrically. I'd also agree with some of the other reviews that Sean's drumming on the whole seems to have been pushed to the background. I guess that's justified though when you take a look at the overall "mood" presented here...while it's not my personal prefernce, it makes total sense.

While the CD doesn't reach individual highs such as "Motorcycle Emptiness", "This Is Yesterday" or "A Design for Life" from the past, I think it's right up there, when taken as a whole, with "The Holy Bible" as MSP's most consistently listenable work. Fans of the band already have it - and if you're new to the Manics, this certainly would not be a bad place to start.

Welcome back, Manics. Wow. What a return to form after the so-so KNOW YOUR ENEMY. Geez. Wasn't ready for this amazing, poignant, blissful album. I'm in the minority on this but of their catalog I always liked TIMTTMY best and this is like a beautiful sequel. Pristine, cryastalline, pure. James Dean Bradfield has just the most incredible voice for pop. It's up there with Josh Groban. No kidding. I could listen to either one of them sing a Chili's menu. Okay, so, yeah, buy this album if you're into remarkable pop music with substance. "Solitude Sometimes" might just be my favorite song of the last year -- f*ckin' gorgeous. Let's stay on this course, guys, really. I like the hard and heavy stuff but, come on, we're all getting older and this is the direction you want to stay. Just beautiful music. If America had a friggin' clue music-wise, these guys would be U2 here. Seriously. God I hate American music culture...sigh...

I've been a Manic Street Preachers fan for many years but felt tremendously let down by their last release, 2001's Know Your Enemy. Following on from a string of great albums (The Holy Bible, Everything Must Go, This Is My Truth..), Enemy was all the more noticeable for it's sudden drop in quality. Even for a pretty loyal fan like myself, I got the distinct impression that the Manics were artistically spent and now merely topping up their pensions.

In contrast, their new album Lifeblood, is the sound of a band fighting to remain relevant (and doing so successfully), and as a consequence it's a record that crackles with energy, spirit and a renewed sense of purpose.

The singles 'The Love of Richard Nixon', and 'Empty Souls' make for an excellent one-two punch and album tracks like 'A Song For Departure' and 'To Repel Ghosts' are classic Manics tunes. In fact, in it's entirety, this is an album that succeeds in putting the Manic Street Preachers back into the frame as one of the finest British bands of their generation. Form is temporary, class is permanent, as they say.

Lifeblood represents everything a band could ever hope
to achieve within it's career. Everything from the songwriting
to it's intricate production represent a band at it's maturity.
Solid, heartfelt and beautifully crafted music.
The opening track "1985" gives the listener a taste of what's
to come. I'm not certain what the thinking was in choosing
"the Love of Richard Nixon" as it seems to be my least favorite
from an otherwise perfect album. "Empty Souls" however, ranks
as one of the Manic's gems. It grabs you and keeps you in!
The rest of the album is a nice mix of musical tapestry.
Most would say the middle of the album is their favorite, but
it's truely hard to pick an area as all tracks are exceptional.
My personal favorites include "Empty Souls" along with
"To Repel Ghosts", "Emily" and "Cardiff Afterlife". This album is a far introspective exercise then with previous albums.
While the bands lyrical content in some of the earlier work tends
toward more political and social issues, it seems the lyrical team of Nicky Wire/James Bradfield are beginning to embrace love, abandonment, self-doubt, and personal redemption in their lyrical themes.
Since I was not a big Manics fan previous to listening to this
album, I can say that it has wet my appetite for some of their
previous material. I've since purchased "The Holy Bible-Reissue".
"This Is My truth Tell Me Yours" and "Everything Must Go".
Some of the earlier material might not be for all, but it will provide one with a persepective on the beginnings of what I think is a band worth far more recognition then it recieves!
FIVE STARS AND THEN SOME!

Additional Recommedations; It is worth mentioning that the additional tracks on the singles "Love of RN" and "Empty Souls" include (total) six additional bonus tracks that really fit well with the album. "Litany", "All Alone Here", "No Jubilees",
"Askew Road", "Everyone Knows" and "Everything Is Everthing Was".
If you love this album, then ORDER THESE SINGLES! :)