Arriving roughly ten years after their first hits compilation, 2002’s Forever Delayed, 2011’s National Treasures: The Complete Singles has another decade to cover so it’s perfectly sensible that the collection spans two discs as it diligently marches through almost every single Manic Street Preachers released during their first 20 years. The absences are the province of trainspotters: anything released on Heavenly Records prior to “Motown Junk,” for instance, along with other stray exclusives and fan club bonuses. What is here is everything from 1991’s “Motown Junk” through 2011’s “Postcards from a Young Man,” with a new cover of The The’s “This Is the Day” added at the end as fan bait. Through these two discs, the band’s highs, tragedies, slumps, and comebacks are all evident, the first disc devoted to 1992’s Generation Terrorists through 1996’s Everything Must Go, the second capturing the band’s evolution into respected rabble-rousers. The second disc has the chart-toppers and Top Ten hits -- as late as 2004 and 2005 the Manics were reaching number two with “The Love of Richard Nixon,” “Empty Souls,” and “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough” -- but it’s the first disc, containing the songs they recorded with Richey Edwards and the music they made immediately after his disappearance, that makes the strongest case for their legacy.
If Everything Must Go found Manic Street Preachers coping with Richey James' sudden, unexplained disappearance, its follow-up, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, finds them putting the tragedy behind them and flourishing as a trio. Wisely, the group builds on the grand sound of Everything Must Go, creating a strangely effective fusion of string-drenched, sweeping arena rock and impassioned, brutally honest punk. Since the band never writes about anything less than major issues, whether it be political or personal, it's appropriate that their music sounds as majestic and overpowering as their pretensions. Given that the first single was titled "If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next," calling the Manics pretentious is fair game, but they make their pretensions work through a blend of intelligence, passion, and sheer musicality. This Is My Truth sports more musical variety than its predecessors, which means it can meander a bit, particularly toward the end. Nevertheless, these misgivings disappear with repeated listens, as each song logically flows into the next. If the album ultimately isn't as raw or shattering as The Holy Bible or emotionally wrenching as Everything Must Go, it's because the ghost of Richey has been put behind them. That doesn't mean that This Is My Truth is light, easygoing listening -- the portentous, murky closer "SYMM" guarantees that -- but it's not as torturous as its immediate predecessors. But what it shares with them is a searing passion and intelligence that is unmatched among their peers on either side of the ocean -- and, in doing so, it emphasizes the Manics' uniqueness as one of the few bands of the '90s that can deliver albums as bracing intellectually as they are sonically
Months after the release of the harrowing The Holy Bible, Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey James disappeared, leaving no trace of his whereabouts or his well-being. Ultimately, the remaining trio decided to carry on, releasing their fourth album, Everything Must Go, in 1996. Considering the tragic circumstances that surrounded it, Everything Must Go is the strongest, most focused, and certainly the most optimistic album the Manics ever released. Five of the songs feature lyrics James left behind before his disappearance, and while offering no motivation for his actions, they do hint at the depths of his despair. Nicky Wire wrote the remaining lyrics, and his songs give the record its weight and balance, confronting the issue of James' disappearance in a roundabout way, never explicitly mentioning the topic but offering a gritty dose of realistic optimism offering the hope that things will get better; after the nihilism of The Holy Bible, the outlook is all the more inspiring. Furthermore, the Manics' musical attack has become leaner; their music still rages, but it's channeled into concise, anthemic rock songs that soar on their own belief. Above all, Everything Must Go is a cathartic experience -- it is genuinely moving to hear the Manics offering hope without sinking to mawkish sentimentality or collapsing under the weight of their situation. [The 2006 edition features a host of bonus features on two CDs and one DVD. The first CD offers up the entire album (remastered) along with six previously unreleased live tracks. The second CD features unreleased rehearsals, demos, alternate versions and rare B-sides
Formed in 1991 and fashioned after The Clash, the Manic Street Preachers had its heart set upon rescuing the British music scene from the acid-drenched dance grooves pouring forth from Manchester, and it quickly became a controversial force that was either loved or hated by the English press. A strange episode of public mutilation by guitarist Richey James during an early interview — he carved the words "4 Real" into his arm — alluded to the troubled times to come, and sure enough, just as the ensemble was poised to enter and potentially conquer the American market, James disappeared without a trace, never to be found. As a result, the collective’s third album The Holy Bible wasn’t released in the U.S., though that didn’t stop the Manic Street Preachers from developing a cult of fans that spanned the globe. Despite its initial belief that a band should dissolve after releasing a single outing, the group, having already surpassed that mark, remained together, and although it continued to record and tour, it never fully recovered from its loss.
Indeed, The Holy Bible was the Manic Street Preachers’ finest moment, and with its revolutionary slogans, angst-filled despair, and snarling punk rock attitude, it was a direct descendent of The Clash’s London Calling, the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual de lo Habitual. Ten years after the fact, the collection has been given the sort of treatment that is customary for classic albums. Its official U.S. debut comes as a 2-CD, 1-DVD set that includes the original album; the band’s preferred bombastic re-mix of the outing that Tom Lord-Alge prepared for the American market, which surprisingly is an improvement; a handful of thunderous concert cuts; several unremarkable demo recordings and radio sessions; numerous television appearances; a 30-minute interview with the surviving members; and several promotional videos. It’s an overwhelming amount of material, especially since The Holy Bible will be unfamiliar to most. Yet, the attention also is much deserved, even if the entirety of the affair doesn’t achieve the magnificence for which its ambition obviously strives.
Musically, Manic Street Preachers bends punk, pop, and heavy metal into a distorted mass of twisted, violent mayhem, and the entirety of The Holy Bible unfolds while punishing waves of percussion, ominous rumbles of bass, and rampaging assaults of guitar scream in a menacing fashion behind the disturbed howl of front man James Dean Bradfield. Yet, it’s the lyrical content that makes the collection so challengingly difficult to embrace. Pitting Nicky Wire’s socio-political rants against James’ tormented musings, the collection is abrasive, confrontational, and, at times, downright shocking in its examination of human suffering. True, there are moments when the group’s anarchist diatribes go astray, such as on the apparent pro-death penalty posturing of Archives of Pain or via the anti-gun control cheering — which admittedly might be intended as an anti-Ronald Reagan mantra — that concludes IfWhiteAmericaToldtheTruthforOneDayIt’sWorldWouldFallApart. For a leftist band, these two songs rather ironically embody the passions of the current conservative-minded American government, and its supporters likely would adopt the tunes as their own, if only the Manic Street Preachers didn’t scare the bejesus out of them. Even so, it isn’t likely that they’d wander much further than the opening song Yes, which harshly criticizes Western imperialism. Not surprisingly, however, it’s James’ compositions that cut the deepest, if only because buried within his images of anorexia (4st. 7lb.) and self-loathing (Die in the Summertime), he offers glimpses of his own dark soul. Where the passage of time has removed some of the biting sting from outings by the Sex Pistols and Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy Bible is as harrowing, horrifying, and intense as ever. Not to be taken lightly, the album also shouldn’t be overlooked.
Most bands, whether they admit to it or not, have certain aims when they first start out, both long and short term. These tend to fall into two categories; critical acclaim - the more credible route - and commercial success. When Welsh quartet Manic Street Preachers were finding their feet, the focus was very much on the latter, with the band stating that they would like their debut, Generation Terrorists to outsell Guns ‘N Roses multi-platinum Appetite For Destruction, leading to a three-night residence at Wembley Stadium before disbanding – going out in a blaze of glory.
However, things didn’t exactly go according to plan. The album, despite spawning six singles and receiving much promotion, failed to make a telling impact on the mainstream. It certainly wasn’t a bad record – it just fell at the worst time possible, a time when stripped back, grungy music was taking over from the glam image and sound that the band portrayed. Maybe it was a sense of dissapointment that prompted the band to carry on, but one thing’s for certain, they’ve never looked back since. Immediately after this relative failure, however, the band (or more accurately, their record company) concentrated more on breaking into the American market, their second full length, Gold Against The Soul representing this effort.
Since its release, the band have somewhat criticised their (or their record companies) motives while making the album, and have gone as far as to call it their weakest work. But while the big rock sounds and chart friendly vibes that are so popular in the USA are there for all to hear, this album still represents a strong body of work when judged both within and without context. The albums production is the most obvious sign of its aims, and indeed the shiny, polished sound suits the band quite a lot. James Dean Bradfield’s voice certainly shines more than on the previous record, while the quartet as a unit sound far tighter, with each respective instrument on offer making important and very audible contributions. The songwriting was also altered slightly to accommodate for this new target audience, with Richey Edwards’ and Nicky Wire’s lyrics becoming far less politically charged, and many of the songs keeping to simpler, more accessible structures than previously.
From that description, it may sound like the band had lost the edge that made it so intriguing in the first place. This, however, is not the case, a point which is proven as early as around ten seconds into the fantastic opening track, Sleepflower. After a brief intro, the band bursts into a furious riff, which displays both their improvement as a unit and the benefits of the big production given to it. More to the point, it’s easy to understand why this has become a real favourite among the band’s more committed fans, as it is a truly fantastic song, and a brilliant start to the record. Symphony Of Tourette is a song with similar qualities, being mostly based around a dirty Guns N Roses-esque riff, which alone sounds far edgier and more energetic than anything from their debut.
It’s not just the all-out rockers that benefit from the new approach, however, as many of the album's slower moments also stack among its highlights. Roses In The Hospital is an entirely melody based glam moment, complete with heavily overdubbed vocals, a big chorus and stadium ready drums. Yes, it sounds a little over the top and cheesy, but with such a strong melody these traits can surely be forgiven. Far more understated is La Tristesse Durera, a true anthem that features one of Nicky Wire’s greatest basslines and remains one of the bands best ever songs.
Not everything can live up to the terrific standards set by such highlights; Yourself, for instance, never truly delivers on it’s dark early potential, and Drug Drug Druggy takes the band glam influences a little too far, but overall, this record, quality-wise is a success, and an improvement on its predecessor. It didn’t receive huge acclaim, but it sold respectively (though not even close to their ambitions) and was a hit among the band's existing fanbase. They would go on to far greater critical acclaim (The Holy Bible) as well as commercial success (Everything Must Go, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours), but ultimately, Gold Against The Soul is an excellent album which more than deserves to be held in the same regards as their more popular works. The band themselves may not like it, but from the perspective of this fan at least, it is their most underrated, and quite possibly strongest body of work.
