Manic Street Preachers

Any fans of this band here? I recently picked up their first album, Generation Terrorists, after having heard bits of it in a friend's car and concluding it was awesome. It's sort of like Guns N' Roses, put through a Welsh filter with more intelligent lyrics.

My first introduction to the Manics was a few years ago with The Holy Bible, which remains one of my all time favourite albums. Well written songs, great performances and generally a very disturbing tone about the entire album. It's great stuff. However, I have a feeling they won't be well known on this forum as I don't think they ever got all that big Stateside.

are these the guys that did the theme for M*A*S*H?

They did a cover of it, they didn't do it originally. Just to give people an idea of what the band are lie, here are a few of my favourite songs. The videos aren't great, but the music is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9KvKnUcYqY

Slash N' Burn opens the first album, Generation Terrorists and has a great 80s rock vibe to it. I love that main opener riff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STOJUbd87GA

Of Walking Abortion is off The Holy Bible, possibly one of the most seething rock albums of the 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXpmak5xS-A

Imperial Bodybags comes off the most recent album, Send Away The Tigers, and is a good rocker.

I'd be curious as to what you guys think of them.

I think Generation Terrorists is a really fun album, but after that they got more and more grave and depressing album by album (and for good reason, what with Richie's suicide/disappearance and all).

Thrilling, Stunning, Pissed Off, Literate, Righteous, Rockin'. This is what i think of the Manics. Those early Manic Street Preachers singles and Ep's are nothing short of amazing like Suicide Alley (1989), UK Channel Boredom (1990), Motown Junk (1991), New Art Riot EP (1990) and Stay Beautiful EP (1991).
And of course the ambitious Generation Terrorists (1992), the greatest hard rock/punk album ever (My favourite album all genres)! Generation Terrorists era Manics combines the beauty and glamour of Hanoi Rocks with the social and political slogans of the Clash, on top of the metal guitar bite of Guns N' Roses. This album is essential for all fans of hard rock/metal, yet is overlooked for some reason or another. And how many bands can claim delivering a double album as a debut. The Manics had it and you should too.

Wow, didn't know you were such a fan rattpoison. What do you think of their later efforts? I know they went a bit less punk, but The Holy Bible is definitely one of my all time faves. I also quite like the newest album, which is effectively pop-rock for the most part.

Gold Against The Soul (1993) is a great album, sort of continuing were Generation Terrorists left off.
The Holy Bible (1994) is a classic, and would be my fav album but i can't bare to listen to it much. It reminds me in scope of Lou Reed's classic dark heroin riddled opus Berlin. It really confirms for me that Richey was a troubled lyrical genius, his words cutting deep and taking you to some dark places you may not want to go.
Musically its a very abrasive punk album drawing more from early 80's post-punk like Suicide and Wire than the arena hard rock of Guns N' Roses, but still with those catchy glam hooks. 4st 7lbs is such a sad song.
After that their very hit and miss, Everything Must Go (1996) is great but other albums fall short of the mark. They lack the edge that made them so thrilling and exciting to begin with. This obviously being because Richey was no longer there or anywhere!
The new album is good, probably being my fav since Everything Must Go, 'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough' having an amazing hook.

Heres a bit of fun, this youtube video i'm posting. Is an interview with the 'Glamour Twins' (Richey and Nicky) on the european version of 'Headbangers Ball' from 1992. Interesting what Nicky says, when he says "We were more happy to be number 1 on Kerrang's heavy metal chart than number 1 on the indie charts". I want Nicky's Hanoi Rocks shirt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc2WhcjVfLg

I broke away from tradition and actually bought the NME for the first time in my life cause it had a great cover story on Richey James and Nicky Wire (the glamour twins).

If you have any interest in this band (Smindas) pick it up (us aussies are behind you brits so the issue may have passed already). Great interview with Nicky about the early Manics and Richey.

NME eh? I'll keep an eye out for it and pick it up if I see it. Sounds like an interesting feature. Cheers for the heads up, rattpoison!

Yeah i know. I poke alot of fun at the NME and the indie dorks they cover. But this one i had to get.

Picked up Genreration Terrorists from the used bins today. Spinning it as I type this. Not bad. Catchy, although I'm not sure I'm getting the GnR references you guys are throwing around. I'll need to give it some more spins though.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Picked up Genreration Terrorists from the used bins today. Spinning it as I type this. Not bad. Catchy, although I'm not sure I'm getting the GnR references you guys are throwing around. I'll need to give it some more spins though.

It's those big Slash like guitars more than anything (Listen to those guitar solo's at the end of Condemned To Rock N' Roll). You know on the song Little Baby Nothing, the female vocals are sung by Traci Lords. It's quite appropriate for her to be singing it if you listen to the lyrics.

Slash N' Burn Promo Clip

Quote :

You know on the song Little Baby Nothing, the female vocals are sung by Traci Lords.

I saw her name in the insert credits and it got me wondering if it was THE Traci Lords. Now I know. Kooky.

Great album...great score!!!

Shiney wrote:

Great album...great score!!!

Cmon Shiney offer some pearls of wisdom...what do you really think of Gen Terrorists, expand if you want?


It's as if the Manics wrote Little Baby Nothing for Traci to sing...but they didn't, they actually wanted Kylie Minogue to sing it...but couldn't get her, i think Traci singing this added a bit more to it.....

No one likes looking at you
Your lack of ego offends male mentality
They need your innocence
To steal vacant love and to destroy
Your beauty and virginity used like toys

My mind is dead, everybody loves me
Wants a slice of me
Hopelessly passive and compatible
Need to belong, oh the roads are scarey
So hold me in your arms
I wanna be your only possession

Used, used, used by men
Used, used, used by men

All they leave behind is money
Paper made out of broken twisted trees
Your pretty face offends
Because its something real that I cant touch
Eyes, skin, bone, contour, language as a flower

No God reached me, faded films and loving books
Black and white tv
All the world does not exist for me
And if Im starving, you can feed me lollipops
Your diet will crush me
My life just an old mans memory

Little baby nothing
Loveless slavery, lips kissing empty
Dress your life in loathing
Breaking your mind with barbie doll futility

Little baby nothing
Sexually free, made-up to breakup
Assassinated beauty
Moths broken up, quenched at last
The vermin allowed a thought to pass them by

You are pure, you are snow
We are the useless sluts that they mould
Rock n roll is our epiphany
Culture, alienation, boredom and despair

You are pure, you are snow
We are the useless sluts that they mould
Rock n roll is our epiphany
Culture, alienation, boredom and despair

Good band...the college kids played them a lot in the CD store where I used to work...

Wow this incredible news....

The lyrics to the Manic Street Preachers' next album won't be
written by Nicky Wire, James Dean Bradfield or Sean Moore, the band has
announced. They will instead be the work of long lost guitarist Richey
Edwards.No, Edwards has not been found - but the group have
decided to only use lyrics he left behind, paying tribute to the
bandmate who disappeared in 1995. "All the songs we are
recording are lyrics left to us by Richey," they said in a statement on
their website. "Finally it feels like the right time to use them ...
It's a record that celebrates the genius of his words; full of love,
anger, intelligence and respect."The band announced that they
are already in studio with Steve Albini, the celebrated American
producer. Albini has produced albums by the likes of Nirvana, the
Pixies, McLusky and PJ Harvey, and is known for his indie recording
philosophy. "[We are] recording live - to tape - analogue - no digital
hiss - no Pro Tools - no safety nets," the Manics wrote. "Quite scary,
daunting but invigorating."The album is being recorded with the
working titles Journal for Plague Lovers, and I Know I Believe in
Nothing But it is My Nothing. The Manics hope to release it in the
spring."Musically, in many ways it feels like a follow up to The
Holy Bible but there is also an acoustic side - tender, romantic,
nihilism, Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky-esque," they wrote.Edwards
co-wrote the bulk of the Manics' material on celebrated albums like
Generation Terrorists and The Holy Bible. Known for struggles with
depression, he disappeared on February 1, 1995, after leaving London's
Embassy Hotel. The guitarist was later seen near Severn Bridge - a
common suicide location, - where many think he ended his life. In the
years since then there have however been many rumoured sightings, and
the Manic Street Preachers have set aside Edwards' royalties lest he
reappear."We have to make this great," they said this week. "Wish us luck."

Apparently some of the lyrics are prose that had to be reworked into lyrics but the record will be 100% Richey's words. I'm not sure if there's a precedent for this kind of thing in music.....probably is though but i can't think of it.

I'm pissing my pants in anticipation for this record!

That's gonna be interesting, but Richey got sort of like Ian Curtis for me eventually, I can only handle that sort of darkness in small doses sometimes.

rattpoison wrote:

Apparently some of the lyrics are prose that had to be reworked into lyrics

Well, if I remember correctly, that's exactly what they had to do with The Holy Bible, as Richey was apparently just writing flat out prose. James had to give it some kind of melody - that's why there's so many incredibly odd timings on that album, and help add to it's rather sinister edge.

Anyway, this is great news. Lyrically, I think The Holy Bible is amazing and it'll be good to see the Manics using that kind of lyrical style again. Send Away The Tigers was great and all, but the lyrics tended to grate on me a bit... especially 'Patsy For Your Love'.

Manic Street Preachers are great! I am glad someone else here likes them. My favorite song from them is "If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next". Powerful stuff.

I love that :Holy Bible" disc...dark as hell and just as rockin'