Manic Street Preachers

Decade of Decadence

Not seen a thread on them here so thought I would add one.

They're an institution at this stage, 25 years and counting, a new album expected next year (their 11th studio album).

The Holy Bible still ranks as my favourite album ever, and in Richey Edwards and James Dean Bradfield they had/have one of the greatest lyricists/most under-rated guitarists.

Discuss

Joe_Dull

The question is, do they belong in this forum?

lord lucan

Joe_Dull wrote: »

The question is, do they belong in this forum?

It's the rock and metal forum, they're a rock band, yes they belong here.

Decade of Decadence

Joe_Dull wrote: »

The question is, do they belong in this forum?

Well considering there's already threads on Muse, The Doors, Queen and Nirvana

Joe_Dull

lord lucan wrote: »

It's the rock and metal forum, they're a rock band, yes they belong here.

I would've always pegged them as indie or alternative, but clearly I'm in the minority here! Carry on :pac:

Quite like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfEoVxy7VDQ

Dietsquirt

Joe_Dull wrote: »

The question is, do they belong in this forum?

I was just thinking the same thing

Decade of Decadence

Early stuff like their 'Generation Terrorists' debut gives knowing glances to Guns N Roses and Hanoi Rocks, while 'The Holy Bible' has elements of metal

ush

Good band with solid politics.

sparkthatbled

My favourite band of all time, it must be said! The Holy Bible is nothing short of a work of art. I remember the first time i heard it, it was unlike anything i had heard before and still stands well apart from anything else i've heard.

I think the best place i saw them was in The Astoria in 2008, not long before it was torn down, that was an amazing gig... They did 3 gigs that weekend on consecutive nights in different venues around London, if i remember correctly. I missed Hammersmith but got to the other one (Bull & Gate in Kentish Town if i remember rightly) and got really excited when they went into Condemned To Rock n Roll, only for it to just be a Motown Junk intro. Only time i was ever disappointed to hear Motown Junk...

Decade of Decadence

sparkthatbled wrote: »

My favourite band of all time, it must be said! The Holy Bible is nothing short of a work of art. I remember the first time i heard it, it was unlike anything i had heard before and still stands well apart from anything else i've heard.

I think the best place i saw them was in The Astoria in 2008, not long before it was torn down, that was an amazing gig... They did 3 gigs that weekend on consecutive nights in different venues around London, if i remember correctly. I missed Hammersmith but got to the other one (Bull & Gate in Kentish Town if i remember rightly) and got really excited when they went into Condemned To Rock n Roll, only for it to just be a Motown Junk intro. Only time i was ever disappointed to hear Motown Junk...

Seen them about 10 times at this stage, favourite would be a tossup between The Ambassador 'Send Away The Tigers' tour and the Smithfield 'Know Your Enemy' gig.

Totally agree with your comments on THB, I just wish more people were aware of its and Richey's genius.

Loved the Olympia gig last May, opening with Stay Beautiful and playing the likes of Life Becoming A Landslide and Archives of Pain.

One of my lifetime ambitions is to hear them play PCP live though!

Decade of Decadence

sparkthatbled wrote: »

My favourite band of all time, it must be said! The Holy Bible is nothing short of a work of art. I remember the first time i heard it, it was unlike anything i had heard before and still stands well apart from anything else i've heard.

I think the best place i saw them was in The Astoria in 2008, not long before it was torn down, that was an amazing gig... They did 3 gigs that weekend on consecutive nights in different venues around London, if i remember correctly. I missed Hammersmith but got to the other one (Bull & Gate in Kentish Town if i remember rightly) and got really excited when they went into Condemned To Rock n Roll, only for it to just be a Motown Junk intro. Only time i was ever disappointed to hear Motown Junk...

Seen them about 10 times at this stage, favourite would be a tossup between The Ambassador 'Send Away The Tigers' tour and the Smithfield 'Know Your Enemy' gig.

Totally agree with your comments on THB, I just wish more people were aware of its and Richey's genius.

Loved the Olympia gig last May, opening with Stay Beautiful and playing the likes of Life Becoming A Landslide and Archives of Pain.

One of my lifetime ambitions is to hear them play PCP live though!

super_furry

Seen them probably a dozen times - mostly just because they're always playing festivals - and each time they've been brilliant.

Still think Faster is the best thing they've ever done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl2Jv4dzFqg

sparkthatbled

I remember in Leaving Cert English class we were given an assignment to pick any song we want and analyse it like a poem. I didn't even need to think about it, I did mine on Faster! I think i came up with some interesting theories and got a really good B as opposed to my standard C- territory.

MetalDog

The Holy Bible is a great album. Bleak as f*ck but also strangely uplifting.

JDB does a solo acoustic version of This is Yesterday which is great. Loved Terrorists and Everything must Go, wasnt too keen on Gold against the Soul apart from one or two songs.

Havent heard their recent albums i.e. post Know Your Enemy, are they worth a listen?

Decade of Decadence

MetalDog wrote: »

The Holy Bible is a great album. Bleak as f*ck but also strangely uplifting.

JDB does a solo acoustic version of This is Yesterday which is great. Loved Terrorists and Everything must Go, wasnt too keen on Gold against the Soul apart from one or two songs.

Havent heard their recent albums i.e. post Know Your Enemy, are they worth a listen?

That's a no brainer mate.

'Journal for Plague Lovers', which was released in 2009, is comprised entirely from lyrics Richey left in a shoebox for the band before his disappearance.

Written around the same time as The Holy Bible, they're just as bleak, and musically, it could be considered slightly darker than 'The Bible'.

Many consider it Part 2, and the horrifying artwork is by the same artist who's work graced the cover of THB.

Probably my second favourite album of theirs, and I can't recommend it highly enough

sparkthatbled

I thought Postcards From A Young Man was their worst album, to this day not a single song off it has grown on me.

Bizzarely, though, their version of Rihanna's Umbrella did grow on me, though that's more to do with the guitar riff, which is distictly Manicsy.


Looking back, one song that often gets overlooked, since it wasn't on any albums, was The Masses Against The Classes. Great song, and the first Manics release I was a fan for. I remember it was like christmas morning the first time i heard it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vi7kCxMBTY

Decade of Decadence

sparkthatbled wrote: »

I thought Postcards From A Young Man was their worst album, to this day not a single song off it has grown on me.

Bizzarely, though, their version of Rihanna's Umbrella did grow on me, though that's more to do with the guitar riff, which is distictly Manicsy.


Looking back, one song that often gets overlooked, since it wasn't on any albums, was The Masses Against The Classes. Great song, and the first Manics release I was a fan for. I remember it was like christmas morning the first time i heard it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vi7kCxMBTY

Bizarrely enough, The Masses Against The Class hit the top of the charts, definitely one of the more unusual No. 1's in recent times.

As for 'Postcards......', I consider it a solid 7/10 album, in particular highlights for me include Don't Be Evil, Auto-Intoxication and the gorgeous Motorcycle Emptiness guitar hook on Hazelton Avenue

sparkthatbled

Decade of Decadence wrote: »

the gorgeous Motorcycle Emptiness guitar hook on Hazelton Avenue

This is exactly why i didn't like that album. Every song on it seemed to be trying to be a different song from Manics legend, and the strings overkill just sealed the deal for me. I really enjoyed Journal For Plague Lovers (thought criticism of Nicky's vocals in William's Last Words was very unfair) and before that Send Away The Tigers was a solid album. The elephant in the room, though, is Lifeblood! For a while they wouldn't play any songs off it, but i never thought it was a bad album, probably a 6/10 and it loses a mark just because in the run up to it's release Nicky gave an interview where he described it as "The Holy Bible all grown up"...

Kess73

I'm probably going to be in the minority but The Holy Bible does not feature in my top two Manic albums.


Everything Must Go takes top spot for me, with Generation Terrorists coming in second.

Decade of Decadence

Kess73 wrote: »

I'm probably going to be in the minority but The Holy Bible does not feature in my top two Manic albums.


Everything Must Go takes top spot for me, with Generation Terrorists coming in second.

Always thought GT was at least 6 tracks too long ( there's ALOT of filler like Damn Dog, the two Repeats, Tennessee etc)

Sephiroth_dude

super_furry wrote: »

Seen them probably a dozen times - mostly just because they're always playing festivals - and each time they've been brilliant.

Still think Faster is the best thing they've ever done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl2Jv4dzFqg

Never really listened to these guys before but that song is class

Rothko

One of my favourite bands but I've yet to see them play live. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to see them some day. Anyway, The Holy Bible is one of my favourite albums of all time and I think that Richey Edwards must be the most underrated lyricist there is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mtwZaRObP8

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgVyQRqTZu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5AxvjTJhQ

Mushy

Only have Postcards From a Young Man, haven't listened to it enough but Its not war is a great song. Really wanna get into more of their stuff. Hearing that there is better albums makes it exciting.

Rothko

Mushy wrote: »

Only have Postcards From a Young Man, haven't listened to it enough but Its not war is a great song. Really wanna get into more of their stuff. Hearing that there is better albums makes it exciting.

I'd recommend Everything Must Go. Even though I prefer The Holy Bible, I think that EMG would probably be the best one to listen to next.

sparkthatbled

That or "This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours" or "Send Away The Tigers". Postcards is fairly far removed from the first 3 albums so i'd work towards them rather than diving right in.

Decade of Decadence

If recommend Gold Against the Soul purely for the four singles.

Only the Manics could release an album that was almost universally derived at the time and still contain FOUR classic singles

MetalDog

Decade of Decadence wrote: »

That's a no brainer mate.

'Journal for Plague Lovers', which was released in 2009, is comprised entirely from lyrics Richey left in a shoebox for the band before his disappearance.

Written around the same time as The Holy Bible, they're just as bleak, and musically, it could be considered slightly darker than 'The Bible'.

Many consider it Part 2, and the horrifying artwork is by the same artist who's work graced the cover of THB.

Probably my second favourite album of theirs, and I can't recommend it highly enough

I had no idea Richey's material was involved, must check it out so. Cheers.

Decade of Decadence

MetalDog wrote: »

Decade of Decadence wrote: »

That's a no brainer mate.

'Journal for Plague Lovers', which was released in 2009, is comprised entirely from lyrics Richey left in a shoebox for the band before his disappearance.

Written around the same time as The Holy Bible, they're just as bleak, and musically, it could be considered slightly darker than 'The Bible'.

Many consider it Part 2, and the horrifying artwork is by the same artist who's work graced the cover of THB.

Probably my second favourite album of theirs, and I can't recommend it highly enough

I had no idea Richey's material was involved, must check it out so. Cheers.

You won't be disappointed

'All Is Vanity' is a particular highlight

Mike Litoris

Was a huge fan back in the day. THB is still probably my favourite album of all time. Not a single bad song on it imo. Of all the bands I listen to, the only other album I can think of that didn't have a song I disliked was Slayers Reign in Blood.

Saw them in the Point in 99. They were f**king electric that night. That was the first time I heard Prolgue to History. Epic song and a tragedy it never made the album TIMTTMY.

johnadom

Always good live and for me that's what counts!

Clemenza

Manic Street Preachers announce new album, single and UK tour

The band will release their 11th studio album, 'Rewind The Film' on September 16. Recorded in the band's own studio in Cardiff, Rockfield in Monmouthshire and Hansa in Berlin, it features guest appearances from Lucy Rose (on 'This Sullen Welsh Heart') Cate Le Bon (on '4 Lonely Roads') and Richard Hawley on the title track. "[If] this record has a relation in the Manics back catalogue, it’s probably the sedate coming of age that was 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours'," the band say in a statement.

The album, which is the follow-up to 2010's 'Postcards From A Young Man' will be preceded by the single 'Show Me The Wonder' on September 9. Shortly after the album's release, the band will tour the UK and Ireland – playing Newport, Dublin, Bristol, London, Manchester and Glasgow.

The tracklisting for 'Rewind The Film' is as follows:

'This Sullen Welsh Heart'
'Show Me The Wonder'
'Rewind The Film'
'Builder Of Routines'
'4 Lonely Roads'
'(I Miss The) Tokyo Skyline'
'Anthem For A Lost Cause'
'As Holy As The Soil (That Buries Your Skin)'
'3 Ways To See Despair'
'Running Out Of Fantasy'
'Manorbier'
'30 Year War'

Manic Street Preachers will play:

Newport Centre (September 13)
Dublin Olympia (20)
Bristol Colston Hall (22)
London Shepherds Bush Empire (24)
Manchester Ritz (27)
Glasgow Barrowland (29)

Tickets go on sale on Friday (July 12) at 9.30pm. To check the availability of Manic Street Preachers tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0844 858 6765

Taster of new album

nucker

It's different from them, but everyone seems to be doing acoustics these days

Been listening to the new singles and really loving them. It's quite a departure sound wise for them but it really works and it seems that the upcoming album will be a celebration of the Britain of old. The videos play like products of the 70s and there's a charm and warmth to them that's infectious. Really looking forward to the album and hopefully I'll get to see them live, been a decade or so since I last went to see them and that gig remains a highlight for me.

Nephilim Wolf

MetalDog wrote: »

The Holy Bible is a great album. Bleak as f*ck but also strangely uplifting.

JDB does a solo acoustic version of This is Yesterday which is great. Loved Terrorists and Everything must Go, wasnt too keen on Gold against the Soul apart from one or two songs.

Havent heard their recent albums i.e. post Know Your Enemy, are they worth a listen?

The 'Holy Bible' is a class album, and 'Generation Terrorists' is an outstanding album too. 'Gold against the Soul' is alright with a couple of incredible songs. I didn't think much of the newer stuff was all that great.

The Wild Bunch

Last album was a bit of a departure but excellent nonetheless

Stretchryan

Going to see them in a few months in Luxembourg - first time seen them was back in Feile days in Thurles with Richey and his guitar not plugged in. Amazing live band still to this day. Holy Bible easily my fav album of theirs and only one played more in my gaff would be Angel Dust by Faith No More

Mike Litoris

Stretchryan wrote: »

Going to see them in a few months in Luxembourg - first time seen them was back in Feile days in Thurles with Richey and his guitar not plugged in.

You might have that backwards....unless they played there twice.

There is a famous vid of that show and James guitar was turned way down so all you could hear is Richies in La Tristessa. Its a train wreck!

The Wild Bunch

Taster of new album - personally think its great!

http://youtu.be/nusymqINrSc

The Wild Bunch

Taster of new album - personally think its great!

Temaz

The Wild Bunch wrote: »

Taster of new album - personally think its great!

They keep coming up with the goods.

The Wild Bunch

Temaz wrote: »

They keep coming up with the goods.

That chorus is HUGE

Always Be Closing

New album 'Resistance is Futile' is the dogs bollocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvLbsJi1n58

Sheridan81

The Manics are old hat now. Generation Terrorists was their best.

finhex

Sheridan81 wrote: »

The Manics are old hat now. Generation Terrorists was their best.

Oh, they were old farts already then. New Art Riot is the one.

Sheridan81

They were probably at their peak in the eighties.

Seriously though, I don't really like the new album. The first four albums were great and it's been going downhill since then.

I'm selling my Manics cds for cheap if anyone's interested, pm.

seachto7

Sheridan81 wrote: »

The Manics are old hat now. Generation Terrorists was their best.

EMG and TIMTTMY are my favourites.

RicketyCricket

Can't get into the new album at all. Too poppy for my liking. The Holy Bible is probably my favourite album of all time. Really enjoyed Futurology a few years back, terrific stuff on that album. Journal For Plague Lovers was an unexpected treat too.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Mike Litoris

Weepsie wrote: »

Holy Bible will always be their masterpiece. EMG not far behind.

Anyone who claims they did nothing after that probably last listened to them with know your Enemy which nearly had an album worth of good stuff (it you include masses against the classes) with some god awful tunes thrown in too to make it over listed and turned people off.

Honestly think there stuff since send away the Tigers has been good at the very least. The bad songs stink, but the good stuff is better than the bad stuff to make up for it

Agree about the Holy Bible. Depending on my mood I'd put EMG up there with it. A couple of good songs on TIMTTMY and KYE but I haven't been able to get into anything since. Live, like a lot of bands as they age, they've gone so soft. Last saw them in Smithfield for the KYE album and they were terrible. A stark difference to the energy they still had in 1999 never mind the years previous.

RicketyCricket

Saw them live on The Holy Bible anniversary tour. Fantastic show. Hearing that album live made me love it even more. EMG has some crackers on it. Would love to hear the whole album live. I liked Know Your Enemy. Some good, angry , aggresive songs on it.

savemejebus

Weepsie wrote: »

They've since added a second guitarist (an Irish guy too I believe) who really improved them live.

Have to 100% disagree with this. His presence has lessened the bands live sound hugely. Their best gigs since 98 have all been 3 piece sets. Journal for Plague Lovers tour, Holy Bible Tour and various sets as a 3 piece (King Tuts etc.).

3 piece (and even with keyboard) = Energy
Extra guitarist(s)* = Lethargy

I love 'em but their live output is woeful with the extra guitarists. Not to mention their overreliance on strings, samples and my god, the extra guitarist (Wayne Murray) is far far far to loud in the mix with backing vocals.

* They actually have 2 extra guitarists now and James barely plays guitar live now.