Garry Nelson's Left Foot
Well-known member
I'm bored. I'm not even on proper lockdown. Tokyo has been told to stay inside this weekend. I'm sure irt's going to morph into full lockdown soon enough though. Anyway, on day two I'm getting cabin fever in my small apartment. So I've resorted to passing the time by listing things. Who doesn't love a good ranking list?!
First up I've ranked all the manic street preacher albums in descending order of greatness. Feel free to add your own lists(doesn't need to be as wordy as mine!). Any topic is ok - music, movies, books etc.
So, here we go:
1) The Holy Bible
Not just the manics' best but IMO one of the best albums of all time. Everything about it - lyrically, sonically, visually - is as close to perfect as it's possible to get. It's a visceral experience - exciting, frightening and strangely comforting all at the same time. Holy bible era manics is exactly the kind of band I'd want to be in. Outstanding album. I don't think an album has had a bigger impact on me.
2) Everything Must Go
A triumph. Released at the swaggering, cheeky peak of 'Britpop' it borrows the glossy sheen of the era but was born and emerges from the tragedy of Richey's disappearance/death. From the depths of despair they fashioned something remarkable and powerful. It gave them the main stream success they'd previously threatened.
3) Generation Terrorists
A glorious debut album. A glorious mess of an album. A riot of noise, ideas and slogans. They claimed they wanted to release a double album sell 16 million copies and retire. It didn't quite work out that way. what they released was a slightly bloated single album that didn't always work but was overflowing with great moments. Motorcycle emptiness, you love us, little baby nothing, stay beautiful. Magnificent.
4) Rewind The Film
The most different of their catalogue. There's barely an electric guitar on it. No swooping anthems or soaring guitar solos. Instead it's a much more gentle, delicate and collaborative affair and all the more beautiful for it.
5)Gold Against the Soul
Here's where it starts getting tricky. The next three albums could all be in any of the positions 5-7. I've gone with this one though as even if it's a little formulaic in the second half and is apparently the manics's least favourite album, I think it's underated and has enough highlights - sleepflower, la tristesse durera, roses in the hospital, from despair to where to warrant its position. Not as political as its predecessor or as raw and eviscerating as its sequel it's nonetheless a fine piece of grandiose anthemoic rock and roll.
6) Journal for Plague Lovers
This feels like the closing of a chapter. Released 15 years after his disappearance the album consists of all Richey lyrics. It's hard not to see it as the follow up/counterpart to The Holy Bible with it being exclusively his words and the artwork being by the same artist as the holy bible. Musically it's not quite as spiky or aggressive as the holy bible but has a similar post punk kind of sound. At times its difficult to not read the lyrics as Richey's suicide note, particularly album closer Williams Last words.
7) This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
The Album that made them (briefly) superstars. It went to number one in the charts and contains their first number one single. It actually took me a long time to come round to its charms. They took the production sheen of Everything Must Go and polished it to within an inch of its life. I was a big fan of their ferocity and anger so this shiny production was too much to me. As I've got older though I've come round to appreciating it more and more. There are some really quite beautiful songs on the album, particularly in the first half. It could possibly do with being a bit shorter.
8) Futurology
Recorded at the same time as Rewind the film, this album is full of the guitars and noise that they left off its counterpart. It's the 12th album of their career and is the sound of a band in the midst of a creative revival. (unfortunately it didn't last to their 13th album)
9) Postcards From A Young Man
For me this is a continuation of This Is My Truth. Gleaming production gives a glossy sheen to a band that realise they are no longer the young firebrands they once were and are never going to be again. There's a ruefulness to it but also an acceptance of where they are. As such they made an album of mostly glorious, sweeping songs.
10) Send Away The Tigers
The start of the Manics revival after their two previous albums had seen them fall from their peak pretty rapidly. The albums that followed were all better (until number 13...) but this got them out of their trough. They got a bit of zip back into their songs and their mojo back.
11)Know Your Enemy
The follow up to This Is My Truth. It's really not very good. It's overly long and incoherent, has some poor songs on it and has few good ones. Let Robeson Sing is the only one that would get any where near a 'Best Of'.
12) Lifeblood
The follow up to Know Your Enemy. It too isn't very good. It's the sound of a band that clearly knows its way around a song and melody but it lacks inspiration. Glasnost and Solitude Sometimes Is are half decent songs but the rest is pleasant enough but instantly forgettable.
13) Resistance Is Futile
Their most recent album. It brings an end to their creative revival. It's the manics by numbers but sounds like they got the numbers mixed up. About the best thing I can say is that it took me some years to come round to This Is My Truth so maybe this will be similar. I doubt it but you never know. Plus it's not the end of the world to release a duff album 13 albums and 30 years into your career.
First up I've ranked all the manic street preacher albums in descending order of greatness. Feel free to add your own lists(doesn't need to be as wordy as mine!). Any topic is ok - music, movies, books etc.
So, here we go:
1) The Holy Bible
Not just the manics' best but IMO one of the best albums of all time. Everything about it - lyrically, sonically, visually - is as close to perfect as it's possible to get. It's a visceral experience - exciting, frightening and strangely comforting all at the same time. Holy bible era manics is exactly the kind of band I'd want to be in. Outstanding album. I don't think an album has had a bigger impact on me.
2) Everything Must Go
A triumph. Released at the swaggering, cheeky peak of 'Britpop' it borrows the glossy sheen of the era but was born and emerges from the tragedy of Richey's disappearance/death. From the depths of despair they fashioned something remarkable and powerful. It gave them the main stream success they'd previously threatened.
3) Generation Terrorists
A glorious debut album. A glorious mess of an album. A riot of noise, ideas and slogans. They claimed they wanted to release a double album sell 16 million copies and retire. It didn't quite work out that way. what they released was a slightly bloated single album that didn't always work but was overflowing with great moments. Motorcycle emptiness, you love us, little baby nothing, stay beautiful. Magnificent.
4) Rewind The Film
The most different of their catalogue. There's barely an electric guitar on it. No swooping anthems or soaring guitar solos. Instead it's a much more gentle, delicate and collaborative affair and all the more beautiful for it.
5)Gold Against the Soul
Here's where it starts getting tricky. The next three albums could all be in any of the positions 5-7. I've gone with this one though as even if it's a little formulaic in the second half and is apparently the manics's least favourite album, I think it's underated and has enough highlights - sleepflower, la tristesse durera, roses in the hospital, from despair to where to warrant its position. Not as political as its predecessor or as raw and eviscerating as its sequel it's nonetheless a fine piece of grandiose anthemoic rock and roll.
6) Journal for Plague Lovers
This feels like the closing of a chapter. Released 15 years after his disappearance the album consists of all Richey lyrics. It's hard not to see it as the follow up/counterpart to The Holy Bible with it being exclusively his words and the artwork being by the same artist as the holy bible. Musically it's not quite as spiky or aggressive as the holy bible but has a similar post punk kind of sound. At times its difficult to not read the lyrics as Richey's suicide note, particularly album closer Williams Last words.
7) This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
The Album that made them (briefly) superstars. It went to number one in the charts and contains their first number one single. It actually took me a long time to come round to its charms. They took the production sheen of Everything Must Go and polished it to within an inch of its life. I was a big fan of their ferocity and anger so this shiny production was too much to me. As I've got older though I've come round to appreciating it more and more. There are some really quite beautiful songs on the album, particularly in the first half. It could possibly do with being a bit shorter.
8) Futurology
Recorded at the same time as Rewind the film, this album is full of the guitars and noise that they left off its counterpart. It's the 12th album of their career and is the sound of a band in the midst of a creative revival. (unfortunately it didn't last to their 13th album)
9) Postcards From A Young Man
For me this is a continuation of This Is My Truth. Gleaming production gives a glossy sheen to a band that realise they are no longer the young firebrands they once were and are never going to be again. There's a ruefulness to it but also an acceptance of where they are. As such they made an album of mostly glorious, sweeping songs.
10) Send Away The Tigers
The start of the Manics revival after their two previous albums had seen them fall from their peak pretty rapidly. The albums that followed were all better (until number 13...) but this got them out of their trough. They got a bit of zip back into their songs and their mojo back.
11)Know Your Enemy
The follow up to This Is My Truth. It's really not very good. It's overly long and incoherent, has some poor songs on it and has few good ones. Let Robeson Sing is the only one that would get any where near a 'Best Of'.
12) Lifeblood
The follow up to Know Your Enemy. It too isn't very good. It's the sound of a band that clearly knows its way around a song and melody but it lacks inspiration. Glasnost and Solitude Sometimes Is are half decent songs but the rest is pleasant enough but instantly forgettable.
13) Resistance Is Futile
Their most recent album. It brings an end to their creative revival. It's the manics by numbers but sounds like they got the numbers mixed up. About the best thing I can say is that it took me some years to come round to This Is My Truth so maybe this will be similar. I doubt it but you never know. Plus it's not the end of the world to release a duff album 13 albums and 30 years into your career.
They ran thro lots of older stuff as well as 'Tolerate' etc