Album Review - Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible: 10th Anniversary
Edition
Formed in 1991 and fa****oned 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 *** Pistol's Never Mind the Bullocks, Here's the ***
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.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
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