Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Accessible Preachers, January 7, 2003
After Richey's disappearance, the band reduced to a trio, released this album. It goes without saying that it is a far more accessible album than 'The Holy Bible'. 'The Holy Bible' was a very angry, pessimistic and dark album having mostly very good songs and some average songs. Here in this album, the lyrics are not as dark as Holy Bible. The songs are more or less accessible and consistent. Best songs here are 'Further away', (which has a teriffic guitar riff in one place) 'Australia', 'Design for life', 'I'm the girl who wanted to be god'. Songs are enegatic and with orchestral arrangement. They have used 3 violins and 2 violas to create that. A very good album. Not surprising that it features in a lot of top 100 albums of all time charts.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably Their Best, November 16, 2003
The Manic Street Preachers are a rather enigmatic band...both famous and notorious in Great Britain, they stretched a string of well-written and constructed top 10 singles over the 1990s in Britain, all the while becoming one the the UK's most loved and respected acts. Nonetheless, the band was never able to garner more than a cult following in the U.S., due partially to the band's left-wing messages in their songwriting and seldom touring of the States. Further compounding issues for the Manics was the disappearance in 1995 of lyricist and lead guitarist Richey James. It was James' firebrand lyrics for which the Manics where most known for, and his disappearance (he was never found and presumed dead) led to the natural questions of whether the band would continue and, if they did, what direction they would take.Both questions were answered with the release of the first single off the album, "A Design For Life", a song penned (as would most tracks on the new album) by bassist Nicky Wire. A rising anthem about Britain's working class, the song featured an impassioned performace by vocalist James Dean Bradfield accompanied by a string section that added to the power and emotion of the track. The song became a hit in the UK, won a songwriting award, and erased all fans' doubts about the continued existence of the band. "Design For Life" was only a teaser off an album that would turn out to be the most focused and well-constructed album of the band's career. Wire's lyrics are less abrasive than were James's, though no less political in nature. Songs here touch on socialism and the plight of the working class, personal relationships, political perils, and the life and tragic death of Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Kevin Carter. Bradfield delivers his best overall vocal performance to date, as he shows his better-than-average range and emotional singing style. Additionally, he picks up the slack on the guitar as well and shows himself to be more than competent on the 6-string in the absence of James. Highlights of the album include the aformentioned "Design For Life", "Enola Alone" (a tribute to James), the title track with its memorable melody and terrific string section, "Interiors", and the soaring, glam-influenced "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God". The album as whole, though, really doesn't have any filler (something the Manic's have been, and continue to be, accused of) and is the most cohesive album the band has ever made. Many people cite the band's overtly political messages in their songs as a reason for not giving their music a fair chance. However, even though I don't agree with some of what they say and write about, it is refreshing to see a band penning tunes about tangible, real-world subjects and concerns, rather than the typical pop fluff. Additionally, the Manics create some of the most memorable, thoughtful music coming out of Britain today. Often wrongly lumped in with Brit rock stalwarts such as Blur, Pulp, and Oasis, the Manics prove here, as they have many times before, that they have a unique sound and thus are deserving of the respect and accolades given to them. A shame, then, that America has never caught on with this band, as they truely deserve a wider audience.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
as intense a record as any, March 31, 2001
it's simply too hard to argue when you have quality music, lyrics, and emotion. not to mention the circumstances that threatened to destroy this album before it was even done. if you don't know the story on richey, read up, it will help you understand this album. what is most impressive is the fact that depression never really sets in - this is the most joyous and hopeful record the manics ever did. there are angry/bitter moments throughout, for sure, as in "kevin carter" and a handful of others, but the music itself is anthemic and upbeat, especially in comparison to "the holy bible", their previous release. there are at least six or seven singles on here, but that's almost irrelevant, because it just stresses how good the album truly is. "elvis impersonator," despite its strange title, gets everything started, jumping right into the fray with a powerful motif of guitar and harps lurking in the background. "a design for life," is a working-class anthem, and what many consider the best track, though i'm not sure about that. "enola/alone," is perhaps a thinly veiled tribute to their departed bandmate and it's almost as beautiful as the following title-track that asks james forgiveness for continuing without him. it's touching, but not sappy because it's not wallowing in misery or too explicit. one of my favorites is "small black flowers" - it's unlike anything they've done before, as those harps come to the front and create a warm, somewhat mysterious atmosphere that resonates well with the lyrics. "australia" is a well-known guitar-driven anthem, but the real gem at the record's end is "no surface all feeling." it might be the best thing here, with a loud heavily distorted chorus/riff that is countered by the quieter, more contemplative verse. it works surprisingly well. the unity of all these songs is really what drives this into classic album territory. if you insist on having just one manics album, get this one - i don't even think the rumored greatest hits (supposedly within the year) can do them justice, so this is the selection of choice, if not for the power of the songs, then for its beauty and message. to see a band succeed after such despair and come through with so much hope and success is at the very least inspiring as its own statement about the power of the human mind and heart. rip richey.
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