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Manic Street Preachers
The Holy Bible
10th Anniversary Edition
(Epic/Legacy)
First Appeared in The Music Box, April 2005, Volume 12, #4
Written by John Metzger
Formed in 1991 and fashioned 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
Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex 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.
Musically, Manic Street Preachers bends punk, pop, and heavy metal into a
distorted mass of twisted, violent mayhem, and the entirety of The Holy Bible
unfolds while punishing waves of percussion, ominous rumbles of bass, and
rampaging assaults of guitar scream in a menacing fashion behind the disturbed
howl of front man James Dean Bradfield. Yet, it’s the lyrical content that makes
the collection so challengingly difficult to embrace. Pitting Nicky Wire’s
socio-political rants against James’ tormented musings, the collection is
abrasive, confrontational, and, at times, downright shocking in its examination
of human suffering. True, there are moments when the group’s anarchist diatribes
go astray, such as on the apparent pro-death penalty posturing of Archives of
Pain or via the anti-gun control cheering — which admittedly might be
intended as an anti-Ronald Reagan mantra — that concludes
IfWhiteAmericaToldtheTruthforOneDayIt’sWorldWouldFallApart. For a leftist
band, these two songs rather ironically embody the passions of the current
conservative-minded American government, and its supporters likely would adopt
the tunes as their own, if only the Manic Street Preachers didn’t scare the
bejesus out of them. Even so, it isn’t likely that they’d wander much further
than the opening song Yes, which harshly criticizes Western imperialism.
Not surprisingly, however, it’s James’ compositions that cut the deepest, if
only because buried within his images of anorexia (4st. 7lb.) and
self-loathing (Die in the Summertime), he offers glimpses of his own dark
soul. Where the passage of time has removed some of the biting sting from
outings by the Sex Pistols and Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy
Bible is as harrowing, horrifying, and intense as ever. Not to be taken
lightly, the album also shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Holy Bible [Original Album] — 
Bonus Materials —
The Holy Bible: 10th Anniversary Edition —
The Holy Bible: 10th Anniversary Edition is available
from Amazon. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
The Holy Bible [Original CD] is available
from Amazon. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005
The Music Box
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