Everything Must Go

This very much reminded me of Spilt Milk by Jellyfish. Some high quality power pop here. There might be too much Britpop on the list, but it allows me to find new ones I like such as this so I can’t always complain. Favorite songs were Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier, Kevin Carter, Ebola / Alone, Everything Must Go, and Australia.

This is great! An excellent argument for this project is introducing me to great music I MISSED ON PURPOSE. Growing up in the 90's, for me, was only Alternative. And I missed so much! Hooks everywhere! Really not much wasted space. The songs feel big, but never bloated. The hooks land, the words hit, and it moves fast. Nothing fancy—just solid. Playlist Additions: - A Design for Life - Kevin Carter - Enola/Alone - Australia

I remember turning around on this one. Was not impressed at the beginning but started enjoying it halfway through.

I liked the sound. Good musicality but only one song kind of caught me.

По мнению А: 4/5 По мнению С: 5/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 4/5 (25.01.2025)

Here's what I really like about this music... Big fuzzy layered guitars lots of sweeping builds and drops. Anthem rock songs. Driving bass lines. Great melodies. I wanna sing along but here's where it falls a little short for me. I'm having trouble making out the lyrics and have no idea what we are singing about. I am the girl who wanted to be God? okay then. Our removables are transitory? ... that's deep, man. (I guess) is this song about prosthetics? Australia. Great song. Never been. I have no reason to get that excited about Australia but apparently the country moved them enough to write a song. Interiors... something about Peter Pan but he could be singing about peanut butter for all I know. It gets a little samesy by the end. My favorites were Design for Life, Everything Must Go, Australia, No Surface All Feeling.

This album is rockin! Loved the emotion and the songs are super catchy and make me want to dance. Just really fun Welsh rock and roll.

i really enjoyed the album, such a unique lyrics and i love the voice of the vocalist here

British Weezer in my book.

Australia was a banger

Loads of energy and great songs but this is rather a collection of songs than an album. As a listening experience it gets a bit boring after a while. There is also something about the harmonic choices that I can't fall completely in love with but I will revisit this.

81% Best: A Design for Life; Enola/Alone; Everything Must Go; Removables; All Surface No Feeling Must-Hear? Almost

At first I didn’t like it, but it was grown on me

not bad. I like this stuff

3.5/5

A little repetitive at times, but I found the album to be rather enjoyable.

Refreshing! 3.9

My only complaint is that a lot of the songs sound pretty similar. Otherwise what a hell of an album.

This was really good. Can see this a real grower. It’s heavy but has almost rock pop element. As a huge Britpop fan and this is up my avenue. Really can’t go wrong with 90s British rock 4/5

Dunno what exactly it is about this album but really enjoyed it. I think it’s their unique brand of Britpop that mixes in a bit of punk and grunge but also string sections. I especially enjoyed the last song. Another band I had heard of but never knew what their music was like until now.

Decent listen

Surprised how much I liked this

Sounds like the 90's

Design for life is a great song the rest of it is very strong too.

Enjoyed it a lot, it had a contemporary feel

Pretty good stuff. Didn't mind it. Felt really fresh and experimental.

Really enjoyed this album! Great composure and chill kinda 90s rock. One of my favorite discoveries

Not a good day for me to give a fair review of anything but I liked what I heard. Reminded me of Oasis and “Australia” sounded like “Rain” by the Beatles. “No Surface But All Feeling” was a good one. I’ll give them benefit of the doubt with a 4.

I had not heard of Manic Street Preachers before. Songs were upbeat and enjoyable. Will listen to it again.

I love the Manics. I like their 2007 album 'Send Away The Tigers' better but this is also solid. You can argue that this is just like any other britpop record (although alt-rock is probably more reasonable), and maybe you're right, but I loved this record anyway.

I was pissed when I saw this bc I thought it would be some random tedious rock album, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found all of the songs really really catchy, and although they weren't anything special I enjoyed them very much. Reading about the history of the band was very interesting, I wouldn't know this album was lacking some perfect frontman. No offense but I get tired of the dude's voice, still very fine though. YAY Fav Songs: A Design for Life, Further Away hmmmdsammdafsmmadfs idk whether to give it a 3 or 4 have a 4 bc of further away

I get one day of something different and then it's back to late 90s/early 2000s British alt-rock. Of course. Oh well, at least this album's good. I mean, the two I got before yesterday's album were good as well, but you get the point. I had only vaguely heard of Manic Street Preachers before today, so I really didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, what I got was something quite good. I like this album quite a bit. The sound is probably my favorite part. It's not super complex, but everything comes together to form a sound that appeals to me. The singing and writing are also solid. There's some pretty good songs in here. The songs have a good enough variety to them. There's not much to say about this album. It is a pretty good alt-rock album. It's nothing spectacular, but it still appeals to me. Light 4/5.

Solid.

Really decent album. Very unusual song structures, but still entertaining. I liked two singles from the record: "Kevin Carter", whose story is quite fascinating on its own, and "Everything Must Go". They story of Richey Edwards' disappearance gave me few hours of reading material, which I guess adds to the album's fame. Wales has some pretty good bands in there.

Never heard this before--well done songs with some interesting subjects, sort of punk political bent.

Definitely an album that I warmed up to as it went on. I actually found the most popular songs to be a bit repetitive and uninteresting, but a lot of the lesser known songs have a lot of charm and catchy brit-pop to keep me listening even if they didn't always connect. A pleasant surprise. Top tracks: Enola/Alone, Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky, No Surface All Feeling

Unexpectedly good listen!

Kind of like an early prototype of Radiohead. But not as good.

Never really listened to Manic Street Preachers before, but I will listen to more after this

As well as the songs that I already knew , I liked "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God" a lot. Bombastic as the Manics always are, of course, but enjoyable nonetheless.

i think i spent years and years assuming this was a punk band HFJFHS theyve got the attitude at least! caught a lot of neat lyrics, but obviously the main appeal is just the unstoppable melodicism and moments of surprise in the arrangements. honestly a lot of big juicy catharsis by the end. whenever i return to this to chew on it more besides a cursory listen, theres lots of colors im excited to parse as to what the Overall Vibe of this thing is, but just being great great poppy rock music has me more then satisfied enough for now!

Heard of them but never really listened to their music. It's OK but not fantastic.

Better than I thought. Had never heard of them but would like to listen more

3.75

Ok now I'm less surprised that this is my aunt's favourite band, I quite enjoyed it to be fair though

Really great album. Full of classics High 4 lad

Another album I already own, so no surprises on here. I hadn't listened to it for a few years and was struck by how contemporary it sounds, it could have been released in 2024! Aside from a couple of weaker tracks, it's an absolute cracker.

This was pretty good! I've heard of the band but had never listened to them. I'll seek out more!

I had a couple of listens and this grew on me. Plus I went away and did a bit of reading on Kevin Carter. Never as radical as they were painted, maybe that aspect went with Richey. Can totally see the Phil Spector influence

Favorite Tracks: Interiors (Song For William De Kooning) Kevin Carter

OK, good at the time but seems a little dated now Some good tunes

I'm sure it was a very challenging record to make

Top 5 Britpop albums ever...

I really see the influence that this could have had and the people they were influenced by. The song that stuck out to me was Further Away and I really enjoyed it. I feel as though I could listen to it in all scenarios and any time.

everything must go manic street preachers 1996 1. elvis impresonator: blackpool pier: 5.5/10 2. a design for life: 8.5/10 3. kevin carter: 6/10 4. enola/alone: 6.5/10 5. everything must go: 6/10 6. small black flowers that grow in the sky: 5/10 7. the girl who wanted to be god: 7/10 8. removables: 7.5/10 9. australia: 7/10 10. interiors (song for willem de kooning): 6/10 11. further away: 8/10 12. no surface all feeling: 7.5/10 overall rating: 6.7/10

I liked the album, it reminded me of different bands at times, and the singer sometimes sounded a bit like Kurt Cobain. But they didn't stand out with a particularly unique sound that made them memorable to me.

Very many blues but pretty damn good

Read about them ...but this was the 1st time I heard them.

Post-Richey Edwards so more mainstream sounding, but still solid alt-rock. None of the tracks are major standouts but no duds either and it is still a good listen.

Line a heavier fountains of Wayne. I like it!

These guys are really something else. The lyrics are so dense that you need to do some light research to understand what they are talking about. The musical part doesn't do much for me though. Still it's hard to reach that level of intelligence without being pretentious or patronizing. 5 stars for the lyrics, 3 for the instruments

Overdue another listen to this. Some decent songs on here.

Niin stadion, niin pateettista, vähän emoa. Karvan verran tylsää, että nousisi suursuosikikseni, mutta voiko esim. A design for lifea olla vähän laulamatta tai elehtimättä mukana?!

Much better than expected. A bit rougher in some songs but ultimately fun.

Not sure why I enjoy this band as much as I do. Good stuff.

Nothing really stood out, but it wasn't a bad listen. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

I enjoyed the first Manic Street Preachers album I got doing this, and I liked this one, too. It's good, it'll go in my album rotation, and I'm glad to have found it.

Thanks to Sporcle music quizzes, this will always be a prime focus of mine, and luckily for me there’s not much of a reason to be upset about that!

Australia is a great song. This album altogether was not too bad of a listen!

Good in a vacuum and has good variety, but suffers when compared to some of the other Britpop on this list. Better than “A Northern Soul”, not as good as “Definitely Maybe”. But enjoyable nonetheless.

I'm just a sucker for britpop, what can i say

"Everything Must Go" by Manic Street Preachers marks a significant moment in the band's career, representing a departure from their earlier, more aggressive sound towards a more melodic and introspective approach. Released in 1996, following the disappearance of band member Richey Edwards, the album is deeply reflective and carries a sense of loss and renewal. Tracks like "A Design for Life," "Everything Must Go," and "Kevin Carter" are poignant and heartfelt, with lyrics that touch on themes of identity, politics, and personal struggles. The album's production is polished, showcasing the band's musical maturity and growth. Overall, "Everything Must Go" is a powerful and emotionally resonant album that solidified Manic Street Preachers' place in the alternative rock landscape.

The top-rated review of this album complains about the abundance of Britpop on this list—"shitty Britpop," as they put it—and, I mean... I'unno. I'm OK with it. More than OK with it, really. Turns out I'm real down for Britpop, even outside of the big two of blur and Oasis. I'd put this below blur, though. Just considering the albums my group has gotten, anyway. But I'd still put it above The Verve, so...

Just a energetic hell of a ride. Some of the best britpop of the 90s.

That’s a 3.5 that I’m really begrudgingly rounding up to a 4. I think the first half of this album fires on all cylinders; great variance in the production, some fun soundscapes, good lyrics, great vocals, and it’s all really fun stuff through Track 7. Tracks 8, 9, 10, and 11 all blend together in a way that really, really slows down the pace of the album for me. They’re all guitar-heavy songs that sound great to listen to, but they all sound the same to me, and the lyrics just weren’t as good to justify having such a similar sound. You can literally tell they lost steam. Track 12 was pretty nice, though. You just can’t have that much of an album feel like filler though; if this had been the first 7 tracks, it would probably be a really nice 5. It just kinda sticks around too long for its own good, and drags itself down in the process. I don’t want to give this a 4, but I also just can’t in good faith give this a 3 knowing the quality of those first 7 tracks, so, uh… yeah, I guess it’s a 4, but just know I’m stuck at a hard 3.5.

3+1

Nice album, kind of a more powerful Britpop Cool vocalist, sounds like he’d fit right in with a symphonic epic prog metal type of band

Pretty good album classic alt rock feel

Popular Brit bands that I've never heard of as a Yank intrigue me. This is fully good music. Classic 90's rock, could have been Oasis or Coldplay if gotten any US radio time.

Rock solid as far as alternative rock goes and vastly better than the majority of britpop. A nice album. Not one that I'm likely to revisit, but I did enjoy it.

When this came out I was shocked by how commercial it sounded after The Holy Bible. Now it sounds more like the Manics than what came before.

fav song on the album is probably "interiors (song for willem de kooning)" elvis impersonator: blackpool pier design for life kevin carter everything must go removables australia interiors (song for willem de kooning) further away

Für mich schöner Alternative Rock und eine Hörempfehlung. Vielleicht bin ich da ein wenig Mainstream, aber mir gefällt es.

Sad songs and a sad story for the band! Guitarist just disappearing. The album reminded me a lot of like early 00s music

Bro finally. This is my genre. I would have ate this shit up in high school. I can’t believe I had never heard of this band before, so I did a bunch of research. Fascinating. I wanted to listen to some music from when Richey Edwards was still in the band, and let me tell you, it’s way better than this one. Luckily, it’s on the list. 😉

Looking back, I scored "The Holy Bible", the other Manics album on the list, as a 3. Not sure whether that was overly critical? Although if I'm quibbling, I'd have picked "Gold Against the Soul" for the with-Richey album, and "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" for the without-Richey one. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This is solid enough, and I have a dash of nostalgia for the singles and was never over exposed to them, so yeah, good, enjoyed the revisit! Fave track - "A Design For Life" I reckon - soaring strings work well there!

Distinctly 90's alt rock. Was a pretty solid album overall, would listen again.

Never heard of them. Not bad.

Ég var mjög svag fyrir næstu plötu á eftir þessari, en hafði aldrei hlustað á þessa í gegn fyrr. Fyrsta hlustun þrjár stjörnur. Næsta hlustun rúmar þrjár. Þið sjáið hvert þetta stefnir. Þetta er tíundi tugurinn sem ég sakna.

This is what happens when you judge an album by the band's name. I thought for a long time this was christian rock. Boy was I wrong.

New to the band in general. Much better than expected. I'll need to revisit this one.

Favourite tracks: a design for life; everything must go

Damn, I really liked this album. Never listened to them before.

Favourite songs: Australia, Enola/Alone, Kevin Carter, No Surface All Feeling, Interiors (Song For Willem de Kooning), The Girl Who Wanted to Be God, Removables, Further Away Least favourite songs: Small Black Flowers that Grow in the Sky 4/5

Really good but kinda forgettable. Loved it but it didn’t grab me.

Everything Must Go is an enjoyable listen, I'm one of those people who knows the Manics' big songs but not their albums or bigger body of work, so this was an enlightening listen, and they tick the boxes I want from most music in that it's loud and sung with feeling and passion and some fucking oomph. Might sound like a low bar to clear but many fail to; not JDB, that's for sure. I already knew ADFL, the title track, and Australia, and pretty much everything else on there was good except for Small Black Flowers, so this gets a good 4 from me.

This is class. I think I prefer the title track to A Design For Life, but they and Australia are all classics that I knew already. There's a real depth of quality throughout the album, don't think there's a really bad song on there (although it fades a bit between Everything Must Go and Australia). Then the closer is great too. 4/5, lovely stuff.

Solid album. Glad this band is on the list.

Honestly, got more impressed by this album the further it got on. The guitars, basswork and keyboards especially is pretty great! I do find the singing a bit annoying, good at times, but grating in the other songs. Standout tracks: Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier, A Design For Life, Enola / Alone, Everything Must Go, The Girl Who Wanted To Be God, Australia, Further Away, No Surface All Feeling, 8 out of 10

first listen i like it

I've never heard of the Manic Street Preachers, but there was something rather familiar sounding about it anyway. It was really easy to get into. I enjoyed it.

Not familiar withe the band, but enjoyed playing this.

I don't mind Brit-rock/Brit-pop, not at all, quite the opposite and this seems like a one fine example to me. Solid 3.5/5 but after a bit shitty run I had I'm willing to push this to 4.

Good album of Britpop. Definitely would listen to more of The Manics if I could. 4.4/5 Fav: “Enola/Alone” Least Fav: “Kevin Carter”

My first time ever listening to Manic Street Preachers. Definitely one of those bands prominent in my music blind spot. First impression is that it's nothing groundbreaking, but it is quite good at what it does. A handful of standout tunes, and the rest are perfectly fine. No dislikes in the bunch. Preach on, brothers!

Liked it a lot

Really good

Liked this album when it came out the first one without richey

This was a fun listen. Good, solid rock music the whole way through.

I lived in England for a year, at the tail end of the nineties. I remember pubs, vinegar crisps, errands at Sainsburys, buses that were never on time, Channel 4, pupils wearing uniforms, tea breaks, lasses wearing VERY short skirts when it was damn chilly out there, pub quizz nights, pints, and even more pints... Good memories overall. And I remember how every young people interested in music was a fan of the Manic Street Preachers. Except that the album everyone was listening to was *This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours*, the one AFTER *Everything Must Go*. And even decades later it's still the one that Brits seem to return to the most, according to Spotify. So retrospectively, that earlier album feels very much like a first step towards the band's real pop hits, and not like the hits themselves. It is a transitory record after Richard Hawley's disappearance, and the beginning of MSP mark II. As such it feels very much like a debut LP, even if it's not. Not that *Everythin Must Go* is a bad album per se. It might even be better than the overlong "This Is My Truth Tell me Yours*, actually. A more energetic rock sound, lots of earworms, a distinctive taste for interesting melodies and chord progressions, clean, simple and yet dynamic production values that aged pretty well, and a nice studio performance overall. Just like many Manic Street Preachers albums, a couple of songs sound a little samey on side 2. But apart from that, it's quite great. Erring on the side of caution, I won't include *Everything Must Go* *right away* in my own selection, just in case it takes the place of an album that's even greater. But I hope there's room for it in the end. Because well, *everything* can't go in, I guess. Number of albums left to review: 369 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 285 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 150 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 203

A far better album than I remember it. Very different to The Holy Bible which I loved but still a great listen in its own right.

After the first two songs I thought this one was going to be rough but the album really picked up from there. It had a modern sounds and I really enjoyed it.

This was a new one for me - didn't know anything about MSP - which makes this more fun haha I really enjoyed it. A post-grunge alt-pop rock banger if you ask me.

Une très belle intervention des Manic Street Preachers venus décastoriser le générateur, qui en avait grandement besoin.

It's no holy Bible but it's pretty cool

This is a prototypical rock album of its era with two outstanding characteristics. The first is the quality and depth of lyricism of each track. Each song has clear theming or has a clear message and I would say that they are relatively well expanded on. One example of this is "A Design For Life" which is about the injustices faced by blue collar workers and the disparity in power between workers and employers. They also were able to make very emotionally moving tracks alongside these more message focused song. One track that I would say exemplifies this was "Further Away" which is a beautifully written track with two potential meetings: the first being a reflection on the relationships built between the band members throughout their time together which was almost certainly inspired by the pain of losing their rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards who disappeared a little over a year before the albums release and the second meaning being a very sweet love song about how hard being away from a partner makes your life. I think pretty much every song features similarly quality writing. The second aspect that stood out about this album was the guitarwork. On most of the songs on the album the guitar was the outstanding aspect that drew me into the songs. I don't think they were particularly groundbreaking but there was something about how the riffs were played that really made them stand out. The percussions and extra instrumentation was also good don't get me wrong but there was something about the guitar that really pulled me in. That being said there is not really a bad song on this album but I would say this album does at times feel kinda similar to other rock bands of the era outside of those two characteristics and I could see many bands having done the parts of this that I did not identify as above average (this criticism is more for the first half of the album the latter half is more distinguishable). Despite this it was a really good album from start to finish. My favorite tracks were "Further Away", "No Surface All Feeling", "Kevin Carter", "Enola/Alone", "Everything Must Go" and "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky". 9/10

Wel grappig album met redelijk wat muziek die ik gewoon zou kunnen luisteren. 3.5

It’s a classic! An absolutely brilliant album with no duff tunes on it at all! Truly excellent! Were they better after Richey? Open to discussion and a vehement one at that but I believe so.

Nowhere near the level of the Holy Bible or Generation Terrorists. It was the beginning of the post-Richie poppier sound but still with a few very Richie-esque tracks like Kevin Carter. RIP

Very mixed feelings about this album. The Manics went pop, and it was enjoyable for a time but I don't think they released anything of interest to me after this apart from The Masses Against the Classes. A Design for Life was everywhere. I mean it was everywhere. The radio, TV, the nightclubs, shops. I've probably heard that more times than Common People. The title track not far behind. Ah yes, when every indie song had to have strings! After the masterpiece of the Holy Bible this ultimately was a disappointing turn, but you can hardly blame them for retreating from the harsh honesty and bleakness of their best works after the shock of Richey disappearing. His songs are probably my favourites here, honourable mentions to Wire's Elvis Impersonator, No Surface, and Pop Manics' shining star in my eyes, Australia. Ebola Alone is alright but I find the lyrics a bit cringe now. Crack for teenage me though of course, and that's the target audience. Sludgy britpop production doesn't help in places either, but most of this is still good, the only true duffer is Further Away.

wowzers consider me surprised this was awesome sauce!

Ahh 1996. The year of the Macarena, everybodies favorite dance craze. Damn what a year... Oh yeah, also TWA Flight 800 had a fuel tank explode killing everyone on board, they cloned a sheep, and Richard Jewell took the blame for Eric Rudolph tryin to blow up the summer Olympics in Atlanta. Just minor stuff though, coulda happened any year ya know? Notable tracks include: Kevin Carter Enola / Alone Small Black Flowers that Grow in the Sky Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning) No Surface All Feeling Never got the hype for "A Design for Life" but whatever. Pretty good album.

At first this was doing nothing for me but it grew on me over a couple of listens. Classic 90s britpop but the lyrics are dark, funny at times, and interesting. In reading more about the album and learning it was a memorial of sorts, I could hear that it has a serious edge. I could definitely listen to this again, although I don't know that it would become a favorite. Definitely one that I am glad I heard. 4/5

An enjoyable slice of the '90s Britpop scene. At the time I preferred Stereophonics, but in recent years I've come around to the fact that the Manics are the better band. This album is solid throughout and has a few standout tracks. Nothing to take it to a 5 star rating, but definitely worth a 4.

pretty great, love that voice, lyrics are great. australia is the hi-light for me. not every song stands out but ya. reliable record.

Something explodes forth from the band after the loss of Richey, pulsating with grief but maybe also hope. Anthemic and epic, this album is a thrill to listen to and sing along to. And if you can understand James’s singing, there’s a lot of thought, intelligence and polemic within what is damn near stadium rock but stadium rock for the outsider, the weirdo, the displaced.

Great 90's sound, very Maddening Crowd

If 90s British guitar bands were Premier League football teams, Manic Street Preachers would be Crystal Palace. Decidedly mid-table, and I wouldn’t want to watch them every week, but respect the way they go about things. They’re solid enough, if a bit predictable and uninspiring at times, but capable of great results on their day. Much of this album is them on ‘their day’. Well, Design for Life certainly is, at any rate. It still sounds huge, and stirring, and important. The Manics do ‘epic’ well. The album could probably have leaned into those orchestral flourishes more often, but there are quite a few big guitar-filled choruses which achieve a similar effect. The subjects they write about are usually interesting, too - even if some of the more verbose lines seem like they’re crammed in with little regard for how well they scan within the context of a pop song. And there’s a subtle melancholia in a lot of the songs which sounds like the band trying to move on after Richey Edwards’ disappearance, and I find that quite moving. All in all, a strong 3.5 / 4.

It’s impossible to go wrong with Th Preachers. I think this was the first major work without Ritchie. You can tell, not this absence (because I think he was more than present, like a spectrum, during production and recording) but the pseudo mourning throughout the album. I love this record!

не то что я ожидал но возможно что я заслуживал

Sometimes when I listen to British bands from this period, I get why they never took off in the States. For instance, it's more surprising to me that Blur had a hit single here than if they never had and I love Blur, but they're probably too British for non-Anglophile Americans. I haven't spent a lot of time listening to the Manic Street Preachers (can I call them The Manics without sounding pretentious?) who I sometimes mix up with The Boo Radleys for some reason but musically this doesn't sound to far off from Smashing Pumpkins from around the same time, less whiny, I guess. I guess I'm just wondering why some American A&R guy didn't get these guys on U.S. alternative radio or American MTV, I think they could have been big here. Maybe I don't really know what I'm talking about. Also, am I a jerk for referring to a Welsh band as British? If so, I'm sorry.

In high school I lied about loving Manic Street Preachers in order to engage in a conversation with a girl I liked. And while loving turned out to be a bit too extreme, I sure turned out to really like them a lot.

idk достаточно ровно так чтоо ??

Mycket bra!

I listened to this while cleaning the house and it was fantastic background music that also held my attention

Great sounding album that doesn't really let up. Solid 3.5 for me here as I go 4stars. This is like the smashing pumpkins if they were British, and not 'iconicly' talented....

Quality stuff,.this album has been sort of 'always there', so.much so that I hadn't really properly listened to it lately.

It's the type of rock I could finish listening...

Elvis impersonator: Blackpool pier - 3/5 A design for life - 4/5 Kevin carter - 3/5 Enola / alone - 4/5 Everything must go - 4/5 Small black flowers that grow in the sky - 4/5 The girl who wanted to be god - 4/5 Removables - 4/5 Australia - 4/5 Interiors - 4/5 Further away - 4/5 No surface all feeling - 5/5 4/5

The Manics are one of the bands I never fully engaged with. Turns out I already know most of these tracks without ever consciously listening to it. They're catchy all right. Anthemic which sets them slightly apart from other 90's British bands (they are Welsh after all...)

Have to admit, I really liked this when it came out - the sound of Euro '96 and associated bad decisions! It's still pretty great although some of the lyrics and the Transatlantic/Welsh vocals can be a bit cheesy. Lots of heart-on-sleeve bangers on here if you like that kind of thing, especially Kevin Carter, Australia, Further Away and the last one. 4 (real)

Fun listen but probably won’t listen to it again, sounds like pop radio rock for the time it came out

Pretty great!

Solid album

Good 8,5/10

This was actually really good! I'd never heard of this band or album before, but it was solid. Nothing immediately special on initial listen, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Really good Uk rock music. After finding out that this is the first album after primary songwriter and guitarist had gone missing, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare. While obviously different types of bands I think the two albums share a lot in common. Catchy as fuck, first and foremost. But it also was a return, telling the world that they aren't going to stop. And in the case of both Everything Must Go and Nightmare they came out swinging and released really excellent music despite the odds. 4.5

First, they sound older than 1996. Second, the tracks are quite primitive and sentimentally catchy. Third, I still like it for some reasons.

Rock alternativo

That was great! The biggest hit of this album - A Design for Life is a total banger with a fantastic message hidden underneath those catchy hooks - the ironic reflection on the way the society looks down on the working class, great stuff. Everything Must Go is another great track. However, I feel like it's a bit too long and repetitive in the middle so then I lose interest a bit and did not have time to dive into the rest of the lyrics over just one day. For now, it's a 4+

I enjoyed the musical arrangements a great deal. I had never heard of the group, but at least on this album they reminded me of another band I like…so that means I like them too, right?

From my time in London, I’ve always been fascinated by the Manics. They were in many ways an uncompromising band and somewhat unconventional having their primary lyricist and figurehead in Richey Edwards barely contribute via instrument and then disappear in mysterious fashion. Holy Bible is certainly a cornerstone of the Edwards era and Everything Must Go is the best of the albums after his disappearance. I also always thought of them as very cerebral British and the content on this album definitely aligns with that (see A Design for Life, Kevin Carter, etc) and is sometimes challenging for American ears to digest. I’ve grown to enjoy this album quite a bit though.

Pre-Listening Notes: The first album I’ve actually listened to before this album, although not as visceral and as painful/beautifully aggressive as The Holy Bible (probably due to the unfortunate presumed passing of Richey Edwards), the cleaner and more melodic focused sound with the added touches of symphonic flare in songs such as A Design For Life still make it a fantastically fluid and catchy album with many solid riffs and poignant lyrics. A Design For Life still remains one of my favourite tracks of all time and re listening to this album has only cemented it there further, while No Surface All Feeling is the perfect gut punch emotional closure to wrap up a fantastic album Relistening Notes:

An album filled with such sadness in the wake of the disappearance of Richey Edwards. Such a move away from the metal edged sludge of earlier albums. I love their old dirty glitter but this album has a sense of dare I say maturity

One thing I had vastly underestimated was the sheer amount of britpop that could make the list. Sure, Oasis and Blur seemed like sure shots, but then there's Pulp and Suede which made sense given their respective legacies. By now, I've listened to The Verve, Supergrass, and even Shack. Shack, for god's sake. Over 500 albums in and we're still meandering around britpop. That's not to besmirch the good work of the Manic Street Preachers. They've done a fairly good job here with their symphonic rock dabbling. Everything Must Go has songs that feel larger than life, pretty fitting for the list in my opinion.

Liked the hits.

Rythme, émotion. Ça m’a plu tout de suite. Vais réécouter et découvrir le groupe

Favorites: -A design for life -Enola/Alone -The girl who wanted to be god -No surface all feeling Really good

I'm leary about love at first sight, but I fell and fell hard on my first listen. After 631 albums, THIS is why I keep going. To try a new album I've never heard of from a band or artist I never knew existed and to come out of it something of a Stan.

Better than average Britpop. Standout tracks - A Design for Life and Enola/Alone. I liked this overall, but all of the strings are leaving me conflicted as they make some of the tracks sound a bit more maudlin than they probably mean to.

It was better than I expected. I like it!

Some awesome chord progressions in here, great vocals and melodies. A surprising find!

It lacks the intensity and energy that make The Holy Bible such a powerful album, but there are some great songs here. A Design For Life is the obvious highlight and one of their greatest songs, but it's a pretty stacked tracklist and one of their catchiest offerings

I liked the 90s sound of this album. It reminded me a little bit of like Luna, or a band like that.

one of the best Britpop albums I’ve heard, with a heady mix of great vocals and amazing instrumentals. MSP was so talented it’s not even funny!

A well thought out and unique sound. Good soft rock grooves

Another band that I've heard of, but never listened to. My experience with Britpop is pretty limited (when I was 13 or 14, I bought The Verve's 'Urban Hymns' solely for Bittersweet Symphony, and when I was fresh out of college, I bought Oasis's 'What's the Story Morning Glory', thanks to Rock Band), but I enjoyed this album. It's very unique from a lot of the stuff I listen to from the nineties, and I really liked the guitar parts on all of the songs. This isn't the sort of thing that I typically listen to, but I can definitely appreciate how good it is.

Weezer blue esque or like supergrass

I liked that more than I expected. Has some surprising parts.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: A design for life

Never really understood the hype about the Manics, but this one, admitted, is quite good

I enjoyed this album, I think the songs are some good bops. It's not super unique or have a specific voice, but I'm a sucker for this kind of music. Favorite song: No surface all feeling Worst song: Interiors

I go up and down on the Manics...lyrically interesting, some dodgy production choices hear and there, but at other points perfection. Seen them lice twice, once amazing, once shite so hard to judge. At their worst they sound like estate agent rock at their best their leading the revolution .

i said this last time we got a manics album on here but i'll repeat myself because why not, it's only me reading these. in theory i should absolutely love the manics and in particular what they stand for but for some reason i don't. This listening of this album however is softening me, i've enjoyed its peak britpop simplicity. it's unlike me to like the most commercially popular output form a band, but here we are.

Surprised by the hate. This is a great melodic, moody and varied album. I get it sounds a little generic - fair enough. It suffers slightly from the 'wall of sound' production that I think came back into fashion in the 90s. But there's not one bad song on the album. And the album got better as it went along: Enola/Alone, Removables, Further Away are all brilliant indie songs. And then the best song on the album is the last song 'No Surface All Feeling'.

Really good album the singer has a good voice and every song is well produced

Definitely discovered a few songs I liked/had heard before. Faves: No Surface All Feeling Everything Must Go

Nostalgía, mjög fínt. Mjög distinktíft.

I will say I was pretty disappointed to see the manic street preachers on here so soon again. But this album is not like the other we listened to. This one starts off with a bang. Actually the first 2 songs are great. This is a very consistent record with some great rock riffs. I was shocked how much better this album is than The Holy Bible. NEED TO RELISTEN. 8/10

It was what I expected from name alone

A Design For Life is a powerhouse anthem and the rest of the album delivers as well. 4/5

I did really like this.

Some great songs

Big sound

Some absolute bangers on this. Brought me right back to high school. 4.5 rounded down

Don't really know them, but I mostly enjoyed this, probably a 3.5 but I'll round up in deference to Ben

really cool gritty record. never listened before!

Emo-tinged in a ‘90s way the songs here all combine to form an aesthetic for the band one they perfectly fit in to and incapsulate. This is one you feel and hear.

there were a few songs there I really liked but for the most part it wasn’t too special 7/10

This band wasn't even on my radar but the album is solid. Not particularly remarkable but it's a solid, enjoyable album. Glad I got to hear it before I died.

Around the second half of the album, these dudes start sounding like what those corporate Christian rock hacks wish they sounded like. Which is like funny cause of their name and stuff. Somehow, this album is able to make me appreciate that signature bright, sappy but upbeat, oversaturated sound by weaving it through simple yet satisfying and compelling melodies. But much more than that is offered on this well-paced album, where each track feels distinct from the last.

3,5

Competent guitar rock. A little too monotone on the vocals with this being a bit nasal. Good songs but could do with more expressive presentation. No track really stood out from the rest.

I might have liked this a lot if I'd listened to it back in the day! Fun mix of heavy guitars and horns on some tracks. Lyrics are probably worth revisiting.

Goed rock album

Blackpool Pier - 10/10 A Design for Life - 5/10 Kevin Carter - 9/10 Elona/Alone - 6/10 Everything Must Go - 7/10 Small Black Flowers That Grow In the Sky - 6/10 The Girl Who Wanted to be God - 9/10 Removables - 6/10 Australia - 8/10 Interiors - 6/10 Further Away - 9/10 No Surface All Feeling - 10/10

Pretty decent album with some great tracks. Some really good riffs, but I always think their albums are not quite there.

i really vibed with this, something about it just spoke to me.

Oh wow extrêmement solide Prefs: Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier, A Design For Life, Everything Must Go, The Girl Who Wanted To Be God, Removables, Australia, Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning), No Surface All Feeling Moins pref: Further Away

Simple melodies start off quite a few of the tracks, reminiscent of the early British invasion. Vocals are tinted with a smidge of grudge and angst you'd expect with rock bands in the 90s. What makes this album shine is the bands exploration of sounds between tracks. Notably, the eponymous track comes in with a lo-fi high energy rock song coupled with a string arraignment that would be fitting with a James Bond theme. They follow this up with a harrowing acoustic track (Small Black Flowers) that sucks any energy you might have taken from Everything Must Go by the time the sweeping notes of the harp enter.

It's a greatly enjoyable rock-album and probably the best the Manics have ever made, with the pain from all of them on missing Richey Edwards as a guiding thread through the album, even though the songs are quite hopeful. After a while the 'wall-of-sound' production makes the songs sound alike a bit, with only the real standout songs (especially the first three) jumping out. Still, an album I listened to with much pleasure.

Much more accessible than Holy Bible. Incredible what they achieved during such horrendous heartbreak and turmoil. Great music and stands up well more than 25 years later.

A good easy listening to, brit rock album. Even with the dark undertones, full of lament and asking for forgiveness for moving on from the disappearance of their rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards (who has since been presumed dead). Overall, it has the sentiment of a bittersweet album, wrapped up in an upbeat rock album. Best: Everything Must Go Worst: Kevin Carter

Really fun alt-rock with some proto pop punk vocals. 8/10

I liked this one!

As something of a 90s Indie kid I have always been aware of the Manics without listening to their full albums. All the hits are here and it definitely transported me back to my teenage years

Good nor too spectacular

A fine album some nice songs and enjoy listening to it

Wait this is not supposed to be good. Wtf. The Holy Bible 20 was horseshit, what is this. 4

This one was totally new to me - the band and the album - but I enjoyed their sound.

Hadn't heard of these guys before. Fun listen if not very unique for 1996. I'll definitely be checking out their other stuff

2 crackers

Nice listen, not particularly a fan but nice

This album is very good. I feel like the only song that make it onto the radio or TV of Manic Street Preachers in the 90s was If You Tolerate This (very good song and terrifying music video). However I think I have heard most of these songs before. Australia and Design for Life are very good. I think last time I had checked in with Manic Street Preachers it much have been in the early 2000s as Richey was still an open missing person. I spent some time reading the Wikipedia on the band and found he was declared dead in 2008. Really tragic figure and it’s important he was discussing depression and mental health in the 90s when that wasn’t a subject discussed in pop culture. Likely would have been treated differently had they been around 20 years later.

Iv only ever heard Manic’s hits before which I really like but have never done a deeper dive into a full album. This is a great 90’s British rock album. Makes me think I have under estimated how good this band is. From what I have read about the Manics I will be doing a deeper dive into their earlier albums.

90s Brit excellence

Still sounds great

I really liked the Overdriven production of this one. Very fun and catchy throughout, and a good first taste for me to check out more Manic Street Preachers. Favorites: "Elvis Impersonator",

Iznenađujuće dobar album, nisam očekivao uopće. Puno jača prva polovica od druge, however everything went.

It was interesting

Why did nobody tell me how much fun these guys are?

Close to giving 5 stars. 9/10

I wasn't too familiar with this band so I had just assumed that they were Britpop like Blur or Oasis, so this album was a pleasant surprise and was an enjoyable listen during a long drive. Would listen again, but can’t give it 5 stars because the album was solid but not an outstanding masterpiece.

Some classics

"Everything Must Go" is everything a great alternative rock band is expected to be. Melodic, a bit heavy, with aggressive yet clear vocals. Lyrically, the Manic Street Preachers are preaching and in a way grieving. Sad, yet an example of how mysterious circumstances surrounding a coworker, a loved one, a brother, can make its way into an album by a harder embracing of their legacy, and the struggle to move from under that shadow. "Everything Must Go" is an ambitious album as a result and earns a spot in a normal rotation.

Nice, bright, maybe moody rock

Enjoyed this album more than when it came out. A really solid selection of rock/pop songs.

Fine stuff. Had not heard a great deal from this band so pleasantly surprised.

Solid

Good album, solid Indy. Nothing amazing, more playful than expected

Such a great album. Better than the Holy Bible (which I don't remember too much of at this point). '90s Britpop with a bit of a rock lean is a perfect combination for my ears.

ok. very 90s. This is actually super fun and angry. 4stars.

Great album, with classic power pop vibes. Nice, hooky arrangements and strong, soaring vocals by James Dean Bradfield. Starts a little slow but gets progressively stronger starting with the 4th song ("Enola"). "No Surface All Feeling" is stunningly pretty. I will definitely listen to these guys again. Fave songs: No Surface All Feeling, Enola/Alone, Further Away, Interiors

Another great album by this group. It didn't hit quite as hard as 'The Holy Bible', but the songs still had that same catchy, aggressive pop punk tone that I'm a fan of.

Fed lyd og flere gode bangers. Selvfølgelig rimelig 90er agtig med lidt for meget diskant, men absolut et godt album

good rock music with some orchestral tinge that I like, good lyrics too

There are a couple of really good ones.

Wenn Theatralik, dann gern diese hier. Dennoch muss ich leider feststellen, dass diese Platte, die an meinem in reichhaltigerer Fülle badenden jüngeren Ich etwas ungeschmeckt vorbeifloss meine verwitterte Gestalt nicht mehr ganz so anrührt. So bleiben mir die ewigen A Hits Design For Life, Eveything Must Go, The Girl Who Wanted To Be God und No Surface All Feeling auf ewig Hits, während der Rest dahinter leider verschwindet. 3,9 aber natürlich für immer!

Wow, what a surprise. Awesome alternative record that somehow eluded me all these years. Great stuff.

Great rock album by Manic Street Preachers with the sublime songs A Design for Life and Everything Must Go.

Tough one to rate. First off, if you've never or barely heard of them, they're better than you think. This album is quintessential MSP - a more adult alternative rock with lyrics a mix of observational perspective of everyday life (e.g., A Design for Life, Kevin Carter) or political (e.g., Elvis Impersonator, Everything Must Go). If you put together their best songs from the 90s you'd have a great album. This one is just good. I hate the term Britpop because I feel most of those bands were rock, like these guys. Softer vocals and more instrumental mixes then you get with American rock (and its angst or edge) but their guitar/bass/drum work is still good (check out Enola/Alone or Australia, or Sleepflower on the album Gold against the Soul). It couldn't stay grunge forever and they can rock. But they mix it up, not unlike some of the new American alternative at the time like Third Eye Blind. In the end, the album is a bit uneven.

I remember hearing about this band years ago but the album that was suggested was "The Holy Bible." I think I didn't listen to it because of the freaky album cover. I know that makes no sense coming from a guy that loves Aphex Twin. I regret that now. This band is amazing and unlike my last listen I enjoyed it enough to go on to the bonus tracks (although I don't include them in the rating of the album but they're good too). Great use of orchestrion on the album. Some of the guitar also reminded my of Alex Lifeson for some reason (Enola / Alone in particular). This is a definitely a band I'll be exploring more of!

3 very very big songs, good album

Jaaa zeer goed, dat eerste nummer had me direct vast!

Good tunes, and a solid brit pop foundation. Over all it was an easy record to listen to, and it ended up bleeding over in to their other work. I wouldn't say that this stands out especially significantly against other tracks from the same band.

Pretty cool actually

Some gems on here (Australia, Design for life), and a generally good album

First album without Richie Edwards and it shows. The sound of a band deliberately making the leap from clubs to stadiums. Still sounds great.

All of the songs were really good. Each one had a different feel but still connected. Really liked the vocals.

Great album

Lekker album

Never heard of them but it was pretty good. 0RS

A formative album in my youth - less potent now but still very enjoyable.

I kind of forgot I was listening to this as I was listening to it but it has everything you could want in some good old guitar Brit rock. I definitely hear it’s influence over the second half of the 90s and early 2000s. Plus the tragic backstory is so compelling and mystifying

Muy agradables

Excellent album. Some great singalong hits. Varied in pace too, some songs show more energy than others to keep it interesting.

It was never best album of the band to me... but it's a solid strong record whatsoever

Mucha fuerza. Melodías muy acertadas

Cracking album, 4.25

Great rock album! Great production again from MSP and cool melodies.

Pretty good

ok follow up to holy bible, much more accessible but not so powerful.

took a few tracks to find it's groove but the rest of the album was solid

Pretty good

Rock solid breakdown at the end of Enola/Alone. Same as No Surface All Feeling. Nothing I haven't heard before but can't knock it.

Great indie-rock album. Maintains the classic sound of the late '90s without feeling dated or tired. The more synth-heavy, balladish tracks lose me but most everything on here rocks.

Pretty good album that kept some things interesting throughout

New-to-me band, really liked it

Really enjoyed this album

Enjoyed it. Easy listening. Enola and Australia were good

Love this one.

Very enjoyable rock album

good

Really interesting style and great production. Great album overall

7/10 F.T.: Australia

Another great Britpop record. Standout Tracks: A Design for Life, Kevin Carter, Enola / Alone, Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky

Chiant mais pas nul, comme souvent

me gustaron algunos temas, normal.

Never heard of it, actually quite nice

What a strange mixture of sounds, brit-pop + seattle grungey at times. They have their own sound and never listened to anything but that big hit they had but this is a lot more diverse than I thought. They have a unique pocket foreshadowing some of the early 2000’s indie rock as well

It was fine. Not egregiously bad or anything, but I did not need to hear this before I died.

pretty 90s music, but not my style

Solid album.

zijn stem was mid naar de muziek vibe ik wel mee

They have a nice sound. Again, not for me, but I liked it enough.

pass

Great sounding band but the lyrics didn't make much sense to me.

(4/7) kind of fun

Unfortunately, I found this album much less interesting than the Holy Bible. Some songs approached a 4 (Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier, Design for Life, Everything Must Go) but most others were annoyingly basic and repetitive or just "meh". Not their best work. 2.7/5 -> 3/5

Much more lush and serene than The Holy Bible. I definitely like this album more, but I also have to admit that their edgy fury on that album was more memorable than this sound.

Solid britpop listen

V 90s some I liked but mostly average to bad

The album was fine. It didn’t do much for me, but it was a decent enough listen

In between a 3 and a 4. Had low expectations thinking this would be a bargain bin late Britpop era slog but was pleasantly surprised

this is going to the relisten folder, I did not form an opinion. But I can say it sounds like Deftones through a un-heavy filter.

brit pop 90’s

Give me more of those warm guitar tones. Absolutely loving the big distorted, crunchy sound that defines this album and act as as the foundation of all the better tracks. There are a few really strong high moments on this record, epitomised by ‘A Design For Life’ that I distinctly remember hearing in my Dad's car as a teenager. As the album progresses though there's just too much material that feels middle of the road. I'll give this one a strong 7/10.

***A good album

This album reminded me of so many 90s bands that would have one incredible single and then you'd be disappointed by the rest of the album. It has some nice songs, some of which remind me of Ours or Jeff Buckley, but not quite so sad. The album differs, though, in that if you loved the single, whatever track that would have been, you'd probably be very happy with the album as a whole. It's fairly well done throughout. For me, though, it's entirely lacking that one incredible single and even if it was there, I'd have been disappointed with the rest of the album. And it goes on way too long.

This is a fun album