Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Algunas me gustaron, pero en general muy punk para mi gusto
Nie wczułam się za bardzo, może jest lepiej
Echt een goede band, maar dit vind ik toch wel erg zwaar op de hand en te rauw. 3 sterren omdat ze de Manics zijn.
Goede rock maar niet super bijzonder
Not a bad listen, probably wouldn’t listen again but it didn’t offend me.
Couple songs I liked, was more interested in the story behind the band but some definitely solid rock stuff throughout paired with lyrical content that was fairly unique for the time.
Amazing production that is reminiscent of the 2000s pop-punk that succeeds it. Not a bad album song wise.
Can't understand a word he says...
I hadn't heard of these guys prior to listening today. There was a lot to like and a lot not to like. I liked the sound a lot more than the bleak, pissed off lyrics.
It's fine, I suppose? I get the impression that they really felt they were making an album that was out there, truly punk and transgressive, but it feels almost tame by modern standards. Also, all the songs sort of blend together. Not a favorite of mine, but I didn't hate it.
It doesn't quite grab me - not sure whether that's because it came out during my METAL phase, or what. It's perfectly acceptable alt rock. Fave track - "Faster" for sure. "Revol" is also pretty good...
Disturbing. Catchy! Iconic??
Hmph. Indie-Punk I didn't hate.
Better than I thought it was going to be.
I assumed I wasn't going to care for this based on the general vibe and a weariness with pallid, black haired UK alternative but it was pretty good. Yet another bizarre tragic young end (?) story!
Nothing special
An interesting album with a crazy back story. Really interesting. And a unique sound for the times.
Not bad, interesting band history
Interesting listen... kind of reminds me of several types of brit rock, and occasionally some nirvanas.
I wasn't enjoying it at first but it then just kind of kept growing on me. Will have to listen to it again.
Not bad not bad
Mmm decent punk
Not that bad, sound actually fairly modern for the age, would give this a 3.5
actually sort of like it but its a bit iffy so i guess i should check it some more it might not become more interesting
Fun find
Faster, Harder than a usual Manics album. Not really saying much I like the energy and do like this band but not this album.
Meh. Couldn’t get into it.
Weird album. Starts with sort-of-interesting protest rock & evolves into highly derivative 90’s power-pop. In the end, it’s boring. A 2.
This kinda sounds like if you pumped Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, Panic at the Disco and The Smiths into ChatGPT and asked it to create a new, crappy sound. Also, "The Holy Bible?" These Welsh turds are so self-important, U2 would be ashamed.
Sucks ass
Just didn’t like a single song really liked but not really bad either
++: Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart, Faster +: Of Walking Abortion, 4st 7lb, This Is Yesterday, Die in the Summertime, P.C.P. +-: Yes, She Is Suffering, Archives of Pain, Revol, The Intense Humming of Evil -: Mausoleum 4,1/10
I don’t think these guys are as manic as they think they are.
Its been heard before, alt rock thats just too loud in all the wrong places. I get its an acquired taste but I've no interest to sit down and learn to like it.
An exhausting exercise. Not for me thanks!
This album is from a Welsh alt rock band that I never heard of. The lyrics cover many heavy topics, although I’m confused by some of the lyrics. Too bad the music is not for me, although maybe it’s good if you’re into that genre. Side note: the songwriter for the band disappeared when the album was released and was presumed deceased years later.
I found this really hard to follow and a bit of a headfuck. The vocals are mostly unintelligible and the instrumental elements are too busy. I get that it’s meant to be meaningful and not just noise but it’s not for me. My loss maybe.
Not a complete bore fest but no idea why its on 1001. I think doesnt help I also have an aversion to certain styles of "Stadium Rock" e.g. Bruce Springsteen, U2 etc I literally cant stand and then to some extent this as I just dont get it. There are interesting elements at times but for the most part its driven by vocals which is a word fest which is lost on me as I cant follow it. I only happen to know its bleak based on the description of the album. I wouldnt know otherwise so any odd connection with punk anti establishment or whatever is completely absent here to my ears in the music at least. Unfortunately not a hit for me.
Another band with an iconic name that proved to be a real let down. Generic pop rock mush, the 1994 equivalent of Kings of Leon or The Killers. Mainstream and uninspiring, compounded by the fact that I could only understand one in ten words through the affected whining.
5 sterren voor titel en band naam. Muziek wel echt dikke mwah. Willen punk zijn, maar hebben art school flow.
2 whiny
I liked this better before I realized that they were not a Japanese band. Why does he sing like that?
Don't get me wrong, I do like over the top theatrical rock (read; Bauhaus and Hedwig). But for some reason this just rubs me the wrong way. And that's ok.
Entirely forgettable sub-foo fighters aren't we clever rock. Never likedthem. Still the same.
Meh. Couldn’t care less
These street preachers are a little too manic for me. 2.5 stars...I'd be fine not hearing this again so I'm rounding down.
The only thing I didn’t really like was the cover art.
Reading about Richey Edwards made me quite sad before I even really started listening to the album. The album itself is not really my thing. A bit too loud.
All just a bit shouty
1 stern
Didn’t really notice that it was on. Their story is obviously tragic but even knowing that, this doesn’t draw me in at all.
Kan hier kort over zijn, gewoon echt niet zo goed
Holy lard album cover Fave track: Yes
Another group from the 90s to serenade us with music to suicide by - in this case literally. This generation of music is nothing but nihilism. Plus one because I didn’t have to skip any tracks to complete the album.
It got better towards the end, but still mostly bored.
interesting. unfortunately, i can’t understand a word they say.
Not my cup of tea
2/5
2,5 porque tiene un par de temas interesantes
An album I am too old to find edgy.
Un bon band avec un chanteur intolérable. Un hot avec de la mayo.
Hey c'était un peu pas écoutable ça.
Welcome to the world of the Manic Street Preachers. There is no room here for warmth or ambiguity. Every song is a meticulously crafted manifesto written with icy moral certainty, just in case you hadn’t realised that all right wing politicians, Nazis and serial killers are BAD PEOPLE, m’kay? To sweeten the pill, the music is generally banging rock but interspersed with on the nose sound bites about concentration camps and prostitution just in case you start enjoying it too much. It’s impossible to listen to this without a profound sense of sadness. When this was recorded, guitarist Richey James was severely depressed and suffering from alcoholism, anorexia and self harm. It seems that the band were happy to put up with him starting drinking first thing in the morning as long as he wrote another song about pain and suffering. The music press also colluded with this. A notorious incident saw James cutting himself with a razor blade to prove that the band were ‘4 real’ and the response was just to write articles about how edgy the band were instead of getting the poor guy some professional help. It was not really a surprise that James disappeared after the recording, never to be seen again. Draw your own conclusions.
2.5… rounded down cause I got bored
Really struggled to get through this one, which is disappointing since I actually like Everything Must Go quite a bit.
You know, not a big fan of this one. Not memorable and the album art is... well, I'm still trying to decide what the idea was.
I find this to be quite boring mainstream rock. 2.5 stars
I'm not a huge fan of this band. There's sort of a glamminess to them that I don't quite love and the lead singer is a bit theatrical for me. There's a few good tracks here -- 4st 7lb is probably my favorite, but I had a hard time getting into a lot of it. 2.5 stars.
I like the Preacher's sound, and I have no problem with the message that accompanies the sound. After a few tracks though, this album feels like it flatlines
p742. 1994. 2 stars. Welsh U2. Generic and vaguely pretentious rock with no standout tracks. I always feel I should like MSP more than I actually do, but it seems they are one of my aural blind spots (if that's not mixing my metaphors too much). And it's bloody miserable, and goes on far too long.
Standouts She is Suffering
i find this band lightly annoying
Part of me really wants to like Manic Street Preachers more. In my last review of theirs, I was pleasantly surprised by their other album on this list. But I have to confess that this one really didn't do much for me at all. It felt a bit all over the place, a bit 80s rock ballads, a bit of grunge, a bit of Brit Pop, but also not really any of those things. I just couldn't really pin it down. It's obviously pretty dark which would normally be up my alley but yeah, I just couldn't connect here. Maybe I just need to be in the right mood but I just didn't like this one.
Some hard-hitting lyrics but musically I just couldn’t enjoy it. Even as someone who loves Wire and Gang of Four I found the total lack of harmonic resolution to be very grating.
#282/1001. Quite a bit darker and heavier sound than what I expected. But does it help? Not really especially if the album is this long. First listen just numbed me, and today I didn't need to be numb. I don't have a clue what happened to the msp after the suicidality met its destiny and I don't want to find out. No points for being the suffering artists from me.
eher zu rockig für mich
It's not that it's really bad, but it includes all the tropes that I don't like about Alternative Rock and nothing more aside. So this was a very annoying listen for me.
This was just a load of edgy, angry nonsense. Lyrics were edgy at best, gobbledegook at worst. Some decent drums and guitars at times and some of the songs had decent structure. Not sure who would enjoy this and why, all in all. Maybe it’s just not for me. 3/10
2 A cacophonous mess of sound. Not a bad thing, but never really gelled for me
Not too bad, they just need someone that can sing
Noise.
Das hat nichts mit "Weltklasse" zu tun.
Interesting listen, especially after reading about the disappearance shortly after. Still got more to do. Manic definitely isn't my style of rock but maybe I'll discover some me songs through it
hmm.. unknown
Nothing special
Estos gallos me aburren. Sí, todo muy oscuro y triste, pero dónde están las melodías?
Well…..it’s not a terrible album. They sound very much like many artists that were around in 1994. Nothing terrible and nothing spectacular. I was surprised this was a Welsh and not an American band for what it is worth. I did a deep dive on Richey Edward’s - very sad and tragic. Brings the movie Eddie and the Crusers to mind.
Nope.
Weird story to go with this album, look up the lyricist. I can't really tell the lyrics but the music sounds pretty good, especially on the beginning songs. 2.5
not good not bad
Heilt på da jevne
Meh
Richey Edwards has an interesting and sad story, which in no way helps in making this album any more palatable. The instrumentation is fine, although the sound dates itself firmly as being mid-90's with half the songs sounding like pale imitations of Nirvana's "Nevermind" from 3 years prior, but the vocals are whiny and not even kind of pleasant to listen to. 2 stars but only barely.
Not bad, just boring. I can't really understand the words either. I'm not sure if that's bad singing, poor mixing, or just the lead singer being Welsh. Just another UK band nobody on my side of the pond has ever heard of. Also, nobody wants to see that album art.
Houmous & Chutney once challenged Manic Street Preachers to an ‘album off’ - who could release the worst album intentionally. Houmous & Chutney released their famous ‘Hour of Silence’ album. To their surprise they lost to this album by the manics. 1.7 6/13 Revol
Aggressively fine
Tense, hard-edged grooves built from jagged, serrated guitars, cold bass patterns, tight martial drumming, and urgently barked vocals between fury and collapse cutting trough the performance. This alternative rock album feels like stumbling upon an apocalyptic prophecy scrawled across a cracked biblical tablet—severe, unyielding, and gripping in the stark severity of its despair.
It's the same song over and over but slightly worse as it goes on. Not that great.
Naaaja
🌟🌟 MCR if it was created by Disney
Grunge vibe
That song is not on here
Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy Bible feels strangely unmoored from its own era, pulling from ’70s arena rock swagger, ’80s post-punk angularity, traces of hair metal, and even early-2000s tension while rarely sounding like a product of the ’90s. The album’s jarring spoken-word interludes aim for provocation but mostly disrupt its momentum, adding to the sense that something essential never quite clicks. Still, there are flashes of brilliance: “Yes” comes out swinging with propulsive energy; “Archives of Pain” builds around a muscular bass-and-drum groove reminiscent of “Smooth Criminal”; and “This Is Yesterday” offers the rare moment of warmth, with James Dean Bradfield’s low-register vocal echoing shades of Freddie Mercury's lower register. Meanwhile, the brittle funk of “Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthitsworldwouldfallapart” nods to Gang of Four, and “Revol” dives into late-’70s post-punk minimalism. Unfortunately, there's just something about this that doesn't click for me, though I can't put my finger on it.
It was just a big boring. Nothing stood out and sounded kind of the same. Dont really have mutch else tosay about the album. Feels like a filler album which is strange.
60
this seems to be a UK thing. This album didn't do it for me but I listened to some other tracks from their later (and more popular in the UK) albums that were good.
Suena como una banda sonora de una pelicula/anime. Pero a la vez se le nota como un album antiguo rockero, bueno hace el intento pero le falta algo de esencia (revol, pero me ha gustado la cancion). Poco a poco va evolucionando a un rock mas puro, pero es como que el genero o las canciones no me terminan de entrar, no lo veo iconico.
There's a reason only one track from this made it on to their best of album.
Bad boston, some back story
Yeah it was good but utterly unmemorable
Just ok
Not my cup of tea, although I did enjoy yes and faster. I'm pretty sure I didn't understand a single lyric.
It's kind of cool proto emo punk stuff, nice guitar work, not totally my thing tho 2.5
It was ok, blended together by the end. Standout song Walking abortion
ok. chill. mellow. rocky.
"Die In the Summertime" was the best song on the album. This was a rocker, to be sure. However, as good a listen that this was, there wasn't anything memorable about it.
Eh, it was okay.
It was okay. Sounds like alot of 90s albums.
shrug
Just not my favorite.
The music here is good, really good even, but the lyrics drag the album wayyyyy down. It's as if the lyrics were ripped straight out of an edgy 14 year olds notebook of "deep thoughts". Just vapid vague lines loosely strung together that sound poetic but ultimately have no depth to them. I mean, "Beauty finds refuge in herself // Lovers wrapped inside each others lies // Beauty is such a terrible thing". If that doesn't scream "I'm 14 and this is deep" I don't know what does. 4/5 for the music but 1/5 for the lyrics
Alright
MORE British music? Ugh.
The lyrics are in parts ok, but the whole package didn't do anything to me. Not my cup of tea.
The sound of this album is fairly dense and interesting. Sadly, the shrieky lead singer and edgelord lyrics turned me off.
There are a handful of 90s alt rock bands that get critical and fan love that I just don't get. Bands like Superchunk, Super Furry Animals, and, yes, Manic Street Preachers. I've tried putting my finger on what I don't get, and I think it comes down to I never, *ever* get their songs in my head. It's probably overstating it to say these songs are devoid of melody, but they just don't hook me in. And of course many of the greatest songs aren't big-riff-hit-singles, but nearly every song I love has some kind of melody or atmosphere or SOMETHING that brings me back. These feel totally flat. I've always been fascinated by comparing a band like MSP to someone like Rage Against the Machine. Those RATM songs are almost entirely built on taking one riff and thrashing it till they've milked every ounce of its value out of it, and then getting out fast. Yet somehow I find their songs hummable, re-listenable, and fully fleshed out. Maybe it's the production quality? There's no nuance in the production here at all. No atmosphere, everything kind of at the same volume. And I'm not pining for an album full of radio-friendly ear worms, but I do think on some level that's what these songs are going for. They *sound* like songs that are developing a melody, but they aren't at any point. And I'm grumpy about it because people LOVE this album and I've tried to get into it for at least 20 years and at no point have I found my way in. The lyrics are great though.
Nah I’m good
so woke😭
Angsty gen-x college rock. Nothing wrong with that, but their sound neatly fits into that box, and I doubt that’s because they carved it out for themselves.
Meh - I like English artists and have enjoyed this band, but this album didn't do anything for me.
I like Britpop and many of the 90s UK bands and while I have never listened to Manic Street Preachers, I of course enjoy this kind of music. The beginning of the album was pretty good but it started to drag on till the end and I got bored from much of the same sound it was pushing. Moved from 4 stars to 3 stars.
Interesting album. I really liked some moments, but not a lot of songs in full. Singer was alright, but the highlight for me was the guitar and bass parts. Good songs, but it definitely lost my interest before halfway through
Too edgy for me
1994. Heavy with political statements but overall maintained its listenability despite going a bit hard.
Sounds very 1994
Honestly just mid
This is one angry album. Manic Street Preachers is a super appropriate name for these dudes. If they hadn’t formed a band they would’ve been out on the street corner with //THE END IS NIGH// sandwich boards, marching up and down all night. Maybe the Brits enjoy it, but I’m not into hearing a dude yell at me “you’re doing it all wrong! This world is THE WORST!” Yeah- maybe, but- you’re not helping. Understanding the lead singer is a real task. I’m assuming his Welsh accent is WILD when he’s not singing. “Sex maalll-yon” is really “6 million”. The vocals are recorded very clearly and precisely- having the lyrics heard is obviously important to this band. But I’d have to listen to this album about five times with the lyrics in front of me to really get an ear for this. The songwriter seems kind of wasted on rock and roll. Should’ve been a political science or literature professor - that’s clearly where his heart lies. He name-drops like it’s his job- Gorbachev gets mentioned at least three times. In a couple of songs he just strings names together 8 at a time. Like. Ok. Then there’s an anorexia song. And then there’s a Holocaust song! Good god! I mean this is fine- but I think there’s a reason these guys were in my neighborhood but we never got on. Lectures bore me. TWO STARS
Eh, some cool parts, but overall just eh
Ehhhhh.
Not my cup of tea, though there was nothing wrong with it really. Just not for me. Feel I ought to give it a 3 but I just don't want to, I preferred Beck, so 2 it is.
Nice to see the Manics on here, and I’m not surprised by this one being included. The whole attitude was very different to other albums being released around that time, which was appealing, but the song writing not great. Quite hard working listening to it, which can’t be a good thing. I prefer their more pop indie stuff, but that’s just me!!
picks: yes, this is yesterday
Hey, Manic Street Preachers! Great name for a band. I’ve never listened to these guys before, but I’m sure I’ve heard of them in passing. Curious to crack this album open and know what I’m in for. Man, the mastering on this album is kinda strange. I was wondering if my copy had downloaded correctly for a good while. Can’t say I’m a fan of the lo-fi sound. I think this album would have sounded much better had it been mixed correctly. I’m also not too big on the vocals, either. Sometimes they work, but for the most part the vocal performances push me away. In any case, this music is generally within my ballpark. I’m always down for a little 90s rock. It’s been too long since I last rolled one of these. “She Is Suffering” ain’t half bad. The instrumental is rock solid – especially around the chorus and during the solo. “Revol” is another pretty good track. Big fan of the aggressive sound on the instrumental, as well as how surprisingly dynamic the guitarwork is. “4st 7lb” is a solid follow-up. Again, the appeal lies in the guitars. They sound quite obtuse and unique in the beginning yet break during the second half towards a cool relaxed sound. Damn, the album really comes into its own during the second half. I’m not sure whether that’s me warming up to the album or the material being generally better. “Faster” is a good tune. The guitars give the song a breakneck energy that’s quite fun, but it’s the vocals during the chorus that really win me over. I’m a big fan of the confident sound. Gonna consult the book for this album. “One of music’s most emotionally lacerating albums.” A pivot from the band’s established sound – “...claustrophobic and abrasive”. I’m not sold on this yet – I'm heading over to Wikipedia. Underperformed commercially but has been very well received by critics. There’s a big, long section about the lyrics and themes of this album. I can’t speak much about the merit of the lyrics, but I’m leaning towards being in favour of this album being here. It appears to have a solid backing.
Not for me I suppose. (43 known/89 new)
Noisy and boring
Not particularly my style - even if I can appreciate what they are doing. 2 stars.
This is a pretty unforgiving album, and I will give it props for being uncomfortable without just being edgy. I didn't find it very interesting musically, unfortunately.
No me gusta
Boring
Not such a fan of the MSP
This guys voice bothers me. I don’t get why this is even on here. It’s a pretty bland rock album. Maybe it’s the vaguely political lyrics? Is this supposed to be an “important” album? I didn’t care for it, it was dull but try hard at the same time.
not my thing
This album is just another middling overrated Brit rock album that does not belong on the list. Terrible lyrics that thinks it is making astute observations and social critique when it is instead just exhibiting the worst knee jerk reactions of the British mindset in the 1990s. The ramblings of a mentally ill idiot. This is the kind of album that appeals to a simple minded edgelord or edgelady. The album’s connection to Richey Edwards disappearance afterward is the only reason it has notoriety in the first place. Otherwise this album would have likely sunk out of sight upon release. Oh, wait, it did. ;-) It kind of makes you wonder how much time has to pass before the music critics realize how musically tedious it is release a political album. I think the vast majority of people do not listen to music to be told what to think but rather as an escape, even if temporarily from what the individual cannot stop thinking about.
2.07
Somewhat hard to nail down in terms of genre as it moves around from song to song. At times it’s just rough to listen to.
I first heard this a couple years ago after hearing the name and believing it would be up my musical alley. I found it musically not my style such that I couldn't really enjoy it enough to investigate the lyrical content which was supposed to unrelentingly dark. On this second go round I started to warm enough to the music to investigate the lyrics. Honestly though the music is still not my cup of tea. Too much big arena rock sound not enough of an indie influence. The big sound comes across as same, each song sounding like the last...no subtlety or variety in tone nor texture. And the lyrics? Unrelentingly preachy and opinionated. Final opinion. 2.5
Forgettable
Didn't care for it.
Boring
I WANT to like it, but I just don't like very much of it at all. Yes, Faster & This is Yesterday are brilliant; the rest of the album shades between being forgettable, inoffensive post-punk and horribly bad confessional indie
2-3
If I wanted to hear a Welshman yell angrily for an hour I’d just lock up his neighbor’s sheep after he has been down to the pub.
2.5
Not terrible, and that's the best I can really say about them.
Enegretic, like the vibes Don't realy like the 'Britpop' I guess, hard to understand the lyrics Fav song - Faster Rate 2/5
nothing to see here.... move along. Never heard of them, their songs, and my life was fine without them
Too heavy for me.
I've never really clicked with MSP, and this album does nothing to convince me. It's all a bit overwrought, and I'm particularly not a fan of the subject matter more times than I thought. Not coming back here.
I'm not convinced they weren't singing in Welsh, I couldn't understand a single angsty word.
Some cool guitar work here and there, but overall I just didn't enjoy the vibe of this album. Normally I'd write more, but barely even remember listening to this one.
No thanks
I don’t like this. The politics are fine, but the music just feels a little flat to me.
4/10 - It was kind of bad and not fun to listen to. The cover art was also strange.
Not particularly interesting or good. No songs that really caught me. Was feeling a little harsh but on the 2 side of a 2.5.
It was OK. 2/5
2/5. I couldn't get through this one. There are too many bad albums on this list. it's really killing my motivation.
Nah. Like the messages - not the music
Not a fan
Eh…didn’t “hit” for me, nothing special here
I think I'm missing something. It seems well constructed as an album. The lyrics are interesting to read, but the music is not clicking for me. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's a language.
Too heavy for me (seriously) but great lyrics and knowing the context, it can be daunting
Los Manics son un grupo que a pesar de no estar a la vanguardia del brit rock tuvieron y tienen una carrera mucho más longeva y regular que sus coetáneos. James o The Charlatans están en la misma situación. Además perdieron a uno de sus puntales a mitad de su carrera y esto no significó otra cosa que una evolución hacia sus mejores discos. Este The Holy Bible es el último paso antes de perder a Richey. Es un disco que combina la pulsión punk-rock con lo que luego serían las señas del brit rock (Suede, Placebo e incluso Muse bien que les deben a estos) . Aporta además de buenas melodías, buenas letras lo que combinado con la arrogante actitud e imagen de los MSP les otorgó una reputación emergente. Destacan sus letras angustiosas con un marcado componente vital, que luego cobrarían sentido con la desaparición de Richey. La influencia y el paralelismo con Joy Division gustaron mucho a la crítica. En mi opinión, sus dos siguientes álbumes (Everything must go o This is my truth... ) son mejores, pero es cuestión de gustos. Otros discos del 94: BLUR: Parklife, PORTISHEAD: Dummy, MANO NEGRA: Casa Babylon, SUEDE: Dog Man Star, NAS: Illmatic, PAVEMENT: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, OASIS: Definitely Maybe, NEIL YOUNG: Sleeps With Angels, AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB: San Francisco, R.E.M.: Monster, HOLE: Live Through This, JEFF BUCKLEY: Grace, MASSIVE ATTACK: Protection, THE AUTERS: Now I’m A Cowboy, NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: Let Love In, JOHNNY CASH: American Recordings, SEBADOH: Bakesale, UNDERWORLD: Dubnobasswithmyheadman, STONE ROSES: Second Coming, BECK: Mellow Gold, MARK LANEGAN: Whiskey For The Holy Ghost, TOM PETTY: Wildflowers, THE BEASTIE BOYS: Ill Comunication, KRISTIN HERSH: Hips And Makers, SABRES OF PARADISE: Haunted Dancehall, JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: Orange, NIRVANA: Unplugged In New York, ALI FARKA TOURE & RY COODER: Talking Timbuktu, PULP: His’n’Hers, THE PRODIGY: Music For The Gilted Generation, VERUCA SALT: American Thighs, THE WALKABOUTS: Satisfied Ma, Elvis Costello: Brutal Youth, Smash de The Offspring
My enjoyment of the Manics is tainted by their ever-presence in the late 90s on the radio. Can’t quite bring myself to like the singers shouty singing either. Sadly I can’t look past either of these.
I'm speed running albums to catch up but this doesn't hit
saints row 1 alternative radio station ass music
Not too much of a fan
eh
Hans nöd fertig gloset, irgendwie kei bock gha, naja
huuui depri 90er musig post grunge okay. hallo sevi. aber isch no cool? seeehr angsty. ifwhiteamerica dingsbums no cool wieder seeehr angsty aber de guy singt huuere geil. sehr coole song. bin etz sochli am durecruise und bin bi mausoleum. es isch alles irgendwie cool und mega deprimierend aber no nice? chan glaub nöd meh als es 3 geh. aber ich schätzed irgendwie. etz bini bim zweitletste und s wird etz scho ehner miserable.
It started out strong but fizzled out by the end. "Yes" is amazing and should've been a single. I expected a lot better from this album. It was just monotonous and I couldn't catch the lyrics. Can't wait until my next album on the list. 2 stars for "The Holy Bible".
In one sense this is better than I expected and I went in basically cold as I had no notion of what this would sound like. Timing is good. Drums are solid. I found the guitar to be pretty monotonous and the vocals are a little too hair band for my liking. If you played me the whole album and then played me one track again, I couldn't identify it against any other track on the album.
Look, I listened to the whole thing, but I knew this was a 2-star album from the jump.
It was Ok.
This, along with having seen them live in 1998, confirmed my suspicion that my overlap with this band is precisely one song: If you tolerate this your children will be next (not on this album).
Hmmm...So I kind of like the music on this one. There are some good guitar riffs and the melodies really work. I find myself overall enjoying the songs on the surface. I liked Faster and This is Yesterday. Its the lyrics I start to have issues with...but its not for their meaning. I agree with the sentiment and feelings in the music, they really are bringing light a lot of important issues and aren't trying to sugar coat it but go hard and deep. However, there is something a little white privilege mansplainy and holier than though about the way they present it. There is a way to ally with groups and explain feelings, but for some reason the level of raw and unfiltered lyrics almost push them into a cheesy "we know better" than those actually immediately impacted by the issues. But it was also the 90's and this fit music of that time period. I might check if they have more current stuff to see if that vibe continues or was just the 90s vibe.
I mean I didn’t like it
Forgettable
I’m not sure if it’s the before photo in a weight loss billboard of an album cover or the overwhelming mixing in the bass/low end, but this “masterpiece” did not resonate with me the way I hoped it would.
There wasn't a hook or a melody that I could get into.
have you ever listened to a song that had good instruments but not good lyrics wells that how I think about the first album it has good instrument use but this song to does not have good lyrics and seems like a song I would rather not listen to or would skip over on the radio to hear something that would be better than this song is not good to me because I don't like the lyrics and I would not recommend listening to this because it is not interesting other than the instruments that are played in it
the meaning of this is that america isn't probably the free country as it claims to be. i like the vibe of the song. i think that the meaning of the song 'faster' is that we are too soft in the skin and we need to toughen up
1st song-i dont like it because it was so werid and like it didnt make any sense and album is so mean 2nd song- the same thing but this one its ok but i just didnt like it how it sound 3rd song- um i like it little bit but ion like it because it didnt make any sense
I didn't like this album. While I thought its lyrics were good, I don't think it goes well with the music. Which kinda ruins this album for me. I don't recommend this album, while its lyrics certainly are powerful, it doesnt go well with the music which kind ruins it.
Oh wow another generic 90s grunge band. *checks notes* and what’s this? They’re welsh? And what’s this? A satirical politics song? Daring today aren’t we?
a lot of the content here is really good, but richie edwards voice has always been a non starter for me
This was fine, but kind of bland I guess? I feel like I've heard this album before even though I haven't because it sounds like half the rock albums on this list.
My mode of listening is so sound/sensation-forward that I usually can’t make heads or tails of a song’s lyrics until five or so times through. This is usually more rewarding since I’ve found greater appreciation for mediums in considering their base elements (music is sounds, not words), but it does have its drawbacks—especially so with rock. Since I don’t tend to hear the words on the first go around, rock tends to blend together for me, so there wasn’t another layer of melancholy here as indicated by the entry in the book. It didn’t sound like much of anything, really.
Bändin huolitellusta etukenoisuudesta ja kertsien koosta huolimatta kuulen rajallisen määrän todellisia koukkuja, enkä vakuutu levyn pituus/inspiraatio-suhteesta.
Næ ekki að tengja við þessa plötu.
Kept hearing elements of Rush, Styx, and Queen while listening to this.
The songs have great themes, but I could not stand the singer's voice.
Was looking forward to this but disappointed
Nothing to see here, just some background noise.
It had its moments, and I almost thought I was going to like it, but those moments quickly disappeared into the abyss.
Fuck the Brady Bill!
Was never a manic fan and this is very much beige to me. Some of the shouty ones hit the spot but that is all.
The content is heavy and the music on the rock side of 90s Brit pop. I don’t really like it though. I couldn’t hook onto any really melody or hook. Probably a 2.5 from me because they’re Welsh and the sad story about the Lyricist.
The Manic's have written a few decent songs but none of them live on this album. Everything here kind of sounds the same. 'Yes' & 'She Is Suffering' are the only songs I'd want to hear again. Not exactly bad to listen to but it's all just a bit one dimensional. The vocal delivery is mostly very samey and the music just sits in the background not really going anywhere. It's not bad but it's not essential listening either. 2- Stars (4/15)
I think this is a generational thing but not my cup of tea. The lyrics are fine and all (well written and they do make a point), the music itself just doesn't hit any chords with me.
I didn't really like this
I don't feel like I have much to say on this one. Pretty forgettable
oh yes politics... mhmm i know what's going on
Pretty insufferable. This sounded like a whinier, more pretentious version of Queen (and I don’t like Queen).
It’s not horrendous, but if you’re going to name your album “The Holy Bible,” you really, really gotta bring it. They did not. Instead it feels like a cheap attempt to shock people and draw attention to a work that deserves no attention. His vocals are, mostly, shrill and pretty grating after a very short time. Musically, it ok, I guess, but not something I care to hear again. Some of it could possibly fall into a mix of rock from the era and go relatively unnoticed, by which I mean I might not skip to another song or station, but I would probably just zone out and not pay attention to it. I feel that’s what most folks would do, too. And since I’d never heard of them, despite that time period being when I was most tuned into the rock and alt scene, it seems that’s pretty much what happened.
Po faced misery guts of a band, generally loved by people who would be boring if you ended up sat with them in the pub. And the Welsh. This one hasn't even got any of their "hits" on it
Annoying noise.
Versta er geen kloot van. En heb nou niet echt het idee dat ik er echt iets aan mis. Dit album is als je 'edgy' googled denk ik, dus ik denk dat Lenny Kravitz zijn album hierop gebaseerd heeft. Nee ik vind dit album niets. Het is niet slecht of dramatisch, maar het is gewoon saai en nietszeggend. Ik kan hierna even geen scheurende gitaren of schreeuwende zeikerds meer horen.
I don't care how deep or cutting your lyrics are if I can't understand most of them because of your numbly mumbly wailing and muddy sound mixing. Don't bother looking them up, though; they're edgelord word salad, the kind of peurile nastiness an angry teen might write when they first discover the world is full of bad people. A few good licks and overall decent composition save this album, but I can't imagine ever willingly listening to it unless I decided to commit a public crime and want to give the media something controversial to chew on in the aftermath. "The suspect was reportedly blaring the music of mentally ill Welsh self-harm-rocker Richey Edwards, though authorities are refusing to speculate on whether this influenced the baffling spree of unimaginative mayhem or merely underscored it."
Didn't really get much out of this. Didn't hate anything here, but I also don't have any drive to revisit anything from here again.
Started out okay but took me FOREVER to get through it. Not a fan by the end.
Too much Dennis de Young sounding for me although music wasn’t horrible
boring and too long.
Meh. It's just another generic fuzzwall alt album. It's not bad, exactly. But like... why is it on the list? There wasn't really anything here that I could point to and say, "That. That right there was unique and interesting." Instead, we're just subjected to an hour of wall-to-wall fuzz pedal noise and pseudo-intellectual, teenage-activist rage. You know, the kind where you shout about things and tell people all the things they're doing wrong and all they ways that they're terrible but you don't actually DO anything to help the problem? It's like they made a list of all the things people get riled up about and set up to write an album that hits them all. Hard pass.
Loud and annoying. But at least it's not Nirvana.
Too screamy for me.
A group I’m aware of but had never heard before. Started out OK, liked the track She is Suffering, but things declined after that. The vocals were kinda screechy on a lot of tracks. Not my jam.
Not for me
Um. Another one that didn't suck, but was completely forgettable. Giving them a 2. I think they were middle of the road, but I am just pissed they are on this list, so it got lowered to a 2.
#183. This album is completely uninteresting to me. It manages to be boring and mildly annoying, but not really much else. 2/5: dumb
Underwhelming. Thats the word that comes to me when I listened to this album. Production sucked balls. The listening experience just wasn't good if that makes sense. I also did not like that they've tried to sound like an american band regarding the lyrics, like dude you are from Wales...
Meh? Not really impressed
just doesn't kick as hard as in the old days..
I didn’t understand half of what was being said
..
Not a fan.
If I were British I would probably have more of an appreciation for this kind of music
I like the instrumentation in this. Overall, it seemed a little heavy on the spoken word intros--it felt like every song had one. Unfortunately, those were some of the only words I understood. Might try to finish some day. Rating system: 1 means I didn't finish and have no intention/desire to, 2 means I didn't finish but wouldn't mind listening more, 3 means I finished it but probably won't seek out more, 4 means I finished and I liked it, 5 means it is likely to be added to my regular listening and I may seek it more similar material
Preachy; overrated; average.
Safe to say it wants to be an f-load cooler and profounder than it actually is. Aims to be edgy, and have real teeth, but just doesn't come off and feels just about as generic as can be in terms of the lamentable genre of ALT rock, which made a major contribution to the sheer musical insufferability of the '90s. One album from this lot is more than enough (by which one means too much, and utterly undeserved); two is an outright travesty. Only plausible explanation for inclusion of 2x TMSP records is that one of the editors had a vested interest (emotional, financial, etc.) in this group.
Didn't like it when it came out, still not liking it. Lacks finesse.
Bleh alltför 90-tals pop-cyniskt
Probably would have had more luck with "interesting" girls (i.e. alcoholic with loose morals) if I'd claimed to be into MSP as a teen. However, JDB's vocals always irritated me, and could never understand how they ended up so popular. It's just dull unremarkable indie.
13 year year old me in 1994 would probably have been into this record. But I never heard it or even knew of it back then. In 2024, 43 year old me listening to it for the first time just wants these guys to lighten the fuck up.
I knew nothing about Manic Street Preachers. The album didn't start great, with a first track that was just OK for me. Next came the awesomely title "Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart", which is even more apropos today than in 1994. I didn't like the song as much as I liked its title. Not a fan of the next 4 tracks. I'm curious if any other listeners here understood the basic meaning of the title "4st 7lb". I didn't know the anorexia reference, but I at least understood it meant weight and was able to convert it to pounds or kilos. With context, it's a troubling song. The rest of the album matched the rest until the final track (P.C.P.), which felt like a solid rock song. Definitely not my thing, but probably good at what it's trying to be. I won't go looking for more MSP.
Incomodou-me um bocado, pois apresenta uma certa semelhança com o Blind Melon. Assim, por que não estava escutando o quê gosto?
The instrumentals in the music wasn't bad, but I really couldn't understand a word they were saying. Really tough to hear the lyrics.
somewhat interesting at times.... but I don't think it even deserves to be on the list of top 100 albums released in 1994, let alone on any sort of all time list. There was just way to much other better music coming out in that era to really call this a "must listen".
Everything sounded the same.
this album isn’t bad, it’s just not anything special. i would probably enjoy it a couple of years ago, but not something i’d go for now.
This is some weird stuff
Always aware of the Manics and tried a few times to get into them but it never clicked. Although I’ve never seen them live it always struck me they were a better live band than on record. Their music suits a live atmosphere and I could see myself enjoying a live performance. But back to this record it all seemed a bit samey and not enough melody within the guitar bits (which are good) to satisfy my tastes. Not a record I would want to listen from start to finish again.
Sounds a lot like Sex Pistols. Not really a big fan.
Intense humming of Evil has some absolutely horrible whistle sounds. Whoever picked these albums sure does love angry white guy band music
Not a fan.
This not much for me, kind of bland mediocre rock. Meh.
I wanted to like this album more than I did. There were moments of absolutely genius mayhem! I absolutely loved the intense humming of evil and many of the songs intros and outros Some of the tracks were greenday, some of them were Robbie Williams and some the sex pistols. Too incoherent for me but I’m glad I listened to it.
There were some elements to this album that I kind of liked but it didn't ever fully assemble into something coherent for me - probably the closest track was 'She is suffering'. The lyrics are pretty messed up - it didn't feel 'deep' but more like Edge Lord word spaghetti. Don't get me wrong - I think its great to have a band that no subject is off limits, it just felt a bit pretentious, and, well, manic I guess... ok, so maybe it all makes sense afterall
ho ascoltato le prima due poi mi sono stufato
Expected this to be better.
second track is pretty good but this feels like grunge knockoff and i am not about it.
Not my music.
Did not move me much for being a bunch of preachers.
She is Suffering.
It’s fine. Would not go out of my way to listen to it
Yet another British band which never crossed the pond. While the instrumentation and upbeat rock beats are appealing, one can only speculate this album did not chart in Europe or North America due to the incomprehensible and controversial lyrics. This album delves into taboo topics including "prostitution, American consumerism, British imperialism, freedom of speech, the Holocaust, serial killers, the death penalty, political revolution, childhood, fascism and suicide" which may be more than casual music goers can handle. Also, the album art is horrible and unsightly. I would never listen to this band again if it meant I didn't have to see the album art.
Aika jotenkin keskinkertainen eikä välttämättä parhaalla tavalla ikääntynyt. On tässäkin hetkensä mutta jää nyt vähän kyllä tyhjänpäiväiseksi. 2/5
Pari ihan jees hetkeä, mutta pääosin aika tasapaksua. Tän bändin tuotanto ei vaan ehkä ole ikääntynyt kovin hyvin.
Nothing special but still decent music
Bändin nimi on sen verran tunnettu, että odotin kyllä merkittävästi enemmän tältä levyltä. En tiedä kuinka paljon olisi muuttunut jos olisi sokkona kuullut, mutta nyt jätti vaisun maun.
Ihan ok
I like the style of music. I would like this more if it was a 30 minute album and not a 1hr album. I can only handle so much. Each song seemed to be too long. Archives of pain - bass line was real nice. 6 songs in and the music is growing on me. definitely need to be in the mood and not at work on a tuesday morning. alright it was pretty good. love this challenge and getting introduced to bands and artists ive never heard of.
Not a particular fan of the Manics and this album certainly didn't change that view.
Not my cup of tea, and the album only picks up near the end Rocky songs, but some of the vocals just don’t add up 1/2
This really did not feel like anything special. Uninspired melodies/chords and ultimately felt a bit boring
Nothing really stood out. One and done.
Boring
At times it was fun but kind of forgettable at the same time 2.5/5
Like Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire had a really obnoxious toddler
Some more aggressive energy lyrically and instrumentally than the last album, but still overall not one I think is that red hot. Maybe for codgers who grew up eating up Britpop in all its shapes and forms this would fit your bill as a must-hear, but I'm beginning to realise there's only a couple of acts from the genre I click with. Again, there's some interesting stuff with some time signatures, cohesion between tracks, some grittier moments, and some better sounding guitars and drums, but for me at the end of the day it's an album of fairly forgettable tracks. I hate that my Spotify algorithm with now be hand-feeding me Manic Street Preachers in my daily mixes for the foreseeable future. Two and a half. Fave track: 4st 7lb
Straight from the start I didn't connect with this album and it didn't change.
I didn't very much like it, actually.
Too misanthropic for my mindset. Obviously written from the pov of a very depressed person with nothing but hatred for mankind.
The bleak desperation (or is it the poignant sadness?) of the lyrics is lost to either the driving upbeat feel of thses songs (especially the opener "Yes") and/or the metal-y posturing, the crunchy guitar riffs, rumbly-stumbly basslines, and screamy/overwrought vocals. That said, there's a buoyancy and crispness to some of the tracks (opener in particular), or with passages within individual cuts (opening of "Revol" say). It undeniably rocks, but in a restrictive mid-'90s kinda way, if one is into that sort of thing, which one generally isn't, and wasn't even then, in the mid-'90s. The audio snippets that open a few cuts add nothing beyond making the record feeling dated and unconvincingly pretentious. One wonders if muddier production and rougher edges would've benefitted bands like this; the crystal clarity is what makes mid-'90s alty-hard rock sound so falsely urgent, or is it that it now rings false after 9/11, the Iraq War, the global financial crisis, mass inequality, the pandemic, etc. All that woulda given this bunch (plus Green Day and all that lame-y, same-y lot) something to be despairing and self-hating about. And certainly time has made editors' comparison of this act to Radiohead, which might have been valid in 1995, utterly laughable now. Feels more like a Welsh version of Live.
I'm aware this is a bit of a sacred cow of 90s uk indie but it could do with a couple of tunes or hooks in the songs. Lots of morose suicidal lyrics do not make a great album. Not for me.
My mom always wanted the cake mix to be "extra moist, like my pussy when I hear that James Dean Bradfield sing".
meh
Nice starting track to get the album going. Good energy, fun guitar riff. The drum recordings sound a little too light though, like not enough mics. Track 2 has some really cool guitar parts. This band keeps introducing over and over and you never really know what's going to come next. Track 3 had some pretty corny lyrics and moments where it reminded me of Rush and not in a good way. Man the open/close repeating hihat in track 4 really muffles the cool guitar stuff. "Archives of Pain" - love the guitar solo send-off on this track. I've felt like this band has too much talent on their instruments to reserve them as much as they do and not let them rip sometimes! This is a 2/5 for me. I didn't like it as much as their other album on this list, "Everything Must Go".
This album didn't do much for me honestly, can't remember a single song. Somehow all of it just mixed together. It feels sooo pretentious as well somehow, but I'm not sure if it's actually the lyrical content or if it's just the singers voice that gives me that feeling.
Not really my cup of tea. If i understand correctly the lyrics are a big selling point but since I was working when listening to it I didn't really notice them. The music by it self didn't really leave any lasting impression. Maybe worth listening more actively to it again some time.
Got annoyed after the first tracks on the day, came back to it this morning. Felt political in a boring nineties way and like a lot of other rock floating about at the time.