The Holy Bible

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.

I mostly knew Manic Street Preachers from their album "This is my Truth, Tell me Yours", which contains a number of good songs. But there is none of that here. There is some nicely played (alternative) rock, and James Dean Bradfield's vocals are great as ever, but the songs are just not there - none of the tracks move me in any meaningful way, the mostly just... are. 2/5

They sound like if The Offspring and Queen had a baby that nobody wanted.

I wanted to like this but it's a bit rowdy for me.

Not my thing, too goth.

Meh

I can get behind the messages but not a fan of the music

A little punk-y and had a Green Day vibe.

Same vibe that I get from the Arctic Monkeys... if only one Manic Street Preachers existed, that'd be enough. There isn't much variation and none of it is good enough to keep my attention. Fell into a rabbit hole reading about the singer's tragic disappearance, though :(

It sounded like mediocre 90’s alt grunge. There were a few moments that piqued my interest but those moments never lasted very long. It was exhausting to get thru, I won’t return to this one. 2 stars

I just don’t understand why this band has at least two albums on the list.

Didn't blow me away. Maybe I wasn't paying much attention. I'll listen again sometimes. Well performed.

lol I think Wikipedia says it all: from the UK, and didn't chart outside the UK. Every fuckin time. Bog vaguely punky 90s shit. I didn't have it on very loud but I still had to turn it down cause it was pissing me off. 2/5.

2.5 It's fine. They are definitely talented.

Just ok for me

Not my cup of tea...

Butt-rock. Meh, it's... passable but I can't see myself ever enjoying it in any way.

Depressing and tiring lyrics, but I guess what did I expect based on... I don't know, everything I knew going into this album? Luckily the instrumentals carry a LOT of the dead weight of this album. But man, does it go on for too long.

Too old for this.

Mix of all sort of music I like, but this mixture I do not really like...

Some decent rock music on this record. Did not keep me interested the entire time. I noticed myself tuning out a bunch during this listen. Not that it was bad just basic rock music - nothing crazy. Also this cover is insane 4/10

Bleh

not bad, political, pretty sad lyrics

Was very meh…wasn’t a huge fan of the sound or the quality.

Sorry for the album art is so terrible!

Boy this is tough going. Too long, as many 90s albums were. And suffers massively from each song being about a minute too long, and way too similar to the others around it. I like them better when they go for tunes over riffing.

I tried to like the Manic Street Preachers, I remember standing in the record store I used to work in when their first album came out, reading the hype in the NME and listening to the album multiple times trying to get into it. But I never did. I could hear the hair metal influences (which they couldn't do properly), and there were elements of wanting to be the Clash (uniforms, political posturing, last gang in town vibe). But it just never gelled into anything that moved me. And there was certainly plenty of hype around "The holy Bible" when it came out; the last will and testament of Richey Edwards. Now, Richey was clearly a very unhappy lad, as evidenced from the lyrics of this pretty bleak album, and hammered home but his subsequent disappearance. That doesn't make it a very fun record, and the tunes don't lift it much. The production is not great, and everything sounds bit flat. Interestingly, their US record company (who they hated) remixed the album remixed the album for the US market. I (and, I gather , the band) prefer the US mixes now. I listened to this through three times, and it just won't stick. I don't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it. Edward's disappearance will always give this record some notoriety, but I find it a bit pretentious, lyrically bleak while musically uninspired (unlike, say, early Cure albums that manage to sound bleak and anxious to match the lyrical content), and without sufficient energy to grab me.

Never been a big fan of this album, or the Manics in general

Overated

2.75

Interesting... very political. I guess the name of the band says it all. I guess if you were really into it...

Oh boy, another 2. (2 = It was okay)

Boring shit that sounds like all other boring shit.

Meh

Well. I'm well into the right demographic for this band, but I don't like them. At all. This was better than I was expecting, there's emotion aplenty, but still sound like a bunch of whiney boys.

is this supposed to be one of their good ones? never really got in to them, i like the idea of the manics but don't really like their music.

I thought I would like this album more than I did, but it's not really my thing. It’s bleak, misanthropic subject matter, backed with a mostly lackluster and incoherent musical point of view. MSP clearly want to do post punk or alternative, but they’re better when they lean into their pop sensibility. I mean, the subject matter of “Yes” is repugnant, but musically it’s really engaging. Most of the songs aren’t able to pull that off and stylistically the album veers in too many directions. Some of the cultural critiques are nonsensical when you dig into them, but we're looking at the world from the inside of Richey Edwards' brain. It's not a pretty place. Fave Songs: This is Yesterday, She is Suffering, 4st 7lb, Yes

Mashing but sometimes melodic

Some cool parts but overall kinda chessy

I didn't hate it but also didn't enjoy it at all. This genre just really isn't my thing for casual listening

Not very good. I felt like the music didn't have a point to it. Best track: none?

Bra musiker men tyckte inte låtarna va jättebra

Meh.

20th October 2021 Listened at work on the office on my headphones. I liked a lot of this, moody anthems and definitely has their sound. Didn't know about the singer having mental health issues but got can tell in the themes and lyrics.

Really loved that first song. And that second song title is pretty damn great. But it all falls off for me after that. By the third track, everything runs together for me.

I really do like several of MSP’s albums, just not this one; too bland for my taste. Hope that doesn’t mean I lack taste

The third album from Manic Street Preachers was a punk rock album released in 1994. It was the last album from them including guitarist Richey Edwards, as he would take his life a few months after its release. This album did not do well at release except when rated by critics, but in later years it has been praised as being almost "post-punk". The music was moody and not my particular taste.

Starts off great with the opening track -Yes, cool guitar hooks and impassioned vocals. But it goes downhill fast afterwards, all the songs sounds the same and just a Green Day knock off. Also the news audio clips before the songs doesn’t add anything and is just gimmicky.

Boring ennit. Too many vocals audio sample intros for no reason. Found the whole thing quite forgettable. Occasionally a good guitar solo. Total dad band.

Find his voice boring. Whole album felt flat and not much to it

meh not a very impressive album. okay. cool cover and second song name lol. 2.5. soz x

ThelyricsareinterestingbuttherewerequiteafewthingsIfoundirritatingaboutthisalbum.

Didn’t entirely listen, but I liked what I heard enough to revisit this album. They got a follow so I can check them out later

Seemed like every song had a lead-in spoken blurb. Just never got my attention.

Was expecting it to be a bit more miserable, so that was a plus, but it still didn't really do it for me.

didn't bother listening to very much, what I heard wasn't interesting

It was ok but didn’t really impress me. Sounded like mid 90’s pop rock trying to be rock.

Weird and somehow still generic

A new contender for album that most makes me want to end my life. Nothing like mental health issues laid out on vinyl. Second star just for bass.

Didn't know much of their work before this, not too bad.

Asså lite för mycket skrik för mig, i dont rlly like it, antagligen typ 2/5 hittills. Näe usch känner jag, inte bra. FY FAN vad är den sista låten verkligen bara OLJUD

Groot fan van een ander album, maar dit leek wel een andere band. Beetje vervelend zelfs.

Nope

Ik vind de Manic Street Preachers erg goed, maar het zal een reden hebben dat ik deze plaat nog niet kende want hier kon ik niet zoveel mee. Iets te agressief en onrustig.

Ik heb goede herinneringen aan The manic street preachers, maar dit vind ik eigenlijk gewoon herrie.

this one gets a big 'meh' from me.

PCP was pretty good. Overall not a fan.

The vocals are difficult to listen to, but the '90s rock is on point.

Kinda loud

First song was good. Joy division with Early 200's alternative singer vibe

Die Songs sind größtenteils zu lang. Läuft so durch. Wird irgendwann langweilig und dann schnell anstrengend. Ich war froh, als die Platte durch war.

Not my style

Not so much my style...

Despite living through the heady days of the Britpop era the one band I’ve struggled with are Manic Street Preachers. Apart from A Design For Life and Motorcycle Emptiness (neither of which are on this album), the vast majority of their songs sound like a shouty noisy mess to me. This album didn’t alter my 90s opinion of them one iota. With the exception of She Is Suffering (which is not too bad) all the songs are complete crud, melody-anaemic and instantly forgettable. The constant news recordings overlaying the songs are so bloody annoying as well. If this a classic album then I’m the Queen of Sheeba. The Manics get the dubious honour of being my first 1 - congrats!

My least favourite genre from this process is nu metal. Although the sound and production is different. I think this album is structurally a nu metal album before they had the nu metal sound available. Which explains why I really didn’t enjoy it at all. I had this thought about halfway through the album. Then it just kept on going. I’m adding a new qualifying for 1 star. “Makes me question why I’m doing this list”

dunno brit punk pop.c

Heavy guitars - emo British wailers. pounding and grinding. Not my style.

Everything about this album from first blush says "teeth". Edgy band name? Check. Irreverent album title? Check. Provocative album art? Check. Now put it on, this is going to be an assault on decency and my senses! Oh wait. Oh, man, it's NOT! It's just post-punk Britpop! Oh, come on! So much promise. They spend the entire album talking about the ills of the world, about how Stalin might be bisexual or we can't accept there might be a reason someone is overweight beyond their control or that there is some genetic malfunction in being human. If you're going to complain about something, have a solution in mind. This is all "we suck as a people". There's no "We could be better". There's no "we should do this instead." It's just "we suck". We don't need Opus Dei self-flagellation about the state of the world and society, we need solutions and direction. Quit your whinging and do something about it. Oh, and HOW EDGY. You used backwards "R"s in the font. Wankers. Suffering is real, but it shouldn’t be fetishized. Pain is real, but it shouldn’t be aestheticized. Bodies are real, and they deserve compassion, not symbolism. My Rating: 1/5

qué onda los títulos de las canciones y porque hablan tanto???

They should have stopped each track after the spoken thematic introduction. They really had nothing else to add.

not my thing

Interesting sound. Not my fav

This was rough to get through, I think it's the first time I've went back to another entry on the day I got a new one

the worst parts of 90s American alt rock and the worst parts of 90s britpop and the worst parts of 90s punk on both coasts. I was going to say "I don't even disagree with a lot of their politics" but then I've thought about it more and jeuss christ I think American Idiot is more eloquent than this. what the fuck ever.

I am on an unfortunate run at the moment, a run of pompous, hectoring bands, who were adored by the music papers here in Britain. I had The Verve yesterday, and a different Manic Street Preachers LP a few days ago. Vapid, raging, shouty, tinpot - full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Bland, unimaginative 90s pop rock, just more of what this list needed!

That was one of the worst, 1 dimensional, dad rock piece of shit albums I’ve had the displeasure of listening to. This is one of the closest I’ve come to not making it through. Absolute dross.

Not sure what type of music this is. Alternative, punk, ???

Ass

q acabao de escuchar por dios una mierfa

Why was this important?

It’s not that this was bad, it’s that I really didn’t like listening to it. Calling your album “The Holy Bible” and having your message be fuck politics, fuck capitalism, fuck the world…just doesn’t do it for me. While I may agree, I really don’t care to listen to this music with that message. There’s enough problems in today’s political climate, I don’t care to listen to a Welsh band from the 90s singing about the same shit, different era.

didn’t enjoy

woooow I hated this!! just pure noise!

Definitely not my style

The Good: Nothing The Bad: This album… The Ugly: Fucking ego’s of shit bands in ‘90s My fond memories from the ‘90s do not include bands such as MSP, mainly because they were totally unknown in the US… and rightfully so. I find this shit. Don’t like it. And will not rate it any higher than a 1*

Meh

Cover turnt ab! Das Auge isst mit. Probier ich nicht!

Enough! Brit pop sucks. 1

This album didn't really do anything for me.

Not for me

Not for me, not my type of music unfortunately

Nope.

Gah. This is not fun. Force more words into that line.

Just not a fan I guess

meh

Nop

not for me

Grungy britpop. YUCK!

Not my cup of tea

meh

Got a few catchy riffs and some nice basslines, but overall not for me

Massive fail on this one, no need to have this on any Top 1001 album list of any kind. Zero hits, no influence that I'm aware, nothing revolutionary on the album, horrible album cover, odd vocals, mediocre listen counts (way more than I would have assumed though), songs are all too long, but some decent production work to give them a sound all their own. I can't imagine listening to his voice and this album twice. He's like a 90's Johnny Rotten (See "Faster") with more control but that same headache inducing tone. There's an negatively unhappy undertone that runs through this entire album, it's just not a pleasure to listen to. I feel like he's yelling AT me not singing TO me. Hated it from top to bottom. I almost liked "She Is Suffering" which fits the time it was released. I remember when they were being pushed on us with every compilation disc released in 1994-96, they never got traction here for a reason. 1 star, I didn't enjoy anything on it and hated his vocals by the end. I'm gonna go kick a dog or something now.

Don’t like early Manics

1. yez - 1 2. uuhite - 0 3. abortion - 1 4. zhe - 1 5. pain - 1.5 6. revol - 1 7. pound - 0 8. mauzeleum - 0 9. fazter - 0 10. yezterday - 0 11. die - 0 12. evil - 0 13. p.c.p. - 1 NOT ONE GOOD ZONG , UUTF

Tedious hard rocking guitar rock with loads of attitude but barely a hook. It's loud and aggressive, but lacking the dynamics or memorbale riffs or artistry to make that interesting. Just mid-tempo, mid-level, noisey but not challenging, angsty, annoying and stressful. Really a slog - have never understood how this band got as big as they did, despite trying a few times!

This album is like a trip to the dentist. Painful, anxiety-inducing, and you leave wondering why you put yourself through it. With lyrics that dive deep into politics and human suffering, it’s the perfect choice for when you want to feel both stressed and sad at the same time.

Horrible

hate this, can’t finish it, 0 stars

The only thing this turd influenced was my gag reflex

bulkmaster grinder, respekt. fat anthem album, mahtavaa.. Ongelma on siinä, että puhun esikaupunkilapsille Kuka muuten ei olisi koskaan tiennyt näiden sanojen olemassaolosta Kenen äidit eivät luultavasti olisi koskaan antaneet kahta pisaraa kusta Kunnes loin niin paljon vitun turbulenssia... divided states of embarrasment.. en valehtele tuli pikhasen huonoon kohtaan tämä koska sietämätöntä tämä ysäri autotalli amerikan rokki semmo.. oon vähän pahalla päällä niin tämä tosiaan kidutustuokio enemmän kuin analyyttinen kuuntelukokemus tälläkertaa.. annetaanmpas ykkönen archives of pain

Couldn't stomach it

Boring, unremarkable, maybe just not in the mood for this

Bad. Power Pop nonsense.

"Bow to the bland", they sing. "I'd rather not", say I.

One of the worst albums I think I've ever heard

Kräftige Rockmusik mit penetrant klagendem Sänger.

Хуета!

Pessimism won't get you far, even in the realm of music. I'm not an advocate for it, particularly when it drives all the focus into the lyrics and none into the actual sound. The music is very brash, unrefined, and there's little for the ear to grab onto so that you can recognise and predict the music later on. The (rhythm) guitar playing, in particular, is punky, heavily distorted noise that probably should have been taken out. The lead and bass are fine but nothing notable. Even the lyrics – so dark, grim, and utterly depressing that they're surely the focus of the album – are next to impossible to discern without straight up Googling them. The lyrical enunciation is poor even for post-punk/alt-rock standards, and the melodies aren't exactly memorable or catchy either. Sure, the lyrics themselves definitely come from the heart, but given the quality of the package they're delivered in, I'd rather just read them from an agitated political revolutionary's memoir. The Holy Bible isn't necessarily actively bad like other 1-star albums on this list, but it has very little good going for it. I can't think of much to compliment, and there aren't any standout tracks. She Is Suffering and 4st 7lb are maybe the only tracks I partially liked, but I couldn't tell you why. Maybe the chorus of 4st 7lb was kind of catchy. P.C.P. has a good energy too, and the sound was fairly enjoyable. Very bad album cover art. Though I will say – it definitely makes a statement. To those of you calling this the "greatest album of all time" (there are surprisingly many of you), I ask: in which ways does The Holy Bible outperform OK Computer? Abbey Road? Rumours? The Stranger? Tapestry? The Dark Side Of The Moon? Blue? Back to Black? (just to name a few.) 1/5 Key tracks: 4st 7lb, She Is Suffering, P.C.P.

They tried to be interesting, but failed.

Another bunch of hypocrites "Do as I say, not what I do"

I didn’t like this one bit