ALBUM REVIEW
MANIC STREET PREACHERS – LIFEBLOOD
[SONY]


In 1985, the members of Manic Street Preachers were just four kids living in Wales who didn’t even own instruments. Ten years later, about to become one of the biggest bands in the UK, their success was made bittersweet by the still unsolved disappearance of lyricist/guitarist Richey James. Nearly another full decade later and the Manics have released perhaps the greatest album of their career, Lifeblood.

The Manics have finally mastered the art of subtlety. One criticism that has always plagued the band is their more-than-a-tendency for going well over the top, both dramatically and politically. This time, the Preachers have managed to step back some from the pulpit but still remain both powerful and moving from tremendous start ["1985"] to beautiful finish ["Cardiff Afterlife"]. As uniquely outspoken as ever, made clear by first single "The Love Of Richard Nixon", they’re never as heavy handed here as, say, "Freedom Of Speech Won’t Feed My Children" from 2001’s underrated Know Your Enemy.

Seven albums since claiming they would split up after releasing their debut, we’ve never been more thankful to know that preachers are liars.

4/5

Everything I heard of it sounded as boring as This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours, so I'll let this one pass...

iagree that most of This Is My Truth... is a bore, but this album certainly is not.

Mmm I guess I'll wait 'til they have in the library... Not sure if I want yet another Manics album...

oh, cmon- you can never hav too much ofa good thing.

to give you an idea of where im comin from, personally id rank the albums like this:

[room for switching in each group on any given day, currently juste in alphabetical order]

The Holy Bible
Know Your Enemy
Lifeblood

Everything Must Go
Generation Terrorists
Gold Against The Soul


This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

Strangely enough, I find it the other way around - I think This Is My Truth is a really lovely album, with an almost acoustic feel to it - I find Lifeblood has the same kind of sound as Know Your Enemy, but with a much more dampened down sound, and I just don't like it.

How can you say Gold Against The Soul is one of their worst ones??? I seem to be the only person in the world that realises that nearly every song on it is a fanastic rock tune with great guitar work - am I missing something??? The best track being "Tourettes" I think.

Although, I find GATS and THB to be equally stunning albums...so...hmmm...review THB

first, ill restate how wrong ithink you take on Lifeblood vs. This Is My Truth... is- ha.

second, id never say Gold Against The Soul is one of their "worst". Manics hav one "worst"- This Is My Truth...- and the rest are all great albums, juste some greater than others. ilov Gold Against The Soul [though ithink "Symphony Of Tourrettes" is one of the throw away tracks- ill havanother listen]. checkout my comments in the Manics thread in the altforum. ive explained my rationales for my views on each album in there fairly well [ithink].

Most people do seem to think GATS is awful though I've noticed, but I never have - it's still one of my favourites, along with THB.

Also, I've not really listened to Lifeblood much, but from what I heard of it, it was quiet, passive and a bit dull - Not like This Is My Truth at all

about half of This Is My Truth... is great. the other half is very much deserving of those adjectives you misapply to Lifeblood- "quiet, passive and a bit dull". Lifeblood is an excellent album, no the year's and the Manics' best.

Gold Against The Soul is severely underrated by many- almost as much as This Is My Truth... is overrated. its singles- "From Despair To Where", "La tristesse durera", "Life Becoming A Landslide" and "Roses In The Hospital"- are among the bands best songs of their career. "Sleepflower", "Yourself" and "Nostalgic Pushead" are also great tracks.

there are three throw aways though id say and with only 10 tracks that hurts a lot. "Drug Drug Druggy" is so corny and awful it would fit right in on This Is My Truth...- its typical of that albums weakness. "Symphony Of Tourette"- having juste given it another listen- still sounds a little bloated/overthetop even for the Manics. it juste doesnt work for me. the title track and closer is another bloated affair, but one that never goes anywhere really interesting. clocking in a five and a half minutes, thats a poor song. the chorus is awful. after tossing those three you are left with pure gold, but only 30min of it, and thats why the album suffers ithink.

I must be the only person in the world who's four favourite songs have two of the ones you mentioned as throwaway songs in there. Sleepflower, Gold Against The Soul, Yourself and Symphony Of Tourettes are my favourites from that album, I just think they're pure rock - it's great.

I'm going to give lifeblood a proper listen soon, but when I have I will write back on here.