Subtitled - A Secret History Of. The Manics follow 2002's greatest hits album 'Forever Delayed' with a B-sides collection. Features 20 B-sides & 15 cover versions, the previously unreleased track '4 Ever Delayed' and live tracks. Epic. 2003. Album Description
 |  | Patchy, but that's what you'd expect |  |
The Manics, while producing some great music, have always struggled for quality control, with The Holy Bible being their only truly consistent effort which sustains top-drawer songwriting throughout. So it's pretty unsurprising that their B-sides and rarities album would be somewhat patchy. There's some good stuff here: notably the two 'new' tracks: '4 Ever Delayed' blends driving synths with an Everything Must Go-era anthemic quality to good effect, while 'Judge Yr'self' is simultaneously intense and accessible, like a bubblegum version of The Holy Bible, which is better than it sounds, and makes for an awesomely savage track. Of the B-sides, highlights would be the would-be single 'Prologue To History', a catchy, driving, piano-led rocker and 'Just A Kid', which is gorgeous and aching. Elsewhere 'Comfort Comes', 'Donkeys' and 'Sepia' are reasonable tracks, though they replicate the typical formulas of their respective periods. Beyond this, though, quality dips drastically, from the awful ('Socialist Serenade' - political Manics at their worst) to the simply boring ('Horses Under Starlight', an ill-fated attempt at instrumental chillout).
The covers disc adds very little, consisting mainly of either faithful tribute band performances (their initial idols of Guns and Roses and The Clash: here 'It's So Easy' and 'What's My Name' respectively) or complete murderings (their savage assassination of Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music'; the sheer inappropriateness of James Dean Bradfield trying to do Paul Robeson on 'Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel'. Ironically, it's only when they drop their desire to choose trendy tracks and cover Wham's 'Last Christmas' that they actually hit upon genius, transforming it into a tear-soaked acoustic ballad that suits Bradfield's tender voice perfectly. In conclusion then, some interesting material for fans, but certainly not for the newcomer, and for all but the totally undiscerning rabid fan, wildly varying in quality.
August 14, 2005 | | 5 stars for disc one, 2.5 for disc 2 | |
This is a b-sides and covers compilation from the Manics. CD 1 contains the self-penned b-sides, and wow, are some of them great. Prologue to History, 4 Ever Delayed, Donkeys, We Her Majesty's Prisoners....the entire disc is as good a Manics album as you'll hear. Fantastic. CD 2 rarely gets played by me...some interesting yet painful-to-listen-to cover, including some uncharacteristic kitsch from the Manics. But this is worth it just for disc 1, so if you can find it, check it out.
April 11, 2005Disc One gets 5 stars. It's better than a lot of the songs that made the regular studio albums. Certainly better than 95% of Know Your Enemy! It's a MUST for MSP fans!! Disc Two is less impressive - mainly a bunch of cover versions - kind of fun, but by no means necessary. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, but the first disc makes it worth it, and I figure the second disc is just kind of a bonus disc, so that's why I give the whole set 5 stars.
Most bands don't have enough great B-sides and rarities for even one great disc, so this proves what a truly great band the Manics are! I am VERY pleased with this!
January 31, 2005| | | wow, their bsides are better than some a sides | |
it was very surprising to me how good this album was, even though the manics are an amazing band, and they can do no wrong(sarcasm intended, know your enemy was pretty bad)anyways, the manics never really cracked the american market, probably for the better though, so i can have a band that I, and only I like. The songs here stand up much better than some of the tracks put on the albums these rarities were recorded for. donkeys should've been included on gold against the soul, instead of something like symphony of tourettes. same with sorrow 16, bored out of my mind, democracy coma, and strip it down, all of which would've been better on generation terrorists then tracks like damn dog, natwest barclay midlands loids, tennessee, or repeat(US). but then there are songs that would not have gone well on the albums, but stand up good on their own terms, like sculpture of man, would not have fit in well with the holy bible. the 2 best tracks on this disc though, seem to be relatively new:4ever delayed, and judge yr'self, the latter written, lyrically speaking, by the still missing richey edwards. in whole disc one is very good, not great. this album does not deserve the title of great. that is reserved for albums like the holy bible, the third big star album, or jeff buckley's grace. but this is a fantastic listen. the second disc is not even a good album, but just, entertaining. their cover of wrote for luck, by manchesters happy mondays is on par completely. better than the original. but the second disc isn't much. in conclusion, if you're a fan, you either own it already, or are starving to have it. if you're not one of the dedicated yet, buy it. it would be good listening for a beginners ears. this is one of the few pieces of manics music available here in teh states, meaning that getting your grimy paws on the richey era albums is a difficult task. but new fans, search for the holy bible. if you don't seem succesful at that, buy this or everything must go. thank you for your time and attention.
P.S. tracking down the holy bible is worth the time and money.
November 6, 2004German, they are not recognised by the "official records industry" because of the topics they talk about in their songs. Specially, a hard critic against imperialism ("Slash and burn" , song that talks on yankee militarism 'from Somalia to Vietnam'). Another song example is "Dead yankee drawl" which title describes the racism and social contradictons in the US. Another one is "IfwhiteAmerica...".
"Let Robeson sing" talks on the gallard black people activist Paul Robeson who suffered Mccarthysm in the 50's.
Of course, I like and have some Oasis and Metallica disks but they have no and will never have the irony, efficacy and political direct songs MSP have.
Indeed, Wales MSP is for me the best english-lyrics group. And it doesn't matter to me if yankees prefer to convert Brittney Spears in idol.
I suggest you LA POLLA RECORDS, a basque rock group.
October 14, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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