The Holy Bible - Manic Street Preachers

The Holy Bible is almost undisputed as the pinnacle of the Manic Street Preachers long career of anger and musical trouble-making. It is so called because it represents what might be termed the Newest Testament. Over the course of its thirteen tracks, the filth-stained underside of humanity is put under a microscope which throws each and every possible perversion into sharp relief. Richey explains in four-lettered detail where we've been going wrong, reminds us of our complicity in the most everyday evils and then, having shown us all the error of our ways, he dies to save us all. Or maybe he just pretended to, who can say? The truth of this interpretation is ...  Read the complete review

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Background ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Manic Street Preachers, from humble beginnings in Blackwood in Wales, have been making music for over 20 years (formed in 1986 under the original name of Betty Blue). Originally they were a quartet with lead vocalist and lead guitarist James Dean Bradfield, lyricist and bassist Nicky Wire, drummer Sean Moore and the lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards. All music was written by Bradfield and Moore. The band had to deal with major upheaval with the shocking disappearance of Richey Edwards on 1st February 1995 (he was declared presumed deceased in November 2008) but ...  Read the complete review

Oh, to have the old days back. The 1990’s when cool people knew who the Pixies were, Nirvana fans were not eleven years old and the Manic Street Preachers actually meant something. For those of you who know the Manics as the bland, dull, self-celebratory, This-portakabin-is-reserved-for-the-Manic-Street-Preachers (long story) indie schmindie twattishness they are today, there is another story. The Manics used to be cross-dressing, out-spoken communists with a penchant for glam rock and lyrics that tore at your soul. The source of all this madness, I truly believe, was Richey James. Now presumed dead, I feel Richey was the catalyst for the great days of ...  Read the complete review

In a word this album is outstanding. For a few more words read on. This album well reflects the Manic darkest hour. By saying that it is also one of their best ever pieces of works, more an image of the dark lyrics and tone to the songs. It is a breathtaking piece of music with some of the best lyrics I have heard and some excellent songs musically. This is Richey James at his best and most depressed, before his disappearance. That is what makes it such as good work. Richey James was having troubles before this album, this is his last work from the Manic Street Preachers with him in their mists. He is more famous for his lack of talent with ...  Read the complete review

From the darkest soul of music we see in this album the real horror that inflicted the most outrageous member of the band we know as the Manic Street Preachers. This Holy Bible also nicknamed the darkest album in Rock had its lyrics mostly written by Guitar player and outrageous musician Richey James, a musician who used a blade during an interview to carve ?4 Real? into his arm to prove to a journalist that the statements of self mutilation were not just a party trick that had been used many times before. But what is the album about? Well not even a hundred years of wonder could solve this question; this album is about misery, suffering, self-torment and ...  Read the complete review