Gold Against The Soul - Manic Street Preachers

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ALBUM REVIEWED: Gold Against The Soul

ARTIST: Manic Street Preachers

PUBLISHED BY: Columbia\Sony (1993)

10 tracks -- inc.Roses In The Hospital, From Despair To Where, La Tristresse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) and Life Becoming A Landslide. Highest Position: 8

This is the 2nd album by Manic Street Preachers, a Welsh three piece group. They consist of James-Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore. At this time the band had Richey James as a rhythm guitarist. He disappeared a few years ago. Around this time the Manics set up was a rhythm guitar, a distorted wailing guitar, screaming vocals, freaky lyrics, hammering basses and crazy drums.

This album was their first Top 10 hit in the UK. After Generation Terrorists (13), it was a slight contrast, if that makes any sense. The music was slower (well most songs were), and the songs were a bit more tuneful to a non-manics fan. I of course love all their albums. To me, they're the best Welsh band ever!

Sleepflower. This track was a favourite for me when I first bought the album. Mainly because it was the first one I heard, and also, the chorus was very catchy. Good guitar solo as well. 8/10
From Despair To Where. Reached number 25. A slow start with a great guitar line. Nothing too special, but the lyrics are very good. 8/10
La Tristresse Durera (Scream To A Sigh). Not one of my favourites at all. Reached number 22.This one was boring in fact. Chorus isn't too bad. 5/10
Yourself. This has a great bass riff. Lovely vocals. Great Lyrics. Clever Drums. Brilliant Guitars. What more can I say. 8/10
Life Becoming A Landslide. Lovely guitar intro. The lyrics to the chorus are ace. "My idea of love comes from, a childhood glimpse of pornography. Though there is no true love, just a finely tuned jealousy." Sheer Class! 9/10
Drug Drug Druggy. Hmm, what is this song about? Yup. It is. Not one of my favourites, a fairly middle-class song. 7/10
Roses In The Hospital. The most successful song on the album peaking at number 15. This is really good, the guitar line is excellent. The chorus climaxing at "All we wanted was a home. Now we are so strung up we wanna own. Like a leaf in the autumn breeze. Like a flood in January. We don't want your f*cking love." Lovely song. 9/10
Nostalgic Pushead. Back to the days of great, short titles! This is very fast and flowing. The lyrics (written by Richey and Nicky) were about as weird as I've come across. 8/10
Symphony Of Tourette. Written about Tourette's syndrome (the mental illness Kurt Cobain suffered from), this is very moving and very disturbing. Whether they are trying to make aware the fact of tourette's or whether they are dubious about it defies me. Nevermind. 7/10
Gold Against The Soul. If this song isn't about politics then no song is. "Somebody told me to vote Conservative. Tragedy is not known under this dimmest of lights." The title track is not spectacular, but it does the job. 8/10

SCORE:

90%

Not quite at the top

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Site designed by the CCM Reviews Team. Maintained by G-String. Please report any problems to us at [email protected]. Last updated: March 26, 1999.

Site designed by the CCM Reviews Team. Maintained by G-String.
Please report any problems to us at [email protected].
Last updated: March 26, 1999.