This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours - Manic Street Preachers

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ALBUM REVIEWED: This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

ARTIST: Manic Street Preachers

PUBLISHED BY: Sony (1998)

13 tracks -- inc. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, The Everlasting and You Stole The Sun From My Heart. Awards -- Best Album (Brit Awards '99) -- Top 50 Albums of 1999 (Q Awards).

This is the 5th album by Manic Street Preachers, a Welsh three piece group. They consist of James-Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore. The band used to have Richey James as a rhythm guitarist until his disappearance a few years ago. The Manics have made a supreme comeback after Richey's disappearance. "Everything Must Go" won them Best Album at the Brits in 97. Then "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" gave them it again this year. Both the album and the single "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" shot straight into Number One on the British charts. The Everlasting didn't do quite as well and You Stole The Sun From My Heart went straight in at number 5.

Since the days of The Holy Bible (thrashing guitars and James-Dean screaming), the Manics have settled down somewhat, and have taken to a calmer type of music. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is completely different from their earlier albums. Quiet, calm, and haunting comes to mind when describing this. Yes, haunting. Some of the songs are just a guitar, a stringed instrument (cello) and maybe drums and bass quietly in the background. And of course James-Dean (or even Nicky Wire) singing.

The Everlasting. This slow song never reached the top ten. The lyrics should have made it successful on their own. "In the beginning, when we were winning, when our smiles were genuine." 8/10
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next. Written about the Spanish Civil War, this classic song was the first to be released from the album. Featuring the ever present Wurlitzer (the intro bit), this is a classic song, but in my opinion (I've heard it so many times), it's not really that special. 8/10
You Stole The Sun From My Heart. Continuing with the long titles, this is a great song to play anywhere. With its fast, furious, sing-a-long chorus and its mellow verses. It's the ultimate package. 9/10
Ready For Drowning. A slow and mellow song that never really caught my attention at all. Well, I'll give it the credit for the guitar riffs but the song's line was nothing special. 7/10
Tsunami. A hint of Japanese influence in this song with its Sitars. I never really liked it. Fast chorus, slow verse. A trend appearing. 7/10
My Little Empire. What can I say? Sheer brilliance!! This is one of my favourite songs on the album. The frenzy of drums in the background, the quiet bass, the almost silent rhythm guitar, a distorted lead guitar playing a few riffs, that cello belting out its notes, and James and Nicky singing in an octave most of us can't get down to. I love this song. "My Little Empire, happy being sad, happy being sad, happy being sad." The closing lyrics. Immense!! 9/10
I'm Not Working. Very slow and smudged. These are the characteristics of the song. Very laid back and generally not moving. Gives you the atmosphere of someone not working. Hmm. 7/10
You're Tender And You're Tired. This song is very moving. "You're tender and you're tired. You can't be bothered to decide, whether you live or die, or just forget about your life. Drift away and die." Haunting is the word to describe it. It's got a really good piano in the choruses. Lovely song. 8/10
Born A Girl. This is another brilliant song that shows the brilliance of the Manics. Three instruments here. An electric guitar, an accordion and James singing. "And I wish I had been born a girl instead of this mess of a man." Another haunting song. It really leaves you feeling uncomfortable and restless. Not something to listen to when trying to get to sleep I guess. Still, it does what it's intended to do. 9/10
Be Natural. This song was nothing to me. I really did not like it or dislike it. Shame really. The melody was nothing special. 6/10
Black Dog On My Shoulder. Another ok-ish song from the album. The vocals are really quite outstanding. 7/10
Nobody Loved You. A song made to sink you into a depressed state of mind. I tend not to listen to it because the lyrics are so true to life. The music behind it really suits the song and what it's about. 7/10
S.Y.M.M. Stands for South Yorkshire Mass Murderer. I expected better for a song with a title like that. Still, the lyrics are suggestive and the music pretty ok-ish. 7/10

SCORE:

93%

One of their best albums.

www.manics.co.uk

Site designed by the CCM Reviews Team. Maintained by G-String. Please report any problems to us at [email protected]. Last updated: March 27, 1999.

Site designed by the CCM Reviews Team. Maintained by G-String.
Please report any problems to us at [email protected].
Last updated: March 27, 1999.