917 Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists (1992)

 917 Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists (1992)

Studio Album - Heavy Rock




About the Act:

Manic Street Preachers, or "The Manics" are a rock band from Wales, who have been in existence since 1986. They are known for their critical social commentary and left-wing politics. 

They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore. After their first single they were joined by Richey Edwards, who disappeared in 1995, and is now presumed dead.


About the Album:

This was the debut album by the band. Pre-released they claimed it would be "The best rock album ever", and that it would sell around sixteen million copies. It was received well, sold less than they claimed, and arguably is not the best rock album ever.


My History with this Album:

None, although I know the track "Motorcycle Emptiness" as it was a successful single.


Review:

From the second this album started it surprised me. The Manics are another of those bands that I have only really engaged with through the radio, and in my head they were yet another in a wave of bands that became popular around the same time. My particular impression was that they were serious, singing songs of social commentary, lacking humour, and verging on the whiney at times.

That's not what surprised me, what surprised me is that this is heavier rocking than I imagined it would be. It starts with a great guitar riff, and in fact, for me, the guitar is the hero of the album. It's a rocking album. It's a long album at 73:11, with a lot of songs, which vary from  heavy rock to medium rock, with occasional off-style stingy bits. 

James Dean Bradfield is a good singer, but his voice is less of a rock voice than you might expect. It is distinctive, but I'm afraid does tend to lend to that vague feeling of whining at times. Putting that aside, it's a good rock album. Not a genius rock album, but strong.


7.3/20


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5XV63qDoIC1z2Tb0EIMVua

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0o0W567JORbDQW8fFw68gR6Q52QRoMNL

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Terrorists



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